OMAHA, Neb. – Tony Vitello has revealed the starting lineup for the last game of the season as the Vols challenge Texas A&M in Game 3 of the College World Series Finals Monday night for a national championship.
First pitch is scheduled for 7 o’clock eastern time and the game will be televised on ESPN with Tennessee serving as the home team.
After being removed for a defensive substitution in the ninth inning on Sunday, star Christian Moore is back in his normal spot – leading off and playing second base for the Vols. Centerfielder Hunter Ensley makes his second-straight start back in the outfield after serving as the designated hitter for a two-game stretch in Omaha while recovering form a minor lower-body injury.
Cannon Peebles once again gets the nod behind the plate as he walked three times in Sunday’s 4-1 win over the Aggies.
UT will sport the normal five at the top with Christian Moore (2B), Blake Burke (1B), Billy Amick (3B) and Dylan Dreiling (LF). Ensley is at designated hitter is followed by Kavares Tears (CF) in sixth and Dean Curley in seventh. Cannon Peebles (DH) and Cal Stark (C) round out the starting nine for the Volunteers in the contest.
“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 said after Sunday’s game. “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.”
A win for either side would be the first national championship in program history. Tennessee has made it to Omaha in three of the past four seasons and is trying to become the first No. 1 overall seed to win the College World Series since Miami accomplished the feat back in 1999.
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