Tennessee Vols fans provide incredible moment for beloved player in final home game

Tennessee Vols fans provided an incredible moment on Sunday evening for LHP Kirby Connell.  Connell, a fifth-year senior who is originally from Johnson City, TN, played in his final game in Lindsey Nelson Stadium on Sunday against Evansville.  After retiring the only batter he faced on Sunday, Connell exited the field to enormous cheers and […]

Zach Ragan — Tennessee Volunteers News Writer
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Tennessee Vols fans provided an incredible moment on Sunday evening for LHP Kirby Connell. 

Connell, a fifth-year senior who is originally from Johnson City, TN, played in his final game in Lindsey Nelson Stadium on Sunday against Evansville. 

After retiring the only batter he faced on Sunday, Connell exited the field to enormous cheers and chants of "Kirby!" from the Vols fans that packed Lindsey Nelson Stadium for the final game of the Knoxville Super Regional. 

What a moment for Connell. 

The left-handed relief pitcher probably isn't a future MLB star. But that doesn't take away from what he provided for Tennessee over the last several years. 

Connell helped clean up a lot of sticky situations for the Vols during his time on Rocky Top. There were times when Connell was called on to face a single batter (like he did on Sunday). And then there were times when Connell was called on to pitch multiple innings in relief (like when he pitched 5.0 innings against Georgia or 4.1 innings against Kentucky earlier this season). Whatever the situation, Connell was ready and eager. 

And that's only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what Connell has contributed to the program. His energy and status as an elite teammate are things that are invaluable to a baseball team. 

Connell may not be one of the players that generated a bunch of headlines over the last few years, but he's been a key player for the Vols during one of the best stretches in program history. 

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