Tennessee baseball defeated Western Kentucky, 16-6, in a 14-inning exhibition at First Horizon Park on Friday night. The Vols led 8-4 after nine innings before taking a brief break and returning to play five more innings in the form of a doubleheader.
Tennessee will play its second exhibition of the weekend on Sunday afternoon when it travels further west to Jackson, Tenn. to face Troy. The final exhibition of the fall for the Vols is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. ET at The Ballpark in Jackson.
GoVols247 was on hand in the Music City to provide live updates and coverage. Here’s a look at the five players that stood out to us the most over the course of the 14-inning scrimmage.
3B, Andrew Fischer
Tennessee fans caught a glimpse of what the Ole Miss transfer has done all fall long while transitioning to Knoxville: crush home runs. Fischer ignited the UT faithful in attendance when he launched a long solo home run over the right field seats. It was one of two hits on the night for Fischer to go along with a walk and two runs scored.
“It was electric,” Vitello said following the exhibition. “We’ve kind of lived this deal a few times where it’s a neutral site, it’s not really a home game but it’s supposed to be a home game and all the Vol fans are here. I think the guys feel pressure to provide entertainment instead of just play ball. That’s kind of been the vibe I’ve had before. But tonight, the guys were pretty even killed and it was fortunate there were fireworks in the air in the first inning with Dean (Curley) and Liam throwing the ball the way he did, and of course Fisch’s home run.”
Vitello was just as pleased with how Fischer played defense over at the hot corner throughout the night.
“That one inning where he made two plays was outstanding,” Vitello said. “There were two plays in one inning that were not easy, and not only did he make them, but he kind of made it look like a pro making them. So I think he had like a two-day patch, where it wasn’t great over there, but every other day has been really encouraging.”
LHP, Liam Doyle
Fischer’s roommate and fellow Ole Miss transfer was just as electric to begin the exhibition. Doyle allowed one hit in two innings of work and struck out four of the seven batters he faced.
“Presence and self-belief carries a lot of weight,” Vitello said. “He definitely has that. We will see what others guys complement him, what his role is. He was a great choice to be the lead dog tonight.”
MIF, Dean Curley
The returning middle infielder hit a solo home run of his own in the bottom of the first inning to go back-to-back with Fischer and give the Vols an early 2-0 lead. Dean Curley added two walks while flipping between shortstop and second base in the field with Louisville infielder Gavin Kilen.
“You got two pretty physical guys that if you’re in the other dugout, you got to scheme for it, and it’s a headache to deal with,” Vitello said. “I think regardless of where we put guys, there’s some good firepower.”
Utility, Jay Abernathy
The true freshman continues to turn heads this fall. Abernathy followed up his strong performances in scrimmages over the last month with another stellar outing against Western Kentucky. The cousin of former Tennessee football player Micah Abernathy recorded two hits, scored three runs, tallied two RBIs, walked and stole a base. All while leading off, serving as the designated hitter, playing left field and working at second base. The runs he drove in were on a two-out single and a sac fly.
“He’s really athletic in the box and tried to show off the bunt skills a little bit,” Vitello said. “But he competed with two strikes and had a couple at-bats where he struck the ball early. Getting to the point that he’s a very well rounded hitter. He’s got some fight in him for a younger kid. He didn’t seem to be too worried about all the fans that were here or the fact that we were finally playing another team.”
C, Cannon Peebles
Tennessee starting catcher Cannon Peebles had a strong day for the second consecutive season in an exhibition at First Horizon Park. Peebles finished the night 2-for-4 with a double, a pair of RBIs and a walk.
“Cannon had his work cut out for him tonight,” Vitello said. “I think both (pitching) staffs didn’t throw as many strike as they’re capable of. He had a lot of balls to block, and he wants to win so bad.”
Honorable Mention
INF, Manny Marin
The true freshman who Tennessee is very excited about tallied a pair of singles in his only two at-bats of the night. One of his hits produced a run. Marin added a stole base while playing strong defense at shortstop.
“Manny has a chance to do just about anything you could come up with,” Vitello said.
C, Stone Lawless
Both of Tennessee’s catchers had a strong night, as Stone Lawless finished 1-for-2 with a two-run double, a walk and a run scored.
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“He doesn’t really act like a guy that’s his age,” Vitello said. “Whether it’s off the field or on the field, he’s certainly a fun guy, but he’s really mature physically and also mentally, and we got a lot of trust in him back there, but right now, Peebles has done so well. It’s interesting being in this park, because he tore it up last year with the bat, kind of refresh the memory. We inherited a guy that’s a very good player, and he’s slowly making progress every day in a bunch of different areas. So it’s fun to be around.”
