Are you still confident in Josh “Beuhler..Buehler” Elander turning this around?

[Volstylexx]

Is this good?? Asking for the negas

 

[a vol n tears]

Is this good?? Asking for the negas

Mid week games mean nothing to me. Playing schools with 25% of your budget should be wins 95% of the time.. conference games matter. Just like playing Furman in football.
I was very unhappy with Elander when he was 4-8 in conference. Going 6-3 since is very nice. I hope I have to come on here and apologize for my nega view concerning hiring him without a national search or at minimum a title of interim HC for a year.

 

[taylorvol]

Is this good?? Asking for the negas

Honestly, I’m pulling for Elander and think he’s doing a solid job but this stat is meaningless IMHO. Unlike most first year head coaches, his predecessor wasn’t fired for a poor season, and E was part of the program‘s success and stability for 9 seasons. Thus, he took over a program that was elite so I’d expect this or better (and that’s not intended as a slam on Elander). I think E deserves praise for his adaptability and willingness to change as the season has progressed. No doubt he’s a good coach but think this stat is overrated considering the background.

 

[TN Jed]

Drivebys

 

[Ritzwatch]

All I have to do is look at the "established" coaches whose teams are within a weekend of E. Then I look at the noticeable improvement. Behind the plate, 1B, 2B, even on the mound. Add to that the improved approaches at the plate. I see growth from a young squad. I think E is doing a fine job. Really like his insertion of Grindlinger to the lineup. That has been a gamechanger for this squad.

I am anxious about holding a young roster together in the NIL era. These boys are growing up; if the nucleus sticks around, I think we are just a few pitchers away from being a really, really good team over the next two years. But, NIL can change everything, to the good or to the bad.

 

[WaywardVol]

Is this good?? Asking for the negas

None of that will matter if you don’t go .500 from here. If you miss the tourney, then that stat is meaningless. Let’s not act like he wasn’t handed the keys of an established program with a loaded roster. The average talent level of this team compared to TVs first is light years apart.

I’ve seen a coach who is willing to adjust and move things around trying to find the right combination. Let’s hope that continues to pay dividends. I’ve seen too much of this team to think they couldn’t lose every remaining game. I also believe they could win them all. It’s a weird dynamic.

 

[jwells]

None of that will matter if you don’t go .500 from here. If you miss the tourney, then that stat is meaningless. Let’s not act like he wasn’t handed the keys of an established program with a loaded roster. The average talent level of this team compared to TVs first is light years apart.

I’ve seen a coach who is willing to adjust and move things around trying to find the right combination. Let’s hope that continues to pay dividends. I’ve seen too much of this team to think they couldn’t lose every remaining game. I also believe they could win them all. It’s a weird dynamic.

Yeah, I think some is on the players in the sense that guys like Brown just flat refused to hit the ball for about a month and that the bullpen blew game after game....but some of that is on Elander. One could argue him staying with these guys in slumps is paying off now, but could also argue about some poor arm management during games that put us in a spot to lose.
I think the minimum for this season is get into the Tourny and, depending on the matchup, a stretch goal for the Supers. I don't see the players/coaches putting together a run, but I would absolutely love to be wrong.

 

[Otis07]

No

 

[SGMVols]

The average talent level of this team compared to TVs first is light years apart.

I keep seeing y'all saying this but Tony's first team had a lot more talent than some of y'all remember.

Garrett Crochet
Garrett Stallings
Andre Lipcius
Luc Lipcius
Andrew Schultz
Zach Daniels
Evan Russell

I feel like this team would kill to have any of those guys.

Dave Serrano didn't recruit poorly, he just couldn't make west coast ball work in the SEC.

 

[SGMVols]

The Garretts alone give a strong case to argue that Tony inherited a better pitching staff than the one he left Josh.

 

[vol_smoothie]

How young is this year's team compared to Vitello's different groups and how are they performing relative to those teams ?

IF this is the youngest team we have had during the past decade and IF these players will stay at Tennessee and develop, then we can make an accurate assessment of Elander's ability to be the head of the baseball program.
If they are not significantly younger than any similar Vitello teams, this season may already be an accurate picture of Elander, though subsequent seasons will give us more answers.

 

[chuckiepoo]

How young is this year's team compared to Vitello's different groups and how are they performing relative to those teams ?

IF this is the youngest team we have had during the past decade and IF these players will stay at Tennessee and develop, then we can make an accurate assessment of Elander's ability to be the head of the baseball program.
If they are not significantly younger than any similar Vitello teams, this season may already be an accurate picture of Elander, though subsequent seasons will give us more answers.

I’m not sure the pitching coach will make the travel squad to Hoover. This roster is void of experienced returning players. As I’ve said ad nauseam, UT is 167th in Returning Production in college baseball and 13th in SEC. That’s a recipe for failure. There’s a reason UCLA and TX are so good—-their rosters are filled with returning experienced players with a few key transfers. In all fairness, Elander inherited a deficient roster and some material pitching portal misses. E was the Recruiting Coordinator but make no mistake, CTV and Frank were the closers. I‘m not giving up on E or this team. They really need our support now more than ever. If E can hold the core team together, nail down the recruiting class, and hit on 5-7 transfers, 2027 is setup for a solid year. It’s a tall order no doubt…

 

[vol66]

How young is this year's team compared to Vitello's different groups and how are they performing relative to those teams ?

