'T Club Team:


Random musings as the Fighting Voltellos take care of business in Game 1 of the Missouri series:


THE BASEBALL VOLS ... Outclassed that anemic Missouri team last night with six homers and the Vol lineup came within a hair of run-ruling Mizzou in this game.

NOTHING LESS THAN A SWEEP ... Of this Missouri team will keep us on track to feel good about the ultimate goal of hosting an NCAA Regional and Super Regional. Carrying a 15-6 SEC record to next weekend to play a struggling Florida team at Gainesville is a strong position this program wants to be in.


HOOPS ROSTER IS COMING INTO SHAPE ... As big man Felix Okpara joins Darlinstone Dubar as the second transfer for the 2024-25 UT roster. Okpara (ranked 27th by On3) is a vital replacement for Jonas Aidoo and no less an authority than VFL Mark Griffin thinks Okpara will be better as a rim protector and rebounder. Versatile big Igor Milicic Jr. from Charlotte would be another nice addition and of course the program is expecting big things from J.P. Estrella in his sophomore season.


THE ROTATION STILL NEEDS A BIG TIME SCORER ... And his name is North Florida transfer Chaz Lanier. Lanier is a prospect The Dean has been telling you about for some time. This might be a Tennessee-Maryland battle but Lanier is from Nashville Ensworth. Tell me Lanier is a Vol and I'm willing to entertain the idea next year's team can be Elite 8 material or better. If Lanier does commit, does that destabilize a player like Carr or Mashack? All part of roster management.

THE SOFTBALL SEASON ... Is nearing the postseason as the #3 Lady Vols have two series left to clinch the league championship. Tennessee is at Alabama this weekend and Payton Gottshall still leads the league with a 1.16 ERA and Karlyn Pickens is second at 1.57. Overall, the Lady Vol pitching staff leads the nation with a 1.36 ERA. Offensively, there is room for improvement. Karen Weekly's squad leads the league with 24 homers but is 5th in BA at .255. She needs to get Kiki Milloy going at the right time. The Lady Vol centerfielder has battled injuries and is hitting only .229 in SEC play.


Orange Throat'

'Voltellos win game 1 vs Mizzou Tennessee scored in each of the first five innings Thursday night at Lindsey Nelson Stadium in a 10-1 victory over Missouri in the series opener.


The Volunteers scored all their runs on six home runs to improve to 13-6 in SEC play and 35-7 overall.


Mizzou threatened in the top of the 1st with after back-to-back 2-out hits had runners on the corners but Vols starter Chris Stamos struck out the Tigers’s DH to end the threat.

Christian Moore picked up right where he left off from Lexington with a solo home run to lead off the bottom of the 1st. It was C Mo’s team-leading 20th long ball of the season and school record 47th for his career.


Dylan Dreiling and Dean Curley worked back-to-back walks to begin the bottom of the 2nd and both came around to score on Cal Stark’s 3-run home run to left centerfield that put the Vols up 4-0.


It was Stark’s 5th home run of the season.


Stamos gave up three hits in his 2.2 innings of work before giving way to AJ Causey with two outs in the top of the 3rd. It was Stamos’s longest scoreless outing of the season.


Billy Amick’s solo home run in the bottom of the 3rd made it 5-0. It was Billy Barrel’s 15th home run of the season.

Hunter Ensley hit Tennessee’s 4th home run of the game with a solo opposite field shot to right field in the bottom of the 4th to put the Vols up 6-0.


C Mo’s 1-out line drive single to centerfield in the 4th inning was the Vols’s first non-home run hit of the game.


Amick hit his 2nd home run of the game and 4th in the last two games with a 3-run shot in the bottom of the 6th put Tennessee up 9-0. It was Billy Barrel’s 16th home run of the season.


After the Vols left the bases loaded in the bottom of the 6th, Mizzou got on the board with a 2-out solo home run to right field to make it 9-1 in the 7th inning.


Cannon Peebles’s pinch hit solo home run in the 8th inning was his first long ball of the season and much needed for the switch-hitting catcher who’s struggled at the plate this year. Tennessee’s dugout exploded with cheers as Peebles rounded the bases.


