Tennessee Volunteers NCAA baseball tournament projections: Will Tony Vitello's men qualify?

The Tennessee Volunteers finished the regular season as the top-ranked team in the nation. They had a 46-10 overall record that included a 22-8 mark in conference play, which earned them the top seed in the SEC Tournament. After receiving a first-round bye, the Volunteers suffered a 13-4 loss to the Vanderbilt Commodores in their first game of the tournament.

Fortunately for them, the second and third round of the conference tournament is double elimination. Tennessee will get a chance to keep their hopes of winning their fifth conference tournament championship alive on Friday.

As they await their opponent - the loser of the ongoing matchup between the Texas A&M Aggies and Mississippi State Aggies - take a look at whether they will qualify for the NCAA Tournament.

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Will the Tennessee Volunteers qualify for the NCAA Tournament?

The Tennessee Volunteers have been one of the most dominant teams in the nation this season. They have been elite on both sides of the ball.

They rank 11th in batting average, 13th in hits, second in home runs, fourth in runs scored, third in ERA, second in strikeouts to walks, and third in WHIP.

Despite their second-round loss in the SEC Tournament, the Volunteers have the best odds, +500, to win the national championship, which would mark their first title in program history.

Tennessee is a lock to reach the NCAA Tournament after a dominant regular season in the toughest conference in the sport. The SEC finished the regular season with four teams ranked in the top-five and six in the top-25.

While the Volunteers are among the favorites to earn the top-overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, they will likely need to avoid a second consecutive loss and early exit from the conference tournament.

They do, however, appear to be in line to earn a top-16 seed and hosting rights in the regional round of the tournament regardless of this week's results.

Even if they face an early elimination from the SEC Tournament, Tennessee could still receive a top-eight seed and the opportunity to host games through the super regionals.

The Tennessee Volunteers will have to get through both the NCAA Regionals and NCAA Super Regionals to qualify for the 2024 College World Series, which begins on June 14. While they are the favorites to win the title, they will have to play great baseball for the next month in order to do so.