Tennessee embraces – Josh Elander admits Tennessee isn’t expected to advance in the Chapel Hill Regional, where the Vols (No. 2 seed) open against East Carolina (No. 3 seed) on May 29. With Evan Blanco set to start and a bracket where only one team survives, the Vols are leaning i
CHAPEL HILL, NC — Josh Elander doesn’t sound surprised that Tennessee is being treated like the underdog.
He just sounds decided.
“ I think that’s the only way you should want it as a competitor,” Elander said May 27. “Let’s go best vs. best and figure out what’s what.”
No. 25 Tennessee (38-20) enters the Chapel Hill Regional as the No. 2 seed, hosted by No. 4 North Carolina (45-11-1) at Boshamer Stadium. The Vols open their NCAA Tournament run against the No. 3 seed, East Carolina (36-22-1), on May 29 at noon ET on ESPN. Senior Evan Blanco (7-4. 4.94 ERA) is set to start for Tennessee. and redshirt junior Ryan Towers (7-3. 3.04 ERA) will start for the Pirates.
The stakes stack immediately after that first game. The winner will advance to face either North Carolina, the No. 5 overall seed, or No. 4 seed VCU (37-23) on May 30 at 5 p.m. ET. The loser drops into an elimination game on May 30 at noon.
Tennessee’s position carries an extra edge because it’s unfamiliar. The Vols have been dominant in recent years. and this is only the second time in six seasons they aren’t hosting a regional in Knoxville. Over that same span, Tennessee has been the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament the same number of times.
A No. 1 regional, though, doesn’t guarantee a trip to the super regional. At least six non-No. 1 seeds have advanced to a super regional in each of the past three tournaments. Last year, it was seven.
Tennessee last landed as a No. 2 seed in 2023, and that team went to the College World Series.
This Chapel Hill pod is built to make every assumption uncomfortable. Of the 16 regionals being played this week. its teams have the fourth-highest average RPI and the third-highest average Diamond Sports Ranking. When the No. 4 seeds are removed—who can be statistical outliers—the Chapel Hill Regional has the highest average DSR ranking of any regional.
Sophomore Levi Clark said the matchup sharpens the focus, even if it doesn’t change how Tennessee wants to play.
“I think it helps us motivate for this weekend and hopefully onto the next,” Clark said. “But we try and not look at that too much and really try and focus on ourselves. I think our team’s ready for anything, really.”
The Vols have already spent this season learning how to win with urgency. After starting 4-8 in SEC play, it wasn’t guaranteed they would even reach the NCAA Tournament. They needed a run—and they responded by winning four of their last six SEC series. Those included three against teams hosting a regional: Mississippi State, Alabama, and Texas.
Now Tennessee is in a four-team pod where only one season continues.
Odds favor North Carolina to advance. Elander acknowledged the reality of the bracket, but he pushed the focus back to the work that has to happen on the field.
“But the game is not played on paper,” Elander said. “The game is played between the lines and is won by players, and I’m excited because this time of year we’ve always said, ‘Hey, we’re handing you the keys to the car, we’ll let you guys drive it.’ So I’m excited to see how our guys compete.”
NCAA Chapel Hill Regional schedule (all times ET):
Friday
Game 1: Tennessee vs. East Carolina, noon, ESPN
Game 2: North Carolina vs. VCU, 5 p.m., ESPN+
Saturday
Game 3: Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, noon, TBD
Game 4: Game 1 winner vs. Game 2, 5 p.m., TBD
Sunday
Game 5: Game 4 loser vs. Game 3 winner, noon, TBD
Game 6: Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 5 p.m., TBD
Monday (if necessary)
Game 7: Game 6 winner vs. Game 6 loser, TBD
Tennessee baseball Josh Elander Chapel Hill Regional North Carolina East Carolina Evan Blanco Ryan Towers NCAA Tournament Boshamer Stadium Levi Clark
So Tennessee is the underdog but still the No. 2 seed? Make it make sense.
Blanco starting is huge right? 7-4 with a 4.94 ERA doesn’t sound great though lol. I feel like ESPN is gonna hype it either way.
They said only one team survives the bracket but then it says winner advances and loser drops into an elimination game, so… which is it? I swear these NCAA things always sound confusing. Also if UNC hosts, that doesn’t really mean Tennessee is an underdog, they just not in Knoxville.
I don’t even watch baseball like that but I already know East Carolina is gonna pull some upset. Tennessee being treated like the underdog sounds like coach talk. If they lose the first one it’s basically over, right? I hate brackets that punish you like that.