Tennessee
Tony Vitello explains why Blake Burke was ejected from Tennessee baseball’s game vs Illinois
Blake Burke was ejected following a fifth-inning home run in Tennessee baseball’s 8-3 win against Illinois at Lindsey Nelson Stadium on Sunday.
It is unclear what Burke did to warrant an ejection following his home run, which pulled the Vols within 3-2 against Illinois.
Tennessee coach Tony Vitello told reporters after the game both teams were warned after “both catchers were talking to each other during (Illinois’ Camden) Janik’s at-bat.”
“Blake hit the home run, and as he crossed home plate, I don’t know what he said, but he was clearly talking to the catcher about the home run or telling him about it,” added Vitello. “Which he’s a smart enough guy. He can see where the ball landed. There’s no need to do that.”
The first baseman will miss UT’s home game Tuesday against Eastern Kentucky.
The No. 8 Vols (16-1) swept Illinois (5-9) for the third straight weekend series sweep and 14th straight win.
“We’ll come out of today being the bad guys, and maybe something gets posted or you hear ‘Blake Burke got thrown out. He’s a bad guy.’ But I used to coach pitchers. I don’t remember back then anybody throwing a baseball, 90 mile-an-hour objects at guys when they’re not looking at it. But it started about six years ago. Our guys are guilty of doing it. I’m not calling our their guy. He’s doing what he’s got to do,” said Vitello.
BIG NIGHT FOR FRESHMAN: Dean Curley becomes first Tennessee baseball freshman to have three-homer game
Dalton Bargo replaced Burke at first base following the ejection, which was UT’s first for a player since Christian Moore was ejected against Vanderbilt on April 22 at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
Burke’s homer was his sixth of the season as he has been on a tear of late. The junior was hitting .367 entering Sunday.
Gentry Estes of The Tennessean contributed to this story.
SCOTT COUNTY, Tenn. (WVLT) – The Tennessee Highway Patrol is investigating a deadly crash involving a UTV and a train in Scott County.
According to THP’s preliminary report, the crash happened Saturday off of Route 27 near Helenwood just before 5 p.m. when the driver of the UTV, identified as 52-year-old Ronnie Lloyd, “failed to stop” at the railroad crossing and hit a moving train.
Lloyd was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash, THP said.
Additional information was not released.
Copyright 2026 WVLT. All rights reserved.
Four-star safety Ta’Shawn Poole will announce his commitment between Tennessee, Georgia and Florida State on July 17, according to Brendan Sonnone of 247Sports.
The 6-foot-2, 185-pound prospect is from Howard High School in Macon, Georgia. 247Sports ranks him as the No. 4 safety in the class and No. 6 player in Georgia.
Tennessee offered Poole a scholarship on Feb. 21, 2025. He has visited the Vols three times, including an official visit on June 5.
UNLV was the first school to offer Poole a scholarship on Aug. 1, 2024. Other Power Four schools to offer him scholarships include Louisville, Georgia Tech, Iowa State, Auburn, Missouri, Miami, North Carolina State, Kentucky, Nebraska, Florida, Michigan, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, North Carolina, Penn State, Ole Miss, Indiana, Mississippi State, Wake Forest, Alabama, Virginia Tech and Clemson.
Tennessee has 16 commitments in its 2027 football recruiting class: linebacker JP Peace, offensive tackle Princeton Uwaifo, quarterback Derrick Baker, athlete Jaden Butler, wide receiver KeSean Bowman, defensive back Carter Jamison and defensive back Brandon Leavell, tight end Malik Howard, defensive lineman Christian Mays, cornerback Dylan Haley, linebacker Kenneth Simon II, kicker Ford Fehling, long snapper Sam McKeown, offensive tackle Q’Mari Hudson, athlete Dayon Cooper, and safety Marcus Jones.
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The Tennessee Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at July 3, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from July 3 drawing
05-09-29-47-57, Mega Ball: 16
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash 3 numbers from July 3 drawing
Morning: 7-0-6, Wild: 8
Midday: 8-9-9, Wild: 7
Evening: 3-6-1, Wild: 4
Check Cash 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash 4 numbers from July 3 drawing
Morning: 2-5-7-4, Wild: 1
Midday: 3-7-7-4, Wild: 3
Evening: 1-4-3-6, Wild: 5
Check Cash 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Daily Tennessee Jackpot numbers from July 3 drawing
09-12-23-27-33
Check Daily Tennessee Jackpot payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Tennessee Cash numbers from July 3 drawing
04-13-18-27-35, Bonus: 02
Check Tennessee Cash payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from July 3 drawing
07-08-24-42-47, Bonus: 03
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All Tennessee Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $599.
For prizes over $599, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at Tennessee Lottery offices. By mail, send a winner claim form, winning lottery ticket, a copy of a government-issued ID and proof of social security number to P.O. Box 290636, Nashville, TN 37229. Prize claims less than $600 do not require a claim form. Please include contact information on prizes claimed by mail in the event we need to contact you.
To submit in person, sign the back of your ticket, fill out a winner claim form and deliver the form, along with the ticket and government-issued ID and proof of social security number to any of these locations:
Nashville Headquarters & Claim Center: 26 Century Blvd., Nashville, TN 37214, 615-254-4946 in the (615) and (629) area, 901-466-4946 in the (901) area, 865-512-4946 in the (865) area, 423-939-7529 in the (423) area or 1-877-786-7529 (all other areas in Tennessee). Outside Tennessee, dial 615-254-4946. Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes of any amount.
Knoxville District Office: Cedar Springs Shopping Center, 9298 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37922, (865) 251-1900. Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $199,999.
Chattanooga District Office: 2020 Gunbarrel Rd., Suite 106, Chattanooga, TN 37421, (423) 308-3610. Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $199,999.
Memphis District Office: Chiles Plaza, 7424 U.S. Highway 64, Suite 104, Memphis, TN 38133, (901) 322-8520. Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $199,999.
Check previous winning numbers and payouts at https://tnlottery.com/.
When are the Tennessee Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10:00 p.m. CT Tuesday and Friday.
- Cash 3, 4: Daily at 9:28 a.m. (Morning) and 12:28 p.m. CT (Midday), except for Sunday. Evening game daily, seven days a week, at 6:28 p.m. CT.
- Daily Tennessee Jackpot: 9:00 p.m. CT daily.
- Tennessee Cash: 10:34 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
- Powerball Double Play: 10:30 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Tennessean editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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