Strider (3-8) was scratched after the inaugural rain delay. He is a Knoxville native and a graduate of Christian Academy of Knoxville. Burns, a native of Gallatin, Tennessee, pitched for Tennessee from 2022-23 before transferring to Wake Forest. He was selected with the No. 2 overall pick by the Reds in the 2024 MLB draft.

Ahead of Saturday's matchup at Bristol Motor Speedway, Tennessee head coach Tony Vitello appeared on MLB Network in Bristol and discussed his former pitcher. Vitello was asked what he thought of Burns when he saw him for the first time and what he thinks about him now in MLB.

Chase Burns is the projected starting pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds against the Atlanta Braves in the MLB Speedway Classic on Aug. 2.