Elander makes bold statement about bats.

#51
#51
It’s weird seeing us dead last in the SEC ranks for offense in most categories. It’s not like Elander forgot how to coach. While you would expect some positive regression over the next few weeks, those numbers are against the “easy” part of the schedule. The pitching is only going to get better, so there is definitely concern here.

A lot of the problem is that our star-studded freshman class who was expected to take that important next step, like Moore, Burke, and Dreiling did, have not done so.

This team really needs Jay, Levi, Chris, and Manny to step up. Antigua and Chapman kind of are who they are at this point.
 
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#52
#52
taylorvol said:
Since @Freak wouldn’t hire me 😀🍊👍👊🤣👍🍊🍊, I wrote about that very topic and UT’s inexperience and offensive struggles in a guest blog The Tony Basilio Show (See TWIB (Taylor’s Week in BaseVols) near bottom of blog).
If you don’t want to read the whole blog, here’s a small part of my guest blog below…

“How’s Bargo doing at NC State? Well, Bargo’s already hit 5 HRs, batting .371, 1.254 OPS, .829 Slugging %, .429 OBP, and 14 RBIs in only 9 games at NC State. (He missed a few games due to a strained quad sliding into 2B, but hit a massive HR/#BargoBOMB during his first AB back). Heck, even in 7 less games played, he would be tied with Ford and Brown as Vol leaders in HRs and only one RBI off the before mentioned dynamic transfer duo in RBIs. Furthermore, his new head coach (Coach Avent is celebrating his 30th year at NC State so this isn’t his first rodeo) raves about Bargo’s leadership and veteran presence in the clubhouse and dugout. The BaseVols could certainly use more of that!”



Taylor's Week in BaseVols​

'Bottom Line ... you just don’t win at a high level in college baseball with youth and inexperience. According to D1 Baseball, Tennessee is 13th in experience in the SEC and 167th out of about 300 college baseball programs.

It’s no coincidence that UCLA is ranked #1 in experience as evidenced by their exceptional play, and if you watched last Friday’s game in Arlington where they dominated our BaseVols. A solid core of returning veterans plus some key portal additions is the winning formula to have a successful postseason run. Why not rely on top 100 freshmen and sophomores? Well, too many “Showcase” freshmen and sophomores are still learning how to win as a team vs “going for the launch angle and big stats” in Travel Ball/Perfect Game tournaments. They seemingly get tight in midweek games and even stud “draft eligible” sophomores tend to get “wide-eyed” and allow the game to “speed up” on them even on non conference weekend series—much less in uber competitive SEC series.

The reality is the majority of underclassmen just aren’t ready to compete at a consistently high level in the SEC. Sure, there’s always an exception as UT won a National Championship with a true freshman at SS. Of course, he was surrounded by experienced veterans who didn’t wilt under the bright lights in SEC play, and certainly not in Omaha! This inexperienced 2026 Tennessee squad had a chance to bring back another senior experienced veteran bat (who by the way can play five different positions) yet decided to ride with inexperienced freshmen and sophomores.It’s inexplicable to me that coach Tony Vols did not use a spot for Dalton Bargo. And no, I don’t buy that reduced scholarship nonsense as Tennessee used up to six DSA‘s to essentially have a roster of 40 for the 2026 season.

How anemic has the BaseVols’ offense been? Well after 16 games and almost 30% of the regular season already over, UT’s offensive stats compared to the rest of the SEC are….OFFENSIVE! Keep in mind, there are now 16 teams in the SEC so UT is performing at the very bottom of the SEC in several key hitting metrics against mostly inferior non-conference opponents (exceptions being UCLA, AZ St, and VT).

Metric .. Result .. SEC Ranking

Batting Average .268 16th (LAST)

Runs Scored 95 16th (LAST)

Hits. 137 16th (LAST)

OB%. 374 15th (Almost LAST)

Slugging %. 479 14th (Still Awful)

RBIs. 89 16th (LAST)

Home runs. 22 11th

Total Bases. 245 15th (Next to LAST)

Walks. 71 14th

Strikeouts. 105 12th
Source: SEC Sports (updated as of 3/9/26)
On the positive side, UT ranks 5th in Fielding Percentage at .981. And, the season is still relatively young so lots of room for improvement on the offensive side! So would Bargo make a difference? During 2025 SEC games, Bargo was one of the top hitters for TN in virtually every offensive category. Sure, Bargo struggled in 2025 postseason play but was a top hitter for UT in SEC play. According to UT Sports:

