The Tennessee Volunteers open the 2026 season this weekend and face several intriguing nonconference series before SEC play begins. Here’s a look at what those opponents bring to the table, including the rotation of teams in the Amegy Bank College Baseball Series in Arlington, Texas.
Nicholls State — Opening Weekend
Nicholls enjoyed a strong run under Mike Silva from 2022-24, and now Brent Haring is looking to build his own foundation in south Louisiana. Silva went 98-71 in three seasons before departing for Arkansas State. Enter the Haring era.
The Colonels went 17-32 in Haring’s first season. He arrived from LSU, where he served as head of baseball operations, and previously was an associate head coach at BYU. Defense is expected to be a strength for Nicholls in 2026. Offensively, the Colonels will emphasize contact and short-game execution.
Nicholls is still working to establish a consistent nucleus under Haring, which could allow Tennessee to ease newcomers into action throughout opening weekend.
Kent State — Weekend Two
Kent State faces a demanding nonconference schedule in 2026. The Golden Flashes open with a three-game series against Southeastern Louisiana, followed by a Monday matchup with defending national champion LSU. Kent State also will face Ohio State, Pittsburgh and Wright State.
The Flashes are looking to build on a 38-win season that ended in disappointment at the MAC tournament. Kent State tied Miami (Ohio) for the regular-season conference title at 17-12 but, despite earning the No. 1 seed in the 2025 MAC tournament, went 1-2 and missed out on an NCAA regional berth.
Coach Jeff Duncan recently signed a contract extension through 2030. He owns a 386-242 career record and has won seven MAC championships (regular season and tournament combined), along with two regional appearances. Kent State has never finished below .500 in conference play under his leadership.
The Golden Flashes’ top prospect is Sawyer Solitaria. The 6-foot-5, 225-pound sophomore earned MAC Freshman of the Year honors in 2025. Despite his size, Solitaria has shown defensive versatility. He hit .308 in 54 games as a freshman with 62 RBIs and 10 stolen bases.
Kent State also returns experienced contributors in Ciaran Caughey and Brody Williams. Caughey owns a 6-2 career record over 84 1/3 innings across three seasons. The senior right-hander has 102 strikeouts and 47 walks in that span.
Williams has been a steady presence behind the plate, batting .302/.409/.502 over 460 career at-bats. Known for his defensive skills, he also provides consistent offensive production.
A Weekend in Arlington
UCLA
Led by Roch Cholowsky, UCLA returns much of the roster from its 2025 College World Series team. On the mound, coach John Savage brings back pitchers who combined for more than 50 starts last season. Senior Michael Barnett logged more than 80 innings in 2025, while right-hander Wylan Moss is building on a freshman all-conference campaign in which he recorded 49 strikeouts and 16 walks over 48 1/3 innings.
Texas transfer Will Gasparino adds experience and power to the lineup. The Harvard-Westlake product returns closer to home and could challenge Cholowsky for the team home run lead. UCLA improved from 19 wins in 2024 to 48 in 2025 and returns eight primary hitters, plus Gasparino.
Arizona State
Cole Carlon is the most intriguing prospect for the Sun Devils. The junior left-hander improved his strikeout-to-walk ratio from 34-27 to 86-25 over 54 innings in 2025. Carlon features a strong four-seam fastball and a standout gyro slider that generates frequent swings and misses.
Other left-handers include Derek Schaefer, Max Arlich and Easton Barrett. Right-handed options include transfers Cole Klecker (TCU) and Jaden Alba. Defining bullpen and rotation roles will be a key question.
Schaefer, a former Volunteer, saw limited action at Tennessee before finding a larger role in Tempe. He struck out 35 batters in 32 1/3 innings last season while walking 15, appearing in 22 games with three starts.
Offensively, Arizona State features significant turnover. Dominic Smaldino (6-6, 230) brings power from Cal, where he led the team in RBIs and runs scored.
Familiar Faces?
Virginia Tech
Former Tennessee pitcher Evan Blanco owns a career-high 7 1/3 innings pitched against Virginia Tech in 2024, allowing two runs (none earned) in a 7-3 victory. Four Hokies return from that roster: catcher Henry Cooke, outfielder Nick Locurto, and infielders Clay Grady and Ethan Gibson. Cooke and Grady were regular starters.
Four current Hokies are Tennessee natives: Pete Daniel (Ensworth), Aiden Robertson (Manchester), Hudson Lutterman (Knoxville Catholic) and Mycah Jordan (Cleveland).
Robertson transferred from Walters State Community College, where he led all JUCO pitchers with 130 strikeouts in 2025. He posted a 4.12 ERA over 89 2/3 innings and was selected in the 13th round of the MLB draft by the Texas Rangers. The 6-1 right-hander features a low-slot fastball in the low 90s with sink, a sweeper that serves as his best pitch, and an average changeup.
Junior Brent Renfrow returns to anchor Virginia Tech’s rotation. He has logged 149 career innings with a 4.41 ERA and 162 strikeouts. Renfrow works with a low-to-mid-90s fastball, cutter, slider and changeup, with the cutter and slider grading as his best secondary offerings.
A Familiar Foe
The last time Tennessee faced Wright State, Drew Gilbert ended the 2021 Knoxville Regional with a walk-off grand slam.
Since then, the Raiders have gone 141-93 and remained a force in the Horizon League, winning 20 or more conference games each season since 2022 and capturing three conference tournament titles in that span.
Patrick Fultz and Hunter Warren headline a strong infield. Fultz, a senior, has logged 569 career at-bats and is coming off a 2025 season with career highs, including seven home runs, 45 RBIs and a .466 on-base percentage. He also stole 12 bases.
Warren, a redshirt sophomore and reigning Horizon League Freshman of the Year, hit .328 with 45 RBIs and 15 doubles in his first collegiate season.
The key question for Wright State is pitching depth. Can the Raiders match up on the mound against power-conference competition?
Chet Lax, a junior left-hander from Tennessee with 15 career starts, could play a significant role in answering that question.
