This Week in BaseVols (TWIB)

[chuckiepoo]

…and make it to the weekend in Hoover.

Great write up! I love these.

 

[taylorvol]

Great write up! I love these.

Thank you sir!

PS. Point was TN will need to win a couple of games in Hoover (ie make it to the weekend in the single elimination tourney) to have any chance to host a Regional. Of course, everyone in the SEC qualifies for Hoover.

 

[taylorvol]

The BaseVols are the only SEC team without a midweek loss and are now 12-0 by outscoring midweek opponents 133-31. Unfortunately the Vols RPI dropped from 29 to 31 by playing and winning 13-0 over West Ga and their RPI of 259.

 

[taylorvol]

 

[vol66]

One stat stands out…In SEC only…UK has attempted 50 steals and been successful 39 times. They run more than anyone else in conference, OU is the only team close.

 

[Ritzwatch]

View attachment 829289

RPI being so close surprises me a bit with our SOS being 30 places higher, RPG higher and ERA lower. Must be some significant SEC weight factored in to RPI.

 

[taylorvol]

RPI being so close surprises me a bit with our SOS being 30 places higher, RPG higher and ERA lower. Must be some significant SEC weight factored in to RPI.

UK actively works the RPI by playing decent non conference teams on the road. Outside of the TX tournament, UT plays all of their non conference games at home. Thus, UK’s relatively strong RPI is heavily weighted by road non conf games and of course a tough SEC schedule.

 

[Ritzwatch]

UK actively works the RPI by playing decent non conference teams on the road. Outside of the TX tournament, UT plays all of their non conference games at home. Thus, UK’s relatively strong RPI is heavily weighted by road non conf games and of course a tough SEC schedule.

Interesting strategy.

Thanks for the education.

 

[taylorvol]

This Week in BaseVols (TWIB)
5/5/26

The BaseVols were dominated by the increasingly weird and annoying Wildcats on yet another cool and windy weekend in Lexington, but thankfully managed to avoid being swept by winning the final game on Sunday. Candidly, the Vols appeared to leave their bats, defense, and pitching on the bus but at least managed to find the bats by Sunday. Despite being last in the SEC in HRs and 13th in slugging, Kentucky feasted on UT’s pitching all weekend by hitting 8 home-runs and scoring 30 runs. Despite a strong start from Landon Mack on Sunday, the leaky bullpen almost blew it by allowing 8 runs over the final 3 innings. Thankfully Landon Mack, Levi Clark, and Reese Chapman brought their “A games” enabling the Vols hang on for a 10-9 win on Sunday. Levi Clark hit a 3-run HR in the 9th (his 2nd HR of the game) and bashed a double with 5 RBIs. Chapman hit a solo HR and had a RBI double. For the series, Levi Clark hit .556 with a double, 2 HRs, and 5 RBIs, Henry Ford hit .333 with 2 doubles, a HR, and and 2 RBIs. Reese Chapman hit .300 with 2 doubles, a HR, and 3 RBIs.

To quote one of favorite philosophers, Forrest Gump, the 2026 version of the BaseVols are like a box of chocolates—-you never know what you’re going to get! From getting walked off and swept by Vanderbilt to sweeping a strong Miss State team in Starkvegas, they are as “Jekyl and Hyde” as you can possibly get. With the latest swoon in Lexington, I’m back to having more questions than answers on the BaseVols.

Random Questions and Observations Post Mildcats Series:

Who can the Vols trust in the Bullpen besides Brandon Arvidson and for short stints, Bo Rhudy?

Why has Brayden Krenzel regressed so much this season?

Why has Cam Appenzeller turned from virtually unhittable to being almost unpitchable?

Why didn’t Coach Elander go to Arvidson, Appenzeller, or Rhudy when only down 4-2 on Saturday vs putting Krenzel in yet another high pressure, high leverage situation? It’s almost like Arvidson is now on a “load management” restriction.

Sophomore Levi Clark has impressively raised his level of play in the SEC. His non-conference at bats were mostly below mid, but when it really counts in SEC play, he’s hitting .297, slugging .649 and has a 1.024 OPS with 7 home-runs and 22 RBIs. He’s poised for a tremendous Junior season.

