My Two Cents: Upset-Minded Hoosiers Ready For Challenge From Top Overall Seed Tennessee
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee is the top overall seed in this year's NCAA baseball tournament, and for good reason. They're 51-11 and have been great all year, a very deserving No. 1 seed and all that comes with it.
Part of ''what comes with it'' is hosting one or the 16 regionals. The Volunteers are gracious hosts this weekend in Knoxville, and they won Friday night in their opener, beating Northern Kentucky 9-3. Indiana won too, upsetting Southern Miss 10-4, setting up an Indiana-Tennessee showdown on Saturday night. (Game time is 6 p.m. ET, and is televised on ESPNU.)
No one is giving little ol' Indiana any chance of course. Tennessee from the SEC is the best team in the best conference — by far — in baseball. They won the regular season title AND the SEC Tournament, winning four straight to seal the deal. They are 35-3 at home this season.
Indiana didn't win the Big Ten regular season crown or the conference tournament. The Hoosiers, who have dealt with a lot of injuries all season, feel fortuante just to be in the tournament. Hearing their name called on Selection Monday was a blessing they weren't sure was coming.
But here they are. The Hoosiers (33-24-1) feel good about where they are at right now. They were in a similar situation last year, playing in a regional in Lexington against top-seeded Kentucky. They beat the Wildcats on Saturday, but lost twice to them on Sunday to get knocked out.
The Hoosiers, relaxed and confidence, learned from that experience, and to a man they say it will help keep them grounded this weekend.
They're ready to compete.
"I think when you get to this time of year, when you get to the tournament and this environment, you have to use all the tools in your tool chest. We've seen that before and (Friday) we were able to put up some crooked numbers,'' Mercer said. "A little bit of experience from last time helps, and we played well with a lead.
"Any time you're playing really good teams — last year we were a three-seed and this year we're a three-seed — you're playing teams that a national audience thinks are better than you. That's not a chip on your shoulder thing and there's no hidden meaning behind it, it's just that you're playing someone as good as you or better than you. So you have to be able to use all of your tools, but you also have to know the game is going to be difficult. It's going to be close, and you have to use all your avenues for success. ''
Indiana is just 2-9 all-time against SEC teams in the NCAA Tournament. They've only beaten Kentucky once a year ago and Texas A&M in 2018, but failed to advance in either regional. They've only done so once, in 2013 when they reached the College World Series for the only time in program history.,
This year they played two SEC teams and lost 12-0 to Alabama and 13-5 to Vanderbilt.
"I think the biggest thing is having that great experience in Lexington last year. You just try to apply what you're learned from this like that,'' said Indiana first baseman Brock Tibbitts, who had a big-two run homer in the first inning on Friday and was 3-for-5 with four RBIs on the day.
Tennessee can pitch AND hit, which makes them so tough to beat, especially at home. And they've see it all of course, playing through the SEC gauntlet all year. There are 13 SEC teams with higher RPI rankings thank No. 40 Illinois, the Big Ten regular season champs and highest ranked team. Indiana is No. 53.
So keep that in mind on Saturday. This is No. 1 vs. No. 53.
Scoring early again, like Friday, would be a big help. Tennessee has won the last five regionals it has hosted in Knoxville, so it won't be easy. They've been to the College World Series six times, but they've never won a national title. They feel like this team might be their best ever, and they're a huge hurdle for Indiana. The Vols are 20-5 all-time in regional games in Knoxville, and that's an impressive number.
"We're an offense that typically scores in bunches. When we go, we go,'' Mercer said.
They'll have to go on Saturday to have a chance. Southern Miss was supposed to be better than Indiana, too, but the Hoosiers did everything right in all phases in Friday's win. They'll have to be near-perfect again.
That's asking a lot, but at least they're here. They have a chance, and in early June, that's all you can ask for.
It's not like it's impossible. Consider this amazing fact. The No. 1 overall seed hasn't gone on to win the national title in 25 years, not since Miami won in 1999. So losses do occur.
All Indiana can say is ''why not us?''
Right?
Related stories on NCAA baseball
- HOOSIERS WIN OPENER: Indiana got a great start from lefty Ty Bothwell and had three multiple-run innings in the first four in a 10-4 rout of Southern Mississippi in the first game of the Knoxville Regional in the NCAA baseball tournament. Here is Tom Brew's game story, live from Knoxville. CLICK HERE
- NCAA TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE, RESULTS: Here's the full schedule for the 2024 NCAA baseball tournament, with locations, game times, TV information and results in real time. CLICK HERE
- INDIANA NCAA HISTORY: This is Indiana's 11th appearancein the NCAA Baseball Tournament. Here's how they've fared through the years, plus their records against all opponents. CLICK HERE
- PLAYERS TO WATCH: There's a lot of talent on the four rosters here at the Knoxville Regional in the NCAA baseball tournament. Here are the best players on the Tennessee, Southern Miss, Indiana and Northern Kentucky rosters. CLICK HERE
TOM BREW
Tom Brew is an award-winning journalist who has worked at some of America's finest newspapers as a reporter and editor, including the Tampa Bay (Fla.) Times, the Indianapolis Star and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. He has covered college sports in the digital platform for the past six years, including the last five years as publisher of HoosiersNow on the FanNation/Sports Illustrated network.