'After home runs powered Tennessee to a series-opening win on Thursday night, the Volunteers relied on pitching and defense in consecutive 3-2 victories over Missouri to give Tony Vitello a sweep over his alma mater.


Tennessee now sits at 15-6 in SEC play and 37-7 overall.


Thursday

Recap from Friday’s blog: Link


Friday

The Vols picked up their 6th consecutive SEC series victory with a 3-2 win over Missouri.


It was just the 3rd time this season where Tennessee failed to (officially) hit a home run.


For the second straight game, a strikeout stranded Mizzou runners on the corners in the top of the 1st.


The Tigers loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the 4th but Cal Stark picked off the runner at 1st, something he’s doing very well this season.


Tennessee finally got on the scoreboard with some 2-out magic in the bottom of the 4th. Following back-to-back singles by Dylan Dreiling and Dean Curley, a wild pitch brought Dreiling home and advanced Curley to 2nd. Then Hunter Ensley doubled to left field to score Curley and give the Vols a 2-0 lead.


Stark led off the bottom of the 7th with a double off the very top of the wall in right centerfield that surprisingly wasn’t reviewed for a potential home run. On replay, it looked like the ball hit a light pole just beyond the wall and came back into play. Stark advanced to 3rd on a wild pitch and then scored on a Blake Burke RBI groundout to put Tennessee up 3-0.


Burke — who earlier in the game broke his bat on a foul ball — was 0-for-4 the night after seeing his program-record 31-game hit streak come to an end on Thursday.


Still, that insurance run he knocked in proved to be much needed.


With a runner on, Mizzou’s Trevor Austin sent a fastball just over the left field wall in the top of the 8th. The 2-run home run cut Tennessee’s lead to 3-2 and chased Vols starter Drew Beam from the game.


Beam was solid once again for Tennessee to earn his 6th win of the season. QB1 struck out eight, walked one and scattered six hits, taking a shutout into the 8th inning.


Veteran lefty Kirby Connell got a strikeout to end the top of the 8th inning and then made two nice defensive plays in the 9th inning to record two quick outs before Aaron Combs got the final out to earn his 2nd save of the season.


Saturday

Mizzou took their first lead of the series with a run in the top of the 1st after a 1st-pitch single, stolen base and RBI base hit before recording an out.


The lead didn't last long as the Vols responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning.


Christian Moore scored on a throwing error following a Kavares Tears line drive to right field, then Dean Curley knocked in two more runs with a 2-out single.


Both starting pitchers settled in after the opening frame on a day the winds were blowing in at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.


A Hunter Ensley warning track fly out in the 4th inning is typically a home run on most days.


Back-to-back walks to begin the 5th ended the day for Vols starter Zander Sechrist.


Nate Snead replaced him with two runners on and no outs.


A failed bunt attempt led to the lead runner being thrown out at 3rd base, then an RBI double to right centerfield scored one with the batter advancing to 3rd on a throwing error.


A chopper to 1st base resulted in the runner at 3rd being thrown out at the plate, which was confirmed on review, keeping Tennessee up 3-2.


Sechrist allowed two runs on three hits over four plus innings. He struck out four and uncharacteristically walked three on a day where there was a tight, but consistent low strike zone.


The Tigers threatened again in the 6th with a runner at 2nd and only one out but Curley made a diving stop up the middle on a grounder then threw out the runner trying to score from 2nd on the play.


It was the second time in the series finale Mizzou ran into an out at home, something the Tigers can’t afford to do in order to win SEC games.


Tennessee loaded the bases for the top of the order with one out in the bottom of the 7th but Moore struck out on three pitches then Blake Burke grounded out into a shift.


Kirby Connell entered to start the 8th inning and after allowing two singles got a force out at 3rd base and then a strikeout to keep the Vols in front before a three up, three down 9th inning to clinch the weekend sweep and earn his 3rd save of the season.


Notes:

— Christian Moore was once again Tennessee’s best hitter over the weekend, despite not staying Lexington hot. He was 6-of-11 (.545 BA) with a home run and three runs scored. His .424 batting average in SEC play leads the league and his .946 slugging percentage is second only to Georgia’s Charlie Condon — the nation’s HR leader.


— AJ Causey made his third straight relief appearance in a series game one on Thursday night. In those three outings, Causey has a 2.65 ERA (5 Rs in 17 IP), a 1.235 WHIP with 20 strikeouts and five walks. Not sure how sustainable it is for Tennessee to continue to use a game one starter throwing less than three innings but Causey may be more comfortable as a reliever.


— Was interesting to see Tennessee attempt more sac bunts and non-full count hit-and-runs in the series than they had all year. The Vols are more home run dependent this year in terms of scoring runs than in the previous two years and while that’s not necessarily a bad thing while playing at home, it is a trend worth noting if your goal for this team is to win games in Omaha.


— Despite the poor hitting on Friday and Saturday, winning two 1-run games with pitching and defense is a great development for a team that hasn’t played many close or low-scoring games this season.


— With nine SEC games remaining, the Vols likely only need three more conference wins to lock up a top 8 national seed, which would guarantee them a home regional and super regional. With a 15-6 SEC record and remaining series at Florida, at vAndy and vs South Carolina, a 5-4 record over the final nine games feels like a reasonable benchmark. Having said that, this team has already exceeded my expectations to date.


Around the SEC

— If Missouri can rebound mentally after getting swept despite playing very well on Friday and Saturday, they’ll win two of their final three series (vs Auburn, vs South Carolina, at Miss State).


— Georgia jumped out to a 9-0 lead in the 1st inning vs No. 1 Texas A&M in game one of a doubleheader on Saturday. The Aggies then run-ruled the Dawgs 19-9 in seven innings.


— South Carolina hit three solo home runs in the bottom of the 9th to send game one vs Kentucky to extras before walking-off the softball Cats with a 2-run home run in the 10th. The Gamecocks then run-ruled the Cats 10-0 in seven innings on Sunday to win the series. The pink fuzzies hats have now lost four of their last five SEC games and will most likely lose their 3rd consecutive series this upcoming weekend when Arkansas visits the skatepark.


— Tennessee’s next SEC opponent — Florida — salvaged their weekend, winning the final game at Arkansas. Jac Caglianone was the Gators’s starting pitcher in game three and helped himself by hitting a grand slam after being intentionally walked throughout the weekend in Fayetteville. I’m sure Basilio will grill Vitello this week about pitching to College Ohtani.


@Mattdixon3'

'T Club Team:

Random musings as the Fighting Voltellos take an unusual route to get an important sweep over a spunky Missouri team:

VOLS SMACK SIX HOMERS ... In Game 1 vs. Mizzou and then don't get one more in the series but win it anyway. Blake Burke and Dylan Dreiling struggled at the plate, going a combined 2-22 over the weekend. Freshman Dean Curley delivered a big hit in Game 3.

VOLLIE FINGERS CONTINUES ... To be a stalwart out of the bullpen. The veteran lefty also known as Kirby Connell got a save in game 3 and came within an out of getting one in game 2.


THE VOLTELLOS HEAD TO FLORIDA ... For another Thursday - Saturday series. The Gators are tied with Alabama for 9th place at 9-12 in the SEC and are on the bubble to make the NCAA tourney field. They will be motivated for this series with the Volunteers.

TENNESSEE IS CURRENTLY ... In great shape to host an NCAA Regional and is in very good shape to host a Super Regional. D1Baseball.com had the Vols as a fourth overall seed going into the weekend. D1 had Florida as the last of 10 SEC teams getting in, giving the Gators a 3-seed and 41st overall.

NO BIG SURPRISES ... For our Volunteers in this 2024 draft. Jaylen Wright didn't come off the board until the 20th pick of the 4th round, which was somewhat of a surprise. The Miami Dolphins got a nice player at pick #120 overall. It was no surprise that Joe Milton III got drafted late in round VI, but it was a bit surprising that New England picked him after taking Drake Maye with the third overall pick. Kamal Hadden was selected later in the 6th by Sinco's Chiefs and McCallan Castles didn't get drafted but Tony's Eagles scooped him up quickly as a UFA.


IF THE '24 VOLS ... Are going to make it to the first 12-team CFP several Volunteers will need to raise their draft stock for the 2025 edition. James Pearce is a great candidate to be the first Josh Heupel UT recruit to be taken in the first round. The great Adam Sparks of the KNS had a nice story yesterday listing the players who could be drafted off next season's team. Tell me Keenan Pili has a great season that makes him draftable and I will feel good about the LB position.


AS EXPECTED ... Belmont transfer Cade Tyson is going to North Carolina, making Chaz Lanier a huge priority for Rick Barnes and his staff. Looks like the Lanier recruitment is going to be drawn out, as the NBA Draft is still a possibility and Lanier is in demand as a college player with a #7 ranking in the entire pool of players in the portal. Tony B. will tell you, as he has for some time, that the Large Orange is in the hunt and in the mix on him.


Orange Throat'

'Tennessee picked up its 9th football commitment Monday afternoon when Memphis Sheffield wide receiver Radarious Jackson announced his commitment in front of family and friends.

Jackson is the second wide receiver in the 2025 class and the 4th prospect from the state of Tennessee. Whatever Tennessee’s formula is for prospect evaluation it’s working. Tennessee beat many of its staunchest on field competitors to the draw in identifying Jackson as a prospect and striking up a relationship. Tennessee had a bit of a head start on other colleges in Jackson’s recruitment. You see Jackson and Tennessee quarterback commitment George McIntyre are teammates on one of the best 7 on 7 teams in the south.

As a junior at Sheffield, he had a phenomenal season. As a junior he caught 30 passes for 696 yards and 13 touchdowns and rushed for 782 yards and nine touchdowns. He just isn’t a wide receiver either. As a defensive back he was in 60 plus tackles and had 7 interceptions.


By the end of his junior season, Jackson had amassed some 25 offers. His finalists were Auburn, Oregon, Ole Miss, and Tennessee. Notice all 4 of Jackson’s finalists are up tempo fast paced offenses. Offenses that are reliant on speed to stretch defenses. Jackson’s athleticism is obvious. He is yet another commitment who plays multiple sports. Jackson is a member of Sheffield’s basketball team as well as a member of the school’s track team.


He was the best player on the field in every game tape I watched. He runs by the defense; he changes directions with ease and without slowing down; he sees the field well; and has the ability to make tough catches. The concerns are he needs to get bigger and stronger (which he will … he will be an 18-year-old during his freshman year at Tennessee), and he needs to work on running better routes (which he will).


It really doesn’t matter where the recruiting services have Jackson rated. Outside of current Tennessee quarterback commitment George McIntyre I’m not sure there was a higher priority target on Tennessee’s recruiting board than Radarious Jackson. By the end of the football season, Jackson will push George McIntyre as the top football prospect in the state of Tennessee for 2025.


I can’t remember a recruiting cycle where at the end of April Tennessee had received commitments from the quarterback and wide receiver at the top of their respective recruiting board. With the commitment last week of Sidney Walton and now Radarious Jackson, Tennessee has set the wheels in motion for a productive late spring and summer recruiting run up to fall practice.

If Jackson is able to accumulate comparable offensive numbers during his senior season, he will move himself into consideration as one of the top wide receivers in the country. He may not receive as much fanfare after committing to Tennessee so early in the recruiting cycle.


I will say this in closing, Radarious Jackson is a really good prospect. He is so good Tennessee will need to continue to recruit him all the way to signing day. Jackson will be one of the best players in Tennessee’s class regardless of whether he commits in April or December.


I'll be back next week with a full report ...


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'X' Orange & White Game Report ...

It certainly was a beautiful spring Saturday in Knoxville. What a setting to celebrate the completion of another spring of practice football for the Tennessee Volunteers. The Orange & White game, fully scripted so as not to divulge any state secrets to the 12 opponents on the 2024 schedule, was largely as anticipated ….. uneventful. The best news is there were no major injuries on Saturday. Most of the players who had been nursing an injury didn’t even dress for the game.

Tennessee showed just enough of Nico on Saturday to sustain fan excitement until the end of July. The head coach sure has more courage than I do. After Nico’s first pass play where the offensive line and DeSean Bishop decided not to block anyone, Nico would have spent the rest of the afternoon standing beside me if that was my dime and dance floor.


Takeaways from Saturday and Spring Practice Generally Nico still has plenty to improve upon. Sure, it’s a spring game I get it… Gaston Moore though looked more comfortable in getting the offense from one play to the next play compared to Nico. I expect him to be better at this in the fall.


The roster is better. The secondary is more athletic, the bodies are bigger and more athletic on both lines of scrimmage, and the wide receiver group, minus Squirrel White and Bru McCoy who both return for fall practice, looked bigger and more explosive.

A couple of non-descript things stood out to me in a spring game. Senior Omari Thomas, by all accounts Tennessee's best interior defensive lineman, chased down a running back 20 yards beyond the line of scrimmage.


Back up offensive lineman Ayden Bussell left the game with a shoulder injury. An injury in a spring game usually signals the end of the afternoon for most players. Bussell returned to action a few plays later. I bet you that caught the attention of both the offensive line coach and the head coach.


Tennessee offensive specialists handled the ball without turning it over. With all the changing personnel parts of a spring game and the quarterbacks didn’t botch a handoff or throw an interception. The running backs and wide receivers secured the ball. Game execution was spot on.


