NATIONAL CHAMPS
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5 moments from Tennessee’s clinching win
TREVOR MCGEE Assistant Sports Editor
OMAHA, Neb. — The Tennessee baseball team was crowned champions when the final out was recorded in the ninth inning of Monday’s contest at Charles Schwab Field.
The Vols were tasked with a tough opponent, as Texas A&M would not go down lightly. After nine innings were played, Tennessee pulled out the 6-5 win.
Throughout the game, many plays were made. Here are five of the most important plays from the emphatic win.
Christian Moore leadoff homer to begin home half of the first inning
Tennessee trailed after one full inning in the two previous finals series games. That changed on Monday with Christian Moore in the box.
After going down 0-2 in the count and working a third-pitch ball, Moore blasted a 93-mph heater into the Vols bullpen in right field to put Tennessee ahead by a run in the opening frame. The lead was crucial, taking the pressure off of Zander Sechrist on the mound with some support already behind him.
The lead lasted throughout, and Moore’s blast allowed a wire-to-wire victory for Tennessee.allowed a wire-to-wire victory for Tennessee. Sechrist blows a 2-2 pitch past Gavin Grahovac in
Why
CALEB JARREAU Sports Editor
the fifth
The third time through the order has been a daunting task for Sechrist this season. The order flipped around for the third time in the fifth inning on Monday. But the issue was non-existent at the time.
After mowing down Kaeden Kent and Travis Chestnut on strikes to begin the inning, it was Gavin Grahovac’s turn at the top of the lineup. However, Sechrist stayed true to his pitching. In a full count, the southpaw put a pitch right past Grahovac to strand him looking.
As he exited the mound, Sechrist raised his arms to pump up the Tennessee fans in attendance. Striking out the side in the fifth was a slight testament to his pitching with the national championship trophy on the line.
He lasted only one out into the sixth inning, but his book closed with just six hits allowed to go along with seven strikeouts and a questionable earned run.
Hunter Ensley evades the tag in the seventh Kavares Tears smoked a ball off the wall in rightcenter in the bottom of the seventh inning. With Hunter Ensley already aboard on a single, Tears moved him around the bases.
However, Ensley was not settling for the stop sign at third base. He went ahead and rounded third and headed home. While the throw beat him to the plate, the determination to score went beyond the catcher in front of him. The redshirt junior outfielder evaded the tag, diving toward the
plate and getting a hand at home before any tag was applied.
The Vols extended their lead to five runs with the contributions from Ensley’s best juke move.
Kirby Connell closes the door in the eighth Dylan Loy was brought in as a relief arm for Snead. The outing turned rough as the Aggies tagged the freshman for two runs and another call to the bullpen was made.
‘Save a Horse’ played over the stadium speakers and it was Kirby Connell’s turn at the lineup. Facing two runners on base, Connell recorded two massive strikeouts to strand the runners.
Ryan Targac swung through a 1-2 pitch, as Connell made an electric exit from the mound, pumping his fists in excitement.
Connell’s outing in the eighth locked the score in at 6-3 as the inning closed. It was his final out as a Vol.
Aaron Combs’ final out
The biggest moment of the night goes to the pitch before the dogpile.
Combs brought on the celebration with an electric swinging strikeout on a 1-2 slider. Despite the tying run standing at the plate, the pitch went straight through the bat and the celebration ensued. Combs denied the Aggie comeback effort, and the dogpile ensued after a hug with Cal Stark.
An effort that will be swept under the rug, Combs’ performance back-to-back nights proves a crucial piece to Tennessee’s title run.
the 2024 baseball team is ‘a little bit different’
a deal where you’ve got nine guys and baseballs flying around and arms moving and things like that, and energy in the dugout.”
OMAHA, Neb. — There’s something different about the 2024 Tennessee baseball team. Head coach Tony Vitello described it as “a little bit different.”
That difference — a mix of maturity, camaraderie and the best lineup in baseball — brought the Vols through a gauntlet to earn the first College World Series title in program history.
“This group seems to stick together,” Vitello said. “I feel we’re getting closer as the year goes on.”
It been something that Vitello and players have harped on for most of the season. The team chemistry this Tennessee team possesses differs from those previously.
“If I was to answer on the team’s success this year, I have to go broken record and just say the team chemistry and camaraderie that’s there,” Vitello said. “Sum greater than the parts applies to a lot of different things. And it certainly applies to teams.
“It would be nice to have Michael Jordan and say you’ve got the best guy to take over, or Peyton Manning to lead the way. But this is
Camaraderie has been the story for Vitello and the 2024 Vols. Christian Moore credited that “togetherness” with helping Tennessee come from behind to defeat Florida State to open the College World Series. The players believe in one another, something that has been built throughout the season.
“The group out there, we’ve played a lot of games together,” Moore said. “So there’s that certain comfort between us and knowing my brother has my back at all costs. So when you go out there and have that, good things can happen.”
There is also a new element that hasn’t been associated often with Tennessee.
