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_.

Image credit:
Blake Burke (Photo by Eakin Howard/Getty Images)

Wednesday saw a rare tripleheader in Omaha and after a day full of baseball, the College World Series championship series is set.

Florida started the day with a 15-4 victory against Kentucky to advance to the bracket final. Tennessee beat Florida State, 7-2, in the afternoon to book its place in the CWS finals. The day ended with Texas A&M beating Florida, 6-0, to claim the other spot in the finals. For the first time since 2019, both CWS finalists have swept through their brackets, setting up a thrilling championship series.

Here are five takeaways from Wednesday in Omaha.

1. Tennessee rolled into the CWS championship series behind an excellent start from lefthander Zander Sechrist and another dynamic offensive performance. In many respects, it was just another day at the park for the Volunteers, who have put together so many games just like that this season. Wednesday was, of course, different, as it means Tennessee will play for the national championship for just the second time in program history and the first time since 1951.

The stage might have been bigger, but Tennessee was very much up to the challenge. The Volunteers came out swinging against Florida State and plated three runs in the top of the first. They held a 5-0 lead by the fourth inning and never looked back.

Tennessee is in its third CWS appearances in four years. It’s two previous trips didn’t go nearly this well, as it went 0-2 in 2021 and 1-2 in 2023. In between those trips was the Volunteers’ spectacular 2022 season that saw it win the SEC title and be the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament but get upset at home by Notre Dame in super regionals.

Now, Tennessee has taken the next step, starting 3-0 in Omaha to sweep through pool play and reach the championship series.

“We always say before something happens, something happens,” coach Tony Vitello said. “There’s been a lot of buildup into the successes we’ve had this year and the failures, too, to be honest with you. And it’s been fun to be a part of.”

Tennessee, which again this season won the SEC and is the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, is now aiming for the program’s first national championship. For a program that hadn’t made the NCAA Tournament for 12 seasons when Vitello was hired in the summer of 2017, it’s been an impressive rise.

2. Much like Tennessee, Texas A&M wasted no time establishing itself Wednesday. Four of its first five batters drew walks, leading to two runs. Its pitching staff was good enough that those first-inning runs would have been enough, though it tacked on more later and rolled to a comfortable victory.

Lefthander Justin Lamkin struck out nine batter and held Florida to three hits and a walk in five innings. While righthander Chris Cortez was first out of the bullpen and walked the only two batters he faced, Josh Stewart and Evan Aschenbeck threw two scoreless innings apiece to finish the game. The Aggies combined for a four-hit shutout, striking out 14 batters.

Lamkin has had an up-and-down sophomore season and had gotten just one out in the NCAA Tournament before the CWS. But with A&M losing No. 2 starter Shane Sdao to injury in super regionals, the Aggies have needed more out of Lamkin in Omaha and he’s delivered in a big way. He started both Saturday and Wednesday against Florida and threw a total of eight scoreless innings. He struck out 15 batters, walked one and held the Gators to four hits.

“I think the big part of it is just having self-confidence in myself and knowing I can go out there and I can compete and play at this level,” Lamkin said. “I think just getting ahead of hitters and just having true confidence in all my pitches really helped me out.

Lamkin on Wednesday won his first game since March 23, when he beat Mississippi State. Wednesday’s start was just the second time he threw more than four innings in 12 appearances since then and it couldn’t have come at a better time for the Aggies.

Without Sdao, A&M has had to scramble a bit on the mound. In Omaha, the answer has been a double dose of Lamkin. He now is 3-2, 5.00 with 86 strikeouts and 20 walks in 63 innings this season and is pitching as well as he has all year.

The question for A&M now becomes how to handle its pitching in the championship series. Lefthander Ryan Prager, the Aggies’ No. 1 starter, threw 95 pitches on Monday against Kentucky. Lamkin threw 70 pitches Wednesday after throwing 42 pitches on Saturday. No Aggie, other than Sdao, has started a game since Tanner Jones started and threw 3.1 innings against Grambling State in their opening game of the NCAA Tournament.

“Lamkin was obviously outstanding,” coach Jim Schlossnagle said. “The decision was just trying to figure out how long to leave him in there, you know, win the game but still give us a chance over the weekend since we’re down a pitcher.”

3. Florida became the first team since 2012 to play two full games on the same day in the CWS. It couldn’t have had two more different games, as it rolled past Kentucky, 15-4 in the morning, before losing, 6-0, to A&M in the nightcap.

