OMAHA, Neb. — Tennessee star second baseman Christian Moore was lifted from Sunday’s College World Series Finals Game 2 victory over Texas A&M for a defensive replacement in the bottom of the ninth inning.
This came following the slugger coming up limping and taking a brief injury time out after tagging up to second base in the seventh inning on a Blake Burke flyout.
“I’m feeling good,” Moore said after the game. I’ll be ready to go tomorrow.”
The junior finished the 4-1 win going 1-for-3 at the plate with two walks. He’s totaled nine hits in five games at the College World Series, hitting for the cycle as part of a five-hit day in the opener over Florida State on Friday, June 14.
“Obviously, it’s game – what game is this? 70 – I don’t even know,” Moore questioned. “I’m not going to be perfect. A little banged up but I’ll be good to go tomorrow.
“Little cramp there in the leg. It’s hot. Playing a lot of games, so just trying to make sure I hydrate a little better.”
In a similar situation during the Knoxville Super Regional, Moore was removed for a late defensive substitution as well and then acted as the club’s designated hitter in game two against Evansville. He returned to the lineup playing second base in the finale, a win that punched Tennessee’s ticket to Omaha.
“We had a couple sliding into second, just back of his leg was something that came up during Evansville,” Tony Vitello said in postgame. “And he made an outstanding play out there. So, it’s not like he can’t move around. But we just felt like with the potential situations coming up, it made more sense for Ariel [Antigua].”
Tennessee centerfielder Hunter Ensley was back in centerfield for the Vols on Sunday after being the designated hitter for two games. The junior made a spectacular catch on the run before crashing into the wall in a win against North Carolina last week, the second game in Omaha for the Vols.
“At this point, it’s kind of up to Hunter [Ensey] being out there, C-Mo being out there, who is going to play center, who is going to play right,” the skipper concluded. “They’ve made me look smart and they’ve gotten us as far as they have. And the other thing they’ve done is made me a happy fella.”
Tennessee and Texas A&M take part in a winner-take-all Game 3of the 2024 College World Series Finals on Monday at 7 o’clock eastern time. The game will be televised on ESPN. Both teams will be looking to earn their first national championship in program history.
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