Causey nearly went the distance after entering the game with two outs in the 3rd inning. He struck out six, walked two and scattered five hits in six innings. It was his 3rd straight solid relief appearance in SEC play.


After giving up two hits in the top of the 9th, fellow lefty Matthew Dallas entered and got the final out.

Notes:

— The Vols wore their black Dark Mode unis, which included a black helmet for the first time.


— With six home runs, Tennessee has now hit 121 long balls this season, the most in the NCAA by 15. The next most is in-state school Austin Peay with 106. The school and BBCOR record is 155, hit in 2022.


— The only bad news on the night was Blake Burke’s school record 31-game hitting streak came to an end. The Vols 1st baseman was 0-for-5 with two strikeouts. His last two ABs were the first times in a while where it felt like Burke was pressing at the plate. He’ll probably hit two home runs in Friday night’s game.


— Missouri swept Tennessee on the frozen tundra of CoMo to open SEC play last season. And after Tony Vitello’s comments on his alma mater earlier this week, this is one of the rare times I agree with Basilio and we should expect a Vols sweep this weekend.


@Mattdixon3'

'Tennessee picked up its 9th football commitment Monday afternoon when Memphis Sheffield wide receiver Radarious Jackson announced his commitment in front of family and friends.

Jackson is the second wide receiver in the 2025 class and the 4th prospect from the state of Tennessee. Whatever Tennessee’s formula is for prospect evaluation it’s working. Tennessee beat many of its staunchest on field competitors to the draw in identifying Jackson as a prospect and striking up a relationship. Tennessee had a bit of a head start on other colleges in Jackson’s recruitment. You see Jackson and Tennessee quarterback commitment George McIntyre are teammates on one of the best 7 on 7 teams in the south.

As a junior at Sheffield, he had a phenomenal season. As a junior he caught 30 passes for 696 yards and 13 touchdowns and rushed for 782 yards and nine touchdowns. He just isn’t a wide receiver either. As a defensive back he was in 60 plus tackles and had 7 interceptions.


By the end of his junior season, Jackson had amassed some 25 offers. His finalists were Auburn, Oregon, Ole Miss, and Tennessee. Notice all 4 of Jackson’s finalists are up tempo fast paced offenses. Offenses that are reliant on speed to stretch defenses. Jackson’s athleticism is obvious. He is yet another commitment who plays multiple sports. Jackson is a member of Sheffield’s basketball team as well as a member of the school’s track team.


He was the best player on the field in every game tape I watched. He runs by the defense; he changes directions with ease and without slowing down; he sees the field well; and has the ability to make tough catches. The concerns are he needs to get bigger and stronger (which he will … he will be an 18-year-old during his freshman year at Tennessee), and he needs to work on running better routes (which he will).


It really doesn’t matter where the recruiting services have Jackson rated. Outside of current Tennessee quarterback commitment George McIntyre I’m not sure there was a higher priority target on Tennessee’s recruiting board than Radarious Jackson. By the end of the football season, Jackson will push George McIntyre as the top football prospect in the state of Tennessee for 2025.


I can’t remember a recruiting cycle where at the end of April Tennessee had received commitments from the quarterback and wide receiver at the top of their respective recruiting board. With the commitment last week of Sidney Walton and now Radarious Jackson, Tennessee has set the wheels in motion for a productive late spring and summer recruiting run up to fall practice.

If Jackson is able to accumulate comparable offensive numbers during his senior season, he will move himself into consideration as one of the top wide receivers in the country. He may not receive as much fanfare after committing to Tennessee so early in the recruiting cycle.


I will say this in closing, Radarious Jackson is a really good prospect. He is so good Tennessee will need to continue to recruit him all the way to signing day. Jackson will be one of the best players in Tennessee’s class regardless of whether he commits in April or December.


I'll be back next week with a full report ...


'X'

'Vols Beat Kentucky

Tennessee went on the road and won the weekend series vs Kentucky in a top-5 matchup.


After losing a late lead on Friday night, the Vols jumped on the Wildcats early on Saturday before rallying from a 4-run deficit on Sunday to clinch to series.


Christian Moore was the star of the weekend, going 9-for-15 (.600 BA) with four home runs, a double, nine RBIs and five runs scored.