Dalton Bargo 2025 SEC Games:
spacer.gif
.312 in BA (3rd)

.988 in OPS (2nd)

24 in Runs (3rd)

11 Doubles (1st)

7 HRs (3rd)

22 RBIs (3rd)

.624 Slugging (2nd)

How’s Bargo doing at NC State? Well, Bargo’s already hit 5 HRs, batting .371, 1.254 OPS, .829 Slugging %, .429 OBP, and 14 RBIs in only 9 games at NC State. (He missed a few games due to a strained quad sliding into 2B, but hit a massive HR/#BargoBOMB during his first AB back). Heck, even in 7 less games played, he would be tied with Ford and Brown as Vol leaders in HRs and only one RBI off the before mentioned dynamic transfer duo in RBIs. Furthermore, his new head coach (Coach Avent is celebrating his 30th year at NC State so this isn’t his first rodeo) raves about Bargo’s leadership and veteran presence in the clubhouse and dugout. The BaseVols could certainly use more of that!

Per recent history, the BaseVols nailed the portal by acquiring studs like Ford, Brown, Wright, Mack, and Frederick. So why did the BaseVols pass on the returning vet from Omaha? Wasn’t losing Hunter Ensley, Gavin Kilen, Andrew Fischer, Cannon Peebles, and Dean Curley enough? Did they think they could win by likely starting 4 or 5 Sophomores in the everyday lineup? BTW, 4 of those “super sophomores” combined for 0-30 at the plate during the recent Wright St series. Much like starting that game at LNS during a brutal thunderstorm vs Auburn, Tony Vols simply made a mistake. How big? Let’s check back in a couple of months…. I personally think the 2026 BaseVols could really use some more veterans and Bargo Bombs if they want to experience a postseason of consequence. GBO!


Taylor'
Click to expand...
I think it came down to picking between Reese and Bargo. Both guys could have gotten drafted. Both end up coming back. I like Reese but I’d take Bargo every day of the week because of his versatility.
 
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#53
#53
WaywardVol said:
I think it came down to picking between Reese and Bargo. Both guys could have gotten drafted. Both end up coming back. I like Reese but I’d take Bargo every day of the week because of his versatility.
Click to expand...
With 6 DSAs, I unequivocally take both seniors back. Needed their experience and senior leadership in a big way. Easily could (and should) have chosen to bring both back. Really poor decision by CTV.
 
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#54
#54
WaywardVol said:
Jay has hit the ball well, just right to the opposition. Been a lot of that. I’d be more concerned if there was more swing and miss. I believe he did take 3 strike at bat without swinging on Sunday. The problem is he doesn’t run the bases all that well. He’s been thrown out multiple times.

Reese has a decent average, but he strikes out without making contact. Levi is just lost. He’s golf swinging everything and continues to chase both high and low.

I think these guys are feeling the pressure of the HR success of previous teams and are pressing at the plate. Elander needs to get them to decompress.
Click to expand...
Yes, agree with all that. Interestingly, Jay struck out 5 times the first 2 games in Dallas, which prompted Elander to comment that Jay was getting too many swing-and-misses. He seems to get behind in the count quite a bit, too, which puts him in a pickle too often. The high part of the strike zone is his kryptonite, but yes, he’s making some hard contact as well.
 
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#55
#55
I’m not sure what E will do with the lineup , we seem to get guys on base but not too many in front of Ford , he’s been our best hitter by a mile so far , I kinda like Wright Jay , Ford , Brown , Levi , Grimmer , Marin , Reese and Newie , AA or Bates at second base
 
#56
#56
taylorvol said:
Since @Freak wouldn’t hire me 😀🍊👍👊🤣👍🍊🍊, I wrote about that very topic and UT’s inexperience and offensive struggles in a guest blog The Tony Basilio Show (See TWIB (Taylor’s Week in BaseVols) near bottom of blog).
If you don’t want to read the whole blog, here’s a small part of my guest blog below…

“How’s Bargo doing at NC State? Well, Bargo’s already hit 5 HRs, batting .371, 1.254 OPS, .829 Slugging %, .429 OBP, and 14 RBIs in only 9 games at NC State. (He missed a few games due to a strained quad sliding into 2B, but hit a massive HR/#BargoBOMB during his first AB back). Heck, even in 7 less games played, he would be tied with Ford and Brown as Vol leaders in HRs and only one RBI off the before mentioned dynamic transfer duo in RBIs. Furthermore, his new head coach (Coach Avent is celebrating his 30th year at NC State so this isn’t his first rodeo) raves about Bargo’s leadership and veteran presence in the clubhouse and dugout. The BaseVols could certainly use more of that!”



