Tennessee
How Tennessee baseball proved it’s comfortable winning ‘pretty’ and ‘ugly’ in Missouri sweep
Kirby Connell turned toward his outfield and howled.
The left-handed relief pitcher, known just as much for his mustache, struck out his second batter in two innings on Saturday and knew that Tennessee baseball not only won a game against Missouri. The Vols pulled off the always challenging SEC series sweep.
No. 3 Tennessee (37-7, 15-6 SEC) beat Missouri 10-1 on Thursday and won 3-2 both on Friday and Saturday at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
Last year, Tennessee was swept by Missouri (19-26, 6-15).
The Vols have won seven games in a row.
Here are the takeaways from the three-game series:
SEC series sweep
It was the second series sweep against an SEC opponent this season. Their first was at home against LSU on April 12-14.
“A sweep is nice, it’s very difficult to get,” Tennessee coach Tony Vitello said. “But when we do play these series our guys know the task at hand: We’re trying to get to two wins before the other team.”
Dean Curley, who had two RBIs on Saturday, said that winning three straight is “awesome” and that it is the result of the hard work from practice during the week.
The Vols had three SEC sweeps last season.
Winning ‘pretty’ and ‘ugly’
The Vols won the series opener with a season-high tying six home runs.
In the next two victories, Tennessee did not hit a single home run and its identical one-run wins were largely on the backs of its defense. Starting pitcher Drew Beam (6-1) allowed six hits and two hits and struck out eight in 7.1 innings on Friday.
Vitello said that the Vols are proving they can pick up wins when the runs aren’t as easy to come by and it’s valuable experience to have before the postseason starts.
Before the series, Tennessee had only won three games in which it scored three or fewer runs.
“You don’t have to win pretty but you just got to win ugly,” Vitello said on Friday. “The team has high ambitions and we’re just looking to become the best versions of ourselves. And in pursuit of doing that, we kind of opened up this Rolodex of ways that we can win and people that we can with.”
Vitello admitted that the defense might be slightly underrated as the bullpen has continued to improve from the start of the season.
“We didn’t feel like defense and pitching, we’re here to brag about it even though we want that to be our strength,” Vitello said. “(Pitching) coach (Frank) Anderson has done such a good job with those pitchers it has become a strength.”
Blake Burke’s hitting streak ends
Blake Burke’s school record for consecutive games with a hit ended at 31 on Thursday.
The junior first baseman, who is second in home runs for a career at Tennessee with 44, also didn’t register a hit on Friday. It was the first time this year that Burke has gone without a hit in back-to-back games. He was 1-for-4 on Saturday.
VOLS HOME RUN LEADERS: Inside Blake Burke and Christian Moore’s homer-bashing, record-trading chase for Tennessee baseball
Vitello admitted that he didn’t closely monitor the streak and implied that it’s possibly a positive that it’s over.
He said that he’s sure that Burke and other players aren’t as concerned with individual records as they tell him they want to win as a team.
“I’ll take Blake Burke 0-for-4 or 5-for-5 any day of the week and he’s kind of already established his status as a Vol. He’s right up there with anyone … J.P. (Arencibia), Todd (Helton), he’s a Vol legend.”
Toyloy Brown III is a Knox News sports reporter. Email toyloy.brown@knoxnews.com. On X, formerly Twitter, @TJ3rd_.
Tennessee freshman forward Chris Washington Jr met with the local media earlier this week in his first press conference after committing and signing with the Vols back in the spring.
Washington discussed why he chose Tennessee, what position he has mostly been working at this summer and much more. Here’s everything Washington said.
More From RTI: What Director of Sports Performance Garrett Medenwald Said About Tennessee Basketball Offseason
On what led to him de-committing from Alabama, eventually committing to Tennessee
“Honestly, I just felt like that for me and my family, that was just the best decision for me. And I found my right school, I feel like.”
On his first impressions of the team
“Like I said, me and the guys, we came a long way just from this first month, you know, getting help from DeWayne, and the team, it’s just been a blessing.”
On what the first month has been like for him personally
“Honestly, just getting better day by day. Coach Barnes, he’s coaching me hard. So honestly, just stacking days, just getting better day by day.”
On what Rick Barnes is harping on with him right now
“My defense. The whole country know I can score the ball, so just me, just working on my rotations, being right in the gaps. Defense.”
On what position he is working at.
“Right now, they got me playing four.”
On if they sold development based on his film or Tennessee’s track record
“I mean, honestly, just the track record of like guys he did put in the league, you know what I’m saying? I want to be pro, so like I said, I came to Tennessee, I felt like they’re gonna get me there, he’s gonna get me there.”
On who have been the verbal leaders on the team
“My boy DeWayne and my boy Kenbell (Duncan Campball), them two. They’ve been kind of really helping me.”
On how Tennessee sophomore forward DeWayne Brown has helped the newcomers understand what it’s like to play for the Vols
“I be in practice sometimes, I’ll get lost and he’ll kind of just help me a little bit. I mean, honestly, him just guiding us when we mess up.”
On his relationship with the rest of his freshman class: Manny Green, Ralph Scott and Marquis Clark; if he knew about them on the AAU circuit
“It’s been a great relationship. I didn’t play those guys on the circuit, so for us to be all on the same team, it’s a good thing.”
