This Week in BaseVols (TWIB)

#52
#52
taylorvol said:
Me too. I originally thought that meant inserting Appenzeller….perhaps for Blanco and pairing Blanco with Mack? I can’t see going with 3 southpaws so assume they leave Mack as Is.
Click to expand...
After this weekend I think you are right about pairing Blanco with Mack. I think if Mack has the lead when he comes out you have to go to Blanco and try to get the win.
 
#53
#53
This Week in BaseVols (TWIB)

4/7/26

The BaseVols experienced another Sunday beat down this time courtesy of the defending national champions, LSU Tigers. Stop me if you’ve seen or heard this before…it was the third Sunday in a row that the BaseVols blew a 5-run lead in yet another gut wrenching loss.

The Good: Kuhns, Appenzeller, Mack, Blanco, Grindlinger, and Grimmer

The Bad. All relief pitchers except for Mr Appenzeller

The Ugly. .163 BA. .323 SLG, top 5 hitters collecting only ONE HIT on Sat and ONE hit on Sunday and only 6 for the entire series.

In the last five innings Sunday, the Vols’ relievers logged 5.2 innings with 15 hits, 14 runs (all earned), one walk, three hit batsmen, four strikeouts, one double, one triple, and five home runs


In 12 conference games, Tennessee is batting .227/.330/.389 with 130 strikeouts and 53 walks. On the mound, outside of Cam Appenzeller, Landon Mack, Tegan Kuhns, Evan Blanco, Bo Rhudy, and Brandon Arvidson, it’s been a total disaster. In the SEC, the Vols only have 2 hitters hitting over .270 (Grimmer at .279 and Chapman at .271). NOTE: Grindlinger is hitting .417 in limited at bats so doesn’t yet qualify. Enough said…it was a brutal weekend at The Lindsey. I hope UT has an excellent sports psychologist as Yogi Berra said 90% of it is 1/2 mental. 😂



What’s the Culture and Identity of This Ball Club?

What is the new culture of UT baseball? Coach Elander has brought in names on the backs of jerseys, a heavier focus on analytics, extreme defensive shifts, and a very calm (even stoic) dugout demeanor. Make no mistake, Elander is an intense competitor, elite recruiter, and a family man of high character. Unfortunately, he’s also a brand new Head Coach who is learning on the (very high profile) job. He’s also as “even keel“ as they come. He’s never too high or too low which is ironically great for the grind of a 162 game MLB season, and when you‘re primarily coaching grown men. Candidly I’m not sure how ideal it is when you’re coaching and attempting to motivate college kids during a 56-game season.



With that said, I am admittedly biased by Coach Vitello‘s fire, passion, and swagger as I thoroughly enjoyed witnessing it and seeing how both the team and crowd responded to it. I also realize as several players have told me that Vitello was “one of one”. There’s a reason why he became the face of college baseball, a media darling, and grew the BaseVols from an afterthought to a “must see” event. Vitello was a generational coach and obviously set the bar extremely high. Coach Vitello and Elander have been described as different sides of the same coin. It’s a perfect description and both men and both methods can be successful. One got ejected on Sunday, and one might NEVER get booted. And no, I’m not talking about Jay Johnson.



The 2026 BaseVols Were NOT Setup for Post Season Success

In fairness to Elander, he inherited an inexperienced lineup that ultimately Vitello curated. Elander also lost one legendary pitching coach (Frank Anderson), an elite strength and conditioning coach (Quentin Eberhardt), and a very low key but extremely valuable scouting director (Sean McCann). Notably, there are holes throughout the roster. UT’s relief pitching is suffering, home-run totals are drastically down, the offense is generally OFFENSIVE, and TN has been hurt by the shift seemingly more times than it’s been helped. In short, this roster is lacking in way too many areas for a brand new head coach to make a postseason run. Interestingly, the Vols are 13th in the SEC in Returning Production, and currently in 14th place in the SEC. Experience matters!


