Four Quick Takes on a Sunday thumping of Texas A&M for series-sweep
Tennessee once again played from behind and once again overcame the adversity to stamp a statement on the second Southeastern Conference series of the season, one that ended with a 9-6 Sunday series-sweeping victory over Texas A&M.
The Vols (19-6, 3-3) pounded out nine runs on 12 hits while reliever Seth Halvorsen (2-1) picked up the win after working the final two outs of the fifth inning. Justin Lamkin (1-2) takes home the loss for the Aggies (15-9, 1-5) after surrendering six runs on eight hits throughout 4.1 innings on the mound. Texas A&M finished the day scoring six runs on 10 hits.
Tennessee will be back in action on Tuesday against UNC Ashville at 4:30 pm ET before heading down to the Bayou to take on the top-ranked Tigers for a three-game set, beginning Thursday. But before all that, what were the four biggest takeaways from Sunday’s win? We discuss Tennessee’s 9-6 win over Texas A&M below.
Now, that’s fundamental baseball
The Vols played some clean, fundamental baseball in the bottom of the third inning to take a 2-1 lead at that point in the game. Hunter Ensley led off the inning with a single up the middle. Christian Scott followed with a sacrifice bunt to third, moving Ensley over into scoring position with just one out. Zane Denton stepped in and blasted his fourth home run (at the time) of the season over the left field wall to hand Tennessee the lead. Later in the game, Ensley laid down another sacrifice bunt for the Vols in a run-scoring frame.
Denton has been moved down in the order this weekend, batting ninth on Sunday. Still, his ability to drive in runners from both sides of the plate could be useful if he sticks down there. Denton’s home runs follow a two-run home run he hit at Missouri last weekend. The former Crimson Tide infielder also went yard against Gonzaga and Morehead State.
Love to see it from the bottom-third of the order
Vitello has been experimenting with the order all weekend, as we mentioned above. The last three starters in the order were phenomenal on Sunday and really carried Tennessee’s offense early. It took until the fourth inning for someone not from the bottom-three hitters in the lineup to record a base-hit.
Anyway, that group started 5-for-5 at the plate on Sunday and the combination of Hunter Ensley, Christian Scott and Zane Denton finished the ballgame going 6-for-8. Denton was the hero on the day, handing the Vols a lead twice on home run blasts. Ensley tallied multiple hits with a run scored and Scott drove in a crucial run in the fourth.
Not the best Drew Beam
Tennessee’s Drew Beam hasn’t looked his vintage self during his past couple of starts. The right-hander three runs (two earned) on six hits across only 4.1 innings of work on Sunday. The No. 3 starter struck out only two, but didn’t walk anyone, while throwing 66 pitches with 41 strikes. He allowed a first inning home run to Jack Moss and a sacrifice by that drove in another in the fourth by Trevor Werner. He allowed the first two men to single in the fifth and thanks to a passed ball, a third run came across the plate on his dime with Seth Halvorsen -itching, though it was unearned.
It’s not like he was bad – and believe me, there’s plenty of bad pitching across the country and the conference at points in time this weekend. But he just hasn’t been himself lately, in this observer’s opinion. He was not good at Missouri last week, despite not being credited with an earned run (remember, his walk and error started the downfall of his outing). He was OK against Morehead State in 5.2 innings, giving up three runs but striking out nine batters with only one walk. The righty was not good against Gonzaga three weeks ago, allowing four runs off seven hits in four innings of work.
Hopefully Beam can get back to his game next week at LSU.
Tony Vitello written transcript
On Zane Denton Hitting Towards Bottom of Lineup…
“A little bit of it was trying to get a message across to a couple of guys that I think they got yesterday. Then today, it was just rolling with… we wanted to have some balance in there, and that’s kind of how it’s set up with some right and left stuff. But I just saw more determination and more attitude. He’s obviously got a good skill set and knows how to play the game, but I think the way he plays when he has a little bit of an edge to him is what fits in here, and it seems to be his best. On top of that, the physical part is, he wasn’t really rushing to the ball, but I think they’re both kinda one in the same. When you have that edge and a little bit of extra confidence or just the right mindset, you’re going to be less likely to go outside of yourself or try to do too much.”
On Drew Beam…
“He was good. A couple of defensive plays, if we make them behind him, maybe he’s out there a little bit longer. All along we knew we were blessed to have Halvy (Seth Halvorsen) from the other night, but also he went 40 pitches, so it’s gonna be a short burst. And we wanted to use him and [Andrew] Lindsey and [Camden] Sewell as three closers today in certain spots. I felt that was a swing part of the game. Who knows, his (Drew Beam’s) pitch count was low, he’s always very efficient, maybe he can get into the 8th inning if we leave him in, I don’t know. But in that moment, we just went with Halvy and, fortunately, it worked out. I say to you guys all the time, and I actually said it to the team because we had a little bit of a discussion out there, ‘Practice looks great, lifting looks great, lineup looks great when you win, and when you don’t, you are subject to criticism.’ That’s kinda the way it should be, but it worked out for us in that situation. I thought he threw the ball well, and those starters don’t want to hear it because they’re all very talented, but give us a chance to win the game by the middle of the game, and that’s what all three of those guys did this weekend.”