On playing AAU basketball in Knoxville; if that helped his decision
“It’s great, you know? It’s just amazing, honestly. I’m just glad to be here.”
On how he is liking the new Adidas uniforms
“I’m loving it. We’re in Adidas gear. I’m liking it, I’m loving it.”
On his strengths on offense
“I’d say getting to the rim, getting to my spots, and my (ability) to catch and shoot.”
On where his spots are
“Really just getting to the mid-range, getting down hill.”
On watching last year’s Vols get drafted
“Coach Barnes, him getting those guys there, I know my time’s gonna come.”
On his freshman class
“Oh, we got the best class, I feel like, honestly. We got a good class.”
Why he feels Tennessee has the best freshman class
“Shoot, we all can score, honestly. (Barnes) recruited a lot of scores this year. Even our freshman class, we can all get a bucket.”
Tennessee
Where Tennessee Baseball Players, Commits Land In Final MLB Mock Drafts, Rankings | Rocky Top Insider
The 2026 MLB Draft gets underway on Saturday afternoon to jump start MLB All-Star game festivities in Philadelphia. The two-day, 20-round draft is a highly important once for Tennessee baseball. While there are fewer current Vols projected to be selected, there will be no shortage of Tennessee prep signees and transfer commits who are draft risks.
We’ve compiled a number of both mock drafts and overall draft prospect rankings from a multitude of outlets that give us a look at where Tennessee players, transfers and commits could go. There’s a handful of Tennessee transfer commits who are not listed but are also draft risks including Wright State outfielder Andrew Duncan, Baylor shortstop Travis Sanders, FIU infielder Mario Trivella and Clemson right-handed pitcher Hayden Simmerson.
Taking a look at the mock drafts and draft rankings here.
More From RTI: Clemson Transfer Pitcher Commits To Tennessee Baseball
Current Tennessee player. Tennessee transfer commit. Tennessee high school signee
Mock Drafts
ESPN Two-Round Mock Draft
- LHP/OF Jared Grindlinger — No. 11 to Kansas City
- OF Trevor Condon — No. 14 to Miami
- RHP Tegan Kuhns — No. 34 to Pittsburgh
- RHP Kaiden McCarthy — No. 51 to Pittsburgh
The Athletic One-Round Mock Draft
- LHP/OF Jared Grindlinger — No. 11 to Baltimore
- RHP Tegan Kuhns — No. 24 to Seattle
CBS One-Round Mock Draft
- LHP/OF Jared Grindlinger — No. 18 to Cincinnati
Prospect Rankings
MLB Pipeline Top 250
- OF Trevor Condon — No. 13
- LHP/OF Jared Grindlinger — No. 16
- RHP Tegan Kuhns — No. 25
- RHP Kaiden McCarthy — No. 61
- RHP/SS Cole Koeninger — No. 99
- SS Jack Dugan — No. 106
- C Sean Dunlap — No. 124
- RHP Shawn Sullivan — No. 132
- RHP Tyler Putnam — No. 139
- RHP Gary Morse — No. 141
- 3B/OF Henry Ford — No. 148
- LHP Jake McCoy — No. 152
- C/OF Garrett Wright — No. 190
- RHP Cannon Grant — No. 212
- RHP Bo Rhudy — No. 219
- LHP Ricky Ojeda — No. 243
ESPN Top 250
- LHP/OF Jared Grindlinger — No. 11
- OF Trevor Condon — No. 16
- RHP Tegan Kuhns — No. 32
- C Sean Dunlap — No. 49
- RHP Kaiden McCarthy — No. 52
- RHP Gary Morse — No. 98
- RHP/SS Cole Koeninger — No. 107
- SS Jack Dugan — No. 109
- RHP Tyler Putnam — No. 112
- RHP Cannon Grant — No. 125
- 1B Cody Boshell — No. 142
- LHP Jake McCoy — No. 156
- C/OF Garrett Wright — No. 162
- 3B/OF Henry Ford — No. 183
- RHP Bo Rhudy — No. 201
Perfect Game Top 400
- LHP/OF Jared Grindlinger — No. 16
- OF Trevor Condon — No. 29
- RHP Tegan Kuhns — No. 50
- RHP Kaiden McCarthy — No. 51
- RHP/SS Cole Koeninger — No. 62
- C Sean Dunlap — No. 68
- 3B/OF Henry Ford — No. 134
- 1B/OF AJ Curry — No. 153
- RHP Cannon Grant — No. 176
- RHP Tyler Putnam — No. 190
- SS Jack Dugan — No. 201
- LHP Jake McCoy — No. 227
- RHP Shawn Sullivan — No. 231
- RHP Gary Morse — No. 241
- LHP Ricky Ojeda — No. 251
- RHP Bo Rhudy 255
- SS Jaxson Wood — No. 262
- C/OF Garrett Wright — No. 269
- LHP Brandon Arvidson — No. 274
- SS Manny Marin — No. 375
- OF Reese Chapman — No. 386
- LHP Drew Christine — No. 387
Sissy arrived at The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee in 2000, where caretakers began monitoring and managing her osteoarthritis. Sanctuary leaders said a recent progression of the disease caused what they described as “clear signs” of pain and swelling in her right wrist.
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