Fan Engagement?

The BaseVols used to be very active with their fan base. This includes several Spyre events where fans could pay to watch a wiffle ball exhibition on a floating barge adjacent to Calhoun’s, actually watch Fall exhibition games against opposing teams, held First Pitch Banquets where the players actually sat at tables with the fans, and generally seemed to appreciate and embrace Volnation. These efforts seemed to really form connections and grew the game exponentially. Sure they still have a few paid autograph sessions, but I don’t sense fan engagement is as important to the BaseVols once they climbed the mountaintop in Omaha. In an era of NIL, roster attrition, and “everyone’s a free agent” every season, it’s becoming more and more difficult to connect with a team that’s constantly changing. (I’m very proud of how the BaseVols support Children’s Hospital and give back to the community behind the scenes. Hopefully the before-mentioned gaffes are simply an aberration). With that said, I do think the BaseVols could be and should be more fan friendly.


More Questions Than Answers

Admittedly, after 40% of the SEC season complete, I have more questions than answers on the 2026 version of the BaseVol. Some of those questions include:
  • Why are TN’s pitchers struggling with walks and hit by pitches during a season when the NCAA has clearly expanded its strike zone?
  • Why has UT blown 3 straight 5-run leads on Sundays and how is it affecting their psyche?
  • Why is a true freshman(Cam Appenzeller) the best pitcher on the team?
  • Why has Krenzel (and perhaps Arvidson) seemingly regressed so much from last year?
  • Why does TN always seem to play at home on Easter Sunday? Wouldn’t it be a perfect weekend to play a Thursday-Saturday series? Heck, no major media outlet even bothered to broadcast the Sunday game…
  • Why does UT deploy extreme defensive shifts EVEN during double play situations?
  • Is there enough historical data on most college players to leverage analytics the way UT has been leveraging pitching matchups, defensive shifts, etc?
  • How do you lose to a LSU team who committed 4 errors after leading by 5 runs late in the game?
  • How does a slumping LSU hitter (who was recently benched for the entire KY series and was 2 for his last 15) hit 4 homeruns against you in one game?
  • How is Josh Reynolds doing calling pitches?
  • Why does UT not have a high velocity closer?


The Postseason is Still a Viable PossibiliTy

I’ve revamped my definition of a successful season from making it to a Super Regional to simply making the playoffs. The Vols are certainly capable of making a run, but that will take an offensive resurgence and some capable late inning relief. UT currently sits at 4-8 in the SEC with 18 conference games remaining. Basically, they need to play .500 baseball the remainder of the way in the SEC to obtain 13 wins. With their RPI and SOS, I think TN would barely squeeze into the postseason at 13-17. Remarkably, last season, Florida began 1-11 and finished 15-15. In 2023, the Vols began SEC play 5-10 before winning in epic fashion at Clemson and at Southern Miss to make it to Omaha. I’m not giving up on this team or this coach. They deserve our support now more than ever. Personally, I’m hoping the fans continue to pack beautifully renovated Lindsey Nelson Stadium and enjoy this team for what it is. GBO!



Taylor
 
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#54
#54
Some great questions posed there, especially regarding the value of so much emphasis on analytics. Doesn’t seem to be helping…might be time to focus on what things look like on the field.
 
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#55
#55
taylorvol said:
This Week in BaseVols (TWIB)

4/7/26

The BaseVols experienced another Sunday beat down this time courtesy of the defending national champions, LSU Tigers. Stop me if you’ve seen or heard this before…it was the third Sunday in a row that the BaseVols blew a 5-run lead in yet another gut wrenching loss.

The Good: Kuhns, Appenzeller, Mack, Blanco, Grindlinger, and Grimmer

The Bad. All relief pitchers except for Mr Appenzeller

The Ugly. .163 BA. .323 SLG, top 5 hitters collecting only ONE HIT on Sat and ONE hit on Sunday and only 6 for the entire series.

