This Week in BaseVols (TWIB)

#76
#76
BillyHoyleVol said:
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.
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It’s amazing how great coaches look when players execute and perform to their capabilities. Elander and staff seemed to push all the right buttons in Starkville. Just like the Sophomores, young, inexperienced coaches can get better with reps too!
 
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#81
#81
taylorvol said:
I don’t know about that but I certainly appreciate the compliment all the same. Looking forward to writing about my the Vols “Mastering“ Starkville and my experiences in the Dominican Republic.
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I’m really looking forward to the DR report! Ya didn’t leave any Volunteer grift shirseys down here, didja?
 
#87
#87
chuckiepoo said:
I’m really looking forward to the DR report! Ya didn’t leave any Volunteer grift shirseys down here, didja?
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Those DR kids need so much. It’s unreal how poor their fields are not to mention what bad shape their gloves, bats, and baseballs are In…. They smile regardless…IMG_5318.jpegIMG_5336.jpegIMG_5355.jpeg
 
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#88
#88
What took you there? A church mission trip?

The drive to play baseball to get to the majors is incredible. I recall seeing this video a number of years ago about the Dominican baseball academies and the way they are run. When you open up the YouTube video, there’s also a link to the article about the academies.

 
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#89
#89
@1RBFjr said:
What took you there? A church mission trip?

The drive to play baseball to get to the majors is incredible. I recall seeing this video a number of years ago about the Dominican baseball academies and the way they are run. When you open up the YouTube video, there’s also a link to the article about the academies.

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I was in DR for vacation but took a drive to vet a non profit that I learned about through the Dale Murphy Foundation. It’s basically an “education first” foundation providing resources for young Dominicans to enhance their baseball skills while obtaining an education to prepare themselves for a college scholarship to play baseball in the US. It’s called The Baseball Island Foundation and I was extremely impressed. www.Baseballisland.org

They truly do great work and are impacting lots of lives in the DR! I’d like to open up some channels for them with Walter’s State and UT.
 
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#91
#91
Taylor’s Week in BaseVols (TWIB)

4/14/26



The BaseVols delivered a MASTERS Class with a stunning sweep against Miss St in Starkville. Coach Elander pushed all the right buttons by inserting Freshman sensation Cam Appenzeller to spell Landon Mack on Friday, inserting Brandon Arvidson to spell Tegan Kuhns on Saturday, inserting Brady Frederick, Chandler Day, and Bo Rhudy to close out Evan Blanco on Sunday. Don’t forget moving Chapman to the 2 spot, Grindlinger to the 5 hole, and inserting Ariel Antigua for late inning defense on Sunday. Elander seems to no longer patiently suffer ineffective relievers and has shown a willingness to mixup the lineup as well as how he coaches. (I admittedly wasn’t a fan of him coaching 3B especially as a new Head Coach and when the home dugout is located on the 1B side). It wasn’t ideal for communication but he addressed it. Just like players have the right to get better (see the super sophomores), so do coaches. Both the players and the coaches shined very brightly in Starkville!



Discipline at the Plate and in the Dugout

I wonder if Trent Grindlinder’s at bats have been playing on a loop in the locker room? It sure seems that many of the hitting approaches have copied Grindlinger’s disciplined “go with the pitch” approach and not trying to hit a 5-run HR on every pitch. The senior leader, Reese Chapman said that in batting practice, he worked solely on hitting the ball to the opposite side. He then replicated that in the Series hitting .308 with 2 doubles, a HR, a walk, and 2 RBIs. Dynamic transfer Garrett Wright (hit .500 for the series) and freshman Trent Grindlinger (hit .455 for the series) have injected new life in this offense. It’s no wonder the offense struggled without these studs…



Often bad habits are adopted in “Showcase baseball” at the Lakepoints of the world where individual players are trying to display their exit velocities, launch angles, and ability to hit the long ball to scouts. Elite talent sometimes doesn’t play winning baseball especially when it’s focused on themselves versus the team. Was there a paradigm shift to team baseball in Starkville or was this an aberration? We will soon see with the upcoming 9-game home stand including SEC series against surging Ole Miss and Alabama. Notably Chris Newstrom was suspended for the trip to Miss State, so Elander is clearly showing that he’s demanding discipline on and off the field! Heck, your Vols are now leading the SEC in fielding percentage…talk about disciplined, clean baseball!



Postseason Hopes Are Indeed Alive!

With the sweep, the BaseVols are now 7-8 in the SEC and 24-12 overall with a surging RPI of 28 and SOS of 19. If UT simply wins the remainder of their home series, and doesn’t get swept on the road, they will end the regular season at 15-15 which should certainly secure a postseason birth. With their strong RPI and SOS, I personally think they could also secure a postseason birth with as little as 13 wins in the SEC. Hosting is not out of the question but most think 16 regular season wins would be needed to spend the Regionals in Knoxville.



Keep in mind that starting this year, the NCAA will seed the top 1-32 teams vs just the top 16 teams in prior years. Thus, SEC tournament results will have a more direct and meaningful result in the postseason seeding since it’s considered a high value data point along with RPI, SOS, and head to head competition. It also helps to end the season well and the tournament results are another metric showing which teams are performing the best as of late. In 2025, a record 13 SEC teams made the postseason and 8 teams hosted Regionals. Notably, a 16-14 (41-18 overall) Alabama team didn’t host and a 13-17 (31-26 overall) KY team made the playoffs.



