Looks like we're about to get our first SEC weekend in two years which is awesome for baseball fans.
Tennessee went through a long period at the bottom of the league just a few years ago. They hired former Arkansas assistant Tony Vitello before the 2018 season and he had them back over the 40-win mark and in a Regional in 2019. Tennessee was loaded with draft picks last year (similar to UGA) and were 15-2 after sweeping the prestigious Round Rock Classic expecting a huge year when things shut down. Ace LHP Garrett Crochet became the first player in ten years to skip the minors completely and go straight to the show with his 100 MPH fastball. They also lost a pair of outfielders drafted in the first four rounds. Tennessee is definitely one of those clubs still wondering what if about 2020.
The injury bug hasn't been kind to the Vols either. RHP Jackson Leath (2nd team All-American) went down with a hamstring injury two weeks ago and could be out for a considerable amount of time. He was averaging 14 K/9 when the season shutdown last year. He's a senior they were counting on.
The current Friday starter is junior RHP Chad Dallas. He's 2-0 this season with 23 K's and just 4 BB in 16.2 IP. Opponents are hitting just .194 against. He missed a start two weekends ago with an oblique strain, but was lights out against UNCG last Friday. Haven't seen any numbers on him this year, but he was 90-93 last year with a low 80's slider that seems to be his out pitch. Not the biggest guy and doesn't appear high on any MLB Draft boards, but he's been really good for UT as a JUCO product. He has surrendered a HR in every start this season, but he's been able to avoid the crooked numbers thus far.
Outside of him and a freshman Sunday guy, I wouldn't pay a ton of attention to who Tennessee starts on Saturday. They have been bouncing around and trying out guys. They have a wealth of quality upper class arms that all seem to be similar and if a guy gets a start and struggles, the hook is quick and they can bring on an arm that can give them 4-6 innings.
Saturday I'm going with senior LHP Will Heflin. He's started three games this year and made five appearances total. He started last week against UNCG and was yanked after two innings. Didn't have command and gave up a pair of homers. He had been really good in his appearances before that. Not a big guy, but he can bring it in the low 90's. Has a very solid change up. Outside of that I don't know much about him. He missed all of last year with a knee injury. I'm not convinced he starts Saturday, but we'll see.
Sophomore Mark McLaughlin is also an option on Saturday. He's the younger brother of former Dawg Sean McLaughlin who is now with the Braves. 15 K in 11.2 IP this season.
Sunday should be electric freshman RHP Blade Tidwell. Kid pitched for the East Cobb Astros in the summer, so he's familiar to UGA scouts. I know he struck out Parks Harber at the National Showcase in 2019. Fastball that can hit the upper 90's. Throws two different breaking balls, but the downward biting curve is an excellent offering. He's always looked really rigid and stiff to me in his delivery. He is a big guy, but it just all seems to be upper body in his motion which tells you the arm speed is off the charts. Tidwell is 2-1 in four starts with a 1.80 ERA and opponents hitting just .219 against. Control has been excellent with five BB over 20 IP. He's going to be a really high pick by the time he's done if he stays healthy and he definitely has the best stuff of any SP they'll throw this weekend.
RHP Sean Hunley and RHP Elijah Pleasants are two power arms they can rely on that can go a bunch of innings if needed in relief. Both have been very effective. Sophomore LHP Kirby Connell has been the go-to southpaw set up man in the pen and he hasn't given up an earned run in six appearances.
The closer is notable. LHP Redmond Walsh is a skinny kid who seems like he's been at UT forever now and he really has due to COVID and Tommy John. All he does is strike people out and slam the door. He hasn't surrendered an earned run this season or last, a span of 12 appearances. He had a paltry 1.38 ERA as a set up guy in 2019 over 45 innings. He's a guy you don't want to see.
Offensive wise, they lost two high draft picks which I mentioned above that supplied most of the power in that lineup, but they are still deep.
2B Max Ferguson is one of the better players in the SEC, but he's off to a little bit of a slow start by his standards. CF Drew Gilbert is a guy with tremendous ability and power, along with a bit of an edge to him. He plays a flashy brand of ball that can get under an opponents skin, but he can back it up. SS Liam Spence is an Australian with an MLB brother and he has been excellent this season as arguably their best hitter. 3B Jake Rucker is another pre-season All American along with Ferguson and he's hitting just shy of .340. First baseman Luc Lipscious is an upperclassman and a proven player in this league with a lot of power. Catcher Connor Pavolony was leading them in hitting when the season ended last year, but he's struggled a bit to begin this year despite a preseason AA selection. Also a kid who's struggling, but is perhaps the most talented player in this lineup is RF Jordan Beck. Things haven't clicked at the college level for him yet, but it's coming.
Tennessee's lineup is second in the league in walks and they're also second in the league in strikeouts. They are going to work counts and try to run pitches up. It's a lineup overall that has grossly underperformed to this point. They did not anticipate being near the bottom of the league in hitting. The one thing they do well and very often is run. They're going to be aggressive when they get on base so Georgia's catchers and pitchers need to be effective in limiting those opportunities.
Also keep in mind that the Vols are dead last in HR's given up while they're second in walks. So they're giving up the big shot, but they're not giving away bases.
There's a reason they were considered a consensus Top 20 club despite not returning a single starting pitcher. Obviously Leach was a big part of that equation and he's out, but this lineup hasn't hit like they expected. I haven't seen every game of course, but the numbers seem to hint at a tentative approach. They have excellent players in that lineup and those guys need to be more aggressive. Hopefully this isn't the weekend where that starts.