Despite the tough end to the day, Florida was still one of the last four teams playing college baseball this season. Considering how hard the Gators had to hustle to end the regular season with a winning record and ensure they were eligible for an at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament, reaching this stage of the CWS was all the more impressive.

The tale has been told plenty now over the last month, but Florida trailed Georgia, 4-2, after seven innings on May 17. It came back to win that game, 7-4, in 10 innings and then won again the next day, 19-11. If the Gators didn’t win those two games, they would have had to made a run to the SEC Tournament semifinals to finish above .500 and become eligible for an at-large bid.

Florida did win the games, however, and snuck into the NCAA Tournament. That was to the chagrin of some, who believed their 28-27 record wasn’t good enough, no matter how good Florida’s strength of schedule was (it was No. 1). The Gators took the hard route to Omaha, winning the Stillwater Regional out of the loser’s bracket and then taking down Clemson on the road in super regionals.

“We had a terrific year,” coach Kevin O’Sullivan said. “There’s been a lot of ups and downs. Our players persevered through a lot of different tough moments. Awfully proud of our team.

“I know a lot of our guys are extremely disappointed, but speaking from my heart, I’m just awfully proud of them, for what they were able to accomplish this year and have this experience out here in Omaha.”

The Gators will look different next year. Jac Caglianone, arguably the best player in program history, will move on as a premier draft pick. Several other players, like shortstop Cody Shelton and bullpen ace Brandon Neely, are also likely headed for pro ball.

But Florida was young on the mound, which was part of its struggles this season, especially early. Righthander Liam Peterson, who started twice in Omaha, will return to anchor the rotation. Infielder Cade Kurland will be back as the lineup’s sparkplug.

The expectations at Florida never slacken and its talent level will keep it among the best teams in the country. But without Caglianone, Florida will have to find some new answers next season.

4. Florida State this season orchestrated the best turnaround in the country, as it went from going 23-31 and finishing last in the ACC in 2023 to this season going 49-17 and reaching the CWS. That journey ended Wednesday with the loss to Tennessee, as Florida State ran a little short on pitching and finally had its offense, which had averaged more than 10 runs per game during the NCAA Tournament, quieted.

Coach Link Jarrett said he told his team after the game that they were “the most dynamic team” he’s ever coached.

“That goes personality, heart, the way they played, the style, the physicality of that group,” he said. “It was just fun. They made everyday fun, and it becomes more fun when you can stack the quality of play that we saw them stack throughout the beginning part of the season, the middle part of the season and the postseason. It was remarkable.”

Florida State began the season with 19 straight wins. It swept the season series against Florida, reached the ACC Tournament championship game, earned a top-eight seed in the NCAA Tournament and reached Omaha for the first time since 2019. After being the most disappointing season in program history, it bounced back to be one of the last four teams standing.

Now, Jarrett and Florida State will look to reload. The Seminoles will lose the dynamic duo of outfielder James Tibbs III, the ACC player of the year, and third baseman Cam Smith. Both project to be top-15 picks in next month’s draft.

Much of the rest of the team figures to return, however. At the forefront of that is lefthander Jamie Arnold, who emerged this season as not only the team’s best starter but also the best pitcher in the 2025 draft class. Florida State dealt with several injuries on the mound this season, including losing Opening Day starter Cam Leiter for the second half of the season.

If Florida State can pair Arnold and Leiter in the rotation with the kind of deep, balanced offense it built this season, it would make for one of the most formidable teams in the country in 2025.

Jarrett instructed his assistant coaches to write down everything they observed during the CWS in terms of team construction and what they think they need to win in Omaha. Now, it is time to apply those lessons for the 2025 team.

“Now you’re grabbing what you think gets you the trophy here,” Jarrett said. “Last year you’re trying to build a roster, a competitive roster that’s more athletic, that had some depth and had some lefthanded bats and had some better arm options.

“Now, that’s what I told the coaches, think about everything that you feel you need right now. Some of it may be out there and available.”

5. Kentucky’s loss brought an end to its remarkable season. The Wildcats advanced to the CWS for the first time ever and they won a program-record 46 games.

Kentucky was picked fifth in the preseason SEC coaches’ poll. It went on to break down the wall to Omaha, go 46-16, host a super regional for the first time ever and finish tied with Tennessee atop the SEC.

Coach Nick Mingione said he’s known since the start of SEC play that this year’s Wildcats were a special team.

“I’ve done an amazing job this year of taking all this in,” Mingione said. “I could just sense, I knew how special they were. Their uncommon focus every single day, their unselfishness. I really dreaded this day because I just want to keep being around these guys. They are truly an amazing group of men.

