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Hunter Ensley’s historic slide stands atop the ‘D1 Dozen’ Top Plays of 2024

On3 imageby:Eric Cain•01/02/25•

_Cainer

Hunter Ensley
Credit: UT Athletics

As the 2024 calendar year came to a close, D1 Baseball presented the ‘D1 Dozen’ which captured the top-12 plays of the 2024 college baseball season. Tennessee’s Hunter Ensley was featured atop the list with his historic slide in the College World Series.

The reigning national champion baseball squad was well represented on the ‘D1 Dozen’ with three plays. Ensley’s slide in the CWS Finals Game 3 ended up being the game-winning run as the Vols held on to outlast Texas A&M, 6-5. Ensley’s catch against North Carolina earlier in the week in Omaha placed fourth while Christian Moore’s cycle was fifth.

Tennessee was leading Texas A&M 3-1 heading to the home-half of the seventh during Game 3 of the College World Series. Needing some more runs of insurance, the Vols went to work.

Of course, CWS MVP Dylan Dreiling came through with his third two-run homer of the series to put Tennessee up 5-1. Ensley kept the party going with a single through the left side and would trot all the way around the bases to score on Kavares Tears’ RBI double that followed. The run was welcomed and Tennessee held a 6-1 lead with just two innings to go.

But here’s the thing. Ensley was waved around third by Josh Elander and he looked to be out by a country mile. It appeared to be a bad send, but Ensley went up the line and performed somewhat of a ‘skip-dive’ to the first base side of the catcher. He crossed home plate as the catcher swiped but came up empty. He threw his helmet in celebration and celebrated with his teammates. Tennessee had just stolen a run.

It might not have seemed huge at the time, but boy did the Vols end up needing it. Texas A&M would not go away, plating two runs in the eighth and two more in the ninth. The Aggies finished the ballgame with the tying run at the plate.

Ensley’s dive past the catcher and over home plate proved to be the winning run. Sometimes great teams catch a break and the Vols certainly did in that situation. Great play all around.

Ensley made the catch heard around the college baseball world a few days earlier against North Carolina in the College World Series. That play was good enough for No. 4 o the ‘D1 Dozen.’ It was a drive off the bat that led off the second inning for the Tar Heels. Ensley tracked the ball in the air, sprinted in full and made the grab on the warning track in left-centerfield.

Only one problem.

The junior ran out of real estate and went crashing into the wall. Full of emotion and adrenaline, Ensley jumped up and started pounding his chest. Fans gave the effort a standing ovation – as they should have. If not for the catch, it was extra bases for sure and potentially an inside the park home run if the ball got away on a wild ricochet off the wall or off of Ensley himself.

The catch was the tone-setter in the ballgame and really fueled Tennessee to the 6-1 win that eliminated the Tar Heels.

Moore hit for only the second cycle in College World Series history on June 14 against the Seminoles as that was No. 5 on the ‘D1 Dozen.’ He joined Jerry Kindell, who accomplished the feat back on June 11, 1956, as part of a 5-for-6 day. Moore tripled in the first inning, doubled in the second and singled in the fourth. A 440-foot home run to centerfield – that showcased 117 miles per hour of exit velocity – secured the cycle in just the sixth inning. 

For good measure, he doubled for the second time in the ninth inning and recorded the game-tying run at the time on a Blake Burke single. Tennessee went on to win the game 12-11 on a Dylan Dreiling walk-off single.

The second baseman inked his first professional contract for $4,997,500 after being selected No. 8 overall by the Los Angeles Angels. The slot value for the eighth overall selection in the Major League Baseball Draft was set at $6,502,800 – meaning, Moore signed for $1,505,300 under slot value.

The Vols open the 2025 season at home against Hofstra on Friday, February 14.

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