The Volunteers improved to 33-7 on the season and 12-6 in SEC play.


Friday Tennessee struck first on a Hunter Ensley 2-run home run that just cleared the wall in right centerfield in the top of the 2nd.


After a Kentucky solo home run in the bottom of the 3rd, Christian Moore made it 3-1 Vols on a 2-out RBI single in the top of the 5th.


Tennessee took that 2-run lead into the bottom of the 7th before the Wildcats scored three runs to take a 4-3 lead. With runners on 2nd and 3rd and two outs, Billy Amick couldn’t field a sharp grounder that bounced into left field and scored both runners.


Another Kentucky solo home run in the 8th inning made it 5-3 Cats and was the final score.


Vols starter Chris Stamos got just one out before he was replaced by AJ Causey. Causey took the loss after going 6.1 innings, giving up four runs on five hits while striking out seven and walking just one.


A Blake Burke hard grounder to 1st base in the top of the 8th was initially ruled an error but changed to a hit after the game, which extended his hitting streak to a school record 28 games, breaking the tie he shared with Condredge Holloway.


Saturday The Vols wasted no time jumping on the Wildcats in front of a record crowd at Kentucky Proud Skatepark.


Christian Moore and Blake Burke led the game off with back-to-back home runs.


After Billy Amick reached on an error, three consecutive doubles chased the Kentucky starter from the game before he recorded an out with the score 5-0.


The Cats led off the bottom of the 1st with a solo home run and added another run on a 2-out RBI single that made it 5-2.


A Kavares Tears solo home run in the 2nd inning made it 6-2.


Tennessee took an 8-2 lead after a Dylan Dreiling solo home run and C Mo RBI single in the 5th inning.


With one out in the bottom of the 5th, back-to-back Kentucky RBI hits chased Vols starter Drew Beam from the game with the score 8-4.


Beam lasted 4.1 innings, given up four runs (three earned) on seven hits while striking out four and walking two. After early inning struggles, Beam retired the Cats in order in the 3rd and 4th innings, which helped preserve the Vols bullpen.


With two on only one out, Aaron Combs got a double play to get Tennessee out of the jam.


Combs would throw 4.2 scoreless innings, a new career high, to earn the win, striking out seven and giving up just three hits. His curveball was un-hittable and his emergence in his last two appearances is much needed for a bullpen that lacks right-handed arms and strikeout pitchers.


Dreiling hit his 2nd home run of the game in the top of the 8th inning to make it a 9-4 game, which was the final score and set up the rubber match on Sunday.


Sunday Tennessee once again took an early lead.


A Cal Stark 2-out walk in the top of the 3rd was the Vols’s first base runner of the game and Christian Moore’s 2-run home run to right field was Tennessee’s first hit of the game and put the Big Orange up 2-0.


A Kentucky solo home run in the bottom of the inning made it 2-1.


The Wildcats scored four in the 4th inning and another in the 5th to take a 6-2 lead.


After Stark was hit by a pitch and C Mo doubled down the LF line to start the top of the 6th, Blake Burke extended his hitting streak to 30 games with a bloop single to LF that scored two one.


A Billy Amick single paired with a Kentucky error scored two more Vols to cut the Cats’ lead to 6-5.


Following a 3-pitch walk to Kavares Tears, Dylan Dreiling’s RBI single tied it at 6-all and chased the Kentucky starter from the game.


A walk to Dean Curley loaded the bases with no outs for pinch hitter Cannon Peebles, who hit a sac fly to the warning track in right field to put the Vols up 7-6.


Tennessee couldn’t tack on more as Reese Chapman grounded into a double play to end the top of the 6th.


A 2-out, full-count 2-run home run put the Cats back up 8-6 in the bottom of the inning but Tennessee responded with three runs in both the 7th and 8th innings.


C Mo’s 2nd home run of the game tied it at 8-all in the 7th. KT’s 2-run home run later in the inning made it 10-8.


Kentucky added another solo home run in the bottom of the 7th.


C Mo’s 3rd home run of the game was a 3-run shot in the top of the 8th that gave the Vols much-needed insurance runs at 13-9.


Kentucky hit back-to-back solo home runs in the bottom of the 9th and brought the potential tying run to the plate before Marcus Phillips got a fly out to right field to earn the save in his first SEC appearance.


