Tennessee opened its season Friday night in its newly renovated ballpark with a dominant 10-0, eight-inning victory over Nicholls State. Right-hander Tegan Kuhns excelled on the mound as Josh Elander claimed his first-ever win as a college head coach.
Kuhns was fantastic from the jump, retiring the first eight batters he faced before allowing the first hit to Karson Irvin in the third inning.
Elander said after the game that Kuhns had a pitch count of 85 pitches, and Kuhns sure made the most of it.
Over 6 2/3 innings, Kuhns scattered two hits and one walk while striking out eight.
“Pretty much everything,” Kuhns said after the game when asked about what he felt was working on the mound. “I was liking my changeup, my slider was good, my heater was playing, everything pretty much.”
Kuhns’ stellar pitching was matched by Tennessee’s offensive firepower. Four-year veteran Reese Chapman started the scoring early for the Volunteers with an RBI double in the first inning that drove in transfer designated hitter Blaine Brown, who had singled two batters prior.
Tennessee’s lineup continued to roll on sheer power for the rest of the game. Of the 11 hits recorded by Tennessee, eight went for extra bases. Three of them went over the fence, including consecutive home runs by Tyler Myatt, who pinch-hit for Chapman in the eighth, and Stone Lawless, who gave Tennessee the walk-off mercy-rule win.
While the players were excited to be back on the field and get their first win of the season under their belt, they all seemed a little more excited for what it meant to Elander.
“It’s awesome to have [Elander] as our skipper,” Chapman said. “Us as players just want to go out and do what we can to win the game.”
Kuhns also gave a look into the postgame huddle in right field.
“We were all hyping him up,” Kuhns said. “He got a ball as the first win as head coach, so that was pretty special for him. We kind of just pushed him around a little bit, you know.”
Elander gave the spotlight to his players for the win, saying he sees it as “just another win for the Tennessee Volunteers.”
Elander did, however, mention the comfort he felt when stepping back onto the field, especially after an exciting offseason.
“It was great. You know, to be honest, that third base box, I’ve spent a lot of time over there over the years, so that’s kind of my comfort zone,” Elander said.
As Elander and the team celebrate Elander’s first win as a head coach, fans can look forward to a doubleheader tomorrow as Tennessee wraps up its opening series against Nicholls State.
