Tennessee Brings Home First National Title In Program History
Yesterday, the Tennessee Volunteers brought home their first national baseball championship in program history after beating Texas A&M 6-5. This was an action-packed nine innings of baseball, especially in the final three. Similarly, this was a perfect way to cap off an amazing College World Series Tournament. Both the Vols and the Aggies were the hottest teams throughout the tournament, so it was fitting they played in the championship and went all three games.
For the first seven innings, it was all Tennessee, taking a five-run lead going into the eighth. A three spot in the seventh was capped off by an absurd, acrobatic Hunter Ensley slide that proved to be a real difference-maker down the stretch. The scoring for Tennessee started early with a Christian Moore first-inning homer. Freshman standout Gavin Grahovac answered in the third with a game-tying RBI single, but the Vols pitching staff was able to weather the storm until the eighth. Dylan Dreiling finished off his stellar season with a sac fly in the third and a huge two run bomb in the seventh. Kavares Tears also added an RBI double in the same inning, which is where we got to see that slide from Ensley.
However, the bottom of the eighth is when things started to get interesting. Multiple wild pitches lead to a Hayden Schott RBI single and an RBI double from Caden Sorrell. With the Aggies mounting a rally, Tennessee turned to their go-to guy Kirby Connell. After an infield single from Ali Camarillo, the Aggies’ biggest power threat Kaeden Kent came to the plate with one out and a chance to tie the game. As a college baseball fan, this is what you live for. Connell struck him out on three pitches, ending with a low and away slider. He proceeded to strikeout the next hitter as well, as he strutted off the mound, waxed handlebar and all. Excitement stayed the course in the ninth as Jackson Appel drove in a run and later scored on a wild pitch. This is the only way this highly regarded series could have ended. Now with two outs, Aaron Combs finished the job with a strikeout and finally brought a national championship to the Rocky Top.
