- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,129,469
- Reaction score
- 59
HOOVER, AL – It was the biggest start of Cam Appenzeller’s career. Not that there was much competition.
The Tennessee baseball freshman's start against South Carolina was his first against an SEC team and only the second of his career. The other lasted only 14 pitches.
But when Appenzeller took the mound at the Hoover Met, he was unfazed. The lefthander struck out the first two batters he faced in a perfect first inning, then retired the side in order again in the second.
Appenzeller settled in fast and met the moment as the No. 10 seed Vols beat No. 15 seed South Carolina, 11-6, on May 19 to set up a second-round matchup with No. 7 seed Arkansas (36-19) on May 20 (5:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network).
Appenzeller (6-1, 4.94 ERA) finished with a line of five innings pitched and three earned runs allowed, giving up six hits and striking out five against the Gamecocks (22-35).
“I mean, it’s the most important part of the season,” Appenzeller said. “So, just being my best for that is the goal.”
Appenzeller’s first campaign with the No. 25 Vols (38-19) has been a tale of two seasons.
He allowed just six earned runs in his first 36.1 innings, and after a five-inning outing at Mississippi State on April 10, which earned him the win in the first game of a crucial series sweep, his ERA was 1.49. He had been included on Perfect Game’s Midseason Freshman All-American first team and Baseball America’s Freshman of the Year watchlist.
Then he hit a wall.
Appenzeller allowed six runs in less than three innings against Ole Miss, then four in 3.1 innings against Alabama. Entering the final series of the season at Oklahoma, he had allowed 18 earned runs in his previous 8.1 innings against SEC competition. His ERA ballooned to 4.73 in less than a month.
“The past four or five outings, it’s just been a bit of a grind,” Appenzeller said. “I didn’t have my best stuff, but I’m working my way to get back there.”
The Appenzeller that showed up against the Gamecocks looked more like the one coach Josh Elander would gush about as a future staple in the weekend rotation, comparing him to some of the best to come through Tennessee, like Chase Burns. Like the one that looked like one of the best freshmen in the country, like the headliner of Tennessee’s 2025 recruiting class.
Tennessee will need Appenzeller in peak form as it heads toward the NCAA Tournament. Its bullpen continues to be erratic, but having a reliable Appenzeller could change that equation, providing Elander a more reliable option in the short-turnaround, all-hands-on-deck environment of a regional.
“He’s tough on himself, but his stuff’s plenty good enough,” Elander said. “It’s always been good enough, and it’s only going to continue to get better.”
Elander said Evan Blanco (7-3, 4.56 ERA) will start against Arkansas.
Blanco, a senior left-hander, will be pitching on just five days’ rest after starting against Oklahoma on May 15. He threw 99 pitches against the Sooners, earning the win after allowing three runs in six innings. He started all 14 weekend series of the regular season for Tennessee.
Emmett Siegel covers Tennessee baseball for Knox News. Email: [email protected]; X: @EmmettSiegel_
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: In first SEC start, Tennessee baseball's Cam Appenzeller met the moment
Continue reading...
The Tennessee baseball freshman's start against South Carolina was his first against an SEC team and only the second of his career. The other lasted only 14 pitches.
But when Appenzeller took the mound at the Hoover Met, he was unfazed. The lefthander struck out the first two batters he faced in a perfect first inning, then retired the side in order again in the second.
Appenzeller settled in fast and met the moment as the No. 10 seed Vols beat No. 15 seed South Carolina, 11-6, on May 19 to set up a second-round matchup with No. 7 seed Arkansas (36-19) on May 20 (5:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network).
Appenzeller (6-1, 4.94 ERA) finished with a line of five innings pitched and three earned runs allowed, giving up six hits and striking out five against the Gamecocks (22-35).
“I mean, it’s the most important part of the season,” Appenzeller said. “So, just being my best for that is the goal.”
Appenzeller’s first campaign with the No. 25 Vols (38-19) has been a tale of two seasons.
He allowed just six earned runs in his first 36.1 innings, and after a five-inning outing at Mississippi State on April 10, which earned him the win in the first game of a crucial series sweep, his ERA was 1.49. He had been included on Perfect Game’s Midseason Freshman All-American first team and Baseball America’s Freshman of the Year watchlist.
Then he hit a wall.
Appenzeller allowed six runs in less than three innings against Ole Miss, then four in 3.1 innings against Alabama. Entering the final series of the season at Oklahoma, he had allowed 18 earned runs in his previous 8.1 innings against SEC competition. His ERA ballooned to 4.73 in less than a month.
“The past four or five outings, it’s just been a bit of a grind,” Appenzeller said. “I didn’t have my best stuff, but I’m working my way to get back there.”
The Appenzeller that showed up against the Gamecocks looked more like the one coach Josh Elander would gush about as a future staple in the weekend rotation, comparing him to some of the best to come through Tennessee, like Chase Burns. Like the one that looked like one of the best freshmen in the country, like the headliner of Tennessee’s 2025 recruiting class.
Tennessee will need Appenzeller in peak form as it heads toward the NCAA Tournament. Its bullpen continues to be erratic, but having a reliable Appenzeller could change that equation, providing Elander a more reliable option in the short-turnaround, all-hands-on-deck environment of a regional.
“He’s tough on himself, but his stuff’s plenty good enough,” Elander said. “It’s always been good enough, and it’s only going to continue to get better.”
Evan Blanco will start for Tennessee against Arkansas
Elander said Evan Blanco (7-3, 4.56 ERA) will start against Arkansas.
Blanco, a senior left-hander, will be pitching on just five days’ rest after starting against Oklahoma on May 15. He threw 99 pitches against the Sooners, earning the win after allowing three runs in six innings. He started all 14 weekend series of the regular season for Tennessee.
Emmett Siegel covers Tennessee baseball for Knox News. Email: [email protected]; X: @EmmettSiegel_
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: In first SEC start, Tennessee baseball's Cam Appenzeller met the moment
Continue reading...
