Josh Elander changes Tennessee baseball starting pitcher vs Vanderbilt
· Yahoo Sports
Josh Elander is making one of his first bold moves as Tennessee baseball coach, changing the Vols' No. 1 starting pitcher in the weekend rotation.
Junior left-hander Brandon Arvidson (1-0, 3.52 ERA) will start for the 21st-ranked Vols (18-7, 3-3 SEC) in their series opener against Vanderbilt (14-12, 2-4) on March 27 (8 p.m. ET, ESPNU) in Nashville.
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Arvidson replaces sophomore right-hander Tegan Kuhns (1-2, 4.35 ERA), who had served as UT's No. 1 starter since the opening weekend.
The rest of Tennessee's pitching rotation is unchanged. Sophomore right-hander Landon Mack (3-2, 3.38 ERA) will start in Game 2 on March 28 (2 p.m. ET, SEC Network). Senior left-hander Evan Blanco (2-2, 2.73 ERA) will start Game 3 on March 29 (noon ET, ESPN2).
Why Brandon Arvidson replaces Tegan Kuhns on mound
It's an eye-opening decision by Elander.
Arvidson is among UT's best relief pitchers, and he was a preseason All-SEC selection. But he has limited experience as a starter. In his 36 career appearances, he has only two starts (both in 2025). Nevertheless, he's been effective in long relief, usually pitching after Kuhns.
Kuhns had a strong start to the season. But he's struggled in SEC play and failed to go deep into games. He allowed seven earned runs in 7 2/3 innings combined in starts against Georgia and Missouri, and he didn't reach five innings in either outing.
It's unclear what Kuhns' role will be in the Vanderbilt series, perhaps a long reliever or closer. But he must cut down on extra-base hits allowed against a powerful Commodores' lineup. Kuhns has given up seven doubles and six home runs, which both lead all UT pitchers.
Arvidson was sidelined early in the season with arm soreness. But he has struck out 21 batters in 15 1/3 innings this season since returning to the mound. This could be a temporary move to the starting rotation or an audition for a longer stay there.
Elander is looking for any edge to gain and maintain momentum early in the SEC schedule. The Vols are coming off a series win over Missouri. Before that, UT had lost six straight SEC series, including the last five of the 2025 season and the Georgia series this season.
Adam Sparks is the Tennessee beat reporter. Email [email protected]. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing atknoxnews.com/subscribe.
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Josh Elander starts Brandon Arvidson for Tennessee baseball vs Vanderbilt