Tennessee baseball recorded the fourth combined no-hitter in program history Friday against St. Bonaventure. It is the first combined no-hitter since 2000 against the College of Charleston and the first overall no-hitter since 2002. This is the 9th overall no-hitter in program history.
“I didn’t,” Tennessee baseball head coach Tony Vitello said on if he was aware the team was approaching a combined no-hitter. “I didn’t realize what was going on. The guys got all excited there at the end. So, need to hire Don Zimmer, or somebody, to be the bench coach, because I guess Gavin (Kilen) almost had the cycle (in Houston). I didn’t know that one either. But yeah, it’s a reflection of five guys, if I got that right, the burger. It might be an NIL deal with the burger company there. Five guys got out there and threw strikes and did what Coach A (Frank Anderson) is looking for them to do.”
No-Hitter History
Tennessee’s last individual no-hitter came in 2002 against Bowling Green. Jeffery Terrell struck out seven batters and walked one in Tennessee’s lone nine-inning no-hitter in program history.
Bob Dillon recorded a no-hitter in 1990 against Kentucky, Jim Gaylor accomplished the feat against Tennessee Tech in 1976 and Rick Honeycutt recorded one a month prior in 1976 and Joe O’Brien tallied the program’s first no-hitter in 1973.
Tennessee has recorded a combined no-hitter two times outside of Friday’s win over St. Bonaventure and the 2000 win over College of Charleston.
The Vols no-hit Tusculum in 1984 in a nine-inning season-opening win and also accomplished the feat in 1976 against Slippery Rock in seven innings, three days before Honeycutt’s solo seven-inning double-header.
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In Tennessee’s 12-0 series-opening win, Liam Doyle led Tennessee’s quintet of arms.
Doyle allowed just two walks and two baserunners in 5.2 innings of work, recording 13 strikeouts in the process.
The walks bookended the Ole Miss transfer’s outing, as the hard-throwing lefty retired 17 straight batters in between the walks.
Doyle’s 13 strikeouts against the Bonnies bring his season total to 47. The New Hampshire native has mowed through non-conference competition all season long, and he capped off non-conference play with his best outing yet as a Vol.
Including Friday’s game, Doyle is averaging just under 12 strikeouts per game. If he keeps that pace, he will record approximately 164 Ks this regular season, which would be a program record, if he starts 14 games as he’s projected.
Additionally, 77% of the 61 outs Doyle has recorded this year have been via strikeout.
Four pitchers saw time on the mound after Doyle. Junior righty Tanner Franklin retired his only batter to record the third out of the sixth, left-hander Brandon Arvidson retired the side around a leadoff walk in the seventh, freshman lefty Brayden May recorded a 1-2-3 inning in the eighth, and Michael Sharman sat the Bonnies down in order in the ninth to finish off the team no-hitter.
Friday night’s impressive feat is a testament to the dominance Tennessee’s pitching staff has displayed all season long. The Vols had a 2.06 team ERA entering the St. Bonaventure series and have allowed over four runs in only one game this season.
Tennessee will look to clinch the St. Bonaventure series Saturday at 6 p.m. ET in Lindsey Nelson Stadium. Sunday’s series finale is at 1 p.m. ET.
