Vols end regular season with sweep of South Carolina, earns No. 1 seed in SEC Tournament

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WCYB) — Entering Saturday one game behind the Kentucky Wildcats for the top spot in the SEC standings, the Tennessee Vols were able to flip the script and finish the day with a share of the regular season conference title and No. 1 seed going into the SEC Tournament.

With a 4-1 win over South Carolina to complete the regular season series sweep of the Gamecocks and some help from Vanderbilt, who knocked off No. 2 Kentucky, the Vols stole a share of the title to finish the season with a bang.

It's the second time in the last three seasons that the Vols have won at least a share of the SEC regular-season title and it's the fifth time in program history that it's done so. The Vols will also will be the No. 1 seed in the 2024 SEC Baseball Tournament for just the second time in program history next week in Hoover, Ala.

In Saturday's season finale win, UT managed to score just four runs, one of which was scored in the fourth, while the final three were scored in the fifth. But the story of the day was the performance on the mound by left-hander pitcher Zander Sechrist - who delivered one of his best starts of the season.

Sechrist completed a career-high six scoreless innings, allowing just four hits and striking out four in the win.

Next up for the Vols, they will open in Hoover, Ala. on Wednesday afternoon in the third game of the day against the winner of Tuesday's game between the No. 8-seed and No. 9-seed. First pitch is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. ET.