The Battle Of First Half Champs: Knoxville Welcomes Southern League South Champs Biloxi Shuckers

Teddy Clark

KNOXVILLE, TN — The Smokies are coming off a series split with the Columbus Clingstones and looking to keep their strong second-half run going as they welcome the Biloxi Shuckers, winners of the Southern League South's first half. This is the first time this season these two clubs will face off, and with both teams having already clinched playoff spots and home-field advantage, this series has a distinct postseason feel.

Both teams are sitting atop their divisions at 8-4 in the second half. The Smokies opened with a bang, taking five of six from the Birmingham Barons before splitting with Columbus, and have leaned on a strong bullpen and timely hitting throughout. The Shuckers have been just as hot, winning four of six against both the Montgomery Biscuits and the Chattanooga Lookouts, powered by one of the league's most potent offenses.

First pitch of the series is set for 7:00 PM ET Tuesday night at Covenant Health Park.

Despite identical records, these teams win in very different ways. The Shuckers are built around the long ball and raw offensive firepower, while the Smokies favor a more balanced approach — strong pitching paired with hitters who set each other up.

Biloxi's offense backs that up: third-best batting average in Double-A since the second half began, second-most home runs, and second-most RBIs. But that firepower comes at a cost — a 5.13 ERA on the mound. This has resulted in shootouts almost everywhere the Shuckers have been, with over 10 combined runs in nine of their last twelve contests.

Knoxville's game looks different. Manager Lance Rymal calls it "complementary baseball" — offense and pitching working in tandem. The Smokies rank third in the league in batting average and hits, and fourth in RBIs, while their pitching staff owns the fifth-best ERA in the second half and has allowed the fewest home runs in the Southern League. That balance has carried them to the best overall record in the league at 46-35.

Players to Watch

For the Smokies, switch-hitter Owen Ayers is the offensive name to know. He's coming off winning Southern League player of the month in June, leading the league with a .451 average, 41 hits, and 13 doubles, while ranking second with 7 home runs. It's not just a hot streak, either — Ayers has been a steady building block since his April call-up, batting .311 with 64 hits, 16 doubles, and 15 home runs on the year.

On the mound, Jace Beck has been the Smokies' breakout story. Joining his offensive counterpart Owen Ayer’s, the Smokies actually swept the June awards with Jace Beck taking June pitcher of the month. Since transitioning from reliever to starter, he's gone 1-0 with a 0.86 ERA and 38 strikeouts over 21 innings across five starts. For the season, he sits at 6-2 with a 2.96 ERA, 93 strikeouts in 54.2 innings, and an eye-popping 15.31 K/9. Over his last four starts, Beck has worked at least four innings and struck out at least seven batters every time — including back-to-back career highs of 10 and then 11 strikeouts.

Biloxi's offense runs through recently called-up third baseman Andrew Fischer, who's no stranger to Knoxville — he played collegiately at the University of Tennessee before turning pro. Power has always been his calling card: 25 home runs in his final college season, then 20 more at High-A before his promotion. Since arriving in Double-A last month, he's already hit 8 home runs, batting .288 with 15 hits and 14 RBIs.

On the mound, Thursday's starter Jaron DeBerry has been the steady presence in Biloxi's rotation. He's coming off a career-high strikeout performance last week against Chattanooga and has been reliable all year, posting a 4.24 ERA with 36 earned runs and 80 strikeouts on the season. He'll look to go deep into Thursday's game and slow down a Smokies lineup that's been nothing if not consistent.

Probable Pitching Matchups

7/7 Tuesday, 7:00 PM ET - Taco Tuesday

RHP Connor Schultz (1-3, 5.02 ERA) vs RHP Manuel Rodriguez (8-2 4.90 ERA)

7/8 Wednesday, 7:00 PM ET - All You Can Eat Wednesday

RHP Brooks Caple (2-2, 3.63 ERA) vs RHP Travis Smith (0-1, 6.75 ERA)

7/9 Thursday, 7:00 PM ET - KnoxVegas Pin Giveaway

RHP Nick Dean (5-2, 3.77 ERA) vs RHP Jaron DeBerry (6-4, 4.24 ERA)

7/10 Friday, 7:00 PM ET - Summer Firework Series

RHP Dawson Netz (5-2, 2.53 ERA) vs RHP Bishop Letson (4-4, 4.58 ERA)

7/11 Saturday, 7:00 PM ET - Christmas in July

RHP Jace Beck (6-2, 2.96 ERA) vs RHP Yorman Galindez (0-2, 7.45 ERA)

7/12 Sunday, 2:00 PM ET

RHP Brody McCullough (0-0) vs RHP Manuel Rodriguez (8-2 4.90 ERA)

Wrap Up

The Smokies (46-35, 8-4 second half) host the Biloxi Shuckers (8-4, first-half South champions), as both clubs have already clinched postseason spots and home-field advantage. The series pits two contrasting styles: Biloxi's power-hitting offense, third in average, second in home runs and RBIs since the second half began, against a shaky 5.13 ERA on the mound, while Knoxville plays more complete baseball, ranking top-5 in average, hits, and RBIs with the league's fifth-best ERA and fewest homers allowed. Smokies switch-hitter Owen Ayers has been the offensive standout, winning Player of the Month honors in June (.451 BA) and sitting at .311/16 2B/15 HR on the year, while pitcher Jace Beck has dominated since joining the rotation, posting a 0.86 ERA and 38 strikeouts in just 21 innings as a starter (15.31 K/9 on the season), while also claiming Player of the Month honors in June. For the Shuckers, third baseman Andrew Fischer — a former Tennessee Vol — leads the league with 8 home runs since his call-up while hitting .288, and Thursday's starter Jaron DeBerry brings a steady 4.24 ERA after a career-high strikeout outing last week. It sets up as a clash between Biloxi's power and shaky pitching versus Knoxville's balance, with both teams building momentum heading into the postseason.

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