Tennessee won a 14-inning thriller over Clemson in a highly charged regional bout. Saturday’s epic contest caught fans’ attention.
According to ESPN, 736,000 viewers watched the college baseball showdown on ESPN2. It was the second-highest-rated regional matchup in ESPN history.
Regional ratings as a whole went up 37 percent from 2022.
Saturday’s @Vol_Baseball vs @ClemsonBaseball matchup was the most-viewed game of the Regional round
⚾️ Averaged 736K viewers
⚾️ 2nd most-watched Regionals game on ESPN platforms on record#NCAABaseball pic.twitter.com/eaN9qG9661— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) June 7, 2023
Viewers witnessed a nail-biter between two teams in the Clemson region’s winner stage.
Clemson rocked Tennessee ace Chase Dollander, a likely first-round pick in the upcoming MLB Draft, to four runs in the fifth inning. However, the Vols tacked on one run in the seventh before Zane Denton hit a go-ahead three-run home run in the ninth.
The Tigers evened the score at 5-5 in the bottom of the ninth. Neither bullpen would budge until Hunter Ensley put Tennesee in front with a decisive RBI double, cementing a 6-5 win at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.
Following Saturday’s dramatic loss, Charlotte eliminated Clemson with a 3-2 upset over the nation’s No. 4 seed. The Volunteers then advanced to the Super Regionals with a 9-2 victory over the 49ers.
Tennessee will begin its best-of-three series at Southern Mississippi on Saturday at 3 p.m. ET. The game will air on ESPNU.