Tennessee baseball got an abundance of players work in its season-opening sweep of Hofstra at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. In fact, Tony Vitello wrote 14 different position players on his lineup card in the first three games of the season as Tennessee outscored the Pride 46-2 in a trio of run-rule victories.
But there was one Tennessee batter that surprisingly didn’t start over the weekend— freshman Jay Abernathy. Vitello discussed that reality Sunday following the series finale and indicated that Abernathy could be in the starting lineup sooner rather than later.
“Me having a weird brain, sitting up in the office longer than I should and kind of coming up with different stuff,” Vitello said on why Abernathy didn’t start. “We went with some older guys, if it was kind of close, try to get some mature guys out there. … You guys were at scrimmages, he could very easily walk up to that office and say, ‘I deserve a start.’ And all I could do is shake my head and say, ‘You’re right.’”
Abernathy is a versatile prospect who can play all over the field. He came to Tennessee as a middle infielder and did play second base over the weekend, but left field is where Abernathy is most likely to start this season.
Tennessee did go with a veteran in Dalton Bargo on Friday but turned to freshman Chris Newstrom for the final two games of the series. Newstrom proved he was worthy of the chance, hitting two-for-five with a home run, five RBIs and a walk.
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Despite not starting a single game, Abernathy totaled three at-bats over the weekend and went two-for-three with a RBI.
“Those swings that he took yesterday and then today that are line drives down the left-field line or towards left field that are true, they don’t have any fade to them, you have to be a good hitter and have a good swing to do that,” Vitello said of Abernathy’s performance. “And I think he just is truly that, a good hitter.”
There’s one other important factor to consider with Abernathy. The freshman’s greatest strength at this point in his career is his speed and the way he can affect the game on the base paths. Vitello noted that Abernathy’s versatility and speed makes him a valuable substitute as a pinch runner.
“I like the idea where you can pick a spot where he pinch runs in the middle of the game,” Vitello said. “You can give Jay [Abernathy] a cheater’s start if somebody is already on base and you pinch run. Because he can play a bunch of different positions, I think we can do that throughout the year.”
Abernathy’s long term role on Tennessee’s 2025 baseball team is uncertain and will largely be determined in the next month. But expect the freshman to be in the starting lineup before too long. Maybe as soon as Tuesday night against UNC Asheville.
