Tennessee Baseball Opens Season With 3-Game Series Against Nicholls

New head coach Josh Elander looks to build on recent success as Vols debut renovated stadium.

Published on Feb. 13, 2026

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The Tennessee Volunteers baseball team kicks off its 2026 season this weekend with a three-game series against Nicholls. New head coach Josh Elander, who previously served as an assistant under Tony Vitello, will debut a roster featuring several key returning players as well as some new additions. The Vols will also unveil their renovated Lindsey Nelson Stadium during the series.

Why it matters

Tennessee enters the season as a consensus top 15 team nationally, looking to maintain the program's recent success under Vitello. The transition to a new head coach will be closely watched, as Elander aims to keep the Vols among the nation's elite college baseball teams.

The details

Tennessee will start Tegan Kuhns on the mound for Friday's opener, followed by Landon Mack on Saturday and veteran Evan Blanco on Sunday. The Vols are set to face a Nicholls squad they've never played before, as the two programs meet for the first time.

  • The three-game series runs from Friday, February 13 to Sunday, February 15.
  • First pitch for Game 1 is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. ET on Friday.
  • Saturday and Sunday's games both start at 1 p.m. ET.

The players

Josh Elander

The new head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers baseball team, taking over for Tony Vitello.

Tegan Kuhns

Tennessee's starting pitcher for the Friday opener against Nicholls.

Landon Mack

Tennessee's starting pitcher for the Saturday game against Nicholls.

Evan Blanco

Tennessee's veteran starting pitcher for the Sunday game against Nicholls.

Nuno Parache

Nicholls' starting pitcher for the Friday opener against Tennessee.

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What’s next

The Volunteers will look to build momentum from this opening series as they continue their non-conference schedule in the coming weeks.

The takeaway

Tennessee baseball enters a new era under Josh Elander, but the expectations remain high for the Volunteers to maintain their status as one of the top programs in college baseball.