The Official Austin Peay @ Tennessee Game Thread (Tuesday 5/9 6:30PM EST) SEC NETWORK+

#1

NO SIR EEE

The Sultan Of Swat
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#1
AP Governors (23-25) Overall (13-11) ASUN
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@
Tennessee Vols (32-16) Overall (12-12) SEC

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KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Kicking off its final homestand of the 2023 regular season, the No. 11/23 Tennessee Volunteers take on in-state foe Austin Peay in midweek action on Tuesday, May 9, at 6:30 p.m. ET inside Lindsey Nelson Stadium.

The Vols (32-16, 12-12 SEC) are looking to finish the home schedule out strong with the final five games on Rocky Top this year. Tennessee hopes to bounce back from a tough weekend at Georgia within the friendly confines of home where it is 29-4 this season. The Vols are also 4-1 against in-state opponents this year.

Tennessee may have its breakout arm in the bullpen in AJ Russell. Russell, who pitched six total innings last week, struck out 11 hitters and conceded just two runs in extended work. The freshman from Franklin, Tennessee has battled and impressed each time he takes the mound.

PROJECTED STARTING PITCHERS
Tuesday, May 9 (6:30 p.m. ET)
LHP Zander Sechrist (0-1, 1.67 ERA) vs. RHP Davin Pollard (3-2, 5.23 ERA)

BROADCAST INFO
Tuesday's game will stream on SEC Network+ and the ESPN app with Andy Brock (PxP) and Caylan Arnold (Analyst) on the call. The online broadcast can be accessed on any mobile device through WatchESPN. WatchESPN can be accessed through the ESPN App, or online at espn.com/watch.

Fans can also listen to the Voice of Tennessee Baseball, John Wilkerson, and Vince Ferrara call the action on the Vol Network (FM 99.1/990 AM) or via a free audio stream on UTSports.com and the Tennessee Athletics Gameday App.

SERIES HISTORY
Overall: Tennessee leads, 21-5
In Knoxville: Tennessee leads, 19-4
In Clarksville: Tennessee leads, 2-0
at Neutral Sites: Austin Peay leads, 1-0
Last 10 Meetings: Tennessee leads, 8-2
Last Meeting: W, 5-3 (March 3, 2021, in Clarksville)

Tennessee and Austin Peay have met every other year since 2015, with the Vols taking each matchup between the two sides.

NOTABLE
NON-CON DOMINATION
Tennessee has been extremely successful against non-conference opponents since the start of the 2019 season, posting a 114-21 record in that span.

Under Vitello, Tennessee is an impressive 62-10 overall in midweek games, including a 13-1 record a season ago, outscoring their opponents 139-31 in those 14 contests. The Vols are 10-2 in midweek games this season while outscoring their opponents 126-29 in those contests.

In 24 non-conference games this year, Tennessee is batting .319 as a team with 59 home runs and has a 2.25 team ERA while posting seven shutouts and holding opponents to a .184 batting average. The Vols have allowed more than three earned runs just three times in their 24 non-SEC contests.

OFFENSE HITTING ITS STRIDE
Tennessee has been tearing the cover off the ball in recent weeks, batting .355 as a team with 49 extra-base hits and 26 home runs over its last 10 games, posting an 8-2 record in that stretch. In those 10 games, UT is outscoring its opponents 109-42 with 122 hits while slugging .654 as a team.

The Vols have scored double-digit runs in five of their last eight SEC games and seven of their last 10 games overall with three run-rule victories in that span.

Two-out hitting has been a staple for the Big Orange as of late. In its last nine wins, Tennessee has scored 53 of its 108 runs with two outs while batting .382 (42-for-110) with two outs during that stretch.

FORMER VOLS FLOURISHING IN PRO BALL
Former Tennessee Volunteers in Pro Ball have enjoyed lots and lots of success to start the 2023 season.

Last week, Nick Senzel was named National League Player of the Week after batting .476 with a pair of home runs and nine RBIs for the week of April 24-30. The Reds' utility man is in his fifth season in the Bigs.

Down on the farm for Houston, Drew Gilbert earned a promotion from High-A Asheville to Double-A Corpus Christi after a scorching month of April where he hit .360 with 6 homers and 18 RBIs in 21 games played.

From the Southeastern Conference to the Northwest League, VFLs Jordan Beck and Chad Dallas each earned Northwest League Player of the Week honors after terrific respective weeks for the Spokane Indians and Vancouver Canadiens, respectively.

