Tennessee

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

Published

6 days ago

June 15, 2024

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.

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.

“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.”

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.

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.

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.

“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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Tennessee

Tennessee baseball pitcher Matthew Dallas to enter transfer portal after one season

Published

3 hours ago

June 20, 2024

Press Room

Tennessee baseball pitcher Matthew Dallas to enter transfer portal after one season

OMAHA, Neb. — Matthew Dallas is entering the transfer portal after one season with Tennessee baseball, a source with direct knowledge confirmed Thursday to Knox News.

Dallas, a highly coveted recruit, was 1-0 with a 4.76 ERA in 15 appearances, with two starts, as a freshman after battling injury issues during fall 2023. He allowed nine earned runs on 11 hits in 17 innings, pitching only two innings in May, including a one-inning outing against Vanderbilt on May 22 in the SEC tournament in Hoover, Alabama.

The 6-foot-5 left-hander did not make the postseason roster for Tennessee during the NCAA tournament.

The No. 1 Vols (58-12) and No. 3 Texas A&M (52-13) start the College World Series final on Saturday (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN) at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Nebraska. It is a best-of-three series.

Matthew Dallas enters transfer portal after freshman season with Vols

Dallas posted a 0.80 ERA with 102 strikeouts in 52⅔ innings as a senior at Briarcrest Christian outside Memphis. He was 2-2 with 74 strikeouts as a junior. He passed on the 2023 MLB Draft and opted for Tennessee; he is eligible for the draft after his sophomore season.

Dallas started the gold medal game for the Team USA U18 team in 2022, throwing 3⅓ innings with three strikeouts and allowing an unearned run against Chinese Taipei.

Dallas’ older brother Michael signed with Kentucky out of high school. He transferred to Jacksonville State, where he hit .256 in 25 games as a sophomore in 2023. Blake, another older brother, played college baseball at Christian Brothers University.

Matthew Dallas is the third Tennessee baseball player in portal

Dallas joined left-handed pitcher Wyatt Evans and third baseman Zane Denton in entering the transfer portal following the season. Neither Evans nor Denton was with the Vols in 2024.

Evans was mostly a midweek bullpen arm as a freshman in 2022 when he threw 16 innings in 19 appearances. The South Carolina native dealt with arm soreness in 2023 and redshirted. He did not make the active roster at any point in 2024.

Denton did not play for Tennessee in 2024 due to personal reasons after announcing in August that he was returning to UT for a second season after going undrafted in the 2023 MLB Draft. Denton hit .269 with 16 homers and a team-high 59 RBIs in 2023 after transferring from Alabama.

TRACKER: Tennessee baseball transfer tracker: Vols working in transfer portal again

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2024 Tennessee State Football Preview

Published

10 hours ago

June 20, 2024

Press Room

2023 Record: 6-5 (2-4 Big South-OVC)
Returning Starters: 9 (7 Off, 2 Def)
2023 Offensive Rank (YPP): No. 113
2023 Defensive Rank (YPP Allowed): No. 24

Returning All-Conference Players: James Lowery (1st Team; K), Jordan Gant (2nd Team; RB), Jackson Foster (2nd Team; P), Eriq George (Freshman Of The Year; DL)

Notable Incoming Transfers: Jalal Dean (Tennessee Tech; WR), Keandre Booker (SEMO; LB), CJ Evans Jr. (Austin Peay; RB), JayT Jackson (Georgia State; DB), Tyler Jones (Missouri; DB), Connor Meadows (Tennessee; OL), Marvin Atuatasi (Morgan State; OL), Aiden Smith (Bryant; WR), Kierron Smith (Georgia Southern; DL)

Tennessee State finished with a winning record for the first time since 2017, which signaled another step forward for the Tigers under head coach Eddie George. Over the past two seasons, the Tigers have been in a position to win the conference entering the final week of October but have failed to capitalize on late-season opportunities.

