Fall Baseball 3-2-1: Tennessee off and running as practice begins
Fall practice is always a critical period for every baseball team. It’s a series of practices, intrasquad scrimmages and a couple of exhibitions where the identity and nucleus are formed. It’s a 5-6 week period where guys decide their roles for the upcoming season and pitching plans take shape.
The month of October is extremely important for Tony Vitello’s club. With practices officially a little over a week old and with four intrasquad scrimmages already taking place – let’s talk some Volunteer baseball. It’s a special fall edition of the baseball 3-2-1, featuring three observations, two questions and one prediction based off the little we’ve seen so far.
Three Observations
Kavares Tears loves some fall baseball
The Tennessee outfielder is once again slugging to begin the fall session. If you remember, Tears made headlines last fall with multiple grand slams and clutch hits over the course of scrimmages, exhibitions and the Orange & White Fall World Series. The power began to carry over into the season before Tears suffered several lingering injuries that derailed his redshirt-freshman year.
In three scrimmages Volquest has taken in thus far, the outfielder has homered three times. Two of the three were three-run home runs while the third was a solo home run, capping off a two-home run day on Tuesday. Tears is seeing the ball well to begin fall and his effortless power off the bat from the left side is once again evident at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
One week in and he’s off to a good start, but Tears will need to keep the foot on the gas as he once again eyes everyday playing time in the Tennessee outfielder. Hunter Ensley returns as the team’s centerfielder and the competition is ongoing for the corner outfield spots with Tears, Dylan Dreiling, Reese Chapman, Colby Backus and others.
Nate Snead is going to be good
One of Tennessee’s biggest gets from the transfer portal this summer was flamethrowing right-hander, Nate Snead. Checking in at No. 18 on D1 Baseball’s Top-130 Transfer list, the former Wichita State pitcher will be in the mix for the Tennessee starting rotation this spring. Making his fall [scrimmage] debut on Tuesday, Snead ‘started’ for Team Grey, tossing a quick two innings where he struck out four and didn’t allow a baserunner.
We didn’t have access to a radar gun, but the catcher’s mitt was popping and the movement looked good from the right side. It will be a big fall session for the sophomore as he makes his case for the starting rotation. If not, the righty, who hit triple-digits as a freshman this past spring, would be a welcomed asset to the Tennessee bullpen.
The 6-foot-2, 200-pounder came out of the bullpen for the Shockers in 2022, making 24 appearances with one start and three saves. Snead struck out 53 batters with just 17 walks over 42.2 innings pitched. Opponents hit .230 against him as he finished the campaign with a 1-2 record and 3.16 ERA.
Freshmen arms, welcome to the show
It’s early in fall and there’s a lot of baseball in front of these youngsters. But some of the initial outings on the mound were not the best for the Tennessee freshmen as they were welcomed to college baseball by one of the best hitting teams in the nation. A little of that was a probably expected, to be transparent.
On Tuesday, Derek Schaefer allowed one run over his two innings of work. The run was a wall scraper off the bat of fellow Tennessee newcomer Robin Villeneuve that just made it onto the porches beyond left field. On Monday, Daniel Paris allowed a sacrifice fly to bring in a runner across his two innings of work.
Lefty Luke Payne was tagged for three runs off four hits with a walk in just one official inning in the books. Billy Amick went opposite field right for a home run to greet him in Tuesday’s fifth inning. Ethan Payne followed with a walk before three-straight singles from Blake Grimmer, Charlie Taylor and Holdin Bauner scored two more runs. Due to exceeding his pitch count, they went ahead and moved on to the bottom of the frame to keep the scrimmage moving along. Payne came out and pitched a clean sixth inning, retiring the side in order to respond well.
2-way player Cole Eaton got his turn on the mound for Tuesday’s scrimmage as well, allowing three runs off four hits with two walks in one official inning of work. Tears welcomed him with a leadoff home run in the fifth inning before a pair of walks forced play into the next inning due to pitch count. Three-consecutive extra-base hits plated two more runners in his second frame of work before the scrimmage was called as Eaton once again reached his pitch count for the inning.
