With a changing core, The core of Tony Vitello’s first full signing class at Tennessee— Jake Rucker, Max Ferguson and Connor Pavolony— are gone, turning to professional baseball. With them are other veterans stars including Chad Dallas, Liam Spence and Sean Hunley.
But not all of Tennessee’s veterans from the 2021 College World Series team are gone. Left fielder Evan Russell, first baseman Luc Lipcius and left handed reliever Redmond Walsh are coming back to Tennessee for a super senior season.
“Why not?” Walsh told Rocky Top Insider as to why he came back. “After the season me and my dad sat down and kind of waited out to see if anything happened with the draft and nothing did and after talking with Vitello and coach Anderson it didn’t make any sense not to. You’re only a kid once and playing baseball is what I love to do. There’s no reason not to. … I have the rest of my life to work and I just enjoy baseball way too much to give it up.”
With a changing core, Tennessee’s super seniors and returning veterans know it’s important to step up as leaders and instill the culture and work ethic that’s made Vitello’s program successful.
“I think me, (Evan) Russell, Luc (Lipcius), Camden Sewell are really putting it on ourselves to push these new guys and get them where we are as soon as possible,” Walsh said. “If we can get them to that kind of competitiveness and that kind of culture and mindset we’ll be really frickin good this year.”
Tennessee’s roster turnover is most notable in the infield but there’s plenty of new faces on the mound too.
Vitello and pitching coach Frank Anderson restocked Tennessee’s pitching staff this offseason. After losing Hunley, Dallas, Will Heflin and Jackson Leath, the Vols’ brought in freshman All-American Chase Dollander, Missouri ace Seth Halvorsen and five-star freshman Chase Burns.
As a fifth year senior, Walsh knows his role is more important than just what he does on the mound. The Alcoa, Tennessee native strives to be a leader.
“I think it’s going to be huge,” Walsh said. “I view myself as a leader but what I’ve talked about with Vitello and them is I want to help other people figure out how to lead themselves. Just trying to get people acclimated and accommodated with the culture we have. Being able to grind every day and push yourself a little bit more and be better. This group coming in is probably one of the most talented groups I’ve played with and that’s saying a lot. We’ve had a lot of talent come through here the last three or four years. It’s just one of those things that the quicker you get these guys used to being in college and being in a program that’s used to winning and a program that strives to be good every single day even if it’s just playing ping pong in the team room.”
That competitiveness and edge is what made Tennessee so successful last season. The Vols were talented, don’t get me wrong, but the togetherness and edge Vitello’s fourth team played with is why they won 50-games.
There’s set to be some growing pains at the plate, the Vols are losing 327 hits, 37 home runs and 184 home runs from its core starters. Still, talent remains at the plate.
On top of veterans Russell and Lipcius, Drew Gilbert and Jordan Beck are back, Kyle Booker will be one of the SEC’s breakout stars and newcomers Seth Stephenson and Matt McCormick are full of talent.
On the mound, don’t expect any major growing pains. Frank Anderson’s staff is overflowing with talent.
Blade Tidwell proved he can be a Friday night ace in his freshman season. Camden Sewell’s ERA was less and 1.00 the last two months of the season and Walsh’s career 1.73 ERA shows he’s a reliable piece in the back end of the bullpen.
While this past season Tennessee was short on power arms, they won’t be in 2021.
Blade Tidwell was the only Tennessee pitcher that threw in the upper 90s last season. In 2022, Tennessee should have five with Tidwell, Halvorsen, Dollander, Burns and redshirt-freshman Ben Joyce— who is extremely talented but missed his entire freshman season due to Tommy John’s surgery.
That high velocity in the starting rotation should only help Walsh, a sinker-changeup pitcher who tops out in the upper 80s. As a sophomore pitching behind setup man Andrew Schultz who frequently hit triple digits, Walsh recorded a 1.38 ERA and nine saves.
“Oh my goodness, I’m going to love it,” Walsh said. “It’s awesome. It’s definitely going to help me out but it’s just going to be fun to watch those guys. Seeing guys like Dollander and Halvorsen throw against us, they were electric. Their stuff is unbelievable and knowing we’re going to get to add them on to guys like Blade Tidwell and Ben Joyce. It’s just going to be fun to watch everyone compete in the fall and compete in the spring. A lot of guys that can play really well off of it: Me, Sewell, Kirby Connell. It’s going to be fun to see how coach Anderson is going to be able to mix and match and have a lot of pieces to play with. It’s going to be awesome to see all those guys.”
If rising juniors Kirby Connell and Mark McLaughlin can continue to develop into reliable relievers, watch out, Tennessee’s pitching will have elite top end talent and depth.
The 2021 Vols had the perfect blend of competitiveness and team camaraderie. That formula can be hard to recreate, but if Vitello and his veterans can recreate it, don’t be surprised if the Vols are playing baseball deep into June again in 2022.
“These guys are going to be really good coming in,” Walsh said. “I think we’ll have a really good chance to be back where we were.”