IF this is the youngest team we have had during the past decade and IF these players will stay at Tennessee and develop, then we can make an accurate assessment of Elander's ability to be the head of the baseball program.
If they are not significantly younger than any similar Vitello teams, this season may already be an accurate picture of Elander, though subsequent seasons will give us more answers.

There are 3 seniors on this team. I looked it up, you could’ve looked it up. Pretty glaring how inexperienced we are from top to bottom. And we have a lot of Freshman that haven’t seen the field yet..and may not, here.

 

[vol66]

2026 Baseball Roster - University of Tennessee Athletics

The official 2026 Baseball Roster for the University of Tennessee Volunteers

utsports.com

2017 Baseball Roster - University of Tennessee Athletics

The official 2017 Baseball Roster for the University of Tennessee Volunteers

utsports.com

 

[taylorvol]

How young is this year's team compared to Vitello's different groups and how are they performing relative to those teams ?

IF this is the youngest team we have had during the past decade and IF these players will stay at Tennessee and develop, then we can make an accurate assessment of Elander's ability to be the head of the baseball program.
If they are not significantly younger than any similar Vitello teams, this season may already be an accurate picture of Elander, though subsequent seasons will give us more answers.

Only position player that’s a senior is Reese Chapman and UT is lucky to have him as everyone thought He was gone via the Draft. Then it’s 2 transfer pitchers—Blanco and PhD student, Hindy. You just don’t win in the SEC with this little experience.

 

[WaywardVol]

I keep seeing y'all saying this but Tony's first team had a lot more talent than some of y'all remember.

Garrett Crochet
Garrett Stallings
Andre Lipcius
Luc Lipcius
Andrew Schultz
Zach Daniels
Evan Russell

I feel like this team would kill to have any of those guys.

Dave Serrano didn't recruit poorly, he just couldn't make west coast ball work in the SEC.

You’ve got a good point.

 

[GSPVol]

JE inherited a young team where several who were being counted on have failed.

But I thought Elander was heavily involved in the recruiting? These are just as much his recruits as Vitellos, no? No trying to be argumentative, but if he gets credit as a recruiter, he also gets credit for the misses, too I'd have to think.

 

[GSPVol]

Only position player that’s a senior is Reese Chapman and UT is lucky to have him as everyone thought He was gone via the Draft. Then it’s 2 transfer pitchers—Blanco and PhD student, Hindy. You just don’t win in the SEC with this little experience.

How's Bargo doing? Think his bat and experience might have been most welcome on this roster. Yeah, hindsight. I know. It's my specialty.

 

[TheBigOne10]

Our mission is 3 more wins with 7 games to do it. Let’s get one of them today

 

[AthensVol2007]

I keep seeing y'all saying this but Tony's first team had a lot more talent than some of y'all remember.

Garrett Crochet
Garrett Stallings
Andre Lipcius
Luc Lipcius
Andrew Schultz
Zach Daniels
Evan Russell

I feel like this team would kill to have any of those guys.

Dave Serrano didn't recruit poorly, he just couldn't make west coast ball work in the SEC.

You’re using revisionist history to make your case. Evan Russell was a FR walk-on V’s first year, Crochett was a late recruited FR that V rolled the dice on, Stallings and Schultz were rising SO who had showed promise. Nobody going into that season, thought that the 2018 team would go into the final weekend in the hunt for a regional.

 

[taylorvol]

How's Bargo doing? Think his bat and experience might have been most welcome on this roster. Yeah, hindsight. I know. It's my specialty.

After a sizzling start, he hasn’t been the same simce he injured his quad sliding into 2B. He’s hitting .219 with 5 HRs, 4 doubles, and 21 RBIs.

 

[vol_smoothie]

There are 3 seniors on this team. I looked it up, you could’ve looked it up. Pretty glaring how inexperienced we are from top to bottom. And we have a lot of Freshman that haven’t seen the field yet..and may not, here.

Well excuse me !!!!! Jerk. You missed the point. I wanted some perspective from those around here with more knowledge of our baseball program than me.
There is a lot more that goes into a successful roster than counting up class numbers.
Being young is about playing experience against upper level competition as much as it is class rank numbers.

 

[TheBigOne10]

Well excuse me !!!!! Jerk. You missed the point. I wanted some perspective from those around here with more knowledge of our baseball program than me.
There is a lot more that goes into a successful roster than counting up class numbers.

66 is the furthest thing from a jerk, snowflake. If you’d ever spent an ounce of time over here you’d know he’s a great human being.

 

[vol_smoothie]

66 is the furthest thing from a jerk, snowflake. If you’d ever spent an ounce of time over here you’d know he’s a great human being.

Ok then, he is a great human being who is not real bright if he cannot understand the context of my question.

 

[wmcovol]

But I thought Elander was heavily involved in the recruiting? These are just as much his recruits as Vitellos, no? No trying to be argumentative, but if he gets credit as a recruiter, he also gets credit for the misses, too I'd have to think.

Head coaches make the decision who to recruit & sign.