Offensive inconsistency has prevented the Tigers from reaching their full potential the past two seasons. Tennessee State hired Travis Partridge as the new offensive coordinator as he looks to revamp an offense that ranked seventh in total offense in the Big South-OVC last season.

Quarterback Draylen Ellis returns for his third season at Tennessee State and will be the x-factor for this offense. If Ellis can find the same success he had at Austin Peay, then the Tigers can immediately become a contender. Ellis started six games last season, recording 1,075 passing yards, six passing touchdowns, 252 rushing yards, and five rushing touchdowns.

Ellis will have plenty of weapons to utilize as the Tigers return multiple starters at wide receiver and running back. Running back Jordan Gant returns after his Freshman All-American season in 2023. He led the Tigers with 553 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns last season. He will be joined by former Austin Peay running back CJ Evans Jr., who has over 1,300 career rushing yards and 12 touchdowns.

The Tigers return three wide receivers with starting experience, led by senior Dayron Johnson, who ranked second on the team with 349 receiving yards in 2023. Karate Brenson and Delanie Majors also return after combining for 426 receiving yards and three touchdowns last season. Former Tennessee Tech wide receiver Jalal Dean is a name to watch after posting a career-high 323 receiving yards last season. The offensive line is the biggest question mark for Tennessee State, but the Tigers signed plenty of experience by adding six transfers to the room this offseason.

Tennessee State’s defense has consistently been one of the top units in the conference over the past two seasons. The Tigers led the OVC in total defense two seasons ago and ranked third in the conference last season. There will be plenty of defensive turnover next season as cornerback Fondren Hollis III and defensive tackle Lathun Snipes are the only two returning starters.

The Tigers added eight defensive transfers but have multiple players from last season who will be forced into bigger roles in 2024. Defensive tackle Jalen Bell returns after missing last season with an injury but was a two-time All-Conference selection at Mississippi Valley State. There will be a question mark after Terrell Allen’s departure to Tulane. Last season, defensive lineman Eriq George earned Freshman All-American honors and could step into a much larger role in 2024. A name to watch is Keandre Booker, who brings plenty of experience after recording 92 tackles and 20 tackles for loss at SEMO.

The secondary loses four starters but will return multiple key contributors who played significant snaps last season. Jalen McClendon is expected to step into a larger role at cornerback and compete for the starting job across from Hollis III. Defensive backs Dion Villiers and Boogie Trotter are primed for breakout seasons at safety and nickel, while former Georgia State defensive JayT Jackson will push for a starting job this offseason.

Head coach Eddie George made necessary changes to his offensive staff, which could be the key for the Tigers to once again compete for the conference title. The 2024 season could define George’s tenure in Nashville, as the Tigers are expected to compete for the first conference championship since 1999.

2024 Tennessee State Football Schedule

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Tennessee

Jefferson County 4-star Nic Moore lineman commits to Tennessee football

Published

17 hours ago

June 20, 2024

Press Room

Jefferson County 4-star Nic Moore lineman commits to Tennessee football

Jefferson County four-star lineman Nic Moore has committed to Tennessee football, he announced on social media on Thursday.

The 6-foot-3, 300-pound Moore – the No. 10 player in the state and the No. 20 interior offensive lineman in 2025, according to the 247Sports Composite – chose the Vols after receiving an offer on May 10. He went on an official visit on the weekend of June 15-16.

The four-star senior committed to Tennessee over Vanderbilt and West Virginia.

Moore also plays defensive tackle and helped lead Jefferson County to a 10-2 record and a Class 6A state second-round appearance. He had 40 tackles, 14 quarterback pressures, 11 tackles for loss, three sacks, a fumble recovery and an interception. He was named the Region 1-6A Offensive Lineman of the Year.

ALL AREA TEAMS: Knox News All-PrepXtra high school football teams for 2023

Moore made the Knox News All-PrepXtra first team as an offensive lineman in 2023.

Toyloy Brown III is a Knox News sports reporter. Email toyloy.brown@knoxnews.com. On X, formerly Twitter, @TJ3rd_.

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