Kirby Connell earned the win, throwing 4.1 innings. He gave up five runs on six hits (four home runs!), but once Tennessee took the lead, the plan was for him just to throw strikes.


Notes

— A forgettable weekend for Billy Amick. He was just 2-of-13 (.154 BA) with an RBI and four strikeouts. While not tagged for an error, he couldn’t field a grounder that allowed the winning runs to score in Friday night’s game and also dropped a pop up in foul territory on Saturday.


— Cannon Peebles didn’t play in the first two games of the weekend and didn’t record an at-bat but his sac fly is a home run in Lindsey Nelson Stadium and he earned a walk in the 8th inning. Hopefully that gets him going, as he’s struggled for much of the season and especially in SEC play. For this team to reach its full potential, they need to switch-hitting catcher to get going.


— AJ Causey has relieved Chris Stamos each of the last two Fridays. In those two appearances, he’s pitched 11 innings, giving up four runs on nine hits with 14 strikeouts and just three walks.


— We told you in last Thursday’s blog about Marcus Phillips potentially making his first SEC appearance over the weekend. He only faced one batter but it was the series-clinching out. He looked very good in his midweek start last Tuesday. If he continues to emerge and Aaron Combs continues to look like he did last season, that’s two strikeout-throwing right-handed pitchers in the bullpen that are much needed.


— The small ball Cats only stole two bases in the three games, the same amount as Tennessee. Kentucky also had a runner picked off 1st base in all three games. Maybe using a pitcher for the 1st base coach isn’t the smartest idea.


— Between the pink fuzzy hat and the coordinated cheers, Kentucky acts very much like a softball team in the dugout. It really takes away from what’s a very solid team that typically does the little things right to win games.

I'll be on with Brian and Tony unpacking some of this as well.


@Mattdixon3'

'X' Orange & White Game Report ...

It certainly was a beautiful spring Saturday in Knoxville. What a setting to celebrate the completion of another spring of practice football for the Tennessee Volunteers. The Orange & White game, fully scripted so as not to divulge any state secrets to the 12 opponents on the 2024 schedule, was largely as anticipated ….. uneventful. The best news is there were no major injuries on Saturday. Most of the players who had been nursing an injury didn’t even dress for the game.

Tennessee showed just enough of Nico on Saturday to sustain fan excitement until the end of July. The head coach sure has more courage than I do. After Nico’s first pass play where the offensive line and DeSean Bishop decided not to block anyone, Nico would have spent the rest of the afternoon standing beside me if that was my dime and dance floor.


Takeaways from Saturday and Spring Practice Generally Nico still has plenty to improve upon. Sure, it’s a spring game I get it… Gaston Moore though looked more comfortable in getting the offense from one play to the next play compared to Nico. I expect him to be better at this in the fall.


The roster is better. The secondary is more athletic, the bodies are bigger and more athletic on both lines of scrimmage, and the wide receiver group, minus Squirrel White and Bru McCoy who both return for fall practice, looked bigger and more explosive.

A couple of non-descript things stood out to me in a spring game. Senior Omari Thomas, by all accounts Tennessee's best interior defensive lineman, chased down a running back 20 yards beyond the line of scrimmage.


Back up offensive lineman Ayden Bussell left the game with a shoulder injury. An injury in a spring game usually signals the end of the afternoon for most players. Bussell returned to action a few plays later. I bet you that caught the attention of both the offensive line coach and the head coach.


Tennessee offensive specialists handled the ball without turning it over. With all the changing personnel parts of a spring game and the quarterbacks didn’t botch a handoff or throw an interception. The running backs and wide receivers secured the ball. Game execution was spot on.


I do not know what to make of the back-up running back situation. Coaches have been singing the praises of both backups all spring. I saw nothing from either Saturday that made me comfortable. What I did see were missed blocking assignments, tentative running, and lack of explosive plays. One of the storylines for the next few weeks is whether Tennessee pursues a running back in the portal.


Josh Heupel is quietly telling his media that Seldon is out until early September. My advice is to add a month to what he is saying publicly and that is when you can reasonably expect Cam Seldon to be healthy enough to return. We know from watching Jabari Small suffer through a lingering shoulder issue that you have to be careful with that injury literally from series to series.