In the last five innings Sunday, the Vols’ relievers logged 5.2 innings with 15 hits, 14 runs (all earned), one walk, three hit batsmen, four strikeouts, one double, one triple, and five home runs


In 12 conference games, Tennessee is batting .227/.330/.389 with 130 strikeouts and 53 walks. On the mound, outside of Cam Appenzeller, Landon Mack, Tegan Kuhns, Evan Blanco, Bo Rhudy, and Brandon Arvidson, it’s been a total disaster. In the SEC, the Vols only have 2 hitters hitting over .270 (Grimmer at .279 and Chapman at .271). NOTE: Grindlinger is hitting .417 in limited at bats so doesn’t yet qualify. Enough said…it was a brutal weekend at The Lindsey. I hope UT has an excellent sports psychologist as Yogi Berra said 90% of it is 1/2 mental. 😂



What’s the Culture and Identity of This Ball Club?

What is the new culture of UT baseball? Coach Elander has brought in names on the backs of jerseys, a heavier focus on analytics, extreme defensive shifts, and a very calm (even stoic) dugout demeanor. Make no mistake, Elander is an intense competitor, elite recruiter, and a family man of high character. Unfortunately, he’s also a brand new Head Coach who is learning on the (very high profile) job. He’s also as “even keel“ as they come. He’s never too high or too low which is ironically great for the grind of a 162 game MLB season, and when you‘re primarily coaching grown men. Candidly I’m not sure how ideal it is when you’re coaching and attempting to motivate college kids during a 56-game season.



With that said, I am admittedly biased by Coach Vitello‘s fire, passion, and swagger as I thoroughly enjoyed witnessing it and seeing how both the team and crowd responded to it. I also realize as several players have told me that Vitello was “one of one”. There’s a reason why he became the face of college baseball, a media darling, and grew the BaseVols from an afterthought to a “must see” event. Vitello was a generational coach and obviously set the bar extremely high. Coach Vitello and Elander have been described as different sides of the same coin. It’s a perfect description and both men and both methods can be successful. One got ejected on Sunday, and one might NEVER get booted. And no, I’m not talking about Jay Johnson.



The 2026 BaseVols Were NOT Setup for Post Season Success

In fairness to Elander, he inherited an inexperienced lineup that ultimately Vitello curated. Elander also lost one legendary pitching coach (Frank Anderson), an elite strength and conditioning coach (Quentin Eberhardt), and a very low key but extremely valuable scouting director (Sean McCann). Notably, there are holes throughout the roster. UT’s relief pitching is suffering, home-run totals are drastically down, the offense is generally OFFENSIVE, and TN has been hurt by the shift seemingly more times than it’s been helped. In short, this roster is lacking in way too many areas for a brand new head coach to make a postseason run. Interestingly, the Vols are 13th in the SEC in Returning Production, and currently in 14th place in the SEC. Experience matters!


Fan Engagement?

The BaseVols used to be very active with their fan base. This includes several Spyre events where fans could pay to watch a wiffle ball exhibition on a floating barge adjacent to Calhoun’s, actually watch Fall exhibition games against opposing teams, held First Pitch Banquets where the players actually sat at tables with the fans, and generally seemed to appreciate and embrace Volnation. These efforts seemed to really form connections and grew the game exponentially. Sure they still have a few paid autograph sessions, but I don’t sense fan engagement is as important to the BaseVols once they climbed the mountaintop in Omaha. In an era of NIL, roster attrition, and “everyone’s a free agent” every season, it’s becoming more and more difficult to connect with a team that’s constantly changing. (I’m very proud of how the BaseVols support Children’s Hospital and give back to the community behind the scenes. Hopefully the before-mentioned gaffes are simply an aberration). With that said, I do think the BaseVols could be and should be more fan friendly.


