Tennessee baseball players Reese Chapman and Stone Lawless met with the media alongside head coach Josh Elander Saturday after the Vols’ 5-4 season-ending loss to VCU in game three of the Chapel Hill Regional.
Chapman and Lawless reflected on the season, discussing how the team was able to turn things around to make the tournament but also what led to a quick exit from the tournament.
Additionally, Chapman looked back on his time at UT and shared his thoughts on Elander as a head coach and leader. Lawless also talked about what changes need to be made in the offseason and how the pressure is on him and fellow upper-classmen to be leaders in 2027.
REACTION: Tennessee Baseball Eliminated From NCAA Tournament in Loss to VCU
See everything Chapman and Lawless said following the loss below.
REESE CHAPMAN
Reese Chapman on what this program means to him and what Josh Elander means to him:
“First off, I wanted to thank my Lord and Savior for allowing me to play this weekend. This program means everything to me. I told Vol Nation that I would give my all for Tennessee and that that’s the theme for the University of Tennessee. I wouldn’t change anything from my last four years here.
“For my skipper right here to the right of me, I will do anything for him. I’ve been fortunate enough to know him since I was 14. He’s family to me and I feel like I’m family to him. I’ve just been fortunate enough that he’s been able to make me a better baseball player but an even better person.”
Reese Chapman on the emotions and conversations in the outfield with the team after the loss:
“You let the emotions go. I think we’re all manly enough to let it fly. It’s alright to cry in front of your brothers. I think it’s just some of the guys like me that I won’t be here next year – just saying goodbye to the younger guys. Also telling them it’s their program now and just to go be the dude. Learn from our mistakes and don’t make them again.”
Reese Chapman on being proud of holding things together and making the NCAA Tournament after a bad start:
“I mean, we’ve been telling each other that we’ve been playing playoff baseball for the last month, fighting our way through. I mean, we dug ourself the hole, and we were fighting our way through, but it was just us making the decision to come together. Not allowing emotions to get the best of us. And just go out there and play a kid’s game. Have fun playing the game that you grew up love playing. I mean, I’m fortunate enough to end the year and just say that I have 45 new brothers, lifelong brothers that I can pick up the phone and call at any moment.”
Reese Chapman on what gives him confidence that Tennessee will continue the success it had in his four years in the program:
“The guy to my right (Josh Elander). I mean, he wants to win just as bad as we want to win. I mean, I have full faith in this program. It’s gonna be right back at the top. So I mean, that’s all Vol Nation needs to hear is that we have this guy in our corner.”
More From RTI: Tennessee Baseball’s Season Ends In Loss Against VCU
STONE LAWLESS
Stone Lawless on the emotions and conversations in the outfield with the team after the loss:
“Yeah, same. It’s tough. Obviously, you got to show a lot of emotion. I think it’s important to kind of tell each guy like how proud of him you are and how much you love him. Especially like my guy like Reese right here. We’ve been through it my whole time here. Obviously, he’s been here a year longer. But breaks my heart to see that this is his last game. So, there’s not much to talk about. Just a lot of embracing. A lot of love and just letting loose of that emotion.”
Stone Lawless On being proud of holding things together and making the NCAA Tournament after a bad start:
“I think the biggest part was we just, we knew what we wanted as a group, right? We didn’t want this year to just continue to go downhill and be done at the end of the season after the SEC Tournament. And we relied on each other. We had a lot of pride in that. And the coaching staff always says like, ‘go take what you want.’ So we hooked it up as a team. We trusted each other. There was never any bickering inside the locker room. We just continued to get closer. But there was outside noise. We made sure to just use that as motivation to kind of get closer.”
Stone Lawless on what adjustments need to be made next year:
“I think it starts with me, Levi, and some other older guys coming back that we got to set the tone, right? What is the standard? I think we could’ve done a better job than that early on in the year. Kind of let some things slide we shouldn’t have, just in terms of the way we play and the way we go about things. I think it’s easy, we can point fingers and say this and that and that, but at the end of the day, your older guys got to be the leaders, and I think we need to do a better job of leading everyone, whether that’s talking to the coaches, or talking to the freshmen, or talking to the third-year vets. Like, there’s got to be a standard set across from the top to the bottom.”