At this point of the season, how are the Vols still making egregious mental mistakes?
-How does a D1 baseball player run into an out on a grounder to 3B? This cost UT an early run on Friday.
-How does a 1B forget to cover the bag on a tailor made 6-4-3 double play. This gave KY an extra run on Saturday.

How does TN have such an incredibly unreliable bullpen?

How much better would the pitching staff be with Tanner Wiggins (Rice), Michael Sharman (Clemson), Dylan Loy (GA Tech), and Brayden Sharp (Rice)?

UT is the only SEC team without a midweek loss. Unfortunately TN has 2 midweek games left against 265+ RPI killers. I’m glad UT doesn’t cancel them but they will adversely affect TN’s RPI even with big wins. Most other SEC teams have zero or only 1 midweek game remaining.

At 11-13, Is the Road to the Postseason Still Open?

Considering UT’s relatively strong RPI of 35, KPI (Kevin Pauga Index) of 27, and DSR (Diamond Sports Rankings) of 18, If UT can finish 2-4 against TX and on the road vs OK, they will end up at 13-17 in the SEC and most likely make the playoffs.

Is This Team Underperforming?

Most teams crater after winning a National Championship—not the BaseVols. They won a Regional last season, and will most likely reach the playoffs this season. They are the only team in the SEC without a midweek loss. As a reminder, UT is the 167th team in the country in Returning Production, and 13th in the SEC. In short, they are young and inexperienced and unfortunately made some key misses in the portal while attempting to revamp their pitching staff. I’m going to wait and judge Coach Elander after the 2027 season. The success of 2027 rests on how well he manages retaining the returning core talent (Clark, Grindlinger, Brown, Abernathy, Appenzeller, Mack, etc.), if he can secure elite talent via the portal to fill roster gaps, and if he can hold onto the elite 2026 HS recruiting class. He will also likely need to make a tweak or two to his coaching staff. In short, Coach Elander has his work cut out for him.



What Would the Record be if Coach Vitello Was Still Here?

I think UT would be 14-11 instead of 11-14 if Coach Vitello was still coaching on Rocky Top. (This isn’t intended as a shot at Coach Elander, but the reality is he’s a 34 yo first year head coach who is still learning on the job—-with a coaching staff hastily assembled in November). Sure, Coach Vitello was responsible for curating this roster, but he had the innate ability to make players believe in themselves, instilled a certain amount of leadership and swagger, and ensured the energy and vibes were alway high. Plus, Frank Anderson, Quentin Eberhardt, and Sean McCann (who were all NEXT LEVEL elite in their respective crafts) would all still be on the coaching staff. They demanded excellence and didn’t accept mediocrity. Candidly, the direction of the pitching staff and the analytical driven approach would be much different (in a very good way).



Will the Real UT Make a Final Stand at The Lindsey?

If it wasn’t for the Volunteers, we all know that what is now referred to as Texas would be northern Mexico. Texas may owe the Vols, but I don’t think the #4 Longhorns will be granting the BaseVols any favors when they make the trek to Rocky Top for this weekend’s final series at the beautifully renovated Lindsey Nelson Stadium. Ironically, TX’s ace and Friday night starter is 6’6” 220lb Sophomore LHP Dylan VOLantis who is 7-0 with a 1.87 ERA and has only allowed 44 hits and 13 ERs with 92 Ks and 19 BBs in 62.2 IP. I know that you can’t land them all, but how did the real UT not land this stud from CA? Can you imagine the popularity and NIL deals for a big Southpaw with a last name of VOLantis? Regardless, the Vols will need to bring their absolute best to avoid being swept by one of the most loaded and experienced rosters in college baseball. Here’s hoping for great weather, large crowds, and some victories on the final weekend in Knoxville. GBO!



Taylor

 

[Volgrandpa]

Krenzel has been a big disappointment this year, no arguing that. BUT, if he can straighten things out he needs the work. In yesterday's game he only got to pitch to one batter which was a K. Why not let him go another inning and work on his mechanics?

 

[Ernest T. Vol]

Krenzel has been a big disappointment this year, no arguing that. BUT, if he can straighten things out he needs the work. In yesterday's game he only got to pitch to one batter which was a K. Why not let him go another inning and work on his mechanics?

