Tennessee Baseball Coach Reflects on First Loss of Season

Vols fall to Kent State 2-1 in series-evening game

Published on Feb. 22, 2026

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Tennessee baseball head coach Josh Elander met with the media following the Vols' 2-1 series-evening loss to Kent State on Saturday in Knoxville. Elander discussed the team's struggles at the plate, going 5-32 with runners on and 0-11 with runners in scoring position. He also praised the performances of starting pitcher Landon Mack, who struck out a career-high 11 batters, and reliever Brandon Arvidson, who made his 2026 debut and struck out five of eight batters faced.

Why it matters

This loss marks the first setback of the season for the Tennessee baseball team, which will be looking to bounce back on Sunday. Elander emphasized the importance of how the team responds to its first defeat, noting that it will be a "big test" for the Vols.

The details

Tennessee's offense struggled mightily, going just 5-for-32 at the plate and failing to capitalize on numerous scoring opportunities, going 0-for-15 with runners on base and 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position. A fifth-inning error by Henry Ford also proved costly in the low-scoring affair. However, Elander praised the performances of starting pitcher Landon Mack, who struck out a career-high 11 batters, and reliever Brandon Arvidson, who made his 2026 debut and struck out five of the eight batters he faced.

  • The game took place on Saturday, February 22, 2026 in Knoxville, Tennessee.

The players

Josh Elander

The head coach of the Tennessee baseball team.

Landon Mack

The starting pitcher for Tennessee, who struck out a career-high 11 batters in the loss.

Brandon Arvidson

The relief pitcher for Tennessee, who made his 2026 debut and struck out five of the eight batters he faced.

Henry Ford

A Tennessee player who committed a costly error in the fifth inning of the game.

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What they’re saying

“I think you find out a lot about your team after the first loss. We've made it a big theme around here to show up on Sundays, better than we did last year in '25. So, this is our first test, and hopefully we get Reese [Chapman] back in the building tomorrow, but guys should be bouncing around and ready to rock 'n' roll because I know Kent State will.”

— Josh Elander, Head Coach (rockytopinsider.com)

What’s next

Elander is hopeful that the team will get Reese Chapman back in the lineup for Sunday's game, as the Vols look to bounce back from their first loss of the season.

The takeaway

This loss serves as an early test for the Tennessee baseball team, which will need to respond well on Sunday to avoid dropping the series against Kent State. Elander emphasized the importance of the team's performance on Sundays, and the Vols will be looking to rebound with a stronger offensive showing in the series finale.