Josh Elander

Hunter Ensley (No. 9) of the Tennessee Volunteers celebrates with third base coach Josh Elander (left) after hitting a solo home run in the seventh inning against the Texas A&M Aggies during the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship on June 22, 2024, at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Nebraska. 

 Photo: Peter Aiken/Getty Images

While Vanderbilt will miss NCAA Baseball Tournament play for the first time since 2005, two other teams from the state will begin regional competition Friday.

Lipscomb, which earned a bid by capturing the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament championship in thrilling fashion last weekend, will open play in the Starkville, Miss., regional against host Mississippi State (1 p.m. CT, ESPN+), looking for a decidedly different outcome than when the teams met earlier this season.