The goal or dream of any college baseball team is to be playing on the last weekend of the season. That’s now a reality for Tennessee as the Vols advance to this weekend’s championship series in Omaha following a 7-2 win over Florida State on Wednesday.
After out-slugging the Seminoles in game one last Friday, the Vols have ridden two great pitching performances from Drew Beam (vs. UNC) and Zander Sechrist to arrive at the final weekend.
The reality is this team has proven all year they can win in a variety of ways. After all, they have set a program record with wins and they have only lost back-to-back games one time this year.
But what Tennessee has done the last month goes beyond being a good team. It goes beyond just being talented.
It’s truly been dominant and in Omaha, Tony Vitello’s program has announced their presence with authority as the great Nuke LaLoosh once said.
How good have the Vols been? Take a look at these numbers.
Since losing in the SEC Tournament opener 13-4 to Vanderbilt in an outing where it seemed like that week in Hoover was of little importance to those in orange, Tennessee has, for the most part, shoved from the bump and blasted from the box.
“You can do something for the first time and still have success. But I think there’s some contributions there, for sure, of our guys relying on the past to be mature and have experience and know what to do in different situations,” Vitello said.
Since that May 22 loss, Tennessee is 12-1. In those 13 games, they have outscored their opponent 112-59. That’s 8.6 runs a game scored and 4.5 runs allowed.
The Vols have scored nine runs or more in six of the 13 games. They have held their opponents five or less in nine of the 13 games. Tennessee has blow out wins, they have rallies and they have nailbiters.
Tennessee has hit 36 homers the last 13 games. They have 24 doubles and three triples while amassing 134 hits (10 a game).
On the mound, the veteran Kirby Connell has been a rally killer working 13.2 innings giving up five runs and only one in three appearance to date in Omaha. He was masterful in the win over North Carolina and really good in Wednesday’s win over FSU to advance to the Finals.
Nate Snead has given up three runs in 12.2 innings of work in seven outings since May 22.
And then there’s the pitching story of this team in Zander Sechrist, who’s given up four runs in 23.1 innings in his last four starts.
The veteran Vols have just found a way and that’s not given them enough credit.
Starting Saturday, Tennessee will start their quest for their fifth postseason tournament championship over the last month. Tennessee took home the SEC tournament, regional, super regional and now bracket one of the College World Series.
For the Vols, the tournament titles haven’t been easy and haven’t been perfect, but they have been pretty dominant as the team with the target on the back being the No. 1 seed.
And they have done it with little fanfare. There was the dogpile after the super regional, but Wednesday evening, the Vols were joyful but business like after the game.
“We always say before something happens, something happens,” Vitello said. “There’s been a lot of build-up into the successes we’ve had this year and the failures, too, to be honest with you. And it’s been fun to be a part of.
As far as my emotions, I’m kind of at the point where I’m just following these guys. There are certain tasks I have to do, and there’s direction I give them, and they’ll listen. But kind of following them right now. Makes it nice.”
Everyone in orange is following Vitello and the Vols right now and playing the last weekend of the year for a national title, is nice and then some.
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