At Double-A Montgomery, an affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays, Sean Hunley has been simply excellent this year, posting a 1.13 ERA with a WHIP of 0.67 and 27 strikeouts in 24 innings. Hunley will be back in East Tennessee this week as the Biscuits face the Tennessee Smokies in Kodak for a week-long series. On Monday, Hunley was named the Rays' Minor League Pitcher of the Month for April.

Also earning a promotion last week was left-handed reliever Will Mabrey who was assigned to High-A Hillsboro from Single-A Visalia in the Arizona Diamondbacks' farm system.

OPPONENT SCOUT
Austin Peay Governors
  • 2023 Record: 23-25 (13-11 ASUN)
  • 2022 Record: 19-37 (10-14 OVC)
  • 2022 Postseason: none
  • 2023 ASUN Preseason Poll: 11th
  • Head Coach: Roland Fanning (first season)
  • Stat Leaders:
    • Average: Lyle Miller-Green (.383)
    • OBP: Lyle Miller-Green (.463)
    • SLG: Garrett Martin (.709)
    • OPS: Garrett Martin (1.170)
    • Hits: Lyle Miller-Green (75)
    • Runs: Garrett Martin (55)
    • RBIs: Lyle Miller-Green, Garrett Martin (46)
    • Doubles: Clayton Gray (23)
    • Triples: Clayton Gray (3)
    • Home Runs: Lyle Miller-Green, Garrett Martin (15)
    • Stolen Bases: Clayton Gray (19)
    • ERA: Kyle Magrans (4.65)
    • WHIP: Kyle Magrans (1.52)
    • BAA: Jacob Kush (.242)
    • Innings Pitched: Jacob Kush (60.0)
    • Strikeouts: Jacob Kush (67)
    • Wins: Jacob Kush (5)
    • Saves: Davin Pollard (5)
ON DECK
Tennessee hosts its final home weekend series of the regular season as the Volunteers welcome No. 15/17 Kentucky to Rocky Top for a three-game set beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET on Friday, May 12.
 
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#6
#6
Rest most - not all - of this past weekend starters for their lackluster performance (“bench” is a better term) and relegate our weekend starting pitchers (except Andrew Lindsey) to midweek games and replace with the talented pitchers we have waiting in the wings.
Every team knows how to hit - blast - against our Saturday and Sunday starters.
 
#7
#7
We can't rest or bench. We need this W.
Rest most - not all - of this past weekend starters for their lackluster performance (“bench” is a better term) and relegate our weekend starting pitchers (except Andrew Lindsey) to midweek games and replace with the talented pitchers we have waiting in the wings.
Every team knows how to hit - blast - against our Saturday and Sunday starters.
 
#8
#8
We can't rest or bench. We need this W.
We have several disappointingly underperforming players who continue to find themselves in the starting lineup with inconsistent performances.
This season has pointed out the questionable talent assessment of key transfer portal players and the fact that our starting pitchers from last season haven’t improved - or haven’t been coached up - this season.
The lack of a seasoned catcher…
Base-running blunders…
Defensive errors….
It just isn’t our year.
 
#9
#9
In the midst of posters venting their denial of dopamine...
I want to pose this question to those who know baseball from playing and coaching, who have an idea of what the coaching staff's discussions might have been since Sunday:

What do you want to accomplish Tuesday, against a team less-talented, but still capable of leaving you with a season devastating loss?

Do you break pattern to rest some pitchers? Do you experiment with any spots in the lineup? Do you stay the course and give guys another opportunity to "snap out of" their woes?

Or will every decision for Tuesday be determined entirely by your plans for this weekend with Kentucky?

I appreciate the opportunity to better understand the game from you guys, (amidst the wailing and gnashing of keyboards).
 
#10
#10
In the midst of posters venting their denial of dopamine...
I want to pose this question to those who know baseball from playing and coaching, who have an idea of what the coaching staff's discussions might have been since Sunday:

What do you want to accomplish Tuesday, against a team less-talented, but still capable of leaving you with a season devastating loss?

Do you break pattern to rest some pitchers? Do you experiment with any spots in the lineup? Do you stay the course and give guys another opportunity to "snap out of" their woes?

Or will every decision for Tuesday be determined entirely by your plans for this weekend with Kentucky?

I appreciate the opportunity to better understand the game from you guys, (amidst the wailing and gnashing of keyboards).
If It was me making the decisions, I'm not experimenting with anything. There are 7 games left after Tuesday, I would make sure that I have all my pieces in place that I am rolling with against Kentucky. I really don't believe now is the time to start experimenting to the extreme, but hey, either way I trust Vitello and staff.
 
