Saturday night’s affair began with Tegan Kuhns and William Schmidt dueling on the mound, as the Vols were positioned in a state of despair after dropping the opening game of the series against LSU.
Both pitchers established an effective pitch mix in the early innings. Kuhns flashed a north-to-south curveball several times during his first run through the LSU lineup. The right-hander made quick work of the Tigers in the opening frame despite no swing-and-miss offerings.
Talented Sophomores Duel
In the second inning, Kuhns recorded four whiffs — two on the fastball and two on the curveball. He allowed back-to-back singles to open the frame but limited the damage to one run. LSU’s Chris Stanfield drove in the run with a single that struck Kuhns in the head and neck area. Kuhns remained in the game and worked two more innings.
The Vols’ right-hander was pulled for freshman Cam Appenzeller after issuing a leadoff walk to Cam Arambide in the top of the fifth. Kuhns’ final line included one strikeout and two walks, with one earned run allowed on 69 pitches.
Schmidt allowed three runs, all tied to Tennessee’s Blake Grimmer. In the first inning, Grimmer hit a grounder through the legs of Zach Yorke, leading to two runs scoring. In his next at-bat, Grimmer launched a 375-foot home run to right field.
The LSU right-hander threw a career-high 99 pitches over 5 2/3 innings, his longest outing against an SEC opponent. He recorded seven strikeouts, three walks and hit one batter. Schmidt now has 23 strikeouts, 10 walks and three hit batters over 19 innings in conference play.
Both right-handers flashed above-average offerings. Kuhns’ feel for the curveball stood out, while his fastball command was inconsistent. He was strong in relief last weekend against Vanderbilt before moving into the Saturday starter role for this matchup. His other appearances this season have come as a Friday starter.
Schmidt continues to look for improved command as conference play progresses. LSU’s ability to get length from him will be key moving forward. The Tigers still have questions, including one remaining weekend starter spot and overall bullpen depth.
A Freshman Prospect Steals the Show
While the talented sophomore starters offered an intriguing prospect matchup, it was a freshman who stole the spotlight as Tennessee evened the series in Knoxville.
Freshman Cam Appenzeller entered the season as a highly regarded prospect for the 2028 MLB draft. He has not only been Tennessee’s top freshman, but one could argue the left-hander has been the team’s most valuable player to date.
Appenzeller delivered a dominant outing, stifling LSU’s potent offense. He retired 15 consecutive batters and recorded six strikeouts without a walk in a relief appearance Saturday night.
Tennessee head coach Josh Elander credited the freshman’s poise and command of his fastball.
“The moment is never too big and he’s just going to fill up the strike zone,” Elander said. “But I think the difference tonight was that he was driving the heater glove side. He always has been able to do that, so in to righties, but then also both sides of the plate. So, the fastball really becomes two different pitches … Good pace, good poise and pretty special performance tonight.”
Appenzeller now has 19 strikeouts to one walk over 18 1/3 scoreless innings in conference play. He entered the night with the fourth-highest strikeout-to-walk ratio (7.25) in the SEC and the best mark among freshmen, based on qualified batters faced.
Appenzeller is expected to be among the top names on prospect boards for the 2028 MLB draft. His early success against elite competition has been one of the most notable developments in college baseball this season.
Quotes from Elander on Prospect Tegan Kuhns
While Kuhns has flashed explosive stuff from the mound at times this season, command has also been an issue on some Friday night starts. Last weekend’s relief appearance against the Commodores resulted in six strikeouts to one walk through 4 1/3 innings of one-run ball. Elander said during postgame media availability that communication between Kuhns and staff continues to be a strength as the talented righty navigates multiple roles during SEC play.
“We just have open and honest conversations,” Elander stated. “And I told him about some little things (like) being quicker to the plate and making sure (his) glove is covered up. And what Tegan does is respond. He’s a tough kid. And he wants to win. He’s going to compete. And when you see those guys make those adjustments and really buy into asking what was going to help him — not only here — but in the long term, it will only help him if he doesn’t give up those free (bases).”
