Everything Tony Vitello said following a win over South Carolina

Tennessee cruised to a 5-0 win over South Carolina Friday night in game one of the final regular season series of the year. Andrew Lindsey was terrific in 8.1 innings pitched while Hunter Ensley and the rest of the Volunteer outfield put on a show.

What all did skipper Tony Vitello have to say following the victory? A written transcript is provided below.

On Andrew Lindsey’s performance and taking him out n the ninth inning…

“Yeah, I didn’t want to get punched. It was for of a thought process and Frank [Anderson] removed himself from the equation. All he was doing was making jokes and making fun of me. It turned into a good situation – a comical situation – but really if you want to break it down, it’s a guy wo is the ultimate competitor. He wants to be on the field. He even admitted to me that he was kind of going on fumes there the last couple of innings. His command maybe backed up a little bit and maybe they took some of their better swings at the end, but he still had good stuff. The ball was still moving, and Cal Stark even said that he needed to go back out there for the ninth. So, a lot of good things out of Andrew Lindsey since we have given him the ball in a starting role, but even now can officially feel like he’s built his arm up and has upped his repetitions. So, there’s nothing really holding him back. More of the same, yet, he’s getting stronger as the season goes.”

On what made Andrew Lindsey so effective….

“I think it’s a different look with almost every pitch he throws. There’s not a lot of similarities even if you’re going to go the same type of pitch. He’s one of those guys where it’s not the same type of look. He was after the strike zone and he had some defense behind him a little bit. The whole thing worked out to be in our benefit. The offense did a good job. It ain’t easy sitting around the hotel and doing nothing. Our guys have had some crazy scheduling stuff since the start of the year. I thought they handled it really well. They came out loose but focused. The fact that I think he was able to pitch with the lead was a benefit as well.”

On how Andrew Lindsey has changed the dynamic of the staff this year…

“I think he’s relieved pressure on everyone. There was so much pressure coming from so many different angles. When we had that talk in the office with a few guys where it was a little bit of a reset, I think it allowed everyone to take a deep breath. It was almost like a timeout or a half time and let’s look forward to the second half of the season and what I can do. It simplified a lot of guys’ tasks. It relieved a lot of pressure and it’s understood at this pint kind of what your role is on our pitching staff. That brings comfort to them when they show up to the park.”  

On the outfield’s performance tonight and growth at that position….

“Yeah, no doubt. C-Scott [Christian Scott] is an older guy, but you look at at-bats. C-Scott hasn’t accumulated as many at-bats as a lot of guys in this league. He’s seen a lot, but he needed to get out there and play and be an everyday guy. He needed to experience the things that come with that, not just physically, but mentally. Dylan [Drieling] is still a little lower on the end being a freshman and not as many starts defensively. With [Jared] Dickey begins out, it means he got an opportunity, and he took advantage of it. It allows Griffin [Merritt] to do what he does in that spot as well. He took some of the best swings I’ve seen him take all year tonight, even though it wasn’t his most explosive night. Goof stuff from all the outfielders, including Griff.”

On Dylan Drieling’s playing left field…

“That is not an easy spot. This is a great venue just like a lot of them in the league. They show out. Our fans showed out here. The last trip was incredible, the amount of people we had that year. It looks like a good group this year too. So, we appreciate that, but if you’re playing left field here and you’re not wearing South Carolina colors, they are going to let you know some stuff. The fact that he made that play right off the bat was big time.  

On Hunter Ensley’s clutch hits….

“I think the fact that he’s in there competing and trying to push forward in the inning is what makes him effective. But what he did tonight was huge. The guys in the dugout were even saying it and complimenting him in a bunch of different ways. I think he kind of has that mentality of this is who I am, take it or leave it and whatever situation it is, I’m going to try and keep pushing forward and moving forward in this particular inning. When guys do that, it makes things more simple for them. Maybe he’s a simpleton.”

On the weather this weekend and the schedule changes…

“I think it’s the same for both teams. It’s the end of the year and it’s the time of the year you want to play and to play your best ball. It’s also the end of the year, tournament time, weather time and you just kind of play when they say you can play. Sometimes it might be two games. It’s not like little leaguers where sometimes you can have three games in one day. But kind of like our team did last year in Hoover, you just kind of wait for your assignment. When you get it, you attack it and when not, you’ve got to chill out or you will stress yourself out.”