How Tennessee baseball will approach pitching vs Vanderbilt in SEC tournament Saturday
HOOVER, Ala. — Tony Vitello found Zander Sechrist's missing AirPods in the Tennessee baseball locker room Friday.
That's the good news for Sechrist. The bad news is he got fully warmed up during UT's 6-5 win against Mississippi State, did not pitch, and who the Vols coach will choose to start against Vanderbilt on Saturday is up in the air.
"We will see where he's at," Vitello said of Sechrist. "It’s not like he can’t pitch (Saturday) . . . There’s not a whole lot left in general. We will kind of probably attack (Saturday) in a different way."
No. 1 seed Tennessee (48-11) faces No. 8 seed Vanderbilt (38-20) on Saturday (approximately 4 p.m. ET, SEC Network) in the SEC tournament semifinals at Hoover Met. The Commodores topped the Vols 13-4 on Wednesday in UT's first game in the tournament.
Who will pitch for Tennessee baseball against Vanderbilt?
Tennessee has two options that it surely won't consider in Drew Beam and AJ Causey. Beam started Friday and will stay on his regular schedule as a starter. Causey threw 68 pitches in relief Thursday against Texas A&M. Chris Stamos also is unlikely to throw Saturday after a season-long 3⅓ innings against the Aggies.
Aaron Combs is probably next on the unavailable list after throwing Friday. Nate Snead ideally would not throw after starting Wednesday and closing the game Friday but could be a situational decision.
Everyone else is likely available, including Kirby Connell, who has thrown in all three games in Hoover.
"JJ (Garcia) is on our roster so maybe we will start him," Vitello said.
Tennessee's main options include Garcia, Andrew Behnke, Matthew Dallas, Dylan Loy and Marcus Phillips. All five threw in the first game against Vanderbilt. Loy is a probable option for starter in Sunday's championship game if the Vols advance. The Pigeon Forge native late in the season has largely been the midweek starter.
Behnke threw an excellent inning against Mississippi State, striking out two.
What is Zander Sechrist's availability for Tennessee baseball vs. Vanderbilt?
Vitello stressed Thursday after Tennessee topped Texas A&M 7-4 that it was imperative to get Sechrist in a game in Hoover. He put that plan into action when the Vols trailed Mississippi State 5-3 in the middle innings.
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"We had him hot, ready to go because I did not want to leave here without him throwing at least an inning or even just to a hitter," Vitello said.
Sechrist still could start against the Commodores. He is the only one of Tennessee's 13 pitchers on the active roster who has not pitched this week.
Could AJ Russell pitch again in SEC tournament?
AJ Russell made his return Wednesday after missing the past two months with arm issues. He threw 22 pitches in one inning, striking out two, giving up a hit and hitting a batter.
The sophomore factors into Tennessee's postseason plans as he returns. The Vols will err on the side of caution given the importance. It is conceivable he could pitch, but it might not be in Tennessee's best interests or plans.
Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on Twitter @ByMikeWilson. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tony Vitello on Tennessee baseball pitching vs Vanderbilt in SEC semi
