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Tony Vitello gives injury update on outfielder Hunter Ensley

On3 imageby:Eric Cain•06/16/24•

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Tennessee outfielder Hunter Ensley celebrates after launching a three-run home run. Credit: UT Athletics
Credit: UT Athletics

OMAHA, Neb. — Tennessee baseball coach Tony Vitello have an injury update on starting centerfielder Hunter Ensley following Sunday’s 6-1 win over North Carolina in the College World Series.

Ensley was removed from the ballgame in favor of Colby Backus to begin the fifth inning. The junior made hard contact with the centerfield wall after making a web gem of a catch on the run on a drive off the bat of Anthony Donofrio to begin the second inning.

“He crashed into the wall, and I think hip — I just kept relying on [Jeff] Woody and Doc [Chris] Klenk (physician) in our dugout,” Vitello said after the game. “But you could see he wasn’t moving around his best. In the back of my mind, I thought, as soon as we got a lead we can’t afford with the way Drew [Beam] was throwing the ball to not get to a fly ball, which ironically is what got us into that spot.”

The outfielder got up in a hurry showing plenty of emotion after making the highlight reel catch. He remained in the game in the second inning, though he could be seen grabbing his hamstring throughout the rest of the frame while standing in the outfield.

The veteran lined out in the following half inning at the plate and returned to play the field the next two frames. After striking out in the bottom of the fourth on a lengthy at-bat, Ensley could be seen limping back to the dugout.

When interviewed on the ESPN 2 game broadcast, Vitello said Ensley was a little bit ‘wobbly’ and they wanted to play it safe.

“I said in the mid- game interview there — a little pressure mid-game when you have to do that stuff — I said he was woozy or wobbly,” the coach reflected. “I think I said he was woozy. I didn’t mean his head. I meant wobbly.”

Ensley has been fantastic for the Vols the last two months of the season. He singled against Florida State on Friday and combined for five hits over the first two super reginal games against Evansville last weekend. He tallied four hits in the Southeastern Conference Tournament title game against LSU and logged three-straight multi-hit days in the Knoxville Regional.   

On the season, the centerfielder is hitting .286 on the season with 11 home runs and 45 runs driven in. With an OFF day on Tuesday, it should prove Ensley with some time to rest.

Vitello did not address whether Ensley would be in the lineup on Wednesday.

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