By Jack Glennon
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On Friday, the Tennessee Volunteers kicked off a three-game home weekend series against the Samford Bulldogs with a 5-1 win.
Samford proved a worthy opponent, losing by only 4 runs against the defending College World Series champion Volunteers in Knoxville. Their pitching staff played surprisingly well, blanking the Volunteers in 4 straight innings to finish the game. Tennessee’s pitching, however, was more than enough to guide them to a win, despite near-freezing weather conditions.
Liam Doyle, the 20-year-old transfer from Ole Miss, followed up an electric Tennessee debut with another dazzling performance on the mound Friday. In 5.1 innings, Doyle yielded just one earned run on two hits and a walk, while striking out 14 batters of the 18 he faced. Though Samford LF Trey Higgins was able to drive one into the right field parking lot, the rest of his team struggled to make any sort of contact against the junior southpaw.
Despite this strong showing, Doyle’s outing was not unusually long. He worked through the game with typical efficiency, throwing 81 pitches during his aforementioned 5.1-inning performance. After the game, I caught up with Liam Doyle and asked him if this is a workload he is comfortable with, or if it will expand as the season goes on. He answered, “I’m ready to go up… just takin[g] it easy [for the] first couple weeks. Whatever coach wants me to do, I’m here for…”.
It comes as no surprise that after his first two performances, Doyle is looking to increase his workload. However, it will be important to monitor the lefty’s production as the Vols’ competition grows far more difficult as the season progresses.
Though the Volunteers were unable to produce another offensive outburst, they continued to show strong discipline at the plate. Tennessee’s 9 walks on Friday brought their season total up to 58. After the game, I asked Tennessee Head Coach Tony Vitello if such great plate discipline is sustainable going into conference play, where the Vols will face the likes of teams such as Texas A&M and Florida. “I think it’s sustainable but… one thing you’re gonna get [in SEC play] is a lot [of] … pitching staffs that are coached very well, but [also] have some of the best pitchers in the country too…”, he said.
While Vitello voiced his belief that Tennessee can continue to reach base with such frequency, it is difficult to imagine his team finishing the season averaging 11.6 walks per game.
Tennessee had a plethora of notable performances at the plate on Friday. Gavin Kilen reached base safely in each of his 5 plate appearances. Dean Curley finished with a pair of base hits and a walk. Andrew Fischer went 2-3 with a double, a walk, and an RBI. And, Cannon Peebles added a 2-run home run.
Curious, I asked Peebles how it felt to get his first home run of the season out of the way and if it removes any stress at the plate moving forward. He replied, “[There’s] no stress. It’s always good to get the first one out of the way, but there was no stress beforehand”.
With this win, the Vols pushed their early season record to 5-0. However, with the Vols looking to repeat as World Series champions, it seems as though all eyes in Knoxville are already set on Omaha. The Vols are back in action tomorrow against Samford as they aim to win the series.