More Questions Than Answers

Admittedly, after 40% of the SEC season complete, I have more questions than answers on the 2026 version of the BaseVol. Some of those questions include:
  • Why are TN’s pitchers struggling with walks and hit by pitches during a season when the NCAA has clearly expanded its strike zone?
  • Why has UT blown 3 straight 5-run leads on Sundays and how is it affecting their psyche?
  • Why is a true freshman(Cam Appenzeller) the best pitcher on the team?
  • Why has Krenzel (and perhaps Arvidson) seemingly regressed so much from last year?
  • Why does TN always seem to play at home on Easter Sunday? Wouldn’t it be a perfect weekend to play a Thursday-Saturday series? Heck, no major media outlet even bothered to broadcast the Sunday game…
  • Why does UT deploy extreme defensive shifts EVEN during double play situations?
  • Is there enough historical data on most college players to leverage analytics the way UT has been leveraging pitching matchups, defensive shifts, etc?
  • How do you lose to a LSU team who committed 4 errors after leading by 5 runs late in the game?
  • How does a slumping LSU hitter (who was recently benched for the entire KY series and was 2 for his last 15) hit 4 homeruns against you in one game?
  • How is Josh Reynolds doing calling pitches?
  • Why does UT not have a high velocity closer?


The Postseason is Still a Viable PossibiliTy

I’ve revamped my definition of a successful season from making it to a Super Regional to simply making the playoffs. The Vols are certainly capable of making a run, but that will take an offensive resurgence and some capable late inning relief. UT currently sits at 4-8 in the SEC with 18 conference games remaining. Basically, they need to play .500 baseball the remainder of the way in the SEC to obtain 13 wins. With their RPI and SOS, I think TN would barely squeeze into the postseason at 13-17. Remarkably, last season, Florida began 1-11 and finished 15-15. In 2023, the Vols began SEC play 5-10 before winning in epic fashion at Clemson and at Southern Miss to make it to Omaha. I’m not giving up on this team or this coach. They deserve our support now more than ever. Personally, I’m hoping the fans continue to pack beautifully renovated Lindsey Nelson Stadium and enjoy this team for what it is. GBO!



Taylor
Click to expand...

Very well done, Taylor!

No give up here but gotta admit, with this club, I'm not feeling good about it right now even if up 7-1 going into the 9th.
 
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#56
#56
KptVFL said:
Very well done, Taylor!

No give up here but gotta admit, with this club, I'm not feeling good about it right now even if up 7-1 going into the 9th.
Click to expand...
Thank you sir. I know they are struggling but I’ve seen glimmers of hope. Love the determination and dog in Appenzeller, Kuhns, Mack, Rhudy, and Arvidson. Grindlinger is going to be very good but will likely hit some rough patches like all freshmen but he’s been dynamite so far. Grimmer, Chapman, Ford, and Wright are the veterans who need to shine if this team has a chance to make it to postseason play.
 
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#57
#57
TikiVol said:
Some great questions posed there, especially regarding the value of so much emphasis on analytics. Doesn’t seem to be helping…might be time to focus on what things look like on the field.
Click to expand...
Thank you. I just don’t think you can overuse analytics in college baseball. It should be a tool—not the rule. I can’t imagine the data is statistically significant on the majority of players. Just not enough At Bats and Innings Pitched at the D1 level over 56 games for a large percentage of the players.
 
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#59
#59
gule said:
17-1 might be enough, maybe... :)
Click to expand...
Outside of Appenzeller (who hasn’t given up a run in 18 1/3 SEC innings), the bullpen has been porous during SEC play. I can imagine that self doubt and lack of confidence has now firmly rooted in their heads. I hope they break through as I’d love to see this team make a run.
 
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#64
#64
VolFan_stuck_in_the_901 said:
I know it's probably too early to ask, but do you think he ends up hitting the portal in the offseason?
Click to expand...
Honestly, I have no idea but nothing would surprise me. A lot goes on behind closed doors that guides what coaches and what players do. I bet if this was a home series, there wouldn’t have been any report on Newstrom. Silent suspensions happen all the time…
 
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#68
#68
taylorvol said:
TWIB (Taylor’s Week in BaseVols) 3/9/26



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:

.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...
Looks like this take aged perfectly. Unfortunately.
 