Tennessee went through a long period at the bottom of the league just a few years ago. They hired former Arkansas assistant Tony Vitello before the 2018 season and he had them back over the 40-win mark and in a Regional in 2019. Tennessee was loaded with draft picks last year (similar to UGA) and were 15-2 after sweeping the prestigious Round Rock Classic expecting a huge year when things shut down. Ace LHP Garrett Crochet became the first player in ten years to skip the minors completely and go straight to the show with his 100 MPH fastball. They also lost a pair of outfielders drafted in the first four rounds. Tennessee is definitely one of those clubs still wondering what if about 2020.
The injury bug hasn't been kind to the Vols either. RHP Jackson Leath (2nd team All-American) went down with a hamstring injury two weeks ago and could be out for a considerable amount of time. He was averaging 14 K/9 when the season shutdown last year. He's a senior they were counting on.
The current Friday starter is junior RHP Chad Dallas. He's 2-0 this season with 23 K's and just 4 BB in 16.2 IP. Opponents are hitting just .194 against. He missed a start two weekends ago with an oblique strain, but was lights out against UNCG last Friday. Haven't seen any numbers on him this year, but he was 90-93 last year with a low 80's slider that seems to be his out pitch. Not the biggest guy and doesn't appear high on any MLB Draft boards, but he's been really good for UT as a JUCO product. He has surrendered a HR in every start this season, but he's been able to avoid the crooked numbers thus far.
Outside of him and a freshman Sunday guy, I wouldn't pay a ton of attention to who Tennessee starts on Saturday. They have been bouncing around and trying out guys. They have a wealth of quality upper class arms that all seem to be similar and if a guy gets a start and struggles, the hook is quick and they can bring on an arm that can give them 4-6 innings.
Saturday I'm going with senior LHP Will Heflin. He's started three games this year and made five appearances total. He started last week against UNCG and was yanked after two innings. Didn't have command and gave up a pair of homers. He had been really good in his appearances before that. Not a big guy, but he can bring it in the low 90's. Has a very solid change up. Outside of that I don't know much about him. He missed all of last year with a knee injury. I'm not convinced he starts Saturday, but we'll see.
Sophomore Mark McLaughlin is also an option on Saturday. He's the younger brother of former Dawg Sean McLaughlin who is now with the Braves. 15 K in 11.2 IP this season.
Sunday should be electric freshman RHP Blade Tidwell. Kid pitched for the East Cobb Astros in the summer, so he's familiar to UGA scouts. I know he struck out Parks Harber at the National Showcase in 2019. Fastball that can hit the upper 90's. Throws two different breaking balls, but the downward biting curve is an excellent offering. He's always looked really rigid and stiff to me in his delivery. He is a big guy, but it just all seems to be upper body in his motion which tells you the arm speed is off the charts. Tidwell is 2-1 in four starts with a 1.80 ERA and opponents hitting just .219 against. Control has been excellent with five BB over 20 IP. He's going to be a really high pick by the time he's done if he stays healthy and he definitely has the best stuff of any SP they'll throw this weekend.
RHP Sean Hunley and RHP Elijah Pleasants are two power arms they can rely on that can go a bunch of innings if needed in relief. Both have been very effective. Sophomore LHP Kirby Connell has been the go-to southpaw set up man in the pen and he hasn't given up an earned run in six appearances.
The closer is notable. LHP Redmond Walsh is a skinny kid who seems like he's been at UT forever now and he really has due to COVID and Tommy John. All he does is strike people out and slam the door. He hasn't surrendered an earned run this season or last, a span of 12 appearances. He had a paltry 1.38 ERA as a set up guy in 2019 over 45 innings. He's a guy you don't want to see.
Offensive wise, they lost two high draft picks which I mentioned above that supplied most of the power in that lineup, but they are still deep.
2B Max Ferguson is one of the better players in the SEC, but he's off to a little bit of a slow start by his standards. CF Drew Gilbert is a guy with tremendous ability and power, along with a bit of an edge to him. He plays a flashy brand of ball that can get under an opponents skin, but he can back it up. SS Liam Spence is an Australian with an MLB brother and he has been excellent this season as arguably their best hitter. 3B Jake Rucker is another pre-season All American along with Ferguson and he's hitting just shy of .340. First baseman Luc Lipscious is an upperclassman and a proven player in this league with a lot of power. Catcher Connor Pavolony was leading them in hitting when the season ended last year, but he's struggled a bit to begin this year despite a preseason AA selection. Also a kid who's struggling, but is perhaps the most talented player in this lineup is RF Jordan Beck. Things haven't clicked at the college level for him yet, but it's coming.
Tennessee's lineup is second in the league in walks and they're also second in the league in strikeouts. They are going to work counts and try to run pitches up. It's a lineup overall that has grossly underperformed to this point. They did not anticipate being near the bottom of the league in hitting. The one thing they do well and very often is run. They're going to be aggressive when they get on base so Georgia's catchers and pitchers need to be effective in limiting those opportunities.
Also keep in mind that the Vols are dead last in HR's given up while they're second in walks. So they're giving up the big shot, but they're not giving away bases.
There's a reason they were considered a consensus Top 20 club despite not returning a single starting pitcher. Obviously Leach was a big part of that equation and he's out, but this lineup hasn't hit like they expected. I haven't seen every game of course, but the numbers seem to hint at a tentative approach. They have excellent players in that lineup and those guys need to be more aggressive. Hopefully this isn't the weekend where that starts.