The K was a win mentally. His last outings have been awful. I think they're fixing the head first, then the body.

 

[taylorvol]

Krenzel has been a big disappointment this year, no arguing that. BUT, if he can straighten things out he needs the work. In yesterday's game he only got to pitch to one batter which was a K. Why not let him go another inning and work on his mechanics?

Agreed. He might be the most important reliever that needs the work to get better during midweeks. I just didn’t think it was fair throwing him into another high pressure situation on Sat, but perhaps his bullpens were great. He’s super talented for sure.

 

[taylorvol]

 

[taylorvol]

View attachment 830651

TX leads in literally every category. First time I’ve seen that this year. In over 100 years of college baseball, Friday will be the first time TX has played in Knoxville.

 

[taylorvol]

Here are some comps in SEC play only:

 

[taylorvol]

 

[TN Jed]

View attachment 830651

Oye vey . I'll be happy with 1 and 2 over the weekend.

 

[taylorvol]

Mini TWIB (This Weekend in BaseVols)

Notes on a HUGE and HISTORIC Series vs Texas

After over 100 hundred years of baseball, the TX Longhorns will play “the real UT” (aka the Tennessee Volunteers) for the first time ever this weekend in Knoxville in front of a record breaking crowd at the beautifully renovated Lindsey Nelson Stadium. In fact, the teams have only previously met 5 times and all were at neutral sight stadiums or in tournaments.


As a reminder, the Vols and Longhorns played last year at the SEC Tournament in Hoover, AL. UT beat TX 7-5 in an epic 12 inning affair. This was Brandon Arvidson’s breakout game as he was virtually unhittable in relief. Since 2021 (the Tony Vitello era), UT is 2-1 against TX, and “the real UT” leads the overall series at 3-2. This weekend marks the first time TX and UT meet in a true SEC series. Make no mistake, UT (32-17 overall and 11-13 SEC) has their work cut out them against the #4 Longhorns (36•10 overall and 15-8 SEC). NOTE: TX has played one less SEC game because of a game 3 rainout vs TX A&M. That was notably the only SEC series that TX lost. In a conference that claims that “It just means more”, I have no idea why their game 3 wasn’t made up.

Now back to the game…

Looking at SEC conference games only, TX leads UT in virtually every category. Texas has a stellar RPI of 3 vs UT’s RPI of 36. Texas is 2nd in the SEC in Returning Production while UT is 13th. Texas has a superior pitching staff ranking 2nd in the SEC and their staff leads the league in strikeouts, are 4th in fewest walks allowed, and are 1st in fewest home-runs allowed.

Texas also excels at the plate possessing the 4th best Batting Average and 4th best On Base Percentage. The Longhorns consistently put the ball in play as they rank 2nd in fewest strikeouts. Finally, they are patient at the plate and take more than their fair share of “free 90s” by ranking 2nd in walks and 3rd in stolen bases. Perhaps the only compelling advantage the Volunteers have besides playing in front of their home crowd is defense. UT plays the best defense in the conference and is tied nationally for the best fielding percentage. Texas ranks tied for 9th in the SEC in this this category.

Longhorn Players of Interest

• Freshman OF Anthony Pack Jr is 2nd in SEC in Batting Average and 3rd in OBP
• Junior CF Aiden Robbins is 2nd in the SEC in Homeruns and top 5 in OPS & SLG and Junior C Carson Toney isn’t far behind as he’s 8th and 11th respectively
• Pitchers: Freshman Sam Cozart and Sophomore Dylan VOLantis are #1 and #2 in lowest ERAs respectively in the SEC.
• Senior Ruger Riojas joins Cozart and VOLantis with elite K:BB ratios ranking 5th, 6th, and 7th in the SEC.

Candidly, on paper Texas should dominate Tennessee, but thankfully this game will be played at Lindsey Nelson Stadium! I think the Vols will avoid the sweep and get at least one game vs the Longhorns. It looks like a beautiful weekend for baseball so let’s pack the stadium and cheer on the Volunteers in the last Series of the season! GBO!



