Tennessee baseball head coach Tony Vitello met with the media following the Vols’ 7-4 series-sweeping win over Florida Sunday in Knoxville.
Vitello shared his thoughts on Dylan Loy’s tremendous relief outing, Tegan Kuhns’ start, Cannon Peebles’ big hit and more.
See everything Vitello said in his post-game press conference below.
On how important it is to build relationships with the families of hispanic players:
“It’s important if you want to have a group. Obviously, we’re all seeking out success, but you also want people to be happy with their experience here. Unfortunately, human nature ties everybody into happiness being outcomes, ‘My son struck the most guys out, my son hit the most homers,’ but I think when you build those relationships, you start to have a little perspective that there is a little more to it. And then also, everyone will have success and be happy if those relationships or bonds are as tight as you want them to be.
“It just takes time. It takes good people, which we have a lot of, but it takes extra time, whether it is Coach (Luke) Bonfield, Coach (Josh) Elander, Ricky (Martinez), Ross (Kivett), I mean those guys – not Rick Ross (the rapper), but Ricky Martinez and Ross – it’s a taxing deal when you have to take time away from your family or maybe some fun stuff you’d like to do, but I think that sacrifice pays off for Q (Quentin Eberhardt), Beth (Schwartz), all of our staff building those bonds and those relationships. I think that’s what gets our guys to get through a day like today because I made a couple of dumb mistakes, in my opinion, we made a couple of mistakes on defense. I mean, the first and third thing. If I’m a fan, it doesn’t look like we ever practice it, which we do. But you know what? When you keep fighting and you battle through, good things happen. And Dylan Loy was our best battler today, but the whole group battled their way to a win.”
On sweeping a really good team to begin conference play:
“I think the guys were eager to play at home. I think it’s been two times out of a decade that we have been able to start SEC play at home. So, it’s unique and rare, and the guys recognize how beneficial it is. But also, we said it last Sunday, they didn’t look like themselves, and I think a lot of it was that this was looming and they were looking forward to it, which is dangerous to look beyond anything, but it’s also understandable. We get 15, 16 games under our belt, and these guys are eager.
“So I think it was a lot of eagerness and antsiness and excitement, which can be dangerous or it can be good, and these guys are mature enough, even the young pups, they used it for their benefit or for good.”
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On the value of Dylan Loy’s relief outing:
“It was massive. It all started yesterday. Reese Chapman hits that ball (walk-off homer), so Dylan Loy doesn’t come in the game. Otherwise, he would’ve. You also would’ve liked to get some guys their first SEC at-bat or inning, so it kind of works two different ways. Sometimes it can help you, sometimes it can hurt you. It’s worked two different ways for us, too. Georgia, I think last year, beat the ever living hell out of us on a Friday, but we didn’t have to finish the game with our pitchers, so we saved some pitching, and it helped us win the next two days. It’s interesting. It adds a little quirk to the weekend. It’s almost like if you were a boxer, say me and you (the reporter) were going at it, I don’t know who would win, but if you were winning the round, it’s almost like me just saying, ‘Okay, I want to take this round [off]. We’re done. I’m going to sit down on my stool,’ so, it worked out in our favor this time is my point.”
What he saw from his team when Florida took the lead with four runs in the fourth inning and if their demeanor changed:
“Yeah, because it was frustrating the way that it went down. I mean, the ball was dancing like crazy. So their right fielder makes that catch 99 times out of a hundred. Our right fielder, same thing. Jay’s (Jay Abernathy) was probably the most difficult of all of them. I think part of the problem was Dean (Curley) and Reese (Chapman) had a chance to catch and then throw after, so that’s just my perspective. Then the first-and-third (situation) was mishandled poorly.
“So it’s one thing to give up runs, but it’s another thing how we got there. It was a walk and not making a catch and not making a catch. But also you have to look at the flip side. Like you mentioned Florida’s talent, they were lacing balls at our guys that were dancing in the wind, so it was a wacky inning. You’ve got to regroup. Our players need to not pay attention to me when I get too emotional from that situation and just keep fighting, because nine innings is a long time.
“Just as you saw there at the end, Florida’s within striking distance because they’re battling, too, so nine innings is a marathon and you’ve got to make sure you last the distance.”
