KNOXVILLE – It may feel like it, but the worst hasn’t yet befallen Tennessee baseball. All Saturday did was provide reason to start considering such a demise.
Which was already happening long before Game 2 of this weekend’s NCAA Super Regional ended with Evansville celebrating in Lindsey Nelson Stadium. You could sense that the vibe had shifted. And the Vols were playing tighter. And an atmosphere of quiet tension suggested a gathering of minds at the same destination:
Is this really happening?
Is Tennessee, as the No. 1 overall seed in the country, about to blow another super regional at home? Only this time against a mid-major opponent who opened this NCAA Tournament as a No. 4 seed in its regional?
Might tiny Evansville actually be pulling off one of the biggest postseason upsets ever in college baseball, making it all the way to the College World Series?
Can’t say it’s impossible. Not anymore.
Not after Saturday’s 10-8 victory over the Vols evened the series and forced Sunday evening’s deciding Game 3.
“Hands down, the greatest win in our school’s history,” said Evansville coach Wes Carroll. “… We’re in rare air. We’re in unchartered waters. But we’re going to come to the yard loose (on Sunday).”
Any notion in Knoxville of Evansville (39-25) as this wide-eyed, charming super regional underdog story no longer applies after the past two days. The Aces have repeatedly been knocked around by the Vols, and they haven't backed down at all, scrapping and swinging and hanging in there. In Game 1, Tennessee simply had too much.
So in Game 2, when the Vols hinted at more of that, belting three first-inning home runs and chasing Evansville’s starter Donovan Schultz after only 1⅓ innings, it seemed a prelude to the kill.
Who would Tennessee have rather had out there protecting an early 4-0 lead than pitcher Drew Beam?
Except Beam stumbled. He allowed five runs in 4⅔ innings, and his replacements weren't any better. Vols relievers Kirby Connell, Nate Snead and Andrew Behnke collectively faced 15 batters and allowed eight hits. The Aces scored 10 runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings.
This tournament, sooner or later, exposes the vulnerabilities of any team.
Saturday was that moment for Tennessee.
Evansville exposed its lack of reliable pitching depth, and even if the Vols advance to Omaha on Sunday, Saturday’s mid-inning stretch is a serious warning flag about their title chances.
Dig Deeper:Tennessee baseball bullpen melts down as Evansville forces super regional Game 3
It was troubling to see Beam – Tennessee’s lone true starting pitcher – fail to make it past the fifth inning for his third start in a row. It was troubling, too, to see hard-throwing Snead hit soundly by the Aces, and for Behnke to enter and promptly give up a two-run homer.
The weight of pitching uncertainty has been there all season for the Vols, though it has been easily carried by the best batting lineup in college baseball.
Except the Vols’ hitters didn't save this Saturday. After a run-scoring double by Kavares Tears in the fifth inning, Tennessee didn’t get another hit until a bloop single by Billy Amick in the ninth.
Meantime, the Vols went down in order in the seventh and eighth. Cue that quiet tension in the stadium I’d referenced, broken only by the cheers of the purple-clad visitors.
The place did liven up in the ninth inning, when the Vols, trailing 10-5, scored three runs. The late push fell short, but it looms significant for a couple of reasons. There’s momentum for Sunday, of course, but Tennessee also forced Carroll to do something he didn’t want to do. Evansville had to bring in Shane Harris – who’d pitched Friday – to finish Game 2 rather than save him for Game 3.
“Obviously, the game ended in the ninth inning,” Vols coach Tony Vitello said, “but I think (the rally) helped more than our players would even know.”
There was positivity to be taken from Tennessee's finishing kick. But acute disappointment, too. Because who else would they have wanted at the plate with the bases loaded and two outs than Christian Moore?
Except Moore popped up.
Tennessee left 11 runners on base in Game 2, and nine were credited to the top four hitters in that fearsome lineup: Moore, Blake Burke, Billy Amick and Dylan Dreiling. The Vols were .182 (2-of-11) with runners in scoring position Saturday, while the Aces were .667 (4-of-6) and a sizzling .500 (8-for-16) with two outs.
Days like these happen in baseball. The Vols just can’t have another.
And if pressure was on their shoulders Saturday afternoon, just wait for Sunday night.
Reach Tennessean sports columnist Gentry Estes at gestes@tennessean.com and on the X platform (formerly known as Twitter) @Gentry_Estes.