“The way they represented this program, the institution and our state, like, the entire state of Kentucky, is really remarkable.”

Kentucky has now made back-to-back super regionals and doesn’t look like it’s slowing down as a program. The Wildcats will have to replace several key players, including 11 seniors. They also project to lose outfielder Ryan Waldschmidt, who figures to become the program’s first first-round pick since Zach Thompson (2019).

But the Wildcats won’t completely reset the roster. They have some draft-eligible players who are likely to return for another season and while their freshman class didn’t play a big role in 2024, the staff has done a good job of retaining its young players and allowing them to grow into roles later in their career. Kentucky will also refresh the program through the transfer portal, which has proved to be a fruitful recruiting ground for the Wildcats.

Life in the SEC makes it difficult to maintain a high level of success – look no further than Florida and LSU scuffling to 13-17 conference records this season after playing for the national title in 2023 – but Kentucky now seems to be at a point in its program building where it can be expected to compete year in and year out.

“There’s no reason that this program can’t stay at the top and be among this group every single year,” senior righthander Ryan Hagenow said. “With the staff that we have, all around, not just coaching staff, training staff, our equipment manager and with the stadium and the fan base we have and Coach Minge leading the way, there’s no reason this team shouldn’t continue to have success.

“I think it takes years to build that foundation. But I think we definitely built it.”

OMAHA, Nebraska — Jesse James Pulley started his first round of chemotherapy the day the ballplayers visited. The 9-year-old had just been diagnosed with Stage III Burkitt lymphoma, and everything was new and terrifying. Upon hearing the news of her son’s cancer a week earlier, Leann Pulley blacked out.

June 4 was the day Jesse met Kirby Connell and Zander Sechrist at the East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, three days before the Tennessee Volunteers played in super regionals. Sechrist is a starting pitcher on the No. 1-ranked Vols; Connell is one of the most popular people in Knoxville with his big arm, big personality and handlebar mustache that he curls for baseball games. Tennessee calls on the high-leverage reliever when things get hairy, which is appropriate. Perhaps no one on the team is hairier than the long-locked Connell.

Jesse James Pulley is shy when he’s around people he doesn’t know, his mom said, but when Connell and Sechrist — along with Tennessee pitchers AJ Russell and Austin Hunley — walked into the room, he lit up.

“What are you doing, dude?” Connell asked him and shook his hand.

Jesse was playing Mario Kart, and Russell challenged him to a game. But Connell did not root for his teammate. He cheered on Jesse, giving him pep talks all the way.

“It’s his first round of chemo. He was scared,” Leann said. “To see someone come in and lift his spirits like that … I don’t know how to describe it, but it’s just like a tingling feeling to see your child happy, with someone who they look up to.”

Before they left, the pitchers signed a baseball for Jesse. Connell scribbled his name right below Sechrist’s.

Jesse can’t play little league baseball — his asthma is too bad so he has had to wait. But every time he goes to the hospital for treatment, he packs that ball, and tosses it back and forth from his bed. One time, Leann suggested her son bring a different ball so the autographs wouldn’t get smudged.

“No, mom,” he told her.

“They gave me this one.”

THE CITY OF Knoxville is gaga over their Volunteers, and no one is more beloved than Connell.

But it’s hard to write a story about Connell without Sechrist because they’re the elder statesmen who have nine combined years of the good times and bad. Most importantly, they’re always around each other. Perhaps you’ve seen them in Knoxville, eating out at Texas Roadhouse, Chipotle or Chick-Fil-A. Or at the dais holding mock news conferences, feeding off each others’ jokes, enjoying these last few days together.

They’re roommates on the road and goofballs in the bullpen and dugout, that is, until it’s time to toe the slab. Their final game at Lindsey Nelson Stadium earlier this month was a true measure of what Connell and Sechrist have meant to the team, the UT community, and to each other.

With the Vols in a 1-1 super regional series with Evansville, and a trip to the Men’s College World Series on the line, Sechrist earned the start for Game 3. He was in command throughout, scattering six hits and one run over 6⅓ innings. Two innings later, with Tennessee up 12-1, Connell came on in relief in the ninth, essentially to say goodbye to his adoring fans, facing one batter, striking him out and leaving to an ovation.

After the game, Sechrist said this to reporters about Connell: “We’ve been through hell together. He’ll be at my wedding, he’ll be at my funeral. He’ll always be there for me. That friendship will never die.”