Taylor

 

[taylorvol]

This Week in BaseVols

TWIB 5/12/26

The Real UT Makes a Stand at The Lindsey!

The Real UT stepped up over the weekend at Lindsey Nelson Stadium winning 2 out of 3 from the Texas Longhorns on a beautiful late Spring weekend in Knoxville. If there has ever been any question about who “the real UT” is hopefully it’s now been long settled. If you’re still unsure, here’s a brief history lesson written in the VFL spirit of the legendary patriot, W Lynn. The Real UT was founded in 1794. The fake UT was founded in 1883. Texas would simply not exist without the TN Volunteers who saved Texas both during the Texas Revolution and during the Mexican American War. Notably at least 32 Tennesseans died defending the Alamo (including Davy Crockett)— more than any other state including TX. When the Secretary of War asked for 2800 volunteers from TN to help secure TX and the southwest, over 30,000 men showed up! Yes, UT is the great University of Tennessee! The University of Tennessee (UT) is truly the Volunteer state and by the way, you’re welcome Texas!

Tegan Kuhns was just named the SEC pitcher of the week for the 2nd time this season joining Chase Dollander (twice in 2022) and Liam Doyle (3 times in 2025) as the only UT pitchers to be named multiple times for this honor in the last decade. After walking the first batter, and subsequently giving up a long fly out to the warning track, Kuhns settled in and absolutely dominated. He struck out 15, walked one, allowed only 4 hits, and no runs in 7 innings. It was the most strikeouts by a Vols pitcher in over 20 years. Kuhns was rightfully fired up and showed lots of passion and swagger during his legendary performance—so much that he was warned by the umpiring crew. On the offensive side, UT was lead by the dynamic trio of Reese Chapman, Trent Grindlinger, and Blake Grimmer who all hit .417 for the series.

A True VFL: Senior Reese Chapman
Reese Chapman really showed out during his last SEC series batting .417, with 5 hits, scoring 5 runs, 8 RBIs, including 3 HRs and a 1.167 SLG % for the weekend. Fittingly #13 Chapman performed a masterclass on his senior day providing all of the offense with a Grand Slam, and a 2-run HR that was launched on the 13th pitch on a remarkable at bat which exemplified his never quit mentality. I personally witnessed his Father’s Day HR in Omaha in 2024 and now his Mother’s Day blasts at LNS. It couldn’t happen to a better gent!


Some Random Notes and Observations:

Kuhns should change his walk up song to Prince’s “Little Red Corvette” to match his fiery personality and sweet Stingray that he hopefully drives safely around Knoxville.

The BaseVols have played better against the top half of the SEC (8-4) vs the bottom dwellers (5-10). If the Vols only had an average bullpen, they would easily be 16-11 vs 13-14 and hosting another Regional in Knoxville at the beautifully renovated $105M Lindsey Nelson Stadium. Oddly, UT was the only SEC team to end the season undefeated in midweek play.

Freshman Trent Grindlinger continues to consistently barrel up the baseball. Ironically, it took a an injury to Stone Lawless to get the true freshman into the lineup as DH. If he had the minimum # at bats to qualify, he would likely be the freshman of the year in the SEC. Instead, that award will likely go to Longhorns’ LF Anthony Pack Jr who certainly packed the stat sheet over the weekend at LNS.

Who would have ever believed that Kent State (RPI of 55) was a better loss than LSU (RPI of 57) or Vandy (RPI of 74)? Wow how the mighty has fallen! Will the Vandy Boys ever recover now that their “Opportunity Vanderbilt” scholarship advantage is over?

Reese Chapman is truly the last of his kind. A true VFL 4th year Senior who played all 4 years at one school. Chapman is great on the field but perhaps an even better teammate and person off the field. It will be sad not seeing him manning RF next season.

UT ranks first in the country in fielding percentage. Who would have thought that UT would lead college baseball in defense by playing 4 players (Grimmer, Clark, Ford, and Brown) who were better known as DHs than position players before the start of the season? In addition, you have a player who is primarily an excellent Catcher playing CF at a very high level in Garrett Wright. This speaks volumes for the coaching staff and how hard these players have worked to improve their defense. Both Reese Chapman and Manny Marin have a chance to make the SEC All-Defensive team.

