Vols Head Out to Summer Leagues

[ShowmeVols]

I love your optimism, but you sort of made my point. A couple guys are batting "around" .300 (actually .292 and 284)? Our best returning hitter has 5 extra base hits in 116 at bats. That's not good news, but you're putting a happy face on it.

Of your pitchers that "are improving," one of them gave up 8 runs in 3 innings his last time out, the other lost his starting job and is walking more than a batter per inning. Their "improving" ERA's are 7.86 and 8.59.

And these are the guys you offer up as doing well. I'm definitely not trying to embarrass any players. Every name I mentioned in this thread was in a positive light, but when you tout specific players as doing well when they really aren't, it's fair for me to straighten out the record.

I'm not calling anyone out. I'm just saying this summer's results don't make me feel better about next spring.

Do you really feel the numbers support a different outlook?

Oh, and please don't talk about all stars. In a league with 6 teams, a third of the players and more than half the starters have to be all stars in order to field two teams for the all star game. Even in the bigger leagues, each team has 4 or 5 all stars. Shouldn't we be concerned that only two of our players are on all star teams?

[buvol]

No one is trying to put a "spin" on the results. Much of the success of this team next year will depend on the recuiting class. UT is not returning very many players. The most obvious challenge is pitching. Depth of pitching hurt last year and must be addressed. They are bringing in a bunch of pitchers. My point is that we have several young quality players returning that should continue to improve. However, we will be replacing most of our infield, most of our outfield and a reconstructed pitching staff. We are going to need some of these returning pitchers, along with the new recruits, to step up. I do think understanding and buying in to the new system will pay dividends this year. We can be proud of the progress of the returning players, but still understand that there is much work to be done.

[ShowmeVols]

OK. I think we have some common ground.

I thought from the beginning we won't see the full results of the "Serrano effect" until spring of 2015 when his 2013 recruits become sophomores. He was hired too late to compete for the 2012 blue chippers.

Until then, we will have to make do with Raleigh recruits hopefully getting better (which is what you're looking for signs of), transfers, and Serrano's young recruits.

I think we're also seeing why he moved so many players out after this season and why he may have to do it again after next season. It's a pretty short list of guys on the current roster who look like they're ready to be key members of an SEC-contending team.

[ShowmeVols]

OK, maybe summer numbers don't matter that much.

Four 2012 Vols are playing in the Cal Ripken League, two who got cut or invited to transfer and two who are coming back.

Guess which two are on the All Star team. Yep, the ones not coming back.
Jake Rowland: .318, 4 HR, 19 RBI, 7 SB
Joe Vanderplas: 5-0 W-L, 2.70 ERA

[vols2]

The Summer Leagues are a time to get some good swings in and work on their skills. I agree not to overanalyze the numbers. There's alot of travel time on buses and they play practically every night and quite frankly can get pretty burned out and not really play as well as they're capable for those reasons. Nick and Ethan are back at UT for second semester summer session, pushing towards their degrees and working out with the players on campus. Both played extremely well and left among team leaders in several areas. Maddox and Wormsley both are playing solidly and are team leaders as well, esp. Maddox. I am looking forward to seeing these guys again on the UT field.

[volforlife50]

Here are the final stats for summer leagues:

Ethan Bennett .313 5 HR 18 RBI
Jake Rowland .299 5 HR 25 RBI
Will Mattox .269 0 HR 16 RBI
Nick Powell .229 0 HR 11 RBI
Parker Wormsley .208 0 HR 15 RBI
Kevin O'Leary .201 1 HR 20 RBI
Jason Manis .200 1 HR 4 RBI
Jared Allen .196 5 HR 17 RBI


NAME............ ERA IP K BB H
Nick Williams 0.0 14.1 18 7 8
Joseph Vanderplas 2.28 46 41 15 38
Brandon Zajac 2.35 7.2 4 4 3
Dalton Saberhagen 4.71 17 15 11 8
Eric Martin 5.58 26.1 22 11 33
Conner Stevens 6.32 37 26 18 54
Blake Thomas 8.02 21.1 25 18 27
Robbie Kidd 8.44 21.1 22 28 20
Jared Allen 9.88 13.2 12 12 17

Rowland, Vanderplas, and Stevens have transferred. I'm not sure how many others have left. We will see how many are in class tomorrow!

[ShowmeVols]

One more I just stumbled upon:

Nick Blount spent the summer as the closer for the Terre Haute Rex in the Prospect League. 2-1 W-L, 12 saves, 1.42 ERA, 31.2 IP, 37 K, 9 BB.

Named Prospect League's co-prospect of the year and to mid-season and post-season all-star teams.

Perfect Game also named him a top prospect for his summer league and lists him as attending Southern Polytechnic, an NAIA school outside Atlanta.

Nice to see him on a positive path.