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#71
#71
taylorvol said:
This Week in BaseVols (TWIB)

4/7/26

The BaseVols experienced another Sunday beat down this time courtesy of the defending national champions, LSU Tigers. Stop me if you’ve seen or heard this before…it was the third Sunday in a row that the BaseVols blew a 5-run lead in yet another gut wrenching loss.

The Good: Kuhns, Appenzeller, Mack, Blanco, Grindlinger, and Grimmer

The Bad. All relief pitchers except for Mr Appenzeller

The Ugly. .163 BA. .323 SLG, top 5 hitters collecting only ONE HIT on Sat and ONE hit on Sunday and only 6 for the entire series.

In the last five innings Sunday, the Vols’ relievers logged 5.2 innings with 15 hits, 14 runs (all earned), one walk, three hit batsmen, four strikeouts, one double, one triple, and five home runs


In 12 conference games, Tennessee is batting .227/.330/.389 with 130 strikeouts and 53 walks. On the mound, outside of Cam Appenzeller, Landon Mack, Tegan Kuhns, Evan Blanco, Bo Rhudy, and Brandon Arvidson, it’s been a total disaster. In the SEC, the Vols only have 2 hitters hitting over .270 (Grimmer at .279 and Chapman at .271). NOTE: Grindlinger is hitting .417 in limited at bats so doesn’t yet qualify. Enough said…it was a brutal weekend at The Lindsey. I hope UT has an excellent sports psychologist as Yogi Berra said 90% of it is 1/2 mental. 😂



What’s the Culture and Identity of This Ball Club?

What is the new culture of UT baseball? Coach Elander has brought in names on the backs of jerseys, a heavier focus on analytics, extreme defensive shifts, and a very calm (even stoic) dugout demeanor. Make no mistake, Elander is an intense competitor, elite recruiter, and a family man of high character. Unfortunately, he’s also a brand new Head Coach who is learning on the (very high profile) job. He’s also as “even keel“ as they come. He’s never too high or too low which is ironically great for the grind of a 162 game MLB season, and when you‘re primarily coaching grown men. Candidly I’m not sure how ideal it is when you’re coaching and attempting to motivate college kids during a 56-game season.



With that said, I am admittedly biased by Coach Vitello‘s fire, passion, and swagger as I thoroughly enjoyed witnessing it and seeing how both the team and crowd responded to it. I also realize as several players have told me that Vitello was “one of one”. There’s a reason why he became the face of college baseball, a media darling, and grew the BaseVols from an afterthought to a “must see” event. Vitello was a generational coach and obviously set the bar extremely high. Coach Vitello and Elander have been described as different sides of the same coin. It’s a perfect description and both men and both methods can be successful. One got ejected on Sunday, and one might NEVER get booted. And no, I’m not talking about Jay Johnson.



The 2026 BaseVols Were NOT Setup for Post Season Success

In fairness to Elander, he inherited an inexperienced lineup that ultimately Vitello curated. Elander also lost one legendary pitching coach (Frank Anderson), an elite strength and conditioning coach (Quentin Eberhardt), and a very low key but extremely valuable scouting director (Sean McCann). Notably, there are holes throughout the roster. UT’s relief pitching is suffering, home-run totals are drastically down, the offense is generally OFFENSIVE, and TN has been hurt by the shift seemingly more times than it’s been helped. In short, this roster is lacking in way too many areas for a brand new head coach to make a postseason run. Interestingly, the Vols are 13th in the SEC in Returning Production, and currently in 14th place in the SEC. Experience matters!


Fan Engagement?