Taylor's Week in BaseVols​

'Bottom Line ... you just don’t win at a high level in college baseball with youth and inexperience. According to D1 Baseball, Tennessee is 13th in experience in the SEC and 167th out of about 300 college baseball programs.

It’s no coincidence that UCLA is ranked #1 in experience as evidenced by their exceptional play, and if you watched last Friday’s game in Arlington where they dominated our BaseVols. A solid core of returning veterans plus some key portal additions is the winning formula to have a successful postseason run. Why not rely on top 100 freshmen and sophomores? Well, too many “Showcase” freshmen and sophomores are still learning how to win as a team vs “going for the launch angle and big stats” in Travel Ball/Perfect Game tournaments. They seemingly get tight in midweek games and even stud “draft eligible” sophomores tend to get “wide-eyed” and allow the game to “speed up” on them even on non conference weekend series—much less in uber competitive SEC series.

The reality is the majority of underclassmen just aren’t ready to compete at a consistently high level in the SEC. Sure, there’s always an exception as UT won a National Championship with a true freshman at SS. Of course, he was surrounded by experienced veterans who didn’t wilt under the bright lights in SEC play, and certainly not in Omaha! This inexperienced 2026 Tennessee squad had a chance to bring back another senior experienced veteran bat (who by the way can play five different positions) yet decided to ride with inexperienced freshmen and sophomores.It’s inexplicable to me that coach Tony Vols did not use a spot for Dalton Bargo. And no, I don’t buy that reduced scholarship nonsense as Tennessee used up to six DSA‘s to essentially have a roster of 40 for the 2026 season.

How anemic has the BaseVols’ offense been? Well after 16 games and almost 30% of the regular season already over, UT’s offensive stats compared to the rest of the SEC are….OFFENSIVE! Keep in mind, there are now 16 teams in the SEC so UT is performing at the very bottom of the SEC in several key hitting metrics against mostly inferior non-conference opponents (exceptions being UCLA, AZ St, and VT).

Metric .. Result .. SEC Ranking

Batting Average .268 16th (LAST)

Runs Scored 95 16th (LAST)

Hits. 137 16th (LAST)

OB%. 374 15th (Almost LAST)

Slugging %. 479 14th (Still Awful)

RBIs. 89 16th (LAST)

Home runs. 22 11th

Total Bases. 245 15th (Next to LAST)

Walks. 71 14th

Strikeouts. 105 12th
Source: SEC Sports (updated as of 3/9/26)
On the positive side, UT ranks 5th in Fielding Percentage at .981. And, the season is still relatively young so lots of room for improvement on the offensive side! So would Bargo make a difference? During 2025 SEC games, Bargo was one of the top hitters for TN in virtually every offensive category. Sure, Bargo struggled in 2025 postseason play but was a top hitter for UT in SEC play. According to UT Sports:

Dalton Bargo 2025 SEC Games:
spacer.gif
.312 in BA (3rd)

.988 in OPS (2nd)

24 in Runs (3rd)

11 Doubles (1st)

7 HRs (3rd)

22 RBIs (3rd)

.624 Slugging (2nd)

How’s Bargo doing at NC State? Well, Bargo’s already hit 5 HRs, batting .371, 1.254 OPS, .829 Slugging %, .429 OBP, and 14 RBIs in only 9 games at NC State. (He missed a few games due to a strained quad sliding into 2B, but hit a massive HR/#BargoBOMB during his first AB back). Heck, even in 7 less games played, he would be tied with Ford and Brown as Vol leaders in HRs and only one RBI off the before mentioned dynamic transfer duo in RBIs. Furthermore, his new head coach (Coach Avent is celebrating his 30th year at NC State so this isn’t his first rodeo) raves about Bargo’s leadership and veteran presence in the clubhouse and dugout. The BaseVols could certainly use more of that!

Per recent history, the BaseVols nailed the portal by acquiring studs like Ford, Brown, Wright, Mack, and Frederick. So why did the BaseVols pass on the returning vet from Omaha? Wasn’t losing Hunter Ensley, Gavin Kilen, Andrew Fischer, Cannon Peebles, and Dean Curley enough? Did they think they could win by likely starting 4 or 5 Sophomores in the everyday lineup? BTW, 4 of those “super sophomores” combined for 0-30 at the plate during the recent Wright St series. Much like starting that game at LNS during a brutal thunderstorm vs Auburn, Tony Vols simply made a mistake. How big? Let’s check back in a couple of months…. I personally think the 2026 BaseVols could really use some more veterans and Bargo Bombs if they want to experience a postseason of consequence. GBO!


