Suns & Warriors Rule the West
Tennessee baseball capped off a successful season opening series with dominant, 14-0, victory over Georgia Southern Sunday afternoon at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
The Vols gave the ball to freshman Drew Beam and the former Blackman High School standout posted three scoreless innings, surrendering one hit and three bases on balls.
“I think it’s another version of Chase Burns,” Tennessee head coach Tony Vitello said. “I mean, I think Chase is pretty dang advanced but Beam has stuff too that’s advanced. It’s very evident that he played quarterback in high school. He kind of has that athleticism, he can field his position, he has leadership skills to him and, to me, he’s not a guy that gets nervous. He may come into a situation where he doesn’t get the job done, but it’s not going to be because the lights were a little too bright. That’s a good combination for a freshman and I was glad we were able to do it. I think that’s a first for coach Anderson and I— to have two freshmen start opening weekend.”
After hitting six home runs the first two games of the series, Tennessee totaled 14 runs without a long ball on Sunday. Nearly everyone who got an opportunity made the most of it.
Twelve Vols’ recorded hits and 10 batted runs in during the lopsided victory.
“There were some competitive at-bats where guys just grinded their way on base, but the highlight of the day is there were multiple balls hit into the right-center gap for right-handed hitters and a couple times lined missiles down the right field line,” Vitello said. “You have to be a really good hitter to hit a ball as a right-handed hitter sharply down the right field line on a line or vice versa for a lefty down the third base line. Call it back side or oppo hitting or whatever, that was kind of the highlight of the day instead of home runs. I’ll take it any way we can get it.”
Tennessee outscored Georgia State 33-3 on the weekend and has now swept its last four season opening series and outscored opponents 106-33 in those games.
The Vols return to Lindsey Nelson Stadium for midweek tilts with Tennessee Tech and UNC Asheville.
