Four Quick Takes on a College World Series clinching win over Evansville
Tennessee baseball is headed back to the College World Series for the third time in four seasons as the Vols dismantled Evansville 12-1 to win the Knoxville Super Regional on Sunday night from Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
The No. 1 overall seeded Volunteers (55-12) will take on Florida State (47-15) in their College World Series opener next weekend, as the Seminoles won the Tallahassee Super Regional. The official ‘Greatest Show on Dirt’ schedule with dates and game times will be announced at the conclusion of every super regional.
Evansville (39-26) ends its historic season on Rocky Top just one game shy of Omaha. The Cinderella of the dance won a total of four postseason games over the past two weekends and was back in postseason play for the first time since 2006.
Tennessee pounded out a program postseason single-game record of seven home runs during the win while Zander Sechrist (4-1) tossed an absolute gem on the mound. The Vols are back in the College World Series for the seventh time in program history and the win last summer over Stanford at the event snapped a six-game losing skid on the great stage.
Sechrist earned the win after a career-best outing of 6.1 innings pitched where he surrendered just one run, though it was unearned. Purple Aces starter Kevin Reed (5-3) is the losing pitcher on the night after allowing five runs on four hits in just 1.1 innings or work.
Tennessee is headed back to Omaha for the College World Series, but first, here’s how it all went down at the Knoxville Super Regional finale where the Vols hammered Evansville to leave no doubt.
Tennessee is Back in Omaha
The Volunteers are heading back the College World Series for the seventh time in program history and third time in the past four seasons. Tony Vitello has rejuvenated this program as the expectation is now to make it to the grand stage each and every season. With Sunday’s win over Evansville in the Knoxville Super Regional, Tennessee ensured just that for the 2024 campaign.
UT now ranks sixth in the Southeastern Conference with the seventh appearances in Omaha, coming in behind LSU (19), Florida (13), Mississippi State (12), South Carolina (11) and Arkansas (10). Texas, who will be joining the league next season, currently ranks first with 36 appearances in the College World Series. Nine of the last 14 national champions have come from the prestigious league.
Last season’s win over Stanford in the College World Series snapped a six-game losing streak in Omaha and was the first win since June 12, 2001 when the Vols topped Southern Cal 10-2. Under Tony Vitello, the Vols reached the College World Series in 2021, 2023 and now 2024 – while falling one game shy in 2022.
The Vols have now won three super regional series in their past four years and run the postseason record from Lindsey Nelson Stadium up to 29-8. On Monday, the College World Series will announce the official game times and schedule for the eight teams who have made the field. The Vols first matchup will be against Florida State, as it won the Tallahassee Super Regional.
Early Home Runs Pace Vols
It wasn’t three in the top of the first inning like it was on Saturday in game two, but the Vols powered behind three early solo home runs on Sunday to pull ahead by two runs at one point in the second inning.
Tennessee fell behind 1-0 in the top of the first, but it was just moments later when Christian Moore led off the bottom of the frame with a solo home run to left field. The ball travelled 426 feet and was 115 miles per hour off the bat. His 31st long ball of the season tied the ballgame at one run apiece and put the home crowd right back into it.
LIFTOFFF!!!
https://t.co/HDGeoKVHJl (ESPNews)#GBO // #OTH // #BeatUE pic.twitter.com/jQnkOUssWY
— Tennessee Baseball (@Vol_Baseball) June 9, 2024
In the bottom of the second with one away, Dean Curley touched them all to put Tennessee in front for the first time in then ballgame. The bomb was delivered 418 feet to the porches beyond left field, travelling at 106 miles per hour and it was the 12th of the season for the true freshman from California. After not homering for nearly two months, Curley has gone yard three times in the past week in postseason play. The drive put the Vols up 2-1.