The BaseVols used to be very active with their fan base. This includes several Spyre events where fans could pay to watch a wiffle ball exhibition on a floating barge adjacent to Calhoun’s, actually watch Fall exhibition games against opposing teams, held First Pitch Banquets where the players actually sat at tables with the fans, and generally seemed to appreciate and embrace Volnation. These efforts seemed to really form connections and grew the game exponentially. Sure they still have a few paid autograph sessions, but I don’t sense fan engagement is as important to the BaseVols once they climbed the mountaintop in Omaha. In an era of NIL, roster attrition, and “everyone’s a free agent” every season, it’s becoming more and more difficult to connect with a team that’s constantly changing. (I’m very proud of how the BaseVols support Children’s Hospital and give back to the community behind the scenes. Hopefully the before-mentioned gaffes are simply an aberration). With that said, I do think the BaseVols could be and should be more fan friendly.


More Questions Than Answers

Admittedly, after 40% of the SEC season complete, I have more questions than answers on the 2026 version of the BaseVol. Some of those questions include:
  • Why are TN’s pitchers struggling with walks and hit by pitches during a season when the NCAA has clearly expanded its strike zone?
  • Why has UT blown 3 straight 5-run leads on Sundays and how is it affecting their psyche?
  • Why is a true freshman(Cam Appenzeller) the best pitcher on the team?
  • Why has Krenzel (and perhaps Arvidson) seemingly regressed so much from last year?
  • Why does TN always seem to play at home on Easter Sunday? Wouldn’t it be a perfect weekend to play a Thursday-Saturday series? Heck, no major media outlet even bothered to broadcast the Sunday game…
  • Why does UT deploy extreme defensive shifts EVEN during double play situations?
  • Is there enough historical data on most college players to leverage analytics the way UT has been leveraging pitching matchups, defensive shifts, etc?
  • How do you lose to a LSU team who committed 4 errors after leading by 5 runs late in the game?
  • How does a slumping LSU hitter (who was recently benched for the entire KY series and was 2 for his last 15) hit 4 homeruns against you in one game?
  • How is Josh Reynolds doing calling pitches?
  • Why does UT not have a high velocity closer?


The Postseason is Still a Viable PossibiliTy

I’ve revamped my definition of a successful season from making it to a Super Regional to simply making the playoffs. The Vols are certainly capable of making a run, but that will take an offensive resurgence and some capable late inning relief. UT currently sits at 4-8 in the SEC with 18 conference games remaining. Basically, they need to play .500 baseball the remainder of the way in the SEC to obtain 13 wins. With their RPI and SOS, I think TN would barely squeeze into the postseason at 13-17. Remarkably, last season, Florida began 1-11 and finished 15-15. In 2023, the Vols began SEC play 5-10 before winning in epic fashion at Clemson and at Southern Miss to make it to Omaha. I’m not giving up on this team or this coach. They deserve our support now more than ever. Personally, I’m hoping the fans continue to pack beautifully renovated Lindsey Nelson Stadium and enjoy this team for what it is. GBO!



Taylor
Click to expand...
Great write up Taylor!!!

Maybe I am just too optimistic but I don’t think this team is that far off from being good. The starting pitching has been good and if just one of the relievers would get it together I think we would have a very good pitching staff. Offensively we just need some consistency, we have guys who look like all SEC players one day and the next like they shouldn’t be in the lineup. If 3-4 of these hitters can catch fire I think we will be fine and could at least make a regional.
 
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#72
#72
volfan411 said:
Great write up Taylor!!!

Maybe I am just too optimistic but I don’t think this team is that far off from being good. The starting pitching has been good and if just one of the relievers would get it together I think we would have a very good pitching staff. Offensively we just need some consistency, we have guys who look like all SEC players one day and the next like they shouldn’t be in the lineup. If 3-4 of these hitters can catch fire I think we will be fine and could at least make a regional.
Click to expand...
Thank you. I enjoy writing about the BaseVols. It’s crazy to think how close they are to being 8-4. You’re right if a a few hitters could get it going and a couple of relievers not named Appenzeller could step up, this team could make the postseason.
 
