Tennessee baseball’s inability to find enough reliable pitchers has been one of its biggest issues through the first month in SEC play.
Six Vol pitchers have been differing levels of reliable— throwing between 7.1 and 22.1 innings while posting ERAs between 0.00 and 5.06. But after those six, Tennessee pitching staff falls off a cliff with next best SEC play ERA being Brady Frederick and Nic Abraham’s 13.50.
The most glaring different based on preseason expectations is sophomore Brayden Krenzel who has struggled badly in the start of SEC play.
Krenzel has made five appearances in SEC play, allowing eight earned runs and picking up three losses while recording just six outs. He’s failed to record an out in his last three outings with his long strong performance in conference play coming against Missouri when he posted 1.1 scoreless innings in the series clinching win.
“I know that they’re continuing to work on some things with the delivery to get him back in the strike zone, because objectively, when Krenz is Krenz, the stuff is gross,” Tennessee head coach Josh Elander said Tuesday “It’s really, really good stuff. It’s 98 (mph) with a really good breaking ball, but there’s been a little bit of Jekyll and Hyde right there.”
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Finding the strike zone consistently has been the issue for Krenzel. He’s hit three batters and walked four others in his five SEC appearances. In Tennessee’s series finale loss against LSU, Krenzel came in to start the 12th inning and hit the only batter he faced.
The struggles have been significant for Krenzel in SEC play, but the right-handed pitcher is extremely talented. He was great in long relief in Tennessee’s win over Arizona State and posted a save in the Wright State series.
Krenzel also flashed as a freshman last season and was at times one of Tennessee’s most reliable arms in SEC play. That all explains, in part, why it is so important for Tennessee that it gets Krenzel performing to his potential.
“It’s our job as coaches to work him through that, and I’m confident our pitching staff and everybody to get him there,” Elander said. “I talked to him pregame. He’s in a good headspace, and we just need him to get in that right spot and get back to attacking like he does, because he’s really, really good when he does that.”
Tennessee is back in action this weekend and is desperate to pick up wins as they travel on the road to face No. 9 Mississippi State in Starkville. They begin play at the weekend series is at 7 p.m. ET with the SEC Network+ streaming the game.
