Left-handed pitcher Liam Doyle and first baseman Andrew Fischer haven’t just been two of Tennessee baseball’s best incoming transfers this season but two of its best players overall.
The duo transferred to Tennessee from Ole Miss this offseason and make their highly anticipated return to Oxford this weekend as the Vols ready for the top 10 road series with the Rebels. Both Doyle and Fischer both play with an abundance of emotion and are bound to be unpopular at Swayze Field this weekend.
But even with that in mind, Tennessee head coach Tony Vitello won’t have any conversations with two about managing emotions.
“I mean, it’s funny you ask it that way, because you don’t have a prayer at talking to Liam about controlling his emotions,” Vitello said on Tuesday night. “That’s a waste of time. And then speaking of (Andrew Fischer), Jersey Shore isn’t coming out of Fisch. He’s going to act like that at all times. That’s his quote, actually.”
The fiery Doyle has been one of the nation’s best pitchers this season. He enters Friday night’s series opener in Oxford with a 2.53 ERA. 0.89 WHIP and a remarkable 81 strikeouts in 42.2 innings pitched. Doyle has been a part of two combined no-hitters for Tennessee this season including last week in the Vols’ run-rule win over Texas A&M.
Fischer is one of the nation’s top sluggers. He came to Tennessee as a third baseman but has settled at first base where he’s impressed defensively and is hitting .302 with 13 home runs and 26 RBIs. The left-handed slugger’s command of the strike zone has been very impressive this season. Fischer enters the weekend with 35 walks and just 17 strikeouts while boasting a .500 on-base percentage.
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Both have been critical in Tennessee’s 27-4 (9-3 SEC) start to the season. But with Tennessee coming off its first series loss of the season, the Vols have more to worry about than their return as they prepare to face a strong Ole Miss team.
“John (Wilkerson) asked the same question,” Vitello said. “Maybe it’d be different if last weekend worked out differently. But based off the fact we got throttled on Saturday, we ain’t got time for anything else, for any extra riff raff. … With our preparation tomorrow, and then Thursday in Oxford — our practice — and then the first game, we ain’t got time for anything other than to be a little bit more resilient, have a little more grit and definitely have a little more determination because last weekend was a losing weekend. We need to find a way to make this a winning weekend.”
Ole Miss has been one of the surprise stories in the SEC this season. Expectations were low for the Rebels entering the season after an underwhelming 2024 season and the loss of two key players in the transfer portal. But the Rebels have jumped out to a 26-7 (8-4 SEC) start and has won three straight series.
Tennessee has quite the challenge on its hands as they look to bounce back from its first series loss of the season. And while Doyle and Fischer’s return isn’t the main thing on the Vols’ mind, their teammates are aware of the significance of the weekend for the pair.
“Absolutely,” RHP AJ Russell said of if the mindset is to have the duo’s back this weekend. “I think they kind of set the tone. We don’t know exactly, obviously, what we’re getting into but it’s a rowdy place. We know that. I know guys are excited.”
First pitch for Tennessee baseball’s weekend series is at 7:30 p.m. ET on Friday night. The SEC Network+ is streaming the game.