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#73
#73
Local Yokel said:
They need a groundskeeper. Good grief.
Click to expand...
Yes, Dale Murphy is going to help fix that along with about 40 other Volunteers! it’s truly a 3rd world country and it was eye opening seeing how positive Dominicans are despite their circumstances. They are truly grateful for the small things. I’m going to include more on my experience on Baseball Island in next week’s blog.
 
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#74
#74
I think I've come to the conclusion that the Elander/Vitello comps pretty much end with being the HBC at Tennessee. Vitello is admittedly a mediocre X/O's coach. He knows the game but isn't an analytics expert or deep game truther. Elander, on the other hand, has been noted as a great coach who uses all the modern tools. Cool...but Tony had great baseball instinct and he knew the right buttons to push for each guy AND when to push them. Tony manages his guys and coaches the game off vibes/feel...not really big on printouts (same with Frank). What I'm seeing is Coach E trying to bridge that gap between being the numbers guy and being the manager. He clearly IS NOT on Tony's managerial level (few are) and I think he has lost these college-aged guys (who clearly love him) in the process. I certainly have no answers, but I wonder if he wouldn't be better off just being the baseball robot from here out. Atleast he'd be staying true to who he has been.
 
#75
#75
taylorvol said:
This Week in BaseVols (TWIB)

4/7/26

The BaseVols experienced another Sunday beat down this time courtesy of the defending national champions, LSU Tigers. Stop me if you’ve seen or heard this before…it was the third Sunday in a row that the BaseVols blew a 5-run lead in yet another gut wrenching loss.

The Good: Kuhns, Appenzeller, Mack, Blanco, Grindlinger, and Grimmer

The Bad. All relief pitchers except for Mr Appenzeller

The Ugly. .163 BA. .323 SLG, top 5 hitters collecting only ONE HIT on Sat and ONE hit on Sunday and only 6 for the entire series.

In the last five innings Sunday, the Vols’ relievers logged 5.2 innings with 15 hits, 14 runs (all earned), one walk, three hit batsmen, four strikeouts, one double, one triple, and five home runs


In 12 conference games, Tennessee is batting .227/.330/.389 with 130 strikeouts and 53 walks. On the mound, outside of Cam Appenzeller, Landon Mack, Tegan Kuhns, Evan Blanco, Bo Rhudy, and Brandon Arvidson, it’s been a total disaster. In the SEC, the Vols only have 2 hitters hitting over .270 (Grimmer at .279 and Chapman at .271). NOTE: Grindlinger is hitting .417 in limited at bats so doesn’t yet qualify. Enough said…it was a brutal weekend at The Lindsey. I hope UT has an excellent sports psychologist as Yogi Berra said 90% of it is 1/2 mental. 😂



What’s the Culture and Identity of This Ball Club?

What is the new culture of UT baseball? Coach Elander has brought in names on the backs of jerseys, a heavier focus on analytics, extreme defensive shifts, and a very calm (even stoic) dugout demeanor. Make no mistake, Elander is an intense competitor, elite recruiter, and a family man of high character. Unfortunately, he’s also a brand new Head Coach who is learning on the (very high profile) job. He’s also as “even keel“ as they come. He’s never too high or too low which is ironically great for the grind of a 162 game MLB season, and when you‘re primarily coaching grown men. Candidly I’m not sure how ideal it is when you’re coaching and attempting to motivate college kids during a 56-game season.



With that said, I am admittedly biased by Coach Vitello‘s fire, passion, and swagger as I thoroughly enjoyed witnessing it and seeing how both the team and crowd responded to it. I also realize as several players have told me that Vitello was “one of one”. There’s a reason why he became the face of college baseball, a media darling, and grew the BaseVols from an afterthought to a “must see” event. Vitello was a generational coach and obviously set the bar extremely high. Coach Vitello and Elander have been described as different sides of the same coin. It’s a perfect description and both men and both methods can be successful. One got ejected on Sunday, and one might NEVER get booted. And no, I’m not talking about Jay Johnson.



