The Official ETSU @ Tennessee Game Thread (Tues. 3/18 5PM EDT) (SECNET+)

[JCP201]

It was a two seemer cutting inside. It caught the plate crossing it. Heck of a pitch and heck of a call.

ETSU will do well this year. We weren't playing poorly.

 

[tn4elvis]

I was at the game and ETSU totally deserved to win. They answered the bell time after time and made the plays to win. In the big scheme of things this game means nothing . For ETSU players and coaches what a night. For the next 100 years they will be able to tell their kids and grandkids about the night they beat the consensus # 1 undefeated team in the nation. I am orange through and through but had to smile a little bit walking to my car last night. In this day of pay for play it was refreshing to see the little guys do good.

 

[Bigvalley84]

I’m not bitter about losing to ETSU but the home plate ump was pathetic calling strikes in the batters boxes and the second base ump wasn’t much better , his explanation on the obstruction was there was obstruction but not enough to warrant the runners move up a base , i don’t think there’s a sliding scale on obstruction it either is or isn’t I think there’s rule is pretty clear , oh well we had plenty of chances to score and just didn’t get the hits when we needed em , I thought ETSU might dog pile for a March mid-week they way they sprinted on the field

 

[Tenacjim]

Couple notes…on Warren Nolan, they deemed it a quad 2 loss.

South Alabama 5, Alabama 5, T10.

It’s a quad 1 loss now (ETSU up to #24 RPI after all the games yesterday).

That’s right on the cusp but still how many non Power 5 NC foes even sniff quad 1?

 

[LAVol1]

What a great game. David vs. Goliath. The Vols will hurt for a couple of days and then it'll be mostly forgotten. Those ETSU kids will remember that game for the rest of their lives. Sad for my Vols, but really happy for the ETSU kids. (My son was losing pitcher for Birmingham Southern when they lost to #1 MSU 4-3 on an error about 20 years ago. In 3 innings of work he didn't allow but one ball hit out of the infield, a desperation swing off the end of the bat that didn't travel more than 180 ft., scoring 2 runners that should not have been on base).

 

[hog88]

Sh!t happens in baseball. On to the weekend.

 

[preacherman20]

I’m not bitter about losing to ETSU but the home plate ump was pathetic calling strikes in the batters boxes and the second base ump wasn’t much better , his explanation on the obstruction was there was obstruction but not enough to warrant the runners move up a base , i don’t think there’s a sliding scale on obstruction it either is or isn’t I think there’s rule is pretty clear , oh well we had plenty of chances to score and just didn’t get the hits when we needed em , I thought ETSU might dog pile for a March mid-week they way they sprinted on the field

I thought the obstruction was a result of fielder trying to make a play on a badly thrown ball which is legal. He has complete right to go wherever to catch a ball. I will agree that the obstruction was not enough that would have kept him from getting to third It is truly judgement as to whether he would have reasonably gotten to third without the obstruction and I do not think he would have if it was even obstruction.

 

[Bigvalley84]

I thought the obstruction was a result of fielder trying to make a play on a badly thrown ball which is legal. He has complete right to go wherever to catch a ball. I will agree that the obstruction was not enough that would have kept him from getting to third It is truly judgement as to whether he would have reasonably gotten to third without the obstruction and I do not think he would have if it was even obstruction.

I think the fielder has to have possession of the ball when contact is made or it’s obstruction , this happened a while back with Fischer and it was called and he got to advance , there’s no guarantees Tn scores even if it had been called , I think the next hitter walked , I just don’t think that crew was very good , they said the second base ump also missed the force out with Peebles but I couldn’t really see it , pretty intense midweek game that Tn should have had double figure runs

 

[WillisWG]

I was at the game and ETSU totally deserved to win. They answered the bell time after time and made the plays to win. In the big scheme of things this game means nothing . For ETSU players and coaches what a night. For the next 100 years they will be able to tell their kids and grandkids about the night they beat the consensus # 1 undefeated team in the nation. I am orange through and through but had to smile a little bit walking to my car last night. In this day of pay for play it was refreshing to see the little guys do good.

Loud outs vs dingers along with more than a few great catches. It's baseball.

 

[preacherman20]

The fielder does not have to have the ball. He just has to be in the act of fielding or receiving the ball.
The act of a fielder who, while not in possession of the ball and not in the act of fielding the ball, impedes the progress of any runner. Comment: If a fielder is about to receive a thrown ball and if the ball is in flight directly toward and near enough to the fielder so he must occupy his position to receive the ball he may be considered "in the act of fielding a ball." It is entirely up to the judgment of the umpire as to whether a fielder is in the act of fielding a ball. After a fielder has made an attempt to field a ball and missed, he can no longer be in the "act of fielding" the ball. For example: an infielder dives at a ground ball and the ball passes him and he continues to lie on the ground and delays the progress of the runner, he very likely has obstructed the runner.

I thought he was trying to receive the thrown ball and it took him into the runner. If there is obstruction, you must deem that reasonably the runner would have made it to the next base without the obstruction. I'm not sure that would have happened since the left fielder was there.

