Rick Barnes and Zakai Zeigler have formed an amazing bond. After losing in the Elite Eight for the second year in a row, Barnes made sure his guard knew how he felt about him.

Sunday's series finale was slated for 5 p.m. EDT at Founders Park in Columbia, South Carolina. First pitch between the Vols and Gamecocks is now scheduled for noon EDT due to a threat of inclement weather later in the day. Sunday's game No. 3 was originally scheduled to be televised by SEC Network and can now be watched on SEC Network+.

Tennessee basketball's Zakai Zeigler has played a huge role for the Vols since arriving on campus in 2021. The 5-foot-9 senior guard saved his best season for last in 2024-25. Zeigler, who's in his final season of eligibility, is averaging 13.9 points with 7.5 assists per game this season, ranking tied-for-fourth nationally in assists per game.

Anytime they could, it felt like the Vols went out of their way to let the Cats know they were going to out-tough them on this night.

The second-ranked Oklahoma Sooners and the soldout crowd at Love's Field were left in shock after the No. 14 Tennessee Lady Vols took the series with a 5-3 win

Houston will have to survive the Tennessee Volunteers (2:20 p.m. ET) while Auburn will try to hold off Tom Izzo's Michigan State Spartans (5:05 p.m. ET) as the Elite Eight closes out in Indianapolis and Atlanta, respectively.

He’ll leave as one of the greatest Tennessee Volunteers ever. I love him. I love him to death," Vols coach Rick Barnes said of Zeiger.

The senior point guard has lifted the Vols further each season, and they are one game away from their first trip to the Final Four.