Tennessee
'He Grew Up A Lot': Marcus Phillips, Tennessee's Pitching Sends Vols To SEC Title Tilt | Rocky Top Insider
HOOVER, Ala. — Vanderbilt baseball’s Alan Espinal pummeled a two-run homer off of Marcus Phillips in the Commodores’ blowout win over Tennessee on Wednesday afternoon. Phillips, a fringe weekend arm for the Vols, looked far from a reliable postseason option.
Just over 72 hours later, Phillips rose to the occasion against the same Vanderbilt lineup. He recorded the final nine outs to seal a 6-4 victory and send Tennessee to the SEC Tournament Championship for the third time in four years.
“He grew up a lot today,” Tennessee coach Tony Vitello said of Phillips. “It was good.”
Phillips pitched the final three innings for Tennessee. He blew past Vanderbilt in a dominant seventh inning, striking out the first two batters he faced and then getting a groundout on the third.
“I think early we weren’t getting ready and he was 99 to 100 that first inning and he kind of carved us up a little bit,” Vanderbilt coach Tim Corbin said of Phillips.
The challenge increased for Phillips in the eighth and ninth inning. The tall right-hander allowed two extra-base hits and walked two batters in the eighth inning. Vanderbilt scored one run and brought the go-ahead run to the plate.
Vitello kept rolling with Phillips and the sophomore got out of it, inducing a Matthew Polk chopper back to himself for the final out of the inning.
“Tough one to answer other than just gut feel,” Vitello said of rolling with Phillips. “Part of it is just communication with Frank, and a lot of times you just got to go with your gut. … There were some dicey moments in there where obviously we’re glad we stuck with him.”
The dicey moments weren’t over yet either. Vanderbilt’s first two batters singled in the ninth inning which brought the tying run to the plate. One of the runs scored but the tying run never got on base as Phillips shut the door on the Commodores.
Phillips earned the save after Zander Sechrist went six innings for the second straight start, holding Vanderbilt’s offense at bay on an evening Tennessee badly needed him to eat outs.
“You just got to grit it out, and our team followed Zander’s lead today,” Vitello said. “So we were blessed to have him out there … but I think he was even better tonight and kind of built off of last time out. So it was good the team followed him.
Phillips gave Vanderbilt a much different look and found success in a crucial spot. He allowed four hits, two runs and one earned run while walking two and striking out three. The numbers were great and the upper-90s fastball was impressive but him channeling it and being effective was the most impressive part.
“I think just the conviction. You can kind of see it when he’s steering it in there,” Vitello said of the key to Phillips’ success. “With him in particular, the harder he throws the better he throws because he’s so big and strong and the stuff is so good. … From the get-go that it was coming out of his hand with conviction.”
That conviction is key as Tennessee keeps trying to expand its options in the bullpen. Andrew Behnke did it against Mississippi State and Phillips did it against Vanderbilt. They provided a burst of confidence entering the NCAA Tournament and Tennessee is looking for more guys to follow their lead in Sunday’s title tilt against LSU.
“Some guys will have to look at Mr. Andrew Behnke and Marcus Phillips and say, I can do that as well.”
Tennessee
Three NFL Draft Fits for Tennessee Football Cornerback Jermod McCoy
Tennessee football star Jermod McCoy is the player who will likely hear his name called first from the Tennessee program in the upcoming NFL Draft. There are many teams he would fit well, but these three teams are the teams I believe he is the best fit with at this moment.
1. Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are in need of a cornerback in the draft class, and they are likely to spend one of their first two picks on one. They are selecting at No. 12 and No. 20 in the draft as of now, and McCoy could hear his name called. He would be joining a decent group of cornerbacks, but he would be an immediate starter, likely alongside a later selection that they make with a cornerback.
It would be shocking if the Cowboys pass on him if they select at 12 and he is still on the board. McCoy would be an immediate starter and would be someone who could shut down a whole side of the field for the Cowboys early in his career.
2. Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins is one of the better fits for Jermod McCoy, and it would make the most sense, as the Dolphins could use almost every position after a major haul of their players. They are in a major rebuilding phase and drafting at No. 11 leaves many to believe that McCoy could be in play.
