Tennessee Baseball Completes Series Sweep at Mississippi State

First-year head coach Josh Elander recaps the Vols' big road victory.

Apr. 12, 2026 at 9:53pm

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a college baseball game, with the action broken down into sharp, overlapping planes of orange, white, maroon, and white, representing the team colors of Tennessee and Mississippi State.Tennessee's series sweep at Mississippi State showcases the Vols' growing confidence and momentum under their new head coach.Starkville Today

The Tennessee Volunteers baseball team defeated the No. 8 ranked Mississippi State Bulldogs 7-2 on Sunday, completing a three-game series sweep on the road in Starkville, Mississippi. First-year Tennessee head coach Josh Elander discussed the team's impressive performance, calling it a 'massive turning point' that should give the Vols confidence going forward.

Why it matters

This series sweep on the road against a highly ranked SEC opponent is a significant accomplishment for the Tennessee baseball program, especially under a new head coach. It could provide momentum and a 'mojo change' for the Vols as they look to make a push in conference play and potentially earn an NCAA tournament bid.

The details

In the series finale, Tennessee's offense provided 'some breathing room' early, allowing the pitching staff to hold off a late Mississippi State rally. Elander praised the team's ability to 'work through each pitch' and get the job done in a 'tough environment' against 'two really good arms' for the Bulldogs.

  • Tennessee defeated Mississippi State 7-2 on Sunday, April 12, 2026.

The players

Josh Elander

The first-year head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers baseball team.

Bo Rudy

A Tennessee player who helped the team 'hit a little reset' late in the game to secure the victory.

Tennessee Volunteers

The college baseball team from the University of Tennessee that completed the series sweep at Mississippi State.

Mississippi State Bulldogs

The No. 8 ranked college baseball team from Mississippi State University that was swept by Tennessee in the three-game series.

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What they’re saying

“'Massive turning point,' Elander said. 'Needs to be a mojo change for our guys and know wherever we go playing this week, we got a chance to be in the game, and got a little hairy there late again, but the guys did good in the dugout just making sure to work through each pitch. What is the next task, and a great job by (Bo) Rudy to hit a little reset there and get us out.”

— Josh Elander, Tennessee Head Coach

“'Again, same thing with the weekend, offense doing a good job of giving us some breathing room. We get down there late, getting out of the gates, and those are two really good arms we faced in a tough environment today, so a phenomenal win for our club.”

— Josh Elander, Tennessee Head Coach

What’s next

Tennessee will look to build on this series sweep as they continue SEC play this week, hoping the momentum from this 'massive turning point' will carry them to more success.

The takeaway

This series sweep on the road against a highly ranked SEC opponent is a significant accomplishment for the Tennessee baseball program under their new head coach. It should provide a 'mojo change' and confidence boost for the Vols as they aim to make a push towards the NCAA tournament.