Tennessee has an abundance of riches on the defensive line. You just have the feeling Tennessee might try and redshirt a couple of those interior players when more playing time is available in 2025.


The secondary is an unknown. The “group” is more athletic, but will the defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach allow the players to play through some inevitable mistakes or will they play it safe.


If Keenan Pili is healthy, the defense will be plenty good enough. When healthy he is one of Tennessee's best defenders and one of the best linebackers in the conference. He also brings a calming influence on the younger linebackers. Sophomore linebacker Jeremiah Telander is one of Tennessee’s most improved players this spring He took full advantage of being healthy and hitting it off with the new position coach. He made a strong case for starting beside Pili this fall.


Others Who Stood Out

Gaston Moore looks like a capable backup quarterback. I want Nico to make it through the season healthy. If he happened to miss a series or two, Gaston is capable of running the offense.


Mike Matthews doesn’t look like a freshman wide receiver. The long touchdown catch was nice, but I noticed his blocking on Saturday. He was a willing blocker and didn’t shy away from contact at all. The fact that he is a willing blocker and is explosive to boot almost guarantees him playing time next season.


Sham Umarov. Umarov looks like he is furthest along in terms of development of any of the other young offensive linemen. So much so that Umarov has jumped into the competition for the starting left guard position this fall.


Edwin Spillman and Boo Carter. Both true freshmen with a lot to learn. Both flashed here and there Saturday. Those plays should excite fans for their respective futures at Tennessee.


Portal Transfer Jakobe Thomas. His athleticism is something the secondary has been missing. He showed up a lot Saturday.


Redshirt freshman defensive lineman Nathan Robinson. He has put in work in the offseason program. He looks like a completely different player physically than a year ago. Coach Garner will find a way to get Robinson into the rotation this fall.


Lingering Injury Questions You don’t take a chance with any injured player being counted on in the fall. The following injuries though seem problematic.


Tight end Ethan Davis. Davis is as talented a tight end prospect that has played at Tennessee in recent time. He can’t stay healthy. He was held out of the spring game as a precaution. He was injured in the spring game last year and he missed his first season at Tennessee recovering from shoulder surgery. Davis has missed more time with injury than he has practicing. I really want to see him healthy because he can be a difference maker. The tight end position is so important a position to the offense that keeping Davis healthy is a huge concern.


Right tackle John Campbell. Campbell is a key member of the offensive line. Him being healthy and available is important to the offensive. He hasn’t been healthy frankly since mid-season last season. He missed time leading up to the spring game with injury and he reinjured himself in warmups Saturday and was held out as a precaution.


Cam Seldon. His injury is the worst news of the spring. He is such a key piece to the offense. Josh Heupel is telling his media confidantes that Seldon is out until early September. My advice. Add a month. Therefore, you can reasonably expect Cam Seldon to be healthy enough to return in late September or early October. After watching Jabari Small suffer through a lingering shoulder issue for 3 seasons you hold your breath every time the kid takes contact.


Wrapping Things Up ... It's Portal Time In Tennessee:

The transfer portal opens Monday and I’m holding my breath. I do expect Tennessee players to enter the portal. With the money flying around in the NIL market, Tennessee needs to continue to manage its current roster.

I’m watching the defensive line including the pass rushers. Likely the deepest and best in the SEC. You can’t discount other programs who have depth issues at those positions coming after one or more of the experienced linemen with offers that would be hard to turn down.


And how active will Tennessee be when the portal opens? A running back or depth at linebacker isn’t out of the question. And ... how do they feel about Ethan Davis’s recent spate of injuries? Can you find an experienced tight end who can pick up the pace of this offense in a few months?


Tennessee didn’t solve its left guard position this spring. Sham Umarov had a good enough spring to surpass a couple of guys in the competition who were limited because of injury. Also returning offensive linemen Jackson Lampley, Cooper Mays, Andrej Karic, Larry Johnson, Javontez Spraggins, Masai Reddick, and John Campbell all missed some or all of spring practice. The coaches don’t seem to be worried. I should note though at least half of that group have been nursing one injury or another since coming to campus.


'X'

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