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#11
#11
I think you have already tried to motivate through sitting and it worked a little. Every guy has different motivations. Some internal, some external. Some reward, some punishment. I don't know the guys personally to know which works. Because the guy who is reward that gets punishment will just shut down which is worse if you need them in the future. My oldest son was a reward guy. If you hollered at him, he shut down and it was not good for you. My middle one was an in your face guy and if you got in his face he turned it up. You very rarely had to sit him. Kirby is a mix but more just tell me what you want me to do. I got in his face one time and it went really bad for me and him. Still regret that to this day. Ruined a friendship for him and me.

I'm pretty sure they know who they want to play what and are just hoping they can figure out how to get them hot again. Home field normally helps.

Some need to be banned from nega-family and nega-fans who question every call the coaches make and add to the drama. Yes. I said it.
 
#12
#12
And on a side note, Peay AD... can we get the coach a shoe contract?

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...or was he going straight from the park to coach the Snipe Hunting Team?
 
#13
#13
I think you have already tried to motivate through sitting and it worked a little. Every guy has different motivations. Some internal, some external. Some reward, some punishment. I don't know the guys personally to know which works. Because the guy who is reward that gets punishment will just shut down which is worse if you need them in the future. My oldest son was a reward guy. If you hollered at him, he shut down and it was not good for you. My middle one was an in your face guy and if you got in his face he turned it up. You very rarely had to sit him. Kirby is a mix but more just tell me what you want me to do. I got in his face one time and it went really bad for me and him. Still regret that to this day. Ruined a friendship for him and me.

I'm pretty sure they know who they want to play what and are just hoping they can figure out how to get them hot again. Home field normally helps.

Some need to be banned from nega-family and nega-fans who question every call the coaches make and add to the drama. Yes. I said it.
Agreed. The trolls that show up to bash when things go south should be banned no doubt. That's the only time they're seen around here. They sure were quiet during that 9 game win streak.
 
#15
#15
It's not just the fans. Some of these guys have some negative family and friends that are not helping them. We have told Kirby to embrace your role. Enjoy the ride.
I did not realize the family side. That stinks. I will say what I witnessed from the family section at UGA on Friday and Sunday was pretty positive. It was a pleasure meeting you good sir.
 
#16
#16
Just a few. Not the crowd for sure. But a few in a few ears is bad. I had one I had to tell go away from me. I didn't say it that way. I just made them mad which works better. I've never been a care what you think guy anyway. I don't need any new friends. The 2 I have work for me. ;)
 
#17
#17
In the midst of posters venting their denial of dopamine...
I want to pose this question to those who know baseball from playing and coaching, who have an idea of what the coaching staff's discussions might have been since Sunday:

What do you want to accomplish Tuesday, against a team less-talented, but still capable of leaving you with a season devastating loss?

Do you break pattern to rest some pitchers? Do you experiment with any spots in the lineup? Do you stay the course and give guys another opportunity to "snap out of" their woes?

Or will every decision for Tuesday be determined entirely by your plans for this weekend with Kentucky?

I appreciate the opportunity to better understand the game from you guys, (amidst the wailing and gnashing of keyboards).
Whatever happens on Tuesday will not be "season devastating". It will mean very little...win or lose. It's really little more than an opportunity to get some reps.
 
#21
#21
It's not just the fans. Some of these guys have some negative family and friends that are not helping them. We have told Kirby to embrace your role. Enjoy the ride.
Most don't understand your managing 30 guys. Everyone can't have it there way. Most just see the picture of the day instead of the whole series .
 
#23
#23
I would go with the conditioned based management approach for this game. Play the usual suspects. Depending up on leftie, or righty, shuffle the order to get our designated hitter higher in the order. Put Blake 5th, and then build off that. Try someone at leadoff who doesn't lose his mind on a bad strike call. Maybe back to Jared.

As conditions dictate, get most all starters subbed out at some point.

Pitch the usual 8-9 arms. Save AJ for Friday.

Have fun!
 
#24
#24
Has anyone considered the reason we lost to UGA was we didn't discuss prostates in the game thread?

I discussed that very fact this morning with my urologist, Dr. Knuckles.

He then dove back in to try to find his Fitbit. Said everything seemed in order up to my lungs.

I requested a second opinion.


After consideration, he said, "Alright, and you're ugly too."
 

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