The Big Orange Report - Feb. 20, 2025


 Tennessee Wants to Defend the Title

The Big Orange baseball squad opened its defense of the national championship over the weekend vs. Hofstra. Head coach Tony Vitello has rebuilt the roster and has his squad prepared for another run at the crown this spring. UT had four players taken in the major league draft last year and Vitello has restocked his team with some talented transfers and newcomers.
Veterans Dean Curley, a middle infielder, and star centerfielder Hunter Ensley, are expected to be leaders on the 2025 edition of the Diamond Vols. Curley and Ensley are both getting preseason accolades as potential player of the year candidates in the SEC and on the national stage. Curley had an outstanding freshman year in '24 when he batted .285 with 12 home runs and 50 runs batted in. Ensley had two of the most memorable plays in Vol history a year ago when he crashed into the wall for a spectacular catch and his incredible slide at home plate to secure a victory has been played on social media thousands of times.
Transfers such as Gavin Kilen and Andrew Fischer have been plugged into the lineup and are expected to help maintain a productive offense this season. Kilen batted .330 at Louisville and slammed nine homeruns had 41 RBI. He led the Cardinals in doubles with 23. Fischer moved from Ole Miss to Knoxville after topping the team charts with 59 hits and 57 RBI. He displayed significant power with 20 round trippers. Both these players are showing up on preseason checklists for All-SEC and All American consideration.
If this team has a question mark, it will be on the mound. Super stopper Nate Sneed is back but may be called on to start a few games if needed. Projected ace A.J. Russell is still recovering from arm problems but is expected to be ready in the not-too-distant future. Young left handers Dylan Loy and Liam Doyle could be members of the weekend rotation scheme. Doyle opened the schedule on Friday with a sterling performance, allowing just one hit while striking out 11 of 15 outs over five innings vs. Hofstra.
Vitello restocked his pitching staff with a total of six freshmen and six junior college transfers. Several of these youngsters will get plenty of work in the non conference schedule prior to the beginning of SEC confrontations.
The Vols completed a three-game sweep on Sunday in another run rule victory. On the weekend, Tennessee outscored the visitors 46-2. UT will entertain Samford for a three game series starting on Friday.
Ten in a Row
The Lady Vols softball squad is also on a roll. Tennessee has won 10 games in a row, eight of them by run rule. The team is hitting a robust .367 after 11 contests. The pitching has been "lights out" posting a stingy 0.84 earned run average while striking out 78 batters in 56 innings of work. Opponents are hitting an anemic .144. Staff ace Karlyn Pickens has fanned 39 hitters in 22 innings in the circle.
Tennessee will get a significant reading on exactly where they stand when they participate in the elite Mary Nutter Classic in Cathedral City, California. UT will play five games over the weekend and will face Oregon, Oregon State and a powerful UCLA team in this important annual event.
Hoops
Both basketball squads are coming off important victories. The guys grabbed a revenge win over Vanderbilt and Coach Kim Caldwell's ladies smoked Auburn 99-61 before knocking off a very good Ole Miss squad 80-71 on Sunday. It must be noted here that the Lady Vols win over UConn was magnified on Sunday when the Huskies destroy South Carolina in Columbia.
The fifth ranked Tennessee men have the week off before going on the road to face top ten ranked Texas A&M on Saturday. This game is slated to be televised at 11 a.m. on ESPN.
The women have two home games this week. On Thursday they will host a talented Alabama team that features Sarah Ashley Barker. UT will entertain Florida on Sunday at noon with the SEC network carrying the broadcast. 

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