The 2026 BaseVols Were NOT Setup for Post Season Success

In fairness to Elander, he inherited an inexperienced lineup that ultimately Vitello curated. Elander also lost one legendary pitching coach (Frank Anderson), an elite strength and conditioning coach (Quentin Eberhardt), and a very low key but extremely valuable scouting director (Sean McCann). Notably, there are holes throughout the roster. UT’s relief pitching is suffering, home-run totals are drastically down, the offense is generally OFFENSIVE, and TN has been hurt by the shift seemingly more times than it’s been helped. In short, this roster is lacking in way too many areas for a brand new head coach to make a postseason run. Interestingly, the Vols are 13th in the SEC in Returning Production, and currently in 14th place in the SEC. Experience matters!


Fan Engagement?

The BaseVols used to be very active with their fan base. This includes several Spyre events where fans could pay to watch a wiffle ball exhibition on a floating barge adjacent to Calhoun’s, actually watch Fall exhibition games against opposing teams, held First Pitch Banquets where the players actually sat at tables with the fans, and generally seemed to appreciate and embrace Volnation. These efforts seemed to really form connections and grew the game exponentially. Sure they still have a few paid autograph sessions, but I don’t sense fan engagement is as important to the BaseVols once they climbed the mountaintop in Omaha. In an era of NIL, roster attrition, and “everyone’s a free agent” every season, it’s becoming more and more difficult to connect with a team that’s constantly changing. (I’m very proud of how the BaseVols support Children’s Hospital and give back to the community behind the scenes. Hopefully the before-mentioned gaffes are simply an aberration). With that said, I do think the BaseVols could be and should be more fan friendly.


More Questions Than Answers

Admittedly, after 40% of the SEC season complete, I have more questions than answers on the 2026 version of the BaseVol. Some of those questions include:
  • Why are TN’s pitchers struggling with walks and hit by pitches during a season when the NCAA has clearly expanded its strike zone?
  • Why has UT blown 3 straight 5-run leads on Sundays and how is it affecting their psyche?
  • Why is a true freshman(Cam Appenzeller) the best pitcher on the team?
  • Why has Krenzel (and perhaps Arvidson) seemingly regressed so much from last year?
  • Why does TN always seem to play at home on Easter Sunday? Wouldn’t it be a perfect weekend to play a Thursday-Saturday series? Heck, no major media outlet even bothered to broadcast the Sunday game…
  • Why does UT deploy extreme defensive shifts EVEN during double play situations?
  • Is there enough historical data on most college players to leverage analytics the way UT has been leveraging pitching matchups, defensive shifts, etc?
  • How do you lose to a LSU team who committed 4 errors after leading by 5 runs late in the game?
  • How does a slumping LSU hitter (who was recently benched for the entire KY series and was 2 for his last 15) hit 4 homeruns against you in one game?
  • How is Josh Reynolds doing calling pitches?
  • Why does UT not have a high velocity closer?


The Postseason is Still a Viable PossibiliTy

I’ve revamped my definition of a successful season from making it to a Super Regional to simply making the playoffs. The Vols are certainly capable of making a run, but that will take an offensive resurgence and some capable late inning relief. UT currently sits at 4-8 in the SEC with 18 conference games remaining. Basically, they need to play .500 baseball the remainder of the way in the SEC to obtain 13 wins. With their RPI and SOS, I think TN would barely squeeze into the postseason at 13-17. Remarkably, last season, Florida began 1-11 and finished 15-15. In 2023, the Vols began SEC play 5-10 before winning in epic fashion at Clemson and at Southern Miss to make it to Omaha. I’m not giving up on this team or this coach. They deserve our support now more than ever. Personally, I’m hoping the fans continue to pack beautifully renovated Lindsey Nelson Stadium and enjoy this team for what it is. GBO!



Taylor
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Brilliant work Taylor!!!
 
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