DEAN DONG!
https://t.co/51UhmBg3tR#GBO // #OTH // #BeatUE pic.twitter.com/2RJoQ4sA2a
— Tennessee Baseball (@Vol_Baseball) June 9, 2024
Dalton Bargo wanted to join the party, so he followed Curley’s homer with one of his own. The drive was 108 miles per hour off the bat and ventured 398 feet to right field. The long ball was the first for Bargo since homering twice in game two at Auburn on April 6. At the time, that was his fourth home run in four games, but was the last homer in nearly two months for the utility player. Following the back-to-back jacks, Tennessee led 3-1.
Blake Burke later doubled in a run and Billy Amick followed with an RBI groundout in the explosive second inning. Tennessee exited the frame with a decisive lead at 5-1.
Vols Grab Another Home Run Record
Tennessee crushed three more home runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to take a commanding 9-1 lead over Evansville in the Knoxville Super Regional. An inning later, Tennessee broke another home run record as the third trip to Omaha in the past four years was getting closer and closer.
With seven home runs in Sunday’s Knoxville Super Regional clinching victory over the Purple Aces, Tennessee breaks a single game postseason program record. UT hammered six against LSU in the 2021 Knoxville Super Regional as well during the 15-6 win back on June 3 of the year. Jame Rucker went deep twice in then ballgame while Drew Gilbert, Evan Russell, Jordan Beck and Connor Pavolony all tallied a long ball.
Dalton Bargo and Christian Moore homered for the second time in the contest to kickoff the four-run fourth inning while Billy Amick’s two-run homer put the game away at 9-1 over the aces. The third baseman’s drive was the first long ball of the day recorded with runners on base. Moore’s home run tally was then up to 32 on the season, Bargo’s at eight and Amick is at 23.
First Name: Billy, Last Name: Barrels
https://t.co/JFdLOUcQuH (ESPNU)#GBO // #OTH // #BeatUE pic.twitter.com/ttSNBWvhs7
— Tennessee Baseball (@Vol_Baseball) June 10, 2024
Cal Stark’s three-run homer in the fourth was the record breaker. Stark becomes the eighth Tennessee player to log at least 10 home runs on the season as well. Sunday was also the sixth time this season Tennessee has drilled at least six home runs in a ballgame – first time the squad has hit seven this year in a single game.
STARK MODE!!
Cal hammers one to left center for his 10th home run and that ties our single-game program record of SEVEN!#GBO // #OTH // #BeatUE pic.twitter.com/yfzie9ZLu6
— Tennessee Baseball (@Vol_Baseball) June 10, 2024
Sunday was the sixth time in program history Tennessee homered seven times in a single contest (eight would be a record). Here’s a complete list of the other games it happened.
March 20, 2023 against Moorehead State
May 19, 2022 at Mississippi State
March 9, 2022 against James Madison
April 9, 2019 against Lipscomb
March 7, 1980 against Tennessee Tech
Zander Owned the Moment
A leadoff error by Dean Curley at shortstop allowed the leadoff man to reach for the Aces. Tennessee starter Zander Sechrist buckled down and struck out Evansville’s top-two hitters in Mark Shallenberger and Kip Fougerousse, but another runner reached on an infield single off the bat of Chase Hug. Brent Widder then singled in a run on a base-hit to right field, though the play was close at the plate.
The error hurt Tennessee in the top of the first as Evansville grabbed an early 1-0 lead.
A two-out single was no issue for Sechrist in the scoreless second, as he struck out another batter in the frame. The lefty retired the side in order in the third and fifth, stranded the bases loaded in the fourth and worked around a one-out single in the sixth. Sechrist came out for the seventh and picked up the first out to lock down a career-long outing of 6.1 innings.
What a career day for Sechrist who did his part in helping the Vols secure a spot in Omaha. The crafty lefty tossed a career-high 6.1 innings after pitching six innings strong three times already this season. He allowed just the one run, though it was unearned, and gave way to only six hits while tallying six strikeouts to no walks. The senior tied a career-most of 102 pitches in the win.
Over the course of Sechrist’s first 36 career starts, the lefty went six innings pitched only once. The southpaw has accomplished the feat now three times in his past four starts.
The post Four Quick Takes on a College World Series clinching win over Evansville appeared first on On3.
