'I want that matchup' – The Big 12 player of the year is eager to play the Tennessee Vols in the Knoxville Regional
The Big 12 player of the year is hoping to play against the Tennessee Vols in the Knoxville Regional this weekend. Cincinnati Bearcats infielder Kerrington Cross, who had a terrific 2025 regular season, told reporters on Monday that he "wants" the matchup with Tennessee due to the fact that former Cincy pitching coach Josh Reynolds […]
The Big 12 player of the year is hoping to play against the Tennessee Vols in the Knoxville Regional this weekend.
Cincinnati Bearcats infielder Kerrington Cross, who had a terrific 2025 regular season, told reporters on Monday that he "wants" the matchup with Tennessee due to the fact that former Cincy pitching coach Josh Reynolds is on UT's staff.
"I'm not too concerned [about] who we play," said Cross. "If we play our brand to an elite level, I think we'll come out on top, the results will show it. And if we end up playing Tennessee, I'd love to get a shot at JR (Reynolds), so I want that matchup."
Reynolds spent the 2024 season as the pitching coach at Cincinnati before joining Tennessee as the Vols' Director of Baseball Operations and Pitching Performance.
Interestingly, Cross mentioned that he was actually hoping that Cincinnati would land in the Vanderbilt Regional.
Bearcats RHP Nathan Taylor, however, told reporters that he was hoping the Bearcats would be included in the Knoxville Regional.
Taylor cited his close relationship with Reynolds as the reason he was hoping to make the trip to Rocky Top for regional play.
"I wanted to go to Tennessee (for regional play)," said Taylor. "Our old pitching coach, Josh Reynolds, me and him are really close. And he took a job at Tennessee, so it's going to be cool going back there to see him."
If Tennessee and Cincinnati both win on Friday, they would play each other on Saturday. Losses by Tennessee and Cincinnati on Friday would also lead to a matchup between the two teams on Saturday.
Here's the Knoxville Regional schedule:
Friday
Game one: Wake Forest vs. Cincinatti at 1:00 PM ET
Game two: Tennessee vs. Miami (Ohio) at 6:00 PM ET
Saturday
Game three: Loser of game one vs. loser of game two at 12:00 PM ET
Game four: Winner of game one vs. winner of game two at 6:00 PM ET
Sunday
Game five: Winner of game three vs. loser of game four at 12:00 PM ET
Game six: Winner of game four vs. winner of game five at 6:00 PM ET
Monday
Game seven (if needed): Rematch of game six
Cincinnati could be a tough matchup for Tennessee due to the Bearcats' aggressiveness on the base paths. The Vols have had trouble controlling the running game and that's an area where Cincinnati excels.
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