Dylan Dreiling‘s walk-off single to pick up the win against Florida State is what fans will remember during the Men’s College World Series opener on Friday night.
However, Tennessee head coach Tony Vitello pointed to the pinch-hit performance from Cannon Peebles in the bottom of the ninth inning — which resulted in a walk and a subsequent run — as one of the most important moments of the game.
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“We’ve got an opportunity to put you in the game, but hold on, we want to put you in the game when the fire’s burning hot,” Vitello said after Friday’s win. “That can be really frustrating for a young guy, even more frustrating for a guy that kind of envisions a Pete Rose/George Brett style of attacking the game, which he truly does.
“But for this team in particular it’s what his role is and what it needs to be. There’s a good chance he’ll catch before our time is done here. There’s a great chance he has to be patient for the next situation.”
Peebles committed to Tennessee out of the NCAA transfer portal last offseason after spending one season with NC State, another team that is also in Omaha competing for the national championship.
There, Peebles led the Wolfpack with a .352 batting average, .697 slugging percentage and .456 on-base percentage. He tied for the team-high of 50 RBI and was second with 12 home runs over just 142 at-bats.
However, he hasn’t seen the same success as a Vol. He’s batting .227 on the season with 28 starts. With 25 RBIs and two home runs on the season, he’s shown some flashes of what he’s capable of and Vitello felt comfortable enough putting Peebles in the game at a major moment.
“I think what you’re seeing is what he’s capable of,” Vitello continued. “It kind of embodies what these guys are saying. I know they’re trying to answer correctly — they’re really good dudes on the field. They’re very competitive on the field. But what they’re talking about, brotherhood and throwing those words, Peebles has accepted his role.”
Now, the Vols advance through to take on North Carolina in a double-elimination format after both teams won their first matchups in Omaha. UNC defeated Virginia during Friday’s tournament opener.
The first pitch between the Vols and Tar Heels is set for Sunday at 7 p.m. ET live on ESPN2.
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