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By thumping Tennessee baseball, Tim Corbin tapped a few shoulders about Vanderbilt | Estes

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By thumping Tennessee baseball, Tim Corbin tapped a few shoulders about Vanderbilt | Estes


Well, that turned quickly, huh? There’s a winning streak in the other dugout now.

One. Two. That’s how many Vanderbilt baseball has claimed in a row over rival Tennessee after Wednesday’s 13-4 drubbing at the SEC tournament in Hoover, Alabama.

It was massive result to bolster Vanderbilt’s shaky NCAA Tournament hopes, no matter the opponent. But this opponent, of course, mattered plenty. Until 10 days ago, Tennessee had beaten Vanderbilt nine times in a row. Tony Vitello’s Vols went to Omaha last year. They were the No. 1 national seed in 2022. They are the nation’s No. 1 team right now.

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Commodores coach Tim Corbin didn’t downplay Tennessee’s success Wednesday when asked about the rivalry. He just gave everyone a little tap on shoulder.

The Vandy Boys are still around, too.

“I know our kids respect Tennessee and their program,” Corbin told reporters. “There’s no doubt about that. We talk about that. But what you can’t do is start admiring people you play. We’ve got a good program, too. Real good program.”

About our state’s best college sports rivalry, we should note the thing has felt downright chummy lately.

When the Vols (46-11) needed Kentucky to lose last Saturday to provide them a share of the SEC championship, guess who did them that solid? Vanderbilt, on the road, beat Kentucky. Then on Wednesday at the SEC Tournament, the Vols – of all teams – likely, and unwittingly, ensured the Commodores (37-20) wouldn’t miss this season’s NCAA Tournament after all.

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For Vanderbilt, it’s tough to imagine a more impressive, last-minute NCAA resume victory than dealing Tennessee its worst beating in nearly two months.

It has been difficult to envision such a showy win, period, for the Commodores during what has thus far been a disappointing season.

But that was the pre-Hoover Met portion of their schedule.

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For two years in a row, the Vandy Boys have discovered their best selves in the suburban Birmingham stadium. After winning last season’s SEC Tournament, they’ve opened this one a critical 2-for-2 when they most needed it, arriving on the NCAA Tournament bubble.

They’ve looked a different ballclub in Hoover. A lineup that struggled mightily to find production and power this season launched four home runs Wednesday out of a cavernous ballpark. Alan Espinal slugged two. The Commodores finished with 15 hits and scored more runs than in any of their last 19 games against an SEC foe.

Didn’t slow the fire that Tennessee threw eight different pitchers at it. Not to say the Vols weren’t trying to win – their batting order was stacked as usual – but Vitello’s Johnny Wholestaff approach was more reminiscent of a midweek game versus Eastern Tech than a collision with his program’s biggest rival.

“A bad result,” Vitello told reporters, “but as I look at the box score, it was good to get a lot of guys get their cleats in the dirt in a situation that might be new to them or certainly is new to our group this year.”

Of the Vols eight pitchers, only two didn’t allow a run. One of those two was AJ Russell, Tennessee’s 6-foot-6 expected ace from Franklin, who has been hurt most of this season and hadn’t pitched since March 23. No victory the Vols could get this week would be more important than the sight of Russell returning to the mound for an inning and looking reasonable sharp, striking out two.

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Other than that, there was nothing for Tennessee to gain in Hoover this week. Pursuits bristle to hear that sort of thing, but it’s true. A deep SEC Tournament run, exhausting an already thin pitching staff, would hinder Tennessee’s chances in the tournament that really matters.

Getting Russell back? A big deal for this bullpen.

Tennessee is going to need Russell in the coming weeks, a reality that was underlined by how so many other Vols arms struggled to keep the Commodores off the basepaths Wednesday.

Vanderbilt hit .375 for the game and .450 with runners on base. Tennessee, in turn, was .143 with runners on base. Relief pitchers Luke Guth and Miller Green, both freshmen, held a terrifying Vols lineup scoreless for the game’s final five innings, recording some big outs before the game got lopsided late.

“Getting hot at the right time is always good,” Vanderbilt’s Jonathan Vastine said. “I think that we only have our best baseball ahead of us.”

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Better late than never, it would seem.

Reach Tennessean sports columnist Gentry Estes at gestes@tennessean.com and on the X platform (formerly known as Twitter) @Gentry_Estes.



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Photos offer a glimpse of Bonnaroo music festival in Tennessee

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Photos offer a glimpse of Bonnaroo music festival in Tennessee


The Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival is underway in Tennessee, bringing tens of thousands of fans to a 700-acre farm campground and concert venue for more than 150 performances this weekend.

Red Hot Chili Peppers, Post Malone and Pretty Lights are among those headlining the sprawling annual event.

Concertgoers were facing a hot, sunny weekend at the Bonnaroo grounds some 60 miles southeast of Nashville.

The four-day annual festival, which kicked off Thursday, features live music on more than 10 stages.

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The performances run through the night and into early morning, including sunrise sets.

Other performers include Megan Thee Stallion, Cage The Elephant, Maggie Rogers, Melanie Martinez, Khruangbin, Fred again, Cigarettes After Sex, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Diplo and Carly Rae Jepsen.

Bonnaroo debuted on a rural Tennessee farm more than two decades ago.

Over the years, it has featured a diverse lineup from Elton John and Jay Z to Paul McCartney, DeadMau5 and Bruce Springsteen.

It also features a 24-hour cinema, comedy club, beer festival and theater performers.

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Bonnaroo’s annual attendance is around 80,000 people.

Some of this year’s acts will be streamed on Hulu.

With heat indexes projected to approach triple digits, medical crews treated various heat-related conditions while some revelers constructed elaborate canopy and tent combinations for shade; others had their sunscreen confiscated upon entry because of restrictions on full-sized bottles and aerosol cans, The Tennessean reported.



