Tennessee baseball swept its final nonconference weekend before SEC play, but it didn’t come without a taste of tension in the finale.
That was fine with Vols coach Tony Vitello, who saw teaching points within the bubbling in Sunday’s finale as the Vols beat Illinois 8-3 to complete the sweep at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
“It’s our job as coaches to correct guys, but I’d rather the fire be burning a little too hot and calm that down than guys not care,” Vitello said Sunday.
No. 8 Vols (16-1) smashed Illinois 24-1 in the middle game of the series Saturday after winning 6-3 in the Friday opener. The Vols have won 15 straight games and swept all three home weekends in nonconference play.
Here is what to know about the sweep:
What happened with Sunday’s tension, Blake Burke’s ejection
Sunday’s tension centered on quick-pitching by Illinois starter Jake Swartz and Tennessee’s response to it. The quick-pitching trend started about six years ago, Vitello said. He said UT has players who had been guilty of doing it and he did not intend to call our Swartz, but the way the game started “lit a match.”
“I think the way guys kind of handled a few situations needs to be corrected,” Vitello said.
The tension led to a warning being issued to both teams when Illinois catcher Camden Janik and Vols catcher Cal Stark had to be separated for exchanging words. Vols first baseman Blake Burke was ejected following a fifth-inning home run following remarks made to Janik as he crossed home plate.
“He’s a smart enough guy, he can see where the ball landed,” Vitello said. “There’s no need to do that so I don’t necessarily agree with Blake’s approach or some of our other guys’ approach in certain situations, how they handled it.”
Burke will miss Tuesday’s game against Eastern Kentucky because of a one-game suspension following the ejection. He is hitting .371 with six homers and 11 doubles.
Vitello said the focal point of a postgame talk with the team in right field Sunday centered on how to handle tension. He also felt the game never needed to get to such a place.
The lesson, however, served as good preparation for the intensity of SEC play. The Vols open at Alabama from March 15-17.
A.J. Causey does it again
A.J. Causey made his second straight Friday night start for Tennessee in place of sophomore A.J. Russell. He was excellent again.
The Jacksonville State transfer struck out 12 in six innings. He allowed on run on six hits and walked one.
“I think he already knew − and we did, too − that he is fully capable of being a starter,” Vitello said. “It’s going to be a matter of what’s best for the team.”
Causey made his first start against Bowling Green a week prior, striking out nine in seven innings of one-run baseball.
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Tennessee’s offense remains explosive and Reese Chapman had a big day
Tennessee hit a pair of grand slams on the weekend with Robin Villeneuve hitting one Sunday after Reese Chapman hit one Saturday.
Chapman’s came amid a 24-run eruption to clinch the series win. The Vols hit five homers, including a pair in the fifth inning. Chapman, a powerful left-handed outfielder, had a game-high six RBIs with the grand slam and a two-run double in the eighth.
“Good to see him have that day,” Vitello said. “But more than anything, good to see him get some information where he can just relax and be true to himself.”
Chapman has been buried in the outfield depth chart but remains a possible contributor.
Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on Twitter @ByMikeWilson. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.