But before all that sentimental business, there was a little drama. Vols assistant coach Richard Jackson said Sechrist was supposed to exit after the sixth inning. He had thrown 100 pitches, after all.

Sechrist, riding an adrenaline high, had Connell run to the bullpen to give Jackson a message: Sechrist wasn’t coming out of the game. He said he knew he could get the next batter out, and he did, with just two pitches. Then he took a seat.

“I’ve never had somebody send a player down and say, ‘Hey, don’t open that gate for anyone when we go back out there,’” Jackson said. “It took me a second to kind of process it.

“You 100% have to earn that, and he’s put together the career that he has earned the right to do that.”

As much as Connell lobbies for his friend, he is also quick to point out that Sechrist can act … unconventional on the mound.

“He just does non-baseball things,” Connell said. “Like he jumps around, spins around, draws things in the air. Like, nobody will be around him and he’ll be yelling. He chews way too much bubble gum. That’s just like a few things.”

Connell said in super regionals, when Sechrist got out of a bases-loaded jam, he stood in the dugout and yelled the words “lemon squeeze.”

Sechrist said he was amped up and blurted out whatever was on his mind. He has no idea why he said that, however.

“Maybe,” Connell said, “he was thinking about making lemonade later.”

THEY MET DURING COVID-19. Neither pitcher was a big-name recruit, but both wound up helping set the culture for a program that has made it to three Men’s College World Series in the past four years. Connell, who’s now a grad student, was a sophomore in 2021 when he met Sechrist, then a freshman. Connell’s partner ditched him one day, so he started throwing with Sechrist.

That year was also when the mustache first appeared, although in a more subdued form.

“And then it just got longer and longer,” Connell said, “and just kind of fell into the brand. You know, a lot of people knew me as the guy with the mustache. So I had to keep it and now it’s just kind of gotten a little out of hand.

“It’s really long. Sometimes it gets into my mouth.”

The waxed handlebar mustache is reminiscent of another legendary reliever, Hall of Famer Rollie Fingers. Connell said he has watched video of Fingers pitching. He has also earned the nickname “Vollie Fingers.”

“He’s like the Dale Earnhardt of Knoxville, Tennessee,” Sechrist said. “Everybody around here is going to cheer for him no matter where he’s at in life, no matter what team he’s on.

“I remember one time he told a kid at LSU that he shaves [his mustache] before every weekend, and it grows back in three days. And the kid believed him, which was hilarious. That mustache … you can’t unsee it.”

Connell has made an even bigger name for himself on the mound. He has appeared in a school-record 125 games, carrying a 3.12 ERA in his five-year career with 145 strikeouts, 27 walks and 130 hits with a 10-2 record.

His appearance in Sunday’s MCWS game against North Carolina came at a pivotal moment, in the sixth inning with two runners on and no outs with the Vols up 4-1. He escaped the inning unscathed, forcing a fielder’s choice, catching a runner stealing and striking out Gavin Gallaher.

“I’d much rather be a relief pitcher than a starter,” Connell said. “I’m not going to lie. I’m also weird. I’d much rather come in with the bases loaded and no outs than start an inning.

“There’s a lot of pressure built up. But you know, pressure makes diamonds.”

SECHRIST SAYS CONNELL will always be remembered in Tennessee because of all the charity work he has done. Patients from the East Tennessee Children’s Hospital throw out the ceremonial first pitch at UT games, and Connell volunteered to be the catcher.

He would encourage the children and put them at ease. When visiting the hospital, he made it a point to engage with as many patients as he could.

Chelsea Smith, a child life specialist at the East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, called Connell’s visits a “game-changer” for the children.

“They’re not going to look back at this challenging season in their lives when they were hospitalized and remember chemotherapy drips, the vomiting, IVs, the ports,” Smith said. “They’re going to remember these baseball players playing video games with them, telling jokes with them, fist-bumping them, giving them a signed baseball.

“That’s why this kind of work really matters. I’m so grateful for what Kirby did.”

Jesse James Pulley likes that Connell is a lefty like him. He loves Connell’s long hair and mustache. Jesse will lose his hair soon because of his treatments, and he wanted to dye it blue before it happened. So now he has blue hair.

He will watch the games when he can, rooting for a Tennessee team that has never won a Men’s College World Series but is just one win away from making the championship series. And he’ll look for his favorite player.

“That feeling you get, it’s like a safe feeling,” Leann Pulley said. “I know that’s really weird to describe. But it’s like he’s been doing it his whole life.

“He’s like a big best brother.”