Admirably, UT is playing out its non-conference schedule despite the RPI ramifications. Belmont is ranked #264 in RPI which will hurt UT’s RPI of 31 even with another victory giving the Vols a perfect record in midweek games.

The environment at Lindsey Nelson Stadium on Friday and Saturday evenings was simply outstanding! It was almost reminiscent of some of the best crowds during the “hornets nest” buzz of the Tony Vitello era. Unlike last season, the weather has been almost “Chamber of Commerce” perfect for the majority of home SEC games.

Kentucky has always worked hard to manipulate their RPI so they decided to cancel their final scheduled non-conference game against Northern KY and their RPI of 276. (You might remember their lovable Graduate Assistant, Max Edwards, who former Coach Tony Vitello sent a NCAA Regional banner to in appreciation to the enthusiasm and passion that Max showed while the NKU Norse team played in the 2024 Knoxville Regional). Well, Max and the NKU Norse deserved better. Of course the Mildcats released a statement claiming that they had to cancel the game to rest their athletes after losing their recent series to the FL Gators in Gainesville. I guess Kentucky has to rest in order to play Arkansas at home in Lexington. Make no mistake, the Mildcats cast integrity and honor aside and cancelled the NKU game in order to preserve their RPI of 31.

After taking care of their final regular season baseball game on Tuesday evening by defeating Belmont 11-1, UT will be taking on the Oklahoma Sooners in Oklahoma City at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, the AAA minor league stadium for the Dodgers. Both UT and Oklahoma are 13-14 in the SEC but OK has an RPI edge at 19 but has recently fallen out of the top 25 in all of the major polls. Although I believe UT has already secured a playoff berth by securing their 13th SEC win, it would be ideal to be a lock by getting their 14th win in Oklahoma. UT is certainly capable of winning the Series depending on which team shows up (the at Vandy version or the at Miss State version). Here’s hoping for a Series win in the OKC and continued momentum for the SEC Tournament in Hoover next week! GBO!


Taylor

 

[GVF]

OK. A brief fill me in, if someone doesn't mind. I follow Vol baseball but don't get to see alot of hte games and rely on keeping up with the standings and highlights. No longer ranked but still a respectable 30-15 record for the first year coach IMO. So...are we looking at a younger less experienced roster, first year coach blues, underperforming roster ??? Just a quick low down is sufficient.

 

[taylorvol]

OK. A brief fill me in, if someone doesn't mind. I follow Vol baseball but don't get to see alot of hte games and rely on keeping up with the standings and highlights. No longer ranked but still a respectable 30-15 record for the first year coach IMO. So...are we looking at a younger less experienced roster, first year coach blues, underperforming roster ??? Just a quick low down is sufficient.

UT is 167th in college baseball and 13th in SEC in Returning Production as measured by D1 Baseball. They are inexperienced and coaching staff was gutted with Vitello’s departure to Giants. Leaving with V was their legendary pitching coach, strength and conditioning coach, and scouting director. They are young and they failed in their attempt to revamp their bullpen. Overall, it was a rebuilding year and getting to a Regional makes it a decent season considering the above.

 

[Orange.]

UT is 167th in college baseball and 13th in SEC in Returning Production as measured by D1 Baseball. They are inexperienced and coaching staff was gutted with Vitello’s departure to Giants. Leaving with V was their legendary pitching coach, strength and conditioning coach, and scouting director. They are young and they failed in their attempt to revamp their bullpen

I didn’t know Tony also took the scouting director. What are we doing there?

 

[taylorvol]

I didn’t Tony also took the scouting director. What are we doing there?

Yes Sean McCann who was a long time mentor for CTV. In his defense, all 3 assistants were ones who he hired at UT. McCann worked in the background and didn’t like the limelight but was a huge loss.

 

[taylorvol]

 

[taylorvol]

I think UT takes 2-3 and wins the series on the road in OK. Playing at Bricktown will feel like a neutral site but will obviously count as a road series for RPI purposes. It will be interesting who starts game 3 for the Vols as I’m assuming Mack will not be a go.


PS My daughter is graduating from UT or I would be there. I can’t believe how fast the time has gone!