On Nate Snead in the closer role and being able to go three innings on Friday and two innings on Sunday:
“No, it’s huge, and I think he’s too valuable to even label our closer, but that’s what he was this weekend because of the way the situations popped up. But the only reason he was able to do that on two different days was because of his efficiency with his pitches. It reminds me of the old great, Zach Linginfelter, one of the best outings he ever had here was when he was limited to a pitch count and he knew it, so the efficiency was there. So long story short, Nate put himself in a good position to be able to be used, and that was about as much as you’d want to get out of him. We had a couple of guys hot down there in the pen, and (Austin) Breedlove and (Ryan) Combs and a few other guys will have to wait for their first chance at the SEC, but I bet they’ll be chomping at the bit when they get it.”
What he saw from pitcher Tegan Kuhns starting the game and if the plan was always for him to go through the lineup once:
“There wasn’t any one specific plan, but I thought he was as composed as he was against Arizona. His stuff was even a little better. I don’t know, maybe he watched that kid from them yesterday and said, ‘This guy’s a freshman and he’s dealing, I want my chance to go out there,’ but whatever it was, the stuff was a little bit better and the presence was even, I would say, even better than it was at Arizona.
“You knew we were going to get their best punch today, so for him to go out and do what he did was outstanding.”
On Reese Chapman hitting the two-run home run in the eighth inning and him getting better with more at-bats:
“I mean, he’s our favorite type of guy. We started four freshmen in the lineup today, so that’s cool, too. That helps recruiting. It’s exciting for the future. But I think our staff’s favorite player is a Trey Lipscomb or a Jorel Ortega or Reese Chapman or a Kavares Tears or Jared Dickey, and there’s pitching examples, too, but those guys that progress each year and continue to get better on an incline. Then you hope they move forward into pro ball and continue that incline.
“So he’s been a great teammate. He’s been patient in the dugout, but eager in here with work ethic, and it’s his time and that’s kind of how he’s been acting the entire year. And it’s also kind of his team. We’ve got a bunch of leaders, so he’s been acting the way that you’d expected and wanted and also you’ve seen from guys like (Jordan) Beck and K.T. (Kavares Tears) and others that have been out there before him, C-Scott (Christian Scott).”
On going to Cannon Peebles in the fifth and his double in the sixth…
“Tough decision coming to the park because you trust both those guys. I’ve got to be honest with you, the wind was kind of the factor. Me, you or Sean [Barows] hit a popup to left field it might go out. As BP [batting practice] ended, it changed a little bit. You could still get it out if you hit it down the right field line, but the problem is they have a guy named [Jake] Clemente throwing the ball and our guys couldn’t really do much with it. But Stone [Lawless] did take advantage of his at-bat and he made us look smart. The plan kind of going into the game was to split it between the two. You knew the guys they were going to finish the game with was [Alex] Philpott, so Cannon at the very least was going to get a crack at him. We just decided earlier with what we were looking at to go with it. But he is going to be a headache for a lot of teams. Hopefully not us again. But he is going to be a headache for teams late in the game. So, that was kind of the plan.”
On what Stone Lawless is giving the team defensively…
“Everything you want. There’s a calm out there. There’s a real good rapport between him and our pitchers. They respect him and like him. Therefore, it makes him better defensively. I think it’s a good lesson to learn for a lot of kids and it doesn’t just have to be a battery example – pitcher, catcher. But he gives you everything you want. He can handle Frank [Anderson] and can handle me yelling and Coach E [Josh Elander] giving instructions. We have high standards around here. There’s a lot getting thrown at you, so he handles it well with composure. Plays the game great. Great teammates. And then you get some offense every now and then. He and Cannon both have been known as hitters before catchers. But I think they came to the right place because Coach E has developed them into – it’s almost defensive first catchers. Which it should be. At a position like that, offense is a bonus. It was a really nice bonus from both of them today.”
On ETSU this week and traveling to Alabama…
“It’s spring break, so I think the key is for any them to not end up in Puerto Vallarta [Mexico] or any place like that. We have got to keep them here. Baseball guys love to try and even out the tan lines when you get a chance. You have no chance of doing that. You spend too many days at the park. Be at the park and be prepared. For a group that claims they like challenges, you better be careful what you ask for. I shouldn’t say that. I should say be excited about what you ask for. Because it is here. A short week with us having to go to Tuscaloosa [Alabama] first, but before that is an in-state opponent – ETSU – that is having a phenomenal year. Our guys need to take advantage of the fact that we don’t have class. Be at the park. Be focused. This is their greatest challenge yet what is ahead of them.”
