Tennessee baseball on pace to break all-time home run record

Tennessee baseball is inching closer to LSU's untouchable home run record. The Tigers hit 188 throughout the 1997 college baseball season, and that record has since been the most home runs by any college baseball team by a long shot. Until this year. 

The 2024 Vols are the only team to sit anywhere close to LSU's home run totals from the 1997 season. After Tennessee's 6-1 win over North Carolina, the Vols have 177 total home runs with a maximum of five games left (but hopefully less). 

Tennessee will face the winner of North Carolina and Florida State for a spot in the College World Series Finals. If Tennessee wins, it will play in a three-game series with the winner from the other side of the bracket. If the Vols lose, they will have a rematch in a winner-take-all for a spot in the Finals. 

If the Vols advance to the CWS Finals, they will play a best-two-out-of-three series with a minimum of two games guaranteed and a maximum of three. Tennessee stands 11 home runs shy of tying LSU's record and 12 from standing at the top of the mountain alone. 

How can the Vols break the record?

The number of home runs Tennessee will need to hit will depend on how many games they play. The Vols currently average 2.56 home runs per game, which is shy of LSU's 2.68 average home runs per game. The main difference is that LSU finished its season with 70 total games, while Tennessee will play its 70th game on Wednesday. 

In most scenarios, Tennessee will need to at least match their current home run average to tie LSU's record. If Tennessee plays the minimum remaining games, which would be three if they win out, they will need to hit four home runs per game to break the record. 

If Tennessee plays four games, they will need to hit three home runs, while they would only need to hit two to three per game if they play a full five games to cap off the season. That gives the Vols hitters a little more flexibility to break the record but removes all flexibility from Tennessee fans' stress they experience throughout the game. 

Regardless of how many games the Vols play, they can break the record if they continue their home run hitting ways but can't take a night off. They would likely need a big night on Wednesday to have a realistic chance to reach 188 home runs in the CWS Finals.