There's one truth Tennessee Baseball needs to accept in 2023
If the absence of names like Jordan Beck and Drew Gilbert from the lineup card weren't enough, the game that played out for nine innings on Friday night in Arizona likely did the trick. The 2023 Tennessee Vols aren't the 2022 Tennessee Vols. And it's not the 3-1 loss to the Wildcats that makes that […]
If the absence of names like Jordan Beck and Drew Gilbert from the lineup card weren't enough, the game that played out for nine innings on Friday night in Arizona likely did the trick.
The 2023 Tennessee Vols aren't the 2022 Tennessee Vols. And it's not the 3-1 loss to the Wildcats that makes that truth stand out.
On Friday night, we saw some of the typical Tennessee bravado — Christian Moore frantically calling timeout and the chirping that ensued when the request wasn't granted, for example — but the vibes from 2022 were long gone.
And that's fine. That's how it goes in baseball. The 2023 Vols will create their own path, their own culture, and their own legacy. Maybe they'll go to Omaha, win it all, and ultimately be remembered more fondly than the 2022 team. That story is yet to be written.
On Friday night, though, it was beyond evident that Tennessee is still finding its way this season.
But the teams they'll be playing this season don't care about that. They still see the "villains" from 2022. And everyone wants to beat those villains.
The 2023 Vols will essentially pay for the "sins" of the 2022 team. Everyone is going to get up for Tennessee because of the Vols' unique reputation.
In other words — Tennessee will be getting everyone's best shot. And that could make for some tight, intense games.
Baseball is a game of skill, but it's also heavy on the mental side. A team's mindset can determine the outcome of a weekend series. Getting "locked in" is the most important thing a team can do before a big game. And it was clear that Arizona was locked in on Friday night during their season-opening win over the Vols. The same will likely be true of most of the opponents on UT's schedule this season.
I don't take much from that loss other than the massive target that's obviously on Tennessee this season. The Vols' pitching was mostly good — ace starter Chase Dollander was a little shaky early, but he settled down and gave Tennessee some good innings before being pulled because of a climbing pitch count.
The bats were cold on Friday night, but the Vols were also without two of their big offseason additions — shortstop Maui Ahuna (he's awaiting an eligibility ruling from the NCAA) and outfielder Griffin Merritt (serving a two-game suspension from last season when he was at Cincinnati). Those two will be inserted into the lineup soon (Merritt will be back for sure on Sunday).
Tennessee opened the season as the No. 2 team in the nation for a reason — they have the talent to win it all.
The 2023 season, however, could look a little different than the 2022 season. These Vols might not dominate in the way the 2022 team did during the regular season. But at the end of the year, when it's a win-or-go-home scenario, these Vols will have as good of a chance as anyone in the nation to be the last team standing.
They just need to accept that everyone will be gunning for them. And they need to embrace it. The chance to be part of a team that has everyone's attention is rare. These Vols can be special. Once they figure out their identity, this ship is going to take off. And it's just a matter of time before that identity is found.
Featured image via Calvin Mattheis/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK
