The Tennessee Vols are on their way to play for a college baseball championship for the first time in a VERY long time.
Tennessee jumped on Florida State early and kept the Seminoles at bay on Wednesday afternoon, eliminating the Noles from the College World Series with a 7-2 win while making their first championship game appearance since 1951.
Zander Sechrist was outstanding for the Vols, allowing 2 earned runs over 6.1 innings. Christian Moore, Blake Burke, and Billy Amick went a combined 7-14 in the top 3 spots of Tennessee’s lineup, driving in 4 runs.
The Vols started quickly in the top of the first inning. A walk and a single put runners at the corner, with Moore scoring on a fielder’s choice where the Seminoles’ third baseman bobbled the grounder. A walk and a single by Hunter Ensley on a hanging slider pushed the lead to 2-0. Then, with runners on the corners again and two outs, an errant pickoff throw bounced past first base to plate Dylan Dreiling.
The Vols defense came through again with some impressive catches while crashing into the wall. Kavares Tears came close to replicating Ensley’s gem from Sunday against UNC, barreling against the wall and holding the ball through contact to end the first inning. Dreiling also had another gem later in the game, tracking the ball in left before bouncing off the wall at the FSU bullpen.
Meanwhile, Sechrist was in command through six scoreless innings in which he struck out three and walked one with just three hits allowed. However, FSU connected on back-to-back home runs to right with one out in the seventh that saw Kirby Connell come on. As he’s been in the postseason, Connell was nails, getting five outs without allowing a run.
If there was any doubt at 6-2, Burke darkened those hopes for FSU in the ninth, as he golfed a shot way out of the park to right center for a 7-2 lead. Nate Snead slammed the door in the ninth, and the Vols are on to the championship series. They will face either Texas A&M or Florida, who play later on Wednesday night. The Gators must beat the Aggies twice to advance, while A&M needs just one win.