How Trey Lipscomb manufactured an all-time Tennessee baseball season

Trey Lipscomb nonetheless seems to be at his at-bats from 2019.

Tennessee baseball’s third baseman hardly acknowledges the 18-year-old child rushingto the batter’s field whereas making an attempt to impress in sparse alternatives. He is shocked by the eagerness. He isn’t shocked by the outcomes.

He acquired one hit in 14 at-bats.

“It’s virtually like I used to be asking to get out or one thing,” Lipscomb mentioned.

Lipscomb takes a gradual stroll from the on-deck circle to the batter’s field as of late. He slides his proper foot throughout the again of the field as he walks throughout it. He strides to the opposite aspect and stares at his bat earlier than stepping in and planting himself within the field.

“Now, once I go to the field, it’s my present,” Lipscomb mentioned. “Nobody goes to cease me.”

How Trey Lipscomb modified his mentality

Lipscomb is having one of the crucial prolific offensive seasons in Tennessee historical past. He’s crushing the ball and driving in runs at a record-setting tempo, with 16 residence runs and 61 RBIs getting into the collection between No. 1 Tennessee (38-3, 17-1 SEC) and No. 21 Auburn (30-12, 11-7).

Who Lipscomb is now’s the product of energetic endurance. He waited intentionally and properly for his alternative.

“I put my head on my pillow each single night time and was like, ‘That is what I need to do,’” Lipscomb mentioned. “It was virtually prefer it needed to occur.”

Lipscomb talks in regards to the senior season he’s having with that angle. He by no means lacked expertise or confidence. Tennessee’s coaches didn’t query his expertise or his future as an SEC starter. 

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The Frederick, Maryland, native by no means considered leaving whereas ready behind a pair of standout third basemen in Andre Lipcius and Jake Rucker. 

“I created some bonds right here at Tennessee,” Lipscomb mentioned. “It’s not that I selected to not break them. I couldn’t break the bonds at Tennessee.”

Lipscomb took on the problem of getting higher within the background for 3 years, throughout which he had 69 at-bats in 37 video games. He sought to be taught via watching others, getting stronger and specializing in his psychological method.

“Endurance wasn’t actually a factor to me once I acquired right here then it was like every part wanted to decelerate,” Lipscomb mentioned. “I wanted to step again and see issues in a different way.”

He began doing yoga in the course of the COVID-19 shutdown in 2020. He learn “It Takes What It Takes” by Trevor Moab and books by Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson. He slows down by portray and discovered to be within the current second.

His confidence as a baseball participant did not waver, strengthened by successes throughout summer time ball periods and end-of-season conferences with Vols coach Tony Vitello.

“I all the time knew I used to be all the time the participant I’m proper now,” Lipscomb mentioned. “It was only a matter of time once I was going to get to do it at this college.”

What Trey Lipscomb discovered from Andre Lipcius, Jake Rucker

Lipscomb walked by the batting cages at Lindsey Nelson Stadium early within the morning in 2019. He noticed Lipcius hitting with Max Ferguson day after day.

Finally, Lipscomb stopped strolling by and began watching via the window.

“I wish to ask questions, however once I can get info with out asking questions after which apply it to my recreation, that’s my sort of studying,” Lipscomb mentioned.

Lipscomb acquired an intimate have a look at success backing up Lipcius as a freshman and Rucker the previous two seasons. He noticed their consistency taking part in third base and hitting No. 3. He watched how they approached baseball in video games and behind the scenes. 

“He confirmed up on daily basis and I liked that about him. You could possibly inform he was absorbing info,” Lipcius mentioned. “He all the time confirmed spurts of greatness. It was only a matter of time earlier than he acquired the prospect to point out off his actual talents. … 

“Now, he’s taking part in for the No. 1 crew within the nation. It’s so superior to see him flourishing.”

Lipcius isn’t shocked by Lipscomb’s successes. He was round every day, going via infield drills. The freshman additionally picked the veteran’s mind throughout hitting work. He labored on his footwork in entrance of the mirror at residence.

Lipscomb was the obvious inheritor at third base after Lipcius was drafted by the Detroit Tigers within the third spherical of the 2019 MLB Draft. However the infield shuffled when shortstop Liam Spence arrived, Rucker slid to 3rd base to accommodate Ferguson at second base in 2020 and Lipscomb needed to maintain ready. 

If Lipscomb was annoyed, Rucker didn’t see it in Lipscomb’s business-like method.

“I don’t know the way he has performed it,” mentioned Rucker, a seventh-round choose by the Minnesota Twins within the 2021 MLB Draft. “For him to attend that lengthy, to be that affected person to get a chance, is one thing not lots of people can do.”

Lipscomb and Rucker arrived at UT within the 2019 recruiting class and lived collectively for 3 years. Lipscomb noticed Rucker’s habits, particularly in the course of the 2021 season after they rode to practices and video games collectively. He observed Rucker would take heed to enjoyable music and skim his Bible earlier than video games.

“He knew that he would get his alternative in the future and he all the time trusted God’s plan and path for him,” Rucker mentioned.

Trey Lipscomb is the subsequent Vols 3B in line for the MLB Draft

Lipscomb has one other profitable summer time ball stint in Pennsylvania with the Johnston Rail Rats in 2021. He got here again to Tennessee in line for the third base job and was prepared for it — mentally and bodily. 

“I knew there was no strain on my shoulders,” Lipscomb mentioned. “It was simply go on the market and play ball. Nobody may cease me. As soon as I spotted that, I believe it was over with and that’s once I came upon who I used to be myself.”

He went 3-for-4 with a homer within the season opener in opposition to Georgia Southern. He hit for the cycle every week later in opposition to Iona, going 5-for-5 with 9 RBIs. 

Lipscomb hasn’t slowed down. He’s hitting .361 whereas monitoring for 27 homers and 103 RBIs — each could be program information.

“You knew it was going to come back. It was only a matter of when,” Vitello mentioned. “He simply made you be ok with having this child in your program as a result of whether or not he’s within the lineup or not, you knew he was going that can assist you win.”

Lipscomb is among the key causes Tennessee is having a outstanding season. He’s additionally setting the Vols up for a formidable feat. He possible will likely be chosen within the top-10 rounds of the MLB Draft, giving UT three extremely drafted third basemen in 4 drafts.

“Having guys which can be keen to remain within the system and actually belief what they’re doing, then go on to get drafted is basically particular,” Lipcius mentioned. “They know in the event that they get a shot, there may be good probability they may go onto the extent.”

Lipscomb by no means doubted his time would come. He went to sleep for years believing it, keen it into actuality. He goes to sleep now occupied with getting higher once more the subsequent day.

“If I don’t get higher tomorrow, the pitcher on the mound the subsequent day goes to be higher than me,” Lipscomb mentioned. “That’s how I am going about issues. Coach V all the time offers us this quote: ‘When you sleep on a win, you get up to a loss.’ I simply take it like that.”

Mike Wilson covers College of Tennessee athletics. Electronic mail him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and observe him on Twitter @ByMikeWilson. When you take pleasure in Mike’s protection, think about a digital subscription that can permit you entry to all of it.