Nichols: Tennessee Survived First Taste of Adversity — Now Can It Handle More?

Late Friday night, Will Mabrey jumped straight to the point.

“I think we’ll be ready before they’ll be ready,” the UT pitcher said fresh off Tennessee’s 6-3 series-opening loss to Alabama — the Vols’ first SEC loss of the season, first home loss of the season and second-straight loss after dropping a midweek game against Tennessee Tech on Tuesday. “I think we’re already looking on to the next game, and (Tony Vitello) was saying in the huddle that he’s ready to play a game right now.

“We’re going to come back tomorrow hot, and they don’t really have a chance. They were also partying like they thought they won the World Series, so we’ll let them know how it tastes tomorrow.”

Jared Dickey followed suit, saying UT would “punch (Alabama) in the neck” on Saturday.

As the comments caught fire across social media, Tennessee fans lamented the Vols’ weekend fate.

It had been no more than a month since UT drew similar comments from Ole Miss pitcher Dylan Delucia, the Vols having won that Friday night in Oxford before Delucia predicted a Saturday win.

Instead Tennessee swept the Rebels for the first time in program history, and Delucia’s mouthiness suddenly put him squarely in the line of fire — and under a muzzle for the foreseeable future.

Had the Vols not learned a lesson there? Were they about to talk themselves into a hole too big after watching Ole Miss do the same?

In short, no — at least to the latter.

Tennessee bounced back for wins of 9-2 and 15-4 on Saturday and Sunday, respectively, to clinch the series against Alabama, and the Vols used their typical trademarks of powerful hitting and excellent pitching.

Saturday’s win was particularly emotional. Pitching coach Frank Anderson got tossed after arguing with umpires about the Alabama dugout’s reaction when a line drive came straight at Chase Dollander, sending the Georgia Southern transfer to the turf.

As Anderson was being ejected, Tony Vitello came out to argue his point and defend his assistant.

Then, Jeffrey Macias — the same umpire who missed a reported 57 calls on Friday night and who was behind home plate during the controversial call in Tennessee’s College World Series matchup against Texas last June — jerked his thumb away from Vitello, too.

Don’t like it? Alright. You’re out of here, too.

Vitello stormed after Macias, bumping chests with the umpire who later mandated that Tennessee’s home run cheetah print coat be kept in the dugout for celebrations — the first time that’s happened all season.

Vitello has since been suspended for four games, with his break lasting from Sunday through next Saturday before he can return for the Vols’ finale against Florida.

Meanwhile, Anderson will be able to return on Tuesday when UT takes on Bellarmine.

As for the cheetah print coat? Well, Macias could control what happened on the field. But he couldn’t control anything in the stands.

Buoyed by fans’ vigor — and perhaps by his own amusement — Tennessee basketball’s Uros Plavsic made a simple request via Twitter on Saturday: Where can I find a fur coat by noon tomorrow?

A fan responded quickly, offering her grandmother’s mink coat that had been kept in the closet for decades.

Sure enough, by the next afternoon, there was a 7-foot Serbian man walking around in his own version of pimp gear at a baseball game on Easter Sunday. Only at Tennessee.

Let’s get back to the point, though. Even with the Vols pulling off back-to-back wins this weekend, even with Tennessee punching back in its first real taste of adversity, other teams will take those Friday night comments to mean UT has suffered a chink in the armor.

When you’re the No. 1 team in the country, each team you face is going to bring its best stuff — then celebrate like mad if it pulls off an upset. That’s only natural given the vigor and emotion with which these Vols play, especially with the kind of antics Macias (immaturely) shut down.

So, if you’re wearing orange, you certainly know how to dish it out. But you better be prepared to take it, too, because talent and talk create quite a target that will be awfully hard for Tennessee to shake off.

Now, after the Vols shored up their status as the nation’s top team — and did so without their head coach and pitching guru on Sunday, mind you — that target will only grow larger as SEC Tournament play grows closer.

And waiting hungrily in Hoover? The No. 6 Arkansas Razorbacks, who unfortunately aren’t on the Vols’ schedule for the regular season — but who still can’t seem to forget about the team sitting atop the other side of the SEC.

Can this team truly thrive under the pressure it has created? We’ll find out in the next four to six weeks.

Cover photo via Jake Nichols