I’ve harped on the importance of D1 Baseball’s Returning Production (measurement of returning At Bats and returning Plate Appearances and how it equates to success on the diamond. After reaching the 1/2 way mark of the SEC season, the top 2 SEC teams in Returning Production are FL and TX. They also happen to be #4 and #2 in the SEC standings. The bottom 2 teams in the SEC in Returning Production are Missouri and SC. They both happen to be at the bottom of the SEC standings at 15th and 16th respectively. The BaseVols are 13th in the SEC in Returning Production and currently tied for 9th in the SEC standings. GA is the outlier currently standing at #1 in the SEC but with a RP ranking of 14th. Intuitively, this makes sense as GA is the most portal heavy team in the SEC.



The Baseball Island

My family and I spent the past week in Las Terrenas in the Dominican Republic. As most of you probably know, Dominicans are uber passionate about baseball and the DR dominates international rosters in MLB. For as long as MLB has been tracking (1995), the DR has always had the most participants besides the US in MLB. The poverty level in the DR is around 20% and the average monthly income is around $700. As a childhood fan of Dale Murphy (I still have an engraved Rawlings Dale Murphy glove to prove it) and the Atlanta Braves, I’ve always appreciated how he’s given back. Thus, when I noticed a group of kids practicing on the beach, I was naturally intrigued when I saw a Dale Murphy Foundation jersey worn by a couple of the coaches.



Upon getting back to the rental home, I did a little research and learned that there was a new upstart Non Profit fittingly called “The Baseball Island Foundation” which was founded by a former educator, college player and coach, Jay Quinn. I knew I had to learn more so immediately reached out to Coach Quinn and arranged a meeting the following morning. When I arrived early the next morning, I was politely greeted by a few dozen smiling players and their affable head coach, Nicolas Debora. Nicolas was a former NY Mets farmhand and spent 7 years in their minor league system compiling a 3.13 ERA with 312 strikeouts. Like most Dominicans who sign MLB contracts (less than 0.03% ever play a single game in MLB), he never made it to the big show. He’s a cool full circle story going from a local DR prospect to a pro and now giving back to his home town as a beloved Coach and mentor.



Jay Quinn impressed me with his love of the Dominican people and passion for improving their lives. In fact, Jay was so passionate about it that he moved from his home in NYC to the DR in 2019 and started The Baseball Island Foundation in September of 2021. I candidly asked him how they were different from all the baseball academies located in the DR, and Jay told me about their Zero Dollar Promise. Unlike others, they don’t require players that sign a professional contract to pay a single dime or percentage of their contract or signing bonus to The Baseball Island Foundation. Jay informed me that the old way of doing things wasn’t working, and he wanted to implement sustainable change. The old “buscon” system often encouraged young talented players (12 to 14 yo) to drop out of school to train full time for a MLB contract. Many of these unscrupulous agents would have the parents sign contracts giving the agent 40% to 50% of future earnings and signing bonuses. Well, considering that only a tiny fraction (less than 2%) ever sign a pro contract, many were left with zero education and limited job prospects. Jay wanted to focus on education first and provide BOTH high-level athletic training and a quality education. He wanted to ensure that the young Dominican players have a viable “plan B” if their professional dreams didn’t materialize.



In addition, Baseball Island only accepts kids into their complimentary program if they prioritize education and agree to attend school. In addition to the education and athletic training, The Baseball Island Foundation provides them with supplemental meals, clean drinking water, free healthcare, and over 3,000 pounds of baseball equipment and clothing. They rely on support from the local community and donations to fund this program. The Dale Murphy Foundation appreciates their mission so much that they have decided to help support them as well.



Jay and Nicolas graciously gave me a tour of their facility, introduced me to many of their players, and took time to answer all of my myriad of questions. Candidly, they have their work cut out for them. This is no “field of dreams”— I observed a field in need of TLC, a broken down push lawn mower that was used to mow the entire field (outfield included), and old, worn out wooden bats, balls, and gloves that most in the US wouldn’t even donate to Goodwill or the Salvation Army. The Baseball Island Foundation is working diligently and has made lots of headway but dreams of providing improved facilities for the young men, a bus to shuttle the kids from fields to classrooms, more teachers, and better equipment for the young men. (Most kids currently have to hitchhike from their homes to the practice field and then to classes often riding 3 to a single moped). Interestingly, one of the young men I met was wearing a maroon Miss State Bulldogs shirt that I found quite ironic. How awesome would it be to see them adorned in some beautiful Vols baseball gear? More importantly, I noticed no complaints, no “woe is me” attitudes, but on the contrary a spirit of gratitude and happiness for what they had. Jay went on to tell me that he had coached in numerous countries around the world but fell in love with the DR. He said that the baseball talent was far superior and that the Dominicans were unique people. Jay said they would absolutely be the first to help you if you ever needed anything. He told me that if my rental car broke down on the way to the airport, “everyone would literally stop to help”.



Future Pipeline to Knoxville?

Personally, I left impressed with Jay’s and Nicolas’ passion for improving young men’s’ lives and impacting positive change in their community via The Baseball Island Foundation. Personally, I’m hoping to link UT and Walter’s State with Baseball Island and will be joining Dale Murphy and about 39 others on a service project in Las Țerrenas next February. If you’re interested in learning more, check out www.baseballisland.org. Perhaps we will even see a former Baseball Island graduate wearing the orange and white at The Lindsey or Walter’s State one day? Heck, I’d start with seeing them in a Vols shirt on their field in the DR or while learning English in one of the Baseball Island classrooms! In the meantime, let’s create a Hornet’s Nest environment in Knoxville this weekend by packing The Lindsey against Ole Miss with 8K+ rabid Vol fans! GBO!



Taylor





IMG_5327.heic
 
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