On Dylan Dreiling….
“The presence is pretty good. Sometimes you can see a guy, if he’s speeding through his routine, or it doesn’t even look like he’s breathing, or he overswings, so there’s a presence there that’s a little abnormal for a first-year [player], and really just starting to collect his first few at-bats in the SEC. It’s a high-level skillset, and then he’s making progress, too, just in the way he approaches things, in particular at the plate. So, he’s a good guy to have around, and I think the future is bright for him. Currently as it stands, he can be a really big part of this team. He already has been, and if he continues to improve, he definitely will be if not more.”
On Aaron Combs getting out of the sixth inning, his season to date…
“With him and Russell, and I don’t think it was for Fitz(gibbons), but first SEC action you very easily could play chess with yourself mentally like is this the same baseball or is this different because it’s conference play. I don’t think he necessarily did that. He went out there and competed and their hitters were frustrating. They have a good approach. They don’t go away. They seem to have a really good understanding of the strike zone so for him to be able to get out of that was great but he threw strikes, he competed the way he does even when it’s not conference which, again, is reassuring but he’s a guy that’s established himself as someone that’s not afraid to compete, has good stuff and we trust.”
On the offensive production up-and-down the lineup…
“It was great. We’ve been searching for that feeling of some balance and then also one guy might do something— I think there’s a couple guys we could pick out in the lineup that just didn’t have their best day at all but some other guys did well. This thing is all about team effort and this week the guys came together as much as they have and that will bleed into things like the lineup or when you’re doing well you hand the ball off to a guy on the mound and he’s going to pitch when you have a runner on first or whatever. It just does. I don’t know why but it will bleed into that and you’ll see some success. For today, if the guys are all kind of rallying around each other and determined to help each other out winning the game then you kind of get a top-to-bottom level of success from the lineup.”
On the importance of this weekend with four series against top five teams coming up…
“Very. I didn’t know that until you told me. Trying to have a nice relaxing Sunday from here on out but I know Asheville has, I think the best record they’ve had since we’ve played them. There’s plenty ahead of us to prepare for and there’s also plenty for us to look forward to about making progress. The outfield defense, to me, was the unsung hero today and that’s an area we’ve needed to improve and continue to do so. That’s a real good spot and I think the baserunning has improved as well. A lot of looking forward to how good we can get but I was going to say a little bit of reflection too of you come home from a bad road trip and it’s time to get to work and show that you have some grit to you and to get better in some areas and we did do that so that’s what stuck out to me with what we have this weekend.”
On Jared Dickey catching…
“I think he’s good back there now. One ball cut on him kind of awkwardly and then all catchers you see extra movement back there these days trying to steal strikes and all the analytics are kept but I think when he just tries to catch it and throw it and not try to do too much in either category he’s equally as good as most the guys either in our league or across the (country)— I don’t know where you’d balance it out but he’s already a guy we trust. I think a big key for him that I’m telling you and maybe I need to tell him is when he just stays within himself and just tries to catch the thing or throw the thing, it’s good. I’ve seen him try to throw it 100 mph to second base and the whole thing just collapses. When he just flicks it down there like you’re doing in between innings it’s pretty good and certainly defensively I know the pitchers trust him and we do too.”
On Christian Scott’s diving catch in right field…
“That was massive. I’m glad he was out there and then also glad he’s in the program still. He’s a good one to have around. We were texting last night about stuff totally irrelevant to baseball, but he’s a kid that is a joy to be around. But on the field, the battle he fought in here early years here is just being focused and being confident and having that kind of level mood and I’ll be danged if he hasn’t — I don’t like to say anyone’s figured anything out because you’re always trying to evolve, but it’s just such a more consistent and pleasant approach is the best way I can say it. Then on top of it he can really run and he’s always been able to defend.”
On how the team responded this week after being swept by Texas A&M…
“I thought they responded well. Part of it, too, was in this game, people call it a game of failure which is crazy. Nobody wants to play a game of failure. You want to play a kids game. Put on a uniform, act crazy if you hit the winning hit like we had yesterday or you get mad. You don’t want to throw your glove or anything, but if you strike out you’re frustrated. That’s what kind of game you want it to be and I think just keeping it simple and also having a bit of response to you because getting back to my whole failure rant, you’re going to get knocked down, so it’s important to receive blows the right way and respond the right way and it was a good response week.”
On an update on Kavares Tears (hamstring) and Wyatt Evans (general arm soreness)…
“Wyatt, tomorrow, will get on the mound and have a feel there, where he’s at. (Turner) Swistak is another arm that will do that tomorrow on the mound. Then, KT (Tears) just been doing rehab in the training room instead of taking extra swings or running around out there. Just getting that thing where he can come back as quick as possible. I think it’ll be sooner than later, but that’s also one of those things where we don’t want to go two steps forward, one step back.”
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