Lightning Delays Saturday First Pitch Between Tennessee and Missouri

Start time pushed back one hour due to inclement weather in the Knoxville area

Mar. 21, 2026 at 10:13pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The start time for the Saturday baseball game between the University of Tennessee Volunteers and the University of Missouri Tigers has been delayed by one hour to 7 p.m. ET due to lightning in the Knoxville area. Fans were asked to briefly take shelter in the concourse or under the overhang seating as a downpour moved through the stadium.

Why it matters

Weather delays are common in baseball, but can be disruptive to the flow of a series. This delay could impact the pitching rotations and lineups for both teams as they look to bounce back from Friday night's result.

The details

The game was originally scheduled to start at 6 p.m. ET, but was pushed back an hour due to the approaching thunderstorms. After a brief downpour, the game is now set to begin at 7 p.m. Fans were not asked to evacuate the stadium, but did take temporary shelter during the worst of the weather.

  • The game was originally scheduled to start at 6 p.m. ET.
  • The start time was pushed back to 7 p.m. ET due to the lightning in the area.
  • A brief downpour occurred shortly after the delay was announced.

The players

Tennessee Volunteers

The home team, looking to bounce back after Friday night's 8-4 loss to Missouri.

Missouri Tigers

The visiting team, coming off a strong offensive performance in the series opener.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“We're gonna see what we got. At this point, we won a game last Friday night but didn't finish the weekend. They had it close, two-run game, had a chance to win it, but we're going to find out what we got. This is a good test. We're at home on our home turf. Our crowd was amazing tonight, and we need to perform better for them.”

— Josh Elander, Tennessee Head Coach

What’s next

The teams will look to complete the three-game series on Sunday with a quick turnaround after the Saturday weather delay.

The takeaway

Weather delays are an unavoidable part of baseball, but can disrupt the momentum and flow of a series. Both teams will need to quickly adjust their plans and lineups to account for the one-hour delay and prepare for the Sunday finale.