Nichols: Word of Advice for SEC Baseball Teams? Give Tennessee the Challenge It Welcomes

“I think they want to be tested and I think they want to be challenged. It doesn’t matter what the brand name of the opponent is or if you’re home or away,

“I think they want to be tested and I think they want to be challenged. It doesn’t matter what the brand name of the opponent is or if you’re home or away, you’re going to be challenged. It’s baseball. It’s a challenge, and I think guys on our team look forward to it and like it when the fire is a little hotter. We’ll have a chance to prove that.”

Read that quote that Tony Vitello offered ahead of Tennessee’s trips to Ole Miss and Vanderbilt — back-to-back weekends that comprise the Vols’ two biggest series of this regular season.

Then, go back and read the quote again.

Now, consider Vitello’s words with the perspective of what “No. 5” Tennessee did against the Rebels, who really didn’t seem like much of a challenge for most of this weekend.

12-1 Friday. 10-3 Saturday. 4-3 Sunday.

Not only did the Vols prove themselves against Ole Miss — they swept the nation’s “top team” on the road with such gusto that Mike Bianco’s club was left stumbling and dazed for most of these three days, trying to piece together what had just happened.

“We’ve got to come out with more confidence,” said Ole Miss reliever Dylan Delucia on Saturday, looking and sounding more like a stunned broken record than an SEC ace. “We’ve kind of come out laid back both times.”

Delucia’s quotes were certainly more fiery on Friday, as he guaranteed a Saturday win and that it “would be a lot better.”

Except it wasn’t.

Almost nothing went right for the Rebels, who appeared every bit as shocked and confused and overrated as some have now claimed them to be.

Were they actually flat for 25 out of 27 innings this weekend? Yes. Are they overrated? Probably so, considering this is a team that lost to Southeastern Louisiana and Oral Roberts.

But is Tennessee also better than last season, more talented than most can comprehend (hence the easy crutch of Ole Miss being overrated), and honestly great enough to start looking at hotels in Omaha for the second straight summer? Yep.

Such was the case before this statement weekend though, too.

Entering the series, Tennessee ranked first in the SEC in batting average, slugging percentage, on base percentage, runs, hits, home runs, stolen bases and ERA.

They also ranked first in four of those categories (slugging, on base percentage, home runs and ERA) among NCAA D-I teams, while hanging close at third, second, fourth and tied for 33rd in batting average, runs, hits and stolen bases, respectively.

So, yeah — these Vols were talented before Oxford, so good that they were already ranked No. 1 in one poll: Perfect Game.

The real question, though, was whether Tennessee’s numbers were inflated because of the size of Lindsey Nelson Stadium — as Delucia spitefully alluded on Friday — and whether all this young talent could survive a true road environment in the SEC.

Consider this first challenge to have been met and passed with flying colors.

On Friday, Tennessee increased its nation-leading home run total to 64 with five jacks that made Swayze Field look like a driving range.

On Saturday, the Vols played small ball with 12 hits for 10 runs to clinch the series, as well as their best start in SEC play since 1966.

And on Sunday? Tennessee closed its second conference sweep of the season with an RBI double and triple from Drew Gilbert and Luc Lipcius, respectively, before grinding out the win defensively.

Speaking of defense, let’s not forget about UT’s outstanding pitching, either.

On Friday, freshman Chase Burns reminded us again that he should be in the pros right now. Then Chase Dollander followed suit on Saturday, and Drew Beam dominated on Sunday — no runs allowed through his first two SEC starts — before Redmond Walsh slammed the door when the Rebels made things interesting.

In total, the Vols’ staff forced the Rebels into 40 strikeouts with just two walks.

That production is without even factoring in ace Blade Tidwell, who was active — and warmed in the bullpen — this weekend but has yet to make his season debut.

In other words, Vitello’s club lived up to the telling analysis offered by Walsh, a sixth-year senior, last Thursday afternoon: “This is the most talented team that I think I’ve played on since I’ve been here.“

Such talent and the resulting success should certainly warrant a lift in the polls for Tennessee come Monday.

Time and again in Oxford, the Vols showed why they deserve college baseball’s top spot.

But they also stayed true to their roots — consistency, swagger and villainy — which have become staples within the magical, alluring recipe of culture that Vitello has perfected.

Exhibit A: When UT clapped back at Lane Kiffin’s golf ball pitch by bringing out a mustard bottle as part of a home run celebration for Jared Dickey.

Exhibit B: Later Friday night, when Vitello put Ben Joyce’s 104 mile-an-hour arm into the game with his team already ahead 10-0.

Exhibit C: When Tennessee overcame a Jorel Ortega fielding error on Sunday to clinch the sweep, winning in a way that only a team this stubborn, this relentless, can.

Given that the ‘Daddy’ hat and pimp coat are seen after each and every home run, we may have to wait until next weekend for more examples of this team’s juice.

Still, the point remains: Vitello’s club has an identity worth envying.

Now, after a midweek matchup against Western Carolina, Tennessee will carry that aura to Nashville for its second test in as many weekends against a Vanderbilt team that dropped two of three against South Carolina — whom the Vols swept last weekend.

One can be sure that Tennessee will take Vanderbilt seriously, though, since any team with Tim Corbin in the dugout and Enrique Bradfield on the base paths is one worth full focus.

As for the Commodores, or any other conference foe for that matter? Don’t take these Vols as lightly as Ole Miss apparently did.

After all, this Tennessee team deserves at least one full, thriving weekend with the kind of gritty challenge it seems to welcome.