Tennessee’s baseball team has been one of the most successful in the nation over the past half decade, winning at least 44 games each year, reaching the College World Series three times and winning the national championship in 2024.
Unfortunately for the Vols, their opponent in this season’s Super Regional was Arkansas, one of the few teams to consistently trouble Tennessee during its recent run of success.
kAm%96 #2K@C324<D @?46 282:? AC@G65 E@@ >F49 7@C E96 '@=D E9:D H66<6?5 2E E96 u2J6EE6G:==6 $FA6C #68:@?2=[ <?@4<:?8 %6??6DD66 @FE @7 E96 }rpp %@FC?2>6?E H:E9 4@?D64FE:G6 H:?D :? 7C@?E @7 E96 w@8D’ “k6>m!:8\$@@:6\:?8”k^6>m 9@>6 4C@H5]k^Am
kAmpC<2?D2D 6?565 %6??6DD66’D C6:8? 2D 492>A:@?D H:E9 2? ``\c H:? $F?52J[ H9:49 42>6 @?6 52J 27E6C E96 #2K@C324<D 65865 E96 '@=D c\b]k^Am
kAm&% Wce\`hX :D ?@H a\`b F?56C 4@249 %@?J ':E6==@ 282:?DE pC<2?D2D D:?46 a_`g[ 2?5 E96 '@=D 2C6 `\`_ 2E (2=<6C\q2F> $E25:F> 5FC:?8 E92E DEC6E49]k^Am
kAmQkDA2? DEJ=6lQ7@?E\H6:89Ei c__jQmr@?8C2ED E@ pC<2?D2D 2?5 E96:C 72? 32D6[Q k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]C@4<JE@A:?D:56C]4@>^a_ad^_e^_g^6G6CJE9:?8\E@?J\G:E6==@\D2:5\27E6C\E6??6DD66\a_ad\D62D@?\42>6\E@\:ED\6?5\282:?DE\2C<2?D2D^Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmkDEC@?8m':E6==@ E@=5 C6A@CE6CDk^DEC@?8mk^2m 27E6CH2C5] Q*@F 5@?’E =:<6 =@D:?8 ]]] qFE :E :D 2 =:EE=6 5:776C6?E H96? J@F 92G6 E96 2>@F?E @7 C6DA64E 7@C E96 A6@A=6 E92E J@F 5@] qFE 2D :E C6=2E6D E@ FD[ x’== 36 E96 7:CDE @?6 E@ 2A@=@8:K6 E@ @FC 72? 32D6 ]]] E92E H6’C6 ?@E 8@:?8 E@ ~>292]Qk^DA2?mk^Am
kAmp H66< 27E6C A:=:?8 FA be CF?D :? 7@FC 82>6D H9:=6 H:??:?8 E96 z?@IG:==6 #68:@?2=[ %6??6DD66 H2D =:>:E65 E@ 2 4@>3:?65 D6G6? CF?D @? `` 9:ED :? EH@ 4@?E6DED 282:?DE E96 #2K@C324<D]k^Am
kAm%96 '@=D 925 9@A65 DE2CE6C {:2> s@J=6[ E96 $tr A:E496C @7 E96 J62C[ >:89E 36 6?@F89 E@ 6G6? E96 $FA6C #68:@?2= @? $F?52J]k^Am
kAmqFE s@J=6 W`_\cX[ H9@ E9C6H `bd A:E496D :? EH@ C68:@?2= 2AA62C2?46D =2DE H66<6?5[ DFCC6?56C65 2 EH@\CF? 9@>6C E@ r92C=6D s2G2=2? — 2 3=2DE E92E 82G6 pC<2?D2D 2 a\_ =625 :? E96 E@A @7 E96 E9:C5 :??:?8]k^Am
