The Vols got their reps.
Plenty of guys saw the field for Tennessee in its 11-2 toppling of Oakland in the second midweek game in as many days at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. The No. 19 Vols welcomed a handful of names into their matchup with the Grizzlies for the first time this season, Blake Grimmer and Garrett Wright headlining those who could make a potential impact as the campaign ages. Tennessee (10-3) pitching held Oakland (1-11) to four hits.
Blaine Brown blasted his fifth homer of the campaign on a multi-hit night while Blake Grimmer contributed three hits and a pair of RBIs in his season debut. Ariel Antigua notched his first-career longball, a three-run shot in the seventh inning.
Blake is back
After missing Tennessee’s first 12 games with lower-back issues, Blake Grimmer returned to the Vols’ lineup with a bang.
In his first at-bat of the season, the first baseman showed some power to the opposite field, sitting back on a pitch before driving it off the top of the wall in left-center. The knock brought home a pair of runs to help Tennessee build on its early lead.
He kept things rolling with two more knocks, notching his second double in the fifth inning with a poke into the left field corner.
The redshirt sophomore started nine games for the Vols during his freshman campaign, showing promise from the left side of the plate. In 44 plate appearances, he drove in 15 runs while adding four homers.
Untouchable Tracey
Taylor Tracey couldn’t have scripted his first collegiate start much better.
The two-way southpaw posted three perfect innings, striking out seven Grizzlies in the process. The Austin, Texas, product sliced through the Oakland lineup on the mound while filling the nine-hole of Tennessee’s at the plate.
He froze all three Grizzlies looking at strikes in his final stanza of work. He transitioned to designated hitter upon his removal from the mound, failing to reach base in two at-bats.
A night of firsts
The high volume of reps for the Vols contributed to some season and career milestones.
In his 118th Tennessee at-bat, Antigua delivered his first career home run, soaking the moment in as he watched the baseball sail into the porches in left field. The stroke didn’t make a difference in the balance of the contest, but the home crowd paid the junior his respects with a rousing ovation as he circled the bases.
Wright found himself in the starting lineup for the first time this campaign after undergoing surgery on his hamate bone before the season. The Bowling Green transfer appeared in the Vols’ midweek outing against Bellarmine on Feb. 24 as a defensive replacement in the late innings, but never made his way to the batter’s box.
On this occasion, the center fielder picked up a hit on a perfectly executed bunt single in the fourth inning for his first knock in his new home.
A pair of freshman relievers took the ball for Elander with the game in hand. Baylor School graduate Jax Bishop struck out the first batter in his debut before allowing a solo shot two hitters later. Will Haas received a similar unfriendly greeting, surrendering a leadoff bomb to his first man. He bounced back to strike out the next pair.
Tennessee will welcome Wright State for a weekend set beginning on March 6.