A freak injury just made Tennessee's SEC Tournament opener even tougher
The Vols lost one of their most important pieces for Tuesday's opener against South Carolina
Tennessee’s Reese Chapman (13) celebrates after hitting a double during the NCAA college baseball game against the Missouri Tigers on Mar. 22, 2026, in Knoxville, Tennessee. Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images The Vols lost one of their most important pieces for Tuesday’s opener against South Carolina Tennessee’s SEC Baseball Tournament path begins on Tuesday, as the 10 seed Vols take on the 15 seed South Carolina Gamecocks in the first round.
And on Monday, it appears their chances took a literal and figurative blow. According to Go Vols 247’s Ben McKee, senior outfielder Reese Chapman was struck in the face by a line drive at practice and will miss Tuesday’s game against the Gamecocks. His status for the remainder of the tournament is still to be determined.
Unfortunate injury development for Tennessee baseball: Reese Chapman was struck in the face by a line drive at practice today. He's been ruled out for Tuesday's game against South Carolina in the SEC Tournament. Chapman's availability for the rest of the tournament is uncertain.
— Ben McKee (@benmckee14) May 19, 2026 Tennessee senior OF Reese Chapman to miss South Carolina game after being struck by a line drive at practice First, and obviously most importantly, you hope that Chapman is ok and that the injury is nothing severe. Chapman is the Vols’ lone four-year senior on the roster , and as such, this is his final SEC Tournament in orange and white after three years representing the Vols in Hoover. Baseball wise, Chapman has been a crucial part of Tennessee’s lineup this season.