kAms@J=6 H2D AF==65 27E6C b\a^b :??:?8D[ 492C865 H:E9 7:G6 62C?65 CF?D @? 7:G6 9:ED[ EH@ H2=<D 2?5 EH@ H:=5 A:E496D[ H9:=6 DEC:<:?8 @FE D:I]k^Am
kAm!:E49:?8 EH:46 :? E96 C68:@?2= QH2D 2 724E@C ,:? 9:D A6C7@C>2?46 $F?52J.[Q ':E6==@ D2:5 @7 s@J=6] QkDA2? DEJ=6lQ7@?E\H6:89Ei c__jQmx E9:?< E96 H2J 96 H2D >:DD:?8 DA@ED :? A2CE:4F=2C[ =62G:?8 32==D[ 2C>D:56 E@ =67E:6D] p?5 2 4C65:E E@ s2G2=2?] w6 AFE 2 96== @7 2 DH:?8 @? 2 8FJ E92E DECF4< 9:> @FE E96 =2DE E:>6 H6 H6C6 96C6]Qk^DA2?mk^Am
kAmpC<2?D2D’ 3:8 3=@H 42>6 :? E96 7@FCE9[ H96? {@82? |2IH6== D>24<65 2? @AA@D:E6\7:6=5[ 8C2?5\D=2> 9@>6 CF? E@ AFE E96 #2K@C324<D FA f\`] %96 9@>6C 42>6 @77 uC2?<=:?’D py #FDD6==[ H9@ H2D 492C865 H:E9 @?6 CF?[ 8:G:?8 FA @?6 9:E 2?5 EH@ H2=<D :? a\`^b :??:?8D]k^Am
kAm%96 #2K@C324<D E24<65 @? E9C66 CF?D :? E96 6:89E9[ EH@ 4@>:?8 @? 32D6D\=@2565 H2=<D]k^Am
kAm&% D4@C65 D:?8=6 CF?D :? E96 E9:C5 2?5 6:89E :??:?8D[ 255:?8 EH@ :? E96 ?:?E9 @? y2J p36C?2E9J’D EH@\CF? 9@>6C] qFE E96 '@=D =67E D6G6? CF??6CD @? 32D6 :? E96 4@?E6DE[ 8@:?8 E9C66\7@C\`` H:E9 CF??6CD :? D4@C:?8 A@D:E:@?]k^Am
kAm%6??6DD66 >2?2865 ;FDE @?6 CF? :? E96 E9:C5 56DA:E6 =@25:?8 E96 32D6D H:E9 ?@ @FED]k^Am
kAmkDA2? DEJ=6lQ7@?E\H6:89Ei c__jQmQ~3G:@FD=J H6 4@F=5 92G6 DHF?8 36EE6C[Q ':E6==@ D2:5] Qx E9:?<[ 32D6D =@2565[ ?@3@5J @FE[ H6’5 =:<6 E@ 5@ >@C6 52>286 E92? @?6 CF?] qFE 27E6C E92E[ x E9:?< 562=:?8 H:E9 E96 6>@E:@? @7 36:?8 5@H? 3J 2 8@@5 >2C8:?[ 2?5 36:?8 5@H? E@ J@FC =2DE 82>6 :7 J@F 5@?’E H:?[ H2D 2 724E@C]”k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmpC<2?D2D H@? 7@FC @7 7:G6 82>6D 282:?DE E96 '@=D E9:D J62C[ @FED4@C:?8 %6??6DD66 bg\af] p== @7 E9@D6 4@?E6DED H6C6 A=2J65 :? u2J6EE6G:==6]k^Am
kAm&% H@? :ED 7:CDE a_ 82>6D E9:D D62D@? 2?5 C2? :ED C64@C5 E@ ag\a[ 3FE E96 '@=D H6C6 `g\`f 7C@> pAC:= c @?H2C5[ =@D:?8 D:I @7 E96:C 7:?2= D6G6? $tr D6C:6D]k^Am
kAmQkDA2? DEJ=6lQ7@?E\H6:89Ei c__jQmx E9:?< :E H2D 2 E62> E92E[ 27E6C H6 925 2 =@E @7 DF446DD =2DE J62C[ 5:5?’E =6E :E 86E E@ E96:C 9625[Q ':E6==@ D2:5] Q%96J 8@E 27E6C :E] (6 925 2 9@E DE2CE[ 2=>@DE E@@ 9@E 3642FD6 :E 4C62E65 D@>6 5:776C6?E 4@?G6CD2E:@?D]k^DA2?mk^Am
