Tennessee clinched the Knoxville Regional championship Sunday, defeating Liberty thanks to strong pitching and another Drew Gilbert home run.
Liberty 1 5 0
Tennessee 3 6 0
W — Will Heflin, L — Fraser Ellard, S — Sean Hunley
Notes
After the bats carried Tennessee the first two games of the regional, pitching came up huge for the Vols to finish off Liberty and punch their ticket to the Super Regional. Will Heflin delivered a very Will Heflin-esque start, pitching 5.1 innings allowing just one run and four hits while tying his career high eight strikeouts. He ran into trouble the third time through the Flames’ order— as is par for the course with the redshirt senior— putting Sean Hunley in a jam as he entered with two on and one-out in the sixth inning.
Hunley, who threw 62 pitches Friday, got Tennessee out of the jam and gutted his way to the finish line, throwing 65 pitches while allowing just two baserunners in 3.2 innings. The save marked the senior’s eighth of the season.
Liberty’s pitching depth and fielding was the strength of the Flames all series and it showed up today as they kept Tennessee’s offense at bay, playing their fourth game in one day. Tennessee found a way to squeak a run across in the third inning thanks to a two-out rally from Max Ferguson and Jake Rucker.
While Rucker’s two-out single gave Tennessee the lead, Drew Gilbert’s two-out, two-run home run in the fifth inning proved to be the difference. Gilbert hadn’t hit a home run since March 28th entering the weekend but hit three in as many games including Sunday’s over the scoreboard. The strong weekend earned Gilbert Knoxville Regional Most Outstanding Player honors.
Connor Pavolony, Liam Spence, Luc Lipcius and Camden Sewell also earned All Regional honors. Pavolony did split the all catcher vote with Liberty’s Gray Betts.
Tennessee’s Regional win is its first since 2005 and the Vols will now host their first Super Regional ever. Tennessee will get either LSU or Oregon who are currently facing off in the Eugene Regional finals.
Quotes
Tony Vitello on making it out of what he saw as they hardest regional
“It shows their resiliency, but it also shows the way, again. I think four years ago, Will (Heflin) can kind of attest to this, the mentality piece needed growth, and without that mentality piece this year, they wouldn't have been able to do that. I mean, it was so challenging to come home after a difficult loss you figure, celebrating on Monday we'll twist that around a little bit, and the kids were excited to host. But when you hear over and over again the same message, it's going to be difficult. You didn't get a good break. Things like that. It's tough not to believe it. So, whatever that ping pong match was going on in our guys’ head, clearly they said to themselves enough times or more times than the negative, we'll get this done. This is the spot we've been working for all this year.”
Vitello on the biggest challenges of building UT’s program to this point
“I think (it was) the mindset thing. The belief. To quote another Vol great, Nico Mascia, he once, off to the side, said they (didn’t) really feel like they belong in the SEC—like they (didn’t) fit in with the other teams. And the former staff, in my opinion, did a really good job of kind of digging the Vols out of a hole. And they recruited some good players. And there's no reason they shouldn't feel like they can compete in our league. So that mindset thing has been a constant grind, and when (another reporter) mentioned all the ‘firsts’ when you are kind of knocking down walls and changing some things, your mindset has to go along with it. And along that way, you kind of learn some lessons like, ‘Hey, that didn't work out too well.’ Or, ‘Maybe we can't celebrate like mad men in the middle of a series until the job is done.’ So, that that piece has taken a lot. And I can tell you recruiting is important, because it's a lot easier to recruit it than it is to coach it.”
Vitello on Drew Gilbert’s weekend
“Just a determination that was not obstructed in any way shape or form, which is difficult when, you know, I think there's a lot of passion from all of our guys. Even Sean Hunley. Like I said, he doesn't always show it, but the key though is passion versus emotion. And when your passion is bleeding through your veins, you're able to put all that cage work and all that time and all that athleticism and strength this dude has, it's put into play. And when you obstruct that with emotion that's running wild—which, I’d rather have guys that the fire is burning too bright and you got tame it, instead of trying to light it. But with that is going to come times where that emotion kind of spills over, and it obstructs you from being the person you are. And that's happened with a lot of our guys this year. Poor (Connor Pavolony), he let it get the best of him at the plate, but we don't win that game without him, you know, catching behind the plate. That, to me, was the key. Just forging ahead and focusing on what he wants to do instead of some of the things you can get caught up in.”
Vitello on when he knew Sean Hunley was available and if there was any thoughts of pulling him
“His text message he sent me today. I didn't have him on the ready list. I was going to let him play catch and feel it out. And I know it's tough, I'm attached to my phone too much, so I think you can interpret texts sometimes inaccurately. But I've gotten better at it, and it was not only ‘I'm available,’ but ‘I want the ball.’ And so, it was a no brainer that he was going to follow his mate. And I kind of mentioned that deal in the locker room that, you know, these two are pretty close and I can envision this guy handing the ball off to him, and those two combined will get us to the spot we need to be. It worked out the right way because of, I mean, Sean (Hunley) just kind of forged ahead. I mean, their guy did too. (Fraser) Ellard... I mean, he threw as well on Friday and that guy was a maniac out there. Our guys didn't really get to him they just kind of, you know, grinded through some stuff and we had some success. So, when it comes this time of year, it is a good time of year to ride your horses. And it is a good time of the year for the guys to kind of suck it up and go do what they're capable of doing. So, he was phenomenal tonight—had a little bit of adversity a couple times, but no better guy at handling that stuff.”