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TBI offers reward after Morristown man charged in Bean Station double homicide

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TBI offers reward after Morristown man charged in Bean Station double homicide


GRAINGER COUNTY, Tenn. (WATE) — A man charged in relation to a double homicide in Bean Station that happened at the end of May was added to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s Most Wanted list on Saturday.

Grainger County Sheriff James Harville confirmed to WATE that Aaron Ethan White, 34, of Morristown was wanted on two counts of criminal homicide in relation to the deaths of Jon Atkins, 49, and Deven McDaniel, 32, who were found dead in Bean Station along Rocky Springs Road on May 25.

White was added to the TBI’s Most Wanted List on Saturday, with a reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to his arrest. According to the TBI, he should be considered armed and dangerous.

White is 6’2″ tall and around 220 pounds with blue eyes. He is believed to currently have a shaved head and beard.

Although investigators obtained warrants for White on Friday, attempts to locate him have been unsuccessful, the TBI said.

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Anyone with information about White’s whereabouts is asked to contact the TBI at 1-800-TBI-FIND.

This is a developing story. Download the WATE 6 News app or sign up for our email alerts for updates.

Harville adds that the investigation into the case is ongoing.



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From Cannon Peebles to Dylan Dreiling, Tennessee baseball’s win vs Florida State had many heroes

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From Cannon Peebles to Dylan Dreiling, Tennessee baseball’s win vs Florida State had many heroes


OMAHA, Neb. — Dylan Dreiling kicked his legs from side to side.

The Tennessee baseball outfielder glanced up in the on-deck circle as Florida State reliever Connor Hults warmed up. He didn’t need to watch much. He knew what was coming. 

The scouting report told Dreiling that Hults threw 100% curveballs in his last outing. Dreiling sold out believing Hults would do it again — and he did.

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Two pitches later, a shirtless Dreiling gallivanted around the outfield at Charles Schwab Field, overcome by his overjoyed teammates amid the hysteria of a walk-off winner Friday in the College World Series. 

“I just knew Dylan was going to get it done,” outfielder Kavares Tears said. “It was a matter of time. It’s Dylan Dreiling.”

Dreiling belted the winning hit into left-center field for the finishing touch on an improbable ninth-inning rally in a 12-11 win against the Seminoles. The plucky push spanned eight hitters, resulted in four runs and cemented itself as the latest rendition of Tennessee late-game lore.

Tennessee baseball never stopped fighting vs Florida State

Christian Moore took his one big swing to tie the game. He fouled off the fastball he hunted and turned to the Tennessee dugout, where coach Tony Vitello was so wound up, he gripped a handful of dirt.

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“Let’s fight,” Moore said three times.

He was down to his final strike with two outs in a two-run game when he uttered those words during Tennessee’s awakening. The Vols played sloppy baseball for the first half of the game, pairing fielding miscues with subpar pitching.

None of it mattered in the ninth inning. 

“We throw jabs all game,” first baseman Blake Burke said. “We throw jabs and when we can throw a big blow, we do it.”

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Tennessee unleashed all sorts of punches in the ninth inning, which it began trailing 11-8. Tears crushed a triple to center and scored on a Dean Curley sacrifice fly after the freshman fell behind 1-2. 

Cannon Peebles, who has emerged as a pinch-hitting dynamo, earned a full-count walk that had a significant two-strike foul. Cal Stark popped out, but turned the lineup over in the process to Moore.

The junior had already hit for the cycle after destroying a 440-foot homer to center. He flirted with doing it again on a 2-1 pitch before reaching out to rope a double into the left-field corner. Burke strode to the plate with two on in an 11-9 game and had lofty dreams.

“I thought I was going to Drew Gilbert that at-bat,” Burke said. “I got down two strikes and I wiped that mindset and I just battled. I was working for my guys.”

Burke, whose 2-2 check swing went in UT’s favor, plastered a single to centerfield to score two. He spun to his teammates in a frenzy with the game tied.

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Tennessee baseball’s ‘masterpiece’ completed by Dylan Dreiling

The realization hit Vitello pregame Friday. 

Tennessee, which has a wild recent history of incredible late-game moments, didn’t have a walk-off win this season.

“Win — that kind of was the only thing going through our minds in the ninth inning,” Tears said.

Billy Amick singled to bring FSU coach Link Jarrett out to make a pitching change. He opted for Hults. Vols associate head coach Josh Elander showed the hitters the scouting report that noted Hults’ curveball commitment. 

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DYLAN: The summer that set Dylan Dreiling on path as Tennessee baseball’s quiet superstar

Tears took off his helmet in the dugout when Dreiling went up. He knew the game was over. Dreiling watched an inside curveball, then scalded the next offering over the FSU outfield into the gap. He watched Seminoles center fielder DeAmez Ross track the ball, but knew he wasn’t going to get it.

Dreiling shed his helmet before he reached first base. Burke did likewise as he crossed the plate as the winning run. Amick jumped for joy on the basepaths. 

“It was kind of a masterpiece,” Moore said. “It was beautiful baseball right there.”

Dreiling bounded for the outfield, where his teammates chased him down and ripped off his jersey. Moore embraced him with Tennessee (56-12) advancing to play North Carolina (48-14) on Sunday (7 p.m. ET, ESPN). Outfielder Hunter Ensley picked Dreiling up. 

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“When you trust the eight or nine guys out there with you, you can do stuff like that — what we just did,” Moore said. “It is an insane thing but it is kind of the beauty of it.”

Vitello scooped up Dreiling’s bat after the game. He kissed it, thankful for the magic of the moment.  

All it took was one pitch — and that pitch was a curveball.

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.





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