Taylor'
Click to expand...
Good job!!!!
 
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#58
#58
WaywardVol said:
Not hard to see, and it didn’t start in this series. Guys over swinging. No situational awareness. Coach has been the batting coach here for a long while. JMO, This is why you need to be in the dugout and not on third. Understandably, this isn’t the main issue. We aren’t putting pressure on pitchers with base runners. Fix it.
https://atozsports.com/nashville/vo...tIvGIToSaTZzfbY-is_aem_QBqnlcmKbbkwvVEg6vBT9g
Click to expand...
You're not coaching hitting techniques during the game. If you are, it's too late.
 
#59
#59
taylorvol said:
Taylor's Week in BaseVols​

'Bottom Line ... you just don’t win at a high level in college baseball with youth and inexperience. According to D1 Baseball, Tennessee is 13th in experience in the SEC and 167th out of about 300 college baseball programs.
Click to expand...
This is a really good point. There were two things I that stood out to me at the games this weekend:

1. The stadium is really so much bigger. I mean, the space and the size. It will never be "large" - the campus footprint won't allow it - but it is big enough now that one side of stadium isn't talking to the other.

2. The team is so much smaller. Seriously, it was noticeable how much smaller our guys are than the last few years. Beck, Curlee, KT, Ensley, etc., heck, even Gilbert was muscled up. These kids we've got out there now, they look like kids. Not their fault, they are 18-19 years old, just stating a fact. They look smaller; they play smaller. Nothing matches experience. there is a reason the major leagues are not full of 18-20 year olds. More often than not, they are not ready. We have a lot of that youth this year.

Growing Pains.
 
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#60
#60
Ritzwatch said:
This is a really good point. There were two things I that stood out to me at the games this weekend:

1. The stadium is really so much bigger. I mean, the space and the size. It will never be "large" - the campus footprint won't allow it - but it is big enough now that one side of stadium isn't talking to the other.

2. The team is so much smaller. Seriously, it was noticeable how much smaller our guys are than the last few years. Beck, Curlee, KT, Ensley, etc., heck, even Gilbert was muscled up. These kids we've got out there now, they look like kids. Not their fault, they are 18-19 years old, just stating a fact. They look smaller; they play smaller. Nothing matches experience. there is a reason the major leagues are not full of 18-20 year olds. More often than not, they are not ready. We have a lot of that youth this year.

Growing Pains.
Click to expand...
More ham hocks, collards and ‘taters. Need to put some ass on dem boyz…
 
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#61
#61
ksgovols said:
You're not coaching hitting techniques during the game. If you are, it's too late.
Click to expand...
I’m not aware that coaching ever stops. Especially when you are talking situational strategy, which is absolutely a thing. Or maybe just an observation that can be shared in real time. That doesn’t speak to the myriad of other responsibilities a skipper has. Considering how many guys we’ve had thrown out at the plate, it not as if Josh is crushing it at 3rd base.
 
#62
#62
Ritzwatch said:
2. The team is so much smaller. Seriously, it was noticeable how much smaller our guys are than the last few years. Beck, Curlee, KT, Ensley, etc., heck, even Gilbert was muscled up. These kids we've got out there now, they look like kids. Not their fault, they are 18-19 years old, just stating a fact. They look smaller; they play smaller. Nothing matches experience. there is a reason the major leagues are not full of 18-20 year olds. More often than not, they are not ready. We have a lot of that youth this year.

Growing Pains.
Click to expand...

This is a good point, but I’m not really sure this will change the next few years. The core of this class, guys like Manny, Jay, Newstrom, and Ariel, are just slimmer builds. They can get in the S&C program for a few years, but I don’t think they’re going to put on a ton more weight/muscle.

Doesn’t mean they can’t be better ball players, some guys are just small. But it does mean we likely aren’t going to have the power spike we’re used to until these guys cycle out and a new class cycles in. Need better contact hitting, work the gaps, and be better on the basepaths since this team seems to be built more on speed than power.
 
#64
#64
WaywardVol said:
Be nice to get him in line up. But, he’s going to take a spot from either Marin or Ariel. Both of their bats seem to have woken up. Ford is the only guy I see who is fixed in the lineup. I think you’re going to see continued experimentation.

I’d like to see Wright in the lead off.
Click to expand...
You’re welcome
 
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