Tennessee baseball suffered their first loss of the 2024 season on Saturday night in Arlington to the Oklahoma Sooners.
The game went into extra innings, where the Sooners were able to score four runs into the tenth and ultimately pick up a 5-1 victory.
Following the game, Tennessee head coach Tony Vitello met with the media to discuss his thoughts on the loss, from Tennessee’s elite defense to poor offense and everything in between.
Everything he said is below.
On what his team saw tonight from Oklahoma pitching…
“They saw some good pitching. I know that. To me, you always got to get guys on base to have runners left on base. Would have liked to have seen a little bit better execution or drive in a guy there and we have a chance to win the game. But again, you’re doing that against good competition and it’s easier said than done. I think we look back at it and see there’s some pitches we chased and maybe a little bit better approach to high-level arms. It just didn’t seem to be the kind of same vibe out of that offense from last night. It’s easy to say because the scoreboard says that, but again, their guys did a good job of pitching out of some trouble.”
On if he learned anything about his team tonight…
“Yeah, some guys getting their first go-around. It’s huge and it’s coming for a couple of other guys here soon. It’s not like you can’t do it well your first time, but I think these guys will reflect and realize this will help them and help them navigate the waters a little bit when they are in a jam or something like that. We were one pitch away several different times. If Beam gets out of that inning, I think it makes it easier on Marcus [Phillips] for his first appearance. Although you guys saw, he was throwing the ball with some electricity. I think he will be better next time out. And if we were able to get to Combsy [Aaron Combs] a little later in the game, maybe the result is different. But ifs and buts, candy and nuts.”
On the defense tonight and if he’s been a part of a triple play…
“I know I have a couple of times. I know that was probably one way I know I haven’t – don’t remember it being like that. I mean CMO [Christian Moore] I think put about seven tags out there. However it was needing to get done. And of course, you had the glove deal before it. However you can get the outs, you’ll take them.”
On Cal Stark behind the plate….
“Same as always. I mean, he is really good defensively and his energy is phenomenal back there. There is an art to working with umpires and pitchers and the pitching coach. It’s a lot of different stuff coming at you at once. He’s – I don’t want to say he’s mastered it – but he does it at a very high level and he makes you feel good when he is back there.”
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On where Christian Moore is at at shortstop right now:
“Good! He’s worked hard to be in that position. It’s also where he started out. I mean, when we first started recruiting him, he was a pitcher and playing that position, but I think some hard work has paid off. And really more attention to detail. He’s at his best in the box when you can’t really pay attention to detail, you have a 90 mph ball coming at you. But when you’re just trying to win and emotions aren’t involved and things like that, and then on defense, I think it’s paying attention to the best way to approach the whole thing. Rather than just get by on athleticism and a good arm, so he’s definitely had improvement.”
On Mathew Dallas and Derek Schaefer in their debuts:
“Dallas was great, and I think Schaefer’s last pitch, if he throws that same pitch, we’re out of the inning without any trouble. And I think if he goes back and watches the video, he’ll see that. And I’m out of eligibility, that’s easy for me to say. But again, I think when it’s your first time, you have got a lot of different things going on. Again, I think there’s some positives to take away from him being out there, and I think his last pitch was his best pitch. If he can throw that in the right situation, I can’t guarantee the result is different, but it’s probably a better result from that one particular at-bat.”
On if a game like this can teach the team something:
“I think it taught you what a regional game is going to look like if you haven’t played college baseball before. That’s a regional game. Or a super regional game or a game in Hoover. If you’re fortunate enough to move on from there, that’s what those games look like. The ones that when you go back to the hotel, it either really, really hurts, which I hope it does for our guys tonight, and also if you get it done, it feels good. But I think for them to… you know, could’ve managed the game a lot better. We’re trying to get to know our guys a little bit, and they’re trying to get to know what this is all about. They learned a lot from being in this deal.”
On what he’s looking forward to learning about his team tomorrow:
“You got opportunities to do two different things. Play a 1-1 series, it’s obviously going to be three different teams, but going into Sunday when it’s been kind of what it’s supposed to be in our league, which happens often, or any other big league, it’s a war on Sunday to get out of here with a win, or to get the series win. And then also it’s our first chance to respond to adversity.
“I don’t know. Maybe I felt it a little bit, maybe the other guys did. You want to be confident, but when you’re wearing this jersey or any other jersey, you’re not invincible. So, I don’t think we took anybody lightly, you’re not going to take Oklahoma lightly, but I think that our guys need to be confident but realize that it’s going to be a battle every time you get out on the field. And again, two opportunities tomorrow. One-to-one, and also the bounceback.”
On who will start on Sunday:
“Zander [Sechrist] will start for us tomorrow. I’m looking forward to it.”