I do not know what to make of the back-up running back situation. Coaches have been singing the praises of both backups all spring. I saw nothing from either Saturday that made me comfortable. What I did see were missed blocking assignments, tentative running, and lack of explosive plays. One of the storylines for the next few weeks is whether Tennessee pursues a running back in the portal.


Josh Heupel is quietly telling his media that Seldon is out until early September. My advice is to add a month to what he is saying publicly and that is when you can reasonably expect Cam Seldon to be healthy enough to return. We know from watching Jabari Small suffer through a lingering shoulder issue that you have to be careful with that injury literally from series to series.


Tennessee has an abundance of riches on the defensive line. You just have the feeling Tennessee might try and redshirt a couple of those interior players when more playing time is available in 2025.


The secondary is an unknown. The “group” is more athletic, but will the defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach allow the players to play through some inevitable mistakes or will they play it safe.


If Keenan Pili is healthy, the defense will be plenty good enough. When healthy he is one of Tennessee's best defenders and one of the best linebackers in the conference. He also brings a calming influence on the younger linebackers. Sophomore linebacker Jeremiah Telander is one of Tennessee’s most improved players this spring He took full advantage of being healthy and hitting it off with the new position coach. He made a strong case for starting beside Pili this fall.


Others Who Stood Out

Gaston Moore looks like a capable backup quarterback. I want Nico to make it through the season healthy. If he happened to miss a series or two, Gaston is capable of running the offense.


Mike Matthews doesn’t look like a freshman wide receiver. The long touchdown catch was nice, but I noticed his blocking on Saturday. He was a willing blocker and didn’t shy away from contact at all. The fact that he is a willing blocker and is explosive to boot almost guarantees him playing time next season.


Sham Umarov. Umarov looks like he is furthest along in terms of development of any of the other young offensive linemen. So much so that Umarov has jumped into the competition for the starting left guard position this fall.


Edwin Spillman and Boo Carter. Both true freshmen with a lot to learn. Both flashed here and there Saturday. Those plays should excite fans for their respective futures at Tennessee.


Portal Transfer Jakobe Thomas. His athleticism is something the secondary has been missing. He showed up a lot Saturday.


Redshirt freshman defensive lineman Nathan Robinson. He has put in work in the offseason program. He looks like a completely different player physically than a year ago. Coach Garner will find a way to get Robinson into the rotation this fall.


Lingering Injury Questions You don’t take a chance with any injured player being counted on in the fall. The following injuries though seem problematic.


Tight end Ethan Davis. Davis is as talented a tight end prospect that has played at Tennessee in recent time. He can’t stay healthy. He was held out of the spring game as a precaution. He was injured in the spring game last year and he missed his first season at Tennessee recovering from shoulder surgery. Davis has missed more time with injury than he has practicing. I really want to see him healthy because he can be a difference maker. The tight end position is so important a position to the offense that keeping Davis healthy is a huge concern.


Right tackle John Campbell. Campbell is a key member of the offensive line. Him being healthy and available is important to the offensive. He hasn’t been healthy frankly since mid-season last season. He missed time leading up to the spring game with injury and he reinjured himself in warmups Saturday and was held out as a precaution.


Cam Seldon. His injury is the worst news of the spring. He is such a key piece to the offense. Josh Heupel is telling his media confidantes that Seldon is out until early September. My advice. Add a month. Therefore, you can reasonably expect Cam Seldon to be healthy enough to return in late September or early October. After watching Jabari Small suffer through a lingering shoulder issue for 3 seasons you hold your breath every time the kid takes contact.


Wrapping Things Up ... It's Portal Time In Tennessee:

The transfer portal opens Monday and I’m holding my breath. I do expect Tennessee players to enter the portal. With the money flying around in the NIL market, Tennessee needs to continue to manage its current roster.

I’m watching the defensive line including the pass rushers. Likely the deepest and best in the SEC. You can’t discount other programs who have depth issues at those positions coming after one or more of the experienced linemen with offers that would be hard to turn down.


And how active will Tennessee be when the portal opens? A running back or depth at linebacker isn’t out of the question. And ... how do they feel about Ethan Davis’s recent spate of injuries? Can you find an experienced tight end who can pick up the pace of this offense in a few months?


Tennessee didn’t solve its left guard position this spring. Sham Umarov had a good enough spring to surpass a couple of guys in the competition who were limited because of injury. Also returning offensive linemen Jackson Lampley, Cooper Mays, Andrej Karic, Larry Johnson, Javontez Spraggins, Masai Reddick, and John Campbell all missed some or all of spring practice. The coaches don’t seem to be worried. I should note though at least half of that group have been nursing one injury or another since coming to campus.


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