Tennessee Vols morning report: Baseball midweek win, NIL update
Happy Star Wars Day! It’s early May, and the Tennessee Vols continue to make news. The football program had a splash on Tuesday with its second huge transfer portal commitment in two days, USC Trojans wide receiver Bru McCoy. Other sports saw their own successes as well.
Our morning update on Rocky Top leads with more success on the baseball diamond. We’ll recap another midweek win the program enjoyed and take a look at what was said by players and coaches after the game.
Beyond baseball, there is a new UT-wide initiative to help adjust to the NIL rules that we’ll cover. Finally, track and field had its own success with its individual award. The news isn’t heavy today, but it’s significant. Let’s start with the baseball win.
Tony Vitello, players talk baseball’s win vs. Alabama A&M – Ben McKee, VolQuest
Coming off of a series win over the Auburn Tigers this past weekend, the Tennessee Vols baseball team, still ranked No. 1 across the board, beat the Alabama A&M Bulldogs 14-1 in a midweek matchup Tuesday. UT had five home runs and used 10 pitchers. Here’s what Tony Vitello said about the team’s power as they broke their single season home run record in the game.
"“I mean, we’re blessed with guys, you ask them to do something, and they can make the adjustment relatively quickly. And it’s not like we got any magic sauce with hitting, but it applies to those type of guys, too. I mean, they can get in the cage here on their own and start to figure out what’s a better way, you know, to square up the baseball.”"
Chase Dollander closed out most of the second inning, allowing one hit and no runs. Here’s what he said about being back out on the mound after missing two and a half weeks due to injury.
"“It felt good. You know, I’ve been anticipating this for 17 days now, and it feels really good to get back out there. My arm felt good, and everything felt really good, so that’s all you can ask for.”"
Kyle Booker came in as a pinch-hitter and hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning. Here’s a bit of what he said about hitting his first long ball of the year.
"“I’d say I’m starting to feel my groove. I took a little time off and just, you know, just basically went over my swing.”"
UT adds new NIL feature – UTSports
In an effort to further address the way the NIL is impacting college sports, the Tennessee Vols have taken an active approach to allow anybody to reach out to its student athletes with NIL opportunities. Individuals or entities can click here to submit potential NIL partnerships online.
"Fans attending Tennessee athletic events will see scannable QR Codes on videoboards and in-venue signage to allow for quick and easy access to the NIL interest form. Taking the first step toward partnering with a Tennessee student-athlete has never been easier."
Favour Ashe recognized by SEC – SECSports
Due to his performance at the LSU Invitational over the weekend, Tennessee Vols track and field freshman sprinter Favour Ashe was named SEC Men’s Co-Runner of the Week. Ashe has been named SEC Freshman of the Week twice, but this is his first SEC Runner of the Week award.
"Tennessee’s Favour Ashe ran the fastest 100m time in the nation this season Saturday at LSU in 9.79 (+3.0) seconds. His time is also the fifth-fastest all-conditions time in NCAA history. The conversion with a 1.9 wind would be 9.84, which would put him second in collegiate history behind former Tennessee Vol and The Bowerman winner Christian Coleman."