 

[dillyo51]

Tough loss, but Vols refocus and whip some gumps ass! Love the Vols.

 

[Baseball25]

Maybe the young pitchers will learn it doesn't matter if you throw 94 mph. Bringing it over the middle of the plate belt high is a setup for disaster. Locate it all day at the knees and on the corners to win.

 

[87&91ALUM]

Move on....Bama awaits. Sweep Bama and it will be ETSWHO? I do give props to ETSU for playing one helluva game.

 

[Rocky Top T]

Probably still hot over those missed calls late in the game and a home plate umpire that is calling strikes at the top of your sternum but refuses to call anything close to the knees. Tony and myself don’t have time for incompetent umpiring.

Umpire didn't beat us, leaving 14 on base and bad late inning pitching did

 

[Rocky Top T]

I agree we need to find someone to lead off for us and I think we need to find consistency in the DH spot. Clark, as you would expect from a freshman, is starting to struggle and Bargo has struggled all season so not sure who is going to fill that role as we get deeper into SEC play.

We have a lead off man, they just don't let him lead off, Jay Abernathy. Also Bargo and Peeples are not good hitters, both should bat 300 at least

 

[VolPack22]

Umpire didn't beat us, leaving 14 on base and bad late inning pitching did

Where did I say the umpires beat us? Just because I call umpires incompetent doesn’t mean they were the reason we lost. We lost because we gave up 4 homers.

 

[MAD]

Compare this loss to the Tennessee Tech wooden bat game at Smokies Stadium in 2022.

For me, that loss still bothers me for some reason where as yesterday’s doesn’t bother me at all. Not sure what the difference is, anyone else feel this way?

 

[Rocky Top T]

Where did I say the umpires beat us? Just because I call umpires incompetent doesn’t mean they were the reason we lost. We lost because we gave up 4 homers.

Ok, got you.

 

[volfan411]

We have a lead off man, they just don't let him lead off, Jay Abernathy. Also Bargo and Peeples are not good hitters, both should bat 300 at least

I can't disagree with you that Abernathy should and will be the lead off in due time but I do question how he would respond if placed there this early in his career.

 

[Ritzwatch]

Compare this loss to the Tennessee Tech wooden bat game at Smokies Stadium in 2022.

For me, that loss still bothers me for some reason where as yesterday’s doesn’t bother me at all. Not sure what the difference is, anyone else feel this way?

The difference, simply, is that we are now the defending NCAA champs. We won it in a year where we lost 13 games.

Back in '22, we hadn't won. Any loss made us doubt our ability to win. Losing in a "gimmick" game seemed like an avoidable self-inflicted injury. Now, we can see the big picture more easily, and we can trust the culture of the program, because is has proven to work.

In other words, we've matured a bit as a fan base.

 

[chuckiepoo]

Compare this loss to the Tennessee Tech wooden bat game at Smokies Stadium in 2022.

For me, that loss still bothers me for some reason where as yesterday’s doesn’t bother me at all. Not sure what the difference is, anyone else feel this way?

We had two advantages we surrendered. 1) Home Field Advantage at LNS 2) Wooden bats? Really? Zero reason to introduce those two variables into a payum game.

I agree about the Bucs. That’s a mature, competitive team. They gonna break some hearts this year.

 

[MAD]

The difference, simply, is that we are now the defending NCAA champs. We won it in a year where we lost 13 games.

Back in '22, we hadn't won. Any loss made us doubt our ability to win. Losing in a "gimmick" game seemed like an avoidable self-inflicted injury. Now, we can see the big picture more easily, and we can trust the culture of the program, because is has proven to work.

In other words, we've matured a bit as a fan base.

This exactly.

I’m not a noob anymore.

 

[ArdentVol]

Lexington, VA is a great little town with both VMI and Washington & Lee located there.
Then you can ride north on I-81 and cut over on I-64 to see the Blue Ridge mountains and maybe visit Charlottesville.

this sparks memories of college days and the road trips up 77N to Mary Baldwin, Sweet Briar and to Lexington per frat orders

 

[VolPack22]

Compare this loss to the Tennessee Tech wooden bat game at Smokies Stadium in 2022.

For me, that loss still bothers me for some reason where as yesterday’s doesn’t bother me at all. Not sure what the difference is, anyone else feel this way?

Because ETSU is a top 30 team and are a legitimate NCAAT team. And the fact that we started 20-0…

 

[Ernest T. Vol]

The difference, simply, is that we are now the defending NCAA champs. We won it in a year where we lost 13 games.

Back in '22, we hadn't won. Any loss made us doubt our ability to win. Losing in a "gimmick" game seemed like an avoidable self-inflicted injury. Now, we can see the big picture more easily, and we can trust the culture of the program, because is has proven to work.

In other words, we've matured a bit as a fan base.

Yes, and we also remember the L with Lipscomb at home last year. That was supposed to be a mild midweek warmup followed by a quick trip to Gainesville for the early Thursday series start. That loss stinks a lot more than this ETSU one and it was in the championship year. It's just baseball.