Tennessee baseball center fielder Hunter Ensley is no stranger to making big plays in big moments.
Flash back to Tennessee’s National Championship run in 2024 where Ensley made two of the biggest plays in the College World Series. Evading the tag at home plate to score a run in the CWS Championship game and making an incredible catch while smashing into the center-field wall against North Carolina will forever be remembered by Vols fans.
Now in his redshirt-senior season, the Huntingdon, Tennessee native is still making plays that further cement his status as a Volunteer legend.
Robbing a two-run homer, evading a tag to score in a one-run game and making a sliding catch to end the game. Just another Friday night for Hunter Ensley.
Ensley’s most memorable highlight came when he robbed Vanderbilt’s Colin Barczi of a game-tying two-run home run in the seventh inning. Ensley scaled the wall and nabbed the ball at the yellow line. It only got better from there, too, as a Vanderbilt baserunner rounded second base but didn’t touch second when going back to first on the fly out.
Tennessee second baseman Dean Curley saw it the whole way and tagged second to complete the 8-4 inning-ending double play.
HUNTER FREAKING ENSLEY!
📺 https://t.co/n1C4EpLXu1 (SECN)#GBO // #OTH // #BeatVandy pic.twitter.com/aBwRO5pXqA
— Tennessee Baseball (@Vol_Baseball) May 9, 2025
An inning prior, Ensley led off the sixth with a double. Dalton Bargo then slapped a single to left field. Vanderbilt left-fielder Braden Holcomb made a good throw home that beat Ensley, but it was the slightest bit off-line.
As a result, Ensley was able to sneak his hand in there and touch home plate, giving Tennessee a 2-0 lead.
SAFE! Call is upheld after replay!
📺 https://t.co/n1C4EpLXu1 (SECN)#GBO // #OTH // #BeatVandy pic.twitter.com/iwLgPh584W
— Tennessee Baseball (@Vol_Baseball) May 9, 2025
The third and final huge play Ensley made was the final one of the game. Vanderbilt cut Tennessee’s lead to one run after a solo homer in the ninth. Down to the final out, Barczi smacked a line drive into center field.
Ensley perfectly judged the ball off the bat and made a sliding catch to secure the win.
It wasn’t the most eye-popping play Ensley made. But it was arguably his favorite.
“The one at the wall was pretty cool, but I liked the last one probably better than most,” Ensley said when asked what his favorite play of the night was. “It kind of gives you a deep breath knowing it’s the last out of the game. I thought it was just a good play to end the game with how well the pitchers threw tonight. Grateful to make the catch.”
In addition to his circus plays on defense, Ensley went 2-4 at the plate with a double. He’s arguably Tennessee’s most complete player and certainly one of its top leaders.
The 23-year-old and the rest of the Vols will look to clinch the series over bitter rival Vanderbilt Saturday. First pitch in Lindsey Nelson Stadium is at 5 p.m. ET. ESPN2 has the broadcast for games two and three.