Again, there’s a lot of fall ball left to play and there’s plenty of more freshmen and newcomers who will get chances. This is just a classic example of how competitive and skilled baseball is across the Southeastern Conference – especially here in Knoxville.
Two Questions
How is Wyatt Evans responding?
Tennessee missed Wyatt Evans in the bullpen last season. Though it was once again an Omaha squad, the Vols lacked some left-handed arms that could have given them a boost out of the bullpen or even in situational spots. Due to arm soreness, Evans never got a chance to get going. Now he’s back and will make his case for the Tennessee starting rotation.
“When you think of starters in our league, a lot of those guys are not just durable bodies, but big physical guys and Wyatt [6-6, 245] is just that,” Tony Vitello told the media last week. “Now he’s got some experience to boot. Reflecting back on his freshman year, if we could predict the future, we thought he’d get more in it as a sophomore and then be a strong candidate to be a starter on the weekend for us this year. But like I said, there’s a lot of open competition. So, if he were not able to capture one of those roles at any point in the year, I think he can pick back up where he left off in ‘22 and serve a major role for us.”
Evans was clean during his first fall appearance last Thursday. The lefty was roughed up to begin Tuesday’s scrimmage, allowing four runs off four-consecutive hits to begin the outing. He rebounded for a clean second inning with a strikeout. Evans is one of many auditioning for likely that third starter role come spring. If he doesn’t get it, what a luxury to have him back and healthy in the Tennessee bullpen.
Where will Christian Moore play?
Regardless of where the junior ends up playing across the Tennessee infield, the Vols will have to break in a new middle infielder. The question is, will it be at shortstop or at second base? Tony Vitello mentioned last week that Moore has put himself at shortstop this fall and says he will not move from the spot until he’s told to.
“At short, you are in the middle of the field and, let’s be honest with each other: It’s attractive for scouts to see a guy that is athletic enough to play in the middle of the field,” Vitello answered when asked about Moore’s ability to play shortstop. “I don’t mean to speak for scouts at all, but if you make Team USA, you’re probably athletic enough to be somewhere on the field at pro level. It’ll work out the right way. I like the determination that he and some others are hungry to either capture that position or another or just a position in general. Again, there’s options. So maybe we tinker around a little bit and just find that best combination or let it be the best man win.”
Through three scrimmages Volquest has been to thus far, Moore has looked fine at the shortstop position – even turning a 6-3 unassisted double-play earlier in the week. As the month goes on, we will see if the consistency continues. If not, former JUCO middle infielder Bradke Lohry is an option at the middle infield spots – as is freshmen Ariel Antigua, Dean Curley and others. Transfer Billy Amick could get a look at second base if needed as well.
One Prediction
This team will once again smash the baseball
The Tennessee baseball team has absolutely torched the ball the past couple of seasons, and I expect 2024 to be no different. Vitello’s record-setting 2022 campaign saw program-best marks in runs, RBI, slugging percentage and of course, 158 home runs. Last year in 2023, Tennessee hammered 126 home runs, which would have also broken the record the previous year.
Christian Moore returns and we know he has great power, finishing second in home runs (17) and third in RBI (50) a season ago. Blake Burke is back and we won’t soon forget that moonshot he blasted in Super Regionals. Zane Denton, though not scrimmaging at the moment for Tennessee, announced his plans to come back for his COVID year after leading the squad with 59 RBI.
Tears is vying for an everyday role, and it’s already been noted about his power of late. Transfers Billy Amick and Cannon Peebles have already gone deep in fall. Former JUCO slugger Robin Villeneuve will be an awesome bat off the bench. Former Missouri Tiger Dalton Bargo will also provide some incredible pop to the lineup or off the bench this spring.
Though each team is different and there’ still a lot to be determined this early in fall – I suspect a lot to be the same. Tennessee baseball will once again hammer the baseball this spring at Lindsey Nelson Stadium and beyond.
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