Will Heflin on winning a regional after 2019s regional loss
“Yeah, so I got I kind of got deja vu right now, because I was sitting next to him when we got beat. And I'm looking at this, postgame (box score) and I'm (looking at my teammates’ names thinking: winner, winner, winner, winner, winner, winner. And you can look at everybody who has been a part of this team, and look back on a moment where maybe they were the hero or are they kind of carried some of the load. And so, for me to get the ball today, I knew it was going to go well—like there was no doubt. I mean, how could it not? Being around these guys, playing for this guy (head coach Tony Vitello), you know, working as hard as we do year-round, and all the circumstances that have come along with it. It was just... it was awesome.”
Heflin on leaving the game to a standing ovation
“Well, first of all, that doesn't happen without this swing right here. So, you know, big-game Drew gave us the lead there and that that standing ovation was awesome. I didn't want to show too much emotion because, one, the game wasn't over and, two, our season... it's far from over. But it was a pretty cool moment, and you know hopefully serves as a little taste because I want to feel that again. These fans, we've said it kind of all year... once they kind of opened it up, when they let people come, the support has been great. How could you not fall in love with this team? You've got the wild man leading the charge and you got the wild man in centerfield, and then and then you've got the goofballs like Chad Dallas and you've got the grinders like Max Ferguson... I could talk all day. But this team is so infectious, and the city of Knoxville is behind us, and we don't intend on letting them down. So that's an unbelievable feeling. And we've earned it. We've earned it. And we're excited to see how that environment is going to be next weekend, because I cannot wait.”
Drew Gilbert on is this is what he envisioned when he came to Tennessee
“Absolutely, I mean, you know, this guy right next to me... He's the reason I wanted to come here. He made me believe in a vision. And I wanted to go somewhere where we could do something special. And these two guys right next to me...
we're taking some big steps in that direction. And it's pretty special to be a part of a team like this, and it was the best decision of my life to come here.”
Gilbert on his struggles earlier in SEC play
“Obviously last year being cut short, I didn’t really get to have my first run in the SEC. It’s a tough league and kind of getting used to a higher pitch and all that. It was definitely a challenge. You just kind of keep grinding through it and keep making adjustments, and things usually pan out at the end of the day.”
Liberty 1 5 0
Tennessee 3 6 0
W — Will Heflin, L — Fraser Ellard, S — Sean Hunley
Notes
After the bats carried Tennessee the first two games of the regional, pitching came up huge for the Vols to finish off Liberty and punch their ticket to the Super Regional. Will Heflin delivered a very Will Heflin-esque start, pitching 5.1 innings allowing just one run and four hits while tying his career high eight strikeouts. He ran into trouble the third time through the Flames’ order— as is par for the course with the redshirt senior— putting Sean Hunley in a jam as he entered with two on and one-out in the sixth inning.
Hunley, who threw 62 pitches Friday, got Tennessee out of the jam and gutted his way to the finish line, throwing 65 pitches while allowing just two baserunners in 3.2 innings. The save marked the senior’s eighth of the season.
Liberty’s pitching depth and fielding was the strength of the Flames all series and it showed up today as they kept Tennessee’s offense at bay, playing their fourth game in one day. Tennessee found a way to squeak a run across in the third inning thanks to a two-out rally from Max Ferguson and Jake Rucker.
While Rucker’s two-out single gave Tennessee the lead, Drew Gilbert’s two-out, two-run home run in the fifth inning proved to be the difference. Gilbert hadn’t hit a home run since March 28th entering the weekend but hit three in as many games including Sunday’s over the scoreboard. The strong weekend earned Gilbert Knoxville Regional Most Outstanding Player honors.
Connor Pavolony, Liam Spence, Luc Lipcius and Camden Sewell also earned All Regional honors. Pavolony did split the all catcher vote with Liberty’s Gray Betts.
Tennessee’s Regional win is its first since 2005 and the Vols will now host their first Super Regional ever. Tennessee will get either LSU or Oregon who are currently facing off in the Eugene Regional finals.
Quotes
Tony Vitello on making it out of what he saw as they hardest regional
“It shows their resiliency, but it also shows the way, again. I think four years ago, Will (Heflin) can kind of attest to this, the mentality piece needed growth, and without that mentality piece this year, they wouldn't have been able to do that. I mean, it was so challenging to come home after a difficult loss you figure, celebrating on Monday we'll twist that around a little bit, and the kids were excited to host. But when you hear over and over again the same message, it's going to be difficult. You didn't get a good break. Things like that. It's tough not to believe it. So, whatever that ping pong match was going on in our guys’ head, clearly they said to themselves enough times or more times than the negative, we'll get this done. This is the spot we've been working for all this year.”
