Breaking news;Kirby Connell made controversy statement against vols baseball for more…
Breaking news;Kirby Connell made A controversy statement against vols baseball for more…
Kirby Connell
Tennessee head coach Tony Vitello knew Sechrist would throw in Omaha since he recruited him. The way the lefty competed, it was evident to Vitello that Sechrist had a future.
Sechrist began his career as the midweek pitcher of choice for the Vols. He has since grown into the Sunday starter, and the pitcher that has secured some of the biggest victories for Tennessee.
“It’s been spectacular, honestly,” fellow pitcher Nate Snead said. “Having him go deep on Sundays with the game three, whenever he pitches is really special and we need it a lot. And he’s been stepping up. He’s an older guy, he’s a leader. So I mean, him stepping up like that has been a really huge role for us.”
Sechrist’s last four starts have been spectacular, with the lefty going over six innings four of his past five starts. He only achieved that feat once in his first 36 starts.
READ MORE: ‘It’s a dream come true’: Nate Snead playing crucial role in Tennessee baseball’s College World Series success
He didn’t disappoint in his first career outing in Omaha, working 6.1 innings with five hits and two earned runs. The southpaw earned the win for his efforts.
“Just the way he competed and the way the ball came out of his hand,” Vitello said. “The players decide how confident you are. When it’s coming out of the hand like that and you’re moving around, there’s no doubt. At the end of the day, when you go home, if you’re going to consider it a deal if you’re OK with it if it goes well or it doesn’t, you want to put your head on the pillow and say, ‘I’ll win or lose for that guy anytime.’
“Redmond Walsh was that guy, but he’s gone and now we have another version of him in Zander, and I will win or lose with him anytime on the field or off the field.”
Zander Sechrist and Kirby Connell share a lot of similarities.
The two lefties are best friends and are often looked to for comedic relief with Tennessee baseball. As of late, the two have grown into crucial roles for the Vols.
Sechrist got the win on Wednesday to send Tennessee to the College World Series finals. When he ran into trouble, it was his best friend Connell who helped him escape.
The Tennessee Volunteers made history on day one of the 2024 MLB Draft, with four Tennessee players being selected in the first two rounds, the most in Tennessee program history. Christian Moore, Blake Burke, Billy Amick and Dylan Dreiling all came off the board with Moore becoming the highest-selected Vol under head coach Tony Vitello after being selected with the No. 8 overall pick by the Los Angeles Angels.
The selections of Moore and Burke mark the second time in three years that the Vols have had two first-round picks and the third time in the last four years with at least one first-rounder selected. Tennessee currently leads all college baseball programs in draft picks, with LSU and Wake Forest trailing with three draftees each.
The reigning national champs are expected to have quite a few more names called during the MLB draft this year, which explains how they were able to look so dominant throughout their path to a title. There will be a total of 20 rounds at the MLB draft this year, so plenty of opportunity to the Volunteers to keep stacking up that number.
Day two of the MLB Draft (rounds