McCoy would likely be their No. 1 cornerbakc the day he got to the franchise, and would have the chance to dominate the way he did in his one season on the field with the Vols. This selection would depend on who drops out of the first ten selections. If he is one of the better players remaining (highly likely) he very well could hear his name called at pick 11.
3. New York Jets
The New York Jets have the chance to be very good when it comes to the draft, as they are drafting at both No. 2 and No. 16. I believe they will be looking to get a cornerback with their No. 16 pick, which would make a lot of sense considering they had to get rid of Sauce Gardner.
McCoy would be the perfect replacement, as they could find themselves in one of the better situations on the defensive side of the football. He can shutdown a side of the field, and I would bet that he would be a great fit with the Jets because of that exactly.
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Tennessee
Nashville Sounds and Autism Tennessee partner to host inclusive Beyond the Label Day for local children
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — At a ballpark built for noise, there is space for something quieter.
During the Nashville Sounds’ “Beyond the Label Day,” kids are learning, playing and experiencing baseball in a way that works for them. Autism Tennessee volunteers stepped in to guide kids through sensory play designed to calm and focus.
From spinning toys to textured fidgets, these tools help turn overwhelming moments into manageable ones. Children engaged with the activities, pointing out shapes like a circle, noticing items like candies, and expressing how nice the experience was.
Adam English, general manager of the Nashville Sounds, said making space for everyone is the goal, even as the stadium announcer calls another Sounds strikeout.
“It’s important for us to raise awareness about autism, but also just make sure that First Horizon Park is an inclusive place for everybody” English said.
The Sounds stadium even has a sensory room for families at every game.
“There’s huge baseball fans that sometimes shy away because of loud crowds and we want to make sure every game out here available” English said.
For Autism Tennessee leaders like Jessica Moore, days like this are about more than awareness. They are about belonging.
“Typically events like this can be super overwhelming… so this is just a way for people to feel like they can come and still be successful” Moore said.
What are your thoughts on making sports venues more inclusive for all fans? Watch the video to see the sensory room in action, and share your experiences with me at kim.rafferty@NewsChannel5.com.
In this article, we used artificial intelligence to help us convert a video news report originally written by Kim Rafferty. When using this tool, both Kim Rafferty and the NewsChannel 5 editorial team verified all the facts in the article to make sure it is fair and accurate before we published it. We care about your trust in us and where you get your news, and using this tool allows us to convert our news coverage into different formats so we can quickly reach you where you like to consume information. It also lets our journalists spend more time looking into your story ideas, listening to you and digging into the stories that matter.
Checking in on Cole: Gallatin rallies around teen battling brain tumor with prayer vigil
Austin Pollack brings us an update on a remarkable young man facing great odds, and his family has one simple request: pray for Cole. I believe in the power of prayer and hope you’ll join me in lifting up Cole and his family.
– Carrie Sharp
Tennessee
Tennessee baseball vs Ole Miss score, live updates, start time, Game 3
Tennessee baseball will look to salvage the final game of the SEC series against Ole Miss.
The Vols (25-14, 7-10 SEC) play Game against the No. 23 Rebels (29-11, 10-7) on April 19 (1 p.m. ET, SEC Network+) at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
Ole Miss has been on a roll. The 8-1 win on April 18 against the Vols moved the Rebels to eight straight wins. It got an ace-level start from Cade Townsend and a grand slam from Tristan Bissetta to secure Game 2.
Taylor Rabe (3-1, 3.16 ERA) will start for the Rebels. Evan Blanco (3-2, 3.67 ERA) will be on the mound for Tennessee.
Tennessee baseball vs. Ole Miss live updates
What channel is Tennessee baseball vs. Ole Miss on today?
- TV channel: SEC Network+
- Live stream: ESPN app
Tennessee baseball vs. Ole Miss game times
- Game 3: April 19 (1 p.m. ET)
Tennessee baseball vs. Ole Miss probable pitchers
- Tennessee: LHP Evan Blanco (3-2, 3.67 ERA)
- Ole Miss: RHP Taylor Rabe (3-1, 3.16 ERA)
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