Vitello on the biggest challenges of building UT’s program to this point
“I think (it was) the mindset thing. The belief. To quote another Vol great, Nico Mascia, he once, off to the side, said they (didn’t) really feel like they belong in the SEC—like they (didn’t) fit in with the other teams. And the former staff, in my opinion, did a really good job of kind of digging the Vols out of a hole. And they recruited some good players. And there's no reason they shouldn't feel like they can compete in our league. So that mindset thing has been a constant grind, and when (another reporter) mentioned all the ‘firsts’ when you are kind of knocking down walls and changing some things, your mindset has to go along with it. And along that way, you kind of learn some lessons like, ‘Hey, that didn't work out too well.’ Or, ‘Maybe we can't celebrate like mad men in the middle of a series until the job is done.’ So, that that piece has taken a lot. And I can tell you recruiting is important, because it's a lot easier to recruit it than it is to coach it.”
Vitello on Drew Gilbert’s weekend
“Just a determination that was not obstructed in any way shape or form, which is difficult when, you know, I think there's a lot of passion from all of our guys. Even Sean Hunley. Like I said, he doesn't always show it, but the key though is passion versus emotion. And when your passion is bleeding through your veins, you're able to put all that cage work and all that time and all that athleticism and strength this dude has, it's put into play. And when you obstruct that with emotion that's running wild—which, I’d rather have guys that the fire is burning too bright and you got tame it, instead of trying to light it. But with that is going to come times where that emotion kind of spills over, and it obstructs you from being the person you are. And that's happened with a lot of our guys this year. Poor (Connor Pavolony), he let it get the best of him at the plate, but we don't win that game without him, you know, catching behind the plate. That, to me, was the key. Just forging ahead and focusing on what he wants to do instead of some of the things you can get caught up in.”
Vitello on when he knew Sean Hunley was available and if there was any thoughts of pulling him
“His text message he sent me today. I didn't have him on the ready list. I was going to let him play catch and feel it out. And I know it's tough, I'm attached to my phone too much, so I think you can interpret texts sometimes inaccurately. But I've gotten better at it, and it was not only ‘I'm available,’ but ‘I want the ball.’ And so, it was a no brainer that he was going to follow his mate. And I kind of mentioned that deal in the locker room that, you know, these two are pretty close and I can envision this guy handing the ball off to him, and those two combined will get us to the spot we need to be. It worked out the right way because of, I mean, Sean (Hunley) just kind of forged ahead. I mean, their guy did too. (Fraser) Ellard... I mean, he threw as well on Friday and that guy was a maniac out there. Our guys didn't really get to him they just kind of, you know, grinded through some stuff and we had some success. So, when it comes this time of year, it is a good time of year to ride your horses. And it is a good time of the year for the guys to kind of suck it up and go do what they're capable of doing. So, he was phenomenal tonight—had a little bit of adversity a couple times, but no better guy at handling that stuff.”
Will Heflin on winning a regional after 2019s regional loss
“Yeah, so I got I kind of got deja vu right now, because I was sitting next to him when we got beat. And I'm looking at this, postgame (box score) and I'm (looking at my teammates’ names thinking: winner, winner, winner, winner, winner, winner. And you can look at everybody who has been a part of this team, and look back on a moment where maybe they were the hero or are they kind of carried some of the load. And so, for me to get the ball today, I knew it was going to go well—like there was no doubt. I mean, how could it not? Being around these guys, playing for this guy (head coach Tony Vitello), you know, working as hard as we do year-round, and all the circumstances that have come along with it. It was just... it was awesome.”
Heflin on leaving the game to a standing ovation
“Well, first of all, that doesn't happen without this swing right here. So, you know, big-game Drew gave us the lead there and that that standing ovation was awesome. I didn't want to show too much emotion because, one, the game wasn't over and, two, our season... it's far from over. But it was a pretty cool moment, and you know hopefully serves as a little taste because I want to feel that again. These fans, we've said it kind of all year... once they kind of opened it up, when they let people come, the support has been great. How could you not fall in love with this team? You've got the wild man leading the charge and you got the wild man in centerfield, and then and then you've got the goofballs like Chad Dallas and you've got the grinders like Max Ferguson... I could talk all day. But this team is so infectious, and the city of Knoxville is behind us, and we don't intend on letting them down. So that's an unbelievable feeling. And we've earned it. We've earned it. And we're excited to see how that environment is going to be next weekend, because I cannot wait.”
Drew Gilbert on is this is what he envisioned when he came to Tennessee
“Absolutely, I mean, you know, this guy right next to me... He's the reason I wanted to come here. He made me believe in a vision. And I wanted to go somewhere where we could do something special. And these two guys right next to me...
we're taking some big steps in that direction. And it's pretty special to be a part of a team like this, and it was the best decision of my life to come here.”
Gilbert on his struggles earlier in SEC play
“Obviously last year being cut short, I didn’t really get to have my first run in the SEC. It’s a tough league and kind of getting used to a higher pitch and all that. It was definitely a challenge. You just kind of keep grinding through it and keep making adjustments, and things usually pan out at the end of the day.”
