Tennessee baseball second baseman Christian Moore has hit for the cycle in the Vols’ College World Series opener against Florida State. And he did it in the sixth inning.
Moore had four at-bats two-thirds of the way through the contest against the Noles. The four at-bats resulted in a triple, double, single and solo home run, in that order.
Moore is only the second player to hit for the cycle in Men’s College World Series history and the first at Charles Schwab Field. The other player to do so is Minnesota’s Jerry Kindall in 1956.
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The home run to give Moore the cycle was demolished 440 feet to center field with a 117 mph exit velocity. The 440-foot blast is the third-longest measured home run in the College World Series since the event moved to its current ballpark.
Tennessee’s leadoff hitter smoked a triple to begin the bottom of the first inning. Moore then doubled with two outs in the second inning, which, thanks to an error by FSU catcher Jaxson West, led to a run coming across. Moore’s single came with two outs in the fourth before his sixth-inning leadoff home run gave him the cycle.
Moore joins Zane Denton (2023), Chris Burke (2001), Matt Duffy (2011), Jordan Rodgers (2016) and Trey Lipscomb (2022) as the six Vols to hit for the cycle. Moore is the only one to do so in the postseason and the third in the past three years. Denton’s cycle last year came against Morehead State in a 23-4 drubbing on March 10, 2023.
Moore has been Tennessee’s best hitter this season and one of the best in the country. The SEC’s triple crown winner has tallied a whopping 33 home runs this season, a Tennessee record, to give him 60 long balls on his career, also a Tennessee record by 20.
Moore’s 4-4 night has been the highlight of a rocky night for Tennessee. The Vols trail 11-7 entering the bottom of the eighth inning.
