Tennessee baseball dropped its NCAA Tournament opener to East Carolina Friday in Chapel Hill, 7-3, in 14 innings.
In the 14-inning marathon, Tennessee used five pitchers. Of the five, three should be able to pitch in Tennessee’s elimination game Saturday. Another could be available while starter Evan Blanco is likely not pitching until Sunday at the earliest.
Blanco threw 97 pitches in an efficient seven-inning start while reliever Bo Rhudy threw 52 pitches in an excellent relief performance. Rhudy was clearly gassed when he exited the game, but head coach Josh Elander “thinks” Rhudy would be able to go the following day.
“I think so,” Elander said regarding Rhudy’s Saturday availability. “At this time, everybody should be all hands on deck. He was gassed at the end. I think he was over 55 pitches.
“You could tell he was starting to waver a little bit. He was telling me he was good, but the way he’s looking, I don’t know if he was.”
Elander’s ‘all hands on deck’ approach for Saturday is unsurprising given the season is on the line. But what does that mean for Tennessee?
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For starters, it means Rhudy – who looked amazing Friday and can be Tennessee’s best bullpen arm on any given day – could pitch.
It means Brandon Arvidson and Cam Appenzeller are certainly available after throwing 27 and 14 pitches Friday, respectively.
Freshman Will Haas also pitched Friday but should have no problem being available a day later after a 19-pitch outing.
While it would be a major surprise to see Blanco take the mound in any capacity Saturday, Blanco ensured Elander knew he wasn’t spent for the weekend when he left the mound.
“The thing I know that (Evan) Blanco said was, ‘Hey, I’ll be ready to go again,’ first thing when I told him he was out,” Elander said. “So, that’s a good sign. Our guys, you’re in this spot and you either got to find a way to get it done or you’re not. It’s pretty simple equation moving forward.”
If Tennessee were to make it to Sunday, Blanco’s attitude combined with Elander’s ‘all hands on deck’ approach could yield time on the mound for the senior. Monday is more likely, but if Tennessee’s backs are against the wall, Blanco could be an option.
Tennessee has not announced its starting pitcher for Saturday’s elimination game, but the Vols will have a mostly-full arsenal behind the starter, even with all top three bullpen options having thrown Friday.
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Looking at the remainder of the weekend, Tennessee can’t afford a bad start from whoever starts Saturday and will need quality outings from all arms across at least the next two games if UT is going to win the weekend.
A VCU Friday night win would be crucial for Tennessee. An opportunity to eliminate North Carolina Saturday would be a welcomed reality for Tennessee. The Vols have a much better chance at out-slugging VCU and ECU the remainder of the weekend than dealing with Carolina.
