Liam Doyle sits atop the Tennessee record books. The Vols’ ace is the new single-season strikeout leader for Tennessee baseball with 158.
Doyle tallied five strikeouts in a 2.1-inning relief outing in Monday night’s 11-5 win over Wake Forest to advance to the Fayetteville Super Regional to break the record. He entered the game needing two to break the record as VFL Luke Hochevar held the previous record with 154. The former Vol achieved that mark in the 2005 season in 19 games and 19 starts.
Doyle has broken the record needing just 18 appearances and 16 starts.
Doyle began the season on an incredible strikeout rate, averaging just under 12 Ks per game in non-conference play. While the numbers didn’t stay as astronomically high in SEC play, the hard-throwing lefty continued to strikeout opposing batters at a high rate.
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The New Hampshire native averaged nine strikeouts per game against SEC competition in un-disturbed starts (not including Auburn series). Doyle then tallied 11 more strikeouts against Miami (OH) in his first NCAA Tournament game as a Vol Friday.
Doyle has had a legendary type of season for Tennessee and going into the record books only adds to that. The southpaw has done whatever Tennessee has needed him to do, including throwing 31 pitches in a high-leverage 2.1-inning relief outing to clinch a regional win on just three days rest after a 104-pitch outing.
The Ole Miss transfer isn’t the only Ole Miss transfer that will likely sit atop the Tennessee baseball record books in a certain category after this season. Andrew Fischer needs just two walks to break Chase Headley’s 2005 record of 63 single-season walks.
The pair of Ole Miss transfers – who are best friends – breaking a pair of 2005 records exactly 20 years later is certainly on the table as Tennessee continues on in the postseason.
Tennessee has rode Doyle all season long and will continue to do so as the postseason progresses. The Vols will be back in action either Friday or Saturday for game one of the Fayetteville Super Regional. We will see if Doyle starts game one or two of the Super given his large amount of work in the regional.