Maturity amongst the veteran group Tennessee baseball has not been associated with the word maturity often, but Vitello said this year’s team is different. It’s a group that had been to Omaha in 2023 — an experience that familiarized the returners with the bright lights and fanfare that come with the biggest stage in college baseball. Many Vols, including most of the biggest contributors, were on the 2022 team that took
baseball by storm. They were also on the team that had to battle on the road to make the College World Series in 2023.
Some, like Kirby Connell, were even around when the Vols made the College World Series in 2021. The recipe for making it to Omaha had been figured out, but winning once they got there was an issue.
“They have an interesting level of maturity about them,” Vitello said. “I’m sure anti-Tennessee people will argue, but there’s a certain maturity there over the course of nine innings with all the things that can happen in a game.”
Alex Perry (4), Colby Backus (20) and Camden Bates (41) gather befor thegame against Florida State. Friday, June 14, 2024. Cole Moore/ The Daily Beacon
Inside the 14-hour turnaround that helped keep title hopes alive
JARREAU
Sports Editor
OMAHA, Neb. — Tennessee baseball walked silently through the humid halls of Charles Schwab Field. Many players didn’t even take off their cleats, wanting to leave the stadium as quick as possible. It was just before midnight ET and the Vols had just opened the College World Series finals with a loss to Texas A&M. Much of the loss was due to self-inflicted mistakes and defensive miscues.
The environment reflected the result as players exited the stadium for the very short ride to the hotel. The emotions had to be short-lived lived as the next.
“Of course, it’s a little quiet — it’s a loss,” pitcher Nate Snead said. “I mean, it’s kind of how it’s going to be. But after you go to bed, you kind of like — ‘Whatever, it’s over. We lost. So what, who cares.’” It was a time to reset for the Vols and leave the loss in the past. When the team got up on Sunday, the loss wasn’t discussed among the team. The group went through batting practice on the field like they would a normal game. Ariel Antigua carried the speaker in as players nodded along to the music. Head coach Tony Vitello messed around with the team during stretches as he does every game.
The loose environment and smiles amongst players contrasted from just 14 hours before. The “reset” — which differed from player to player — worked.
“It was a quick turnaround, so you go to do
what you go to do,” pitcher Zander Sechrist said. “I’m going to say it over and over — it’s still baseball. By the end of the day, it’s still a baseball game. You still got to compete in it.” Sleep was a little harder to come by for
Vitello after the loss to Texas A&M. The party, which has continued in Omaha for the past 10 days since the College World Series began, raged on as he tried to get some rest. The issue was compiled with the fact the head coach only had one AirPod.
A little bit of brown noise and two AirPods will help Vitello sleep better on Sunday night. Going to the hotel after a win also will help the man who has brought Tennessee baseball to the top of college baseball.
“You’ve got to eat, you’ve got to rest,” Vitello said. “You’ve got to say ‘Hi’ to your family. Got some friends in town, so probably can’t take in Omaha the way they will, but at least say ‘Hi’ to them. And I think you just got to be a dude because they’re probably chomping at the bit to get back out there.”
Second baseman Christian Moore had a simple message for his teammates at the hotel after the loss in the opener. He just told them to fight because he didn’t want Sunday to be his last game as a Vol. Moore got his wish. The quick 14-hour turnaround resulted in a 4-1 win for the Vols and forced a College World Series decider.
“I didn’t want this to be my last game,” Moore said. “We love a 1-1 series and I just somehow, some way just fight to win and figure it out and that’s what we did.”
Homegrown talent helps lead team to 2024 National Championship
CALEB JARREAU Sports Editor
OMAHA, Neb. — Tennessee baseball recruiting coordinator Josh Elander remembers when in-state talent chose to go elsewhere.
Somewhere along the way, as he and head coach Tony Vitello worked to rebuild the program, it changed. That started with core Vols like Jared Dickey and Jake Rucker.
The 2024 roster includes similar staples like reliever Kirby Connell.
Connell and eight other in-state products made up the Vols’ active roster in the 2024 College World Series, culminating in the first National Championship in program history.
“You got a whole state that loves the Tennessee Vols,” Elander said. “So, I’m excited for those in-state guys and everybody from Knoxville all the way to Memphis.”
One of those players is pitcher Drew Beam. The righty grew up going to Tennessee football games and wearing orange. When it was time to pick a college, the decision was easy Vitello was in the midst of reviving the Vols, and he wanted to be a part of it. That decision paid off for the Blackman High School product.
Beam picked up two wins in Omaha during the 2024 run, aced the staff for the major-
ity of the season and ends his college baseball career as a National Champion.
“He brought in some really good guys, some homegrown guys and just — it’s crazy how it’s turned out,” Beam said. “And I got to play for the team I grew up for and it’s so amazing. I bled orange as a kid and now I’m a volunteer for life. I got family that I never knew I’d have and it’s so amazing.”
While Beam concludes his career with a ring, Dylan Loy caps off his freshman year with one. The Pigeon Forge product picked up an out during the College World Series clincher on Monday, fulfilling a life-long dream.
“It means everything,” Loy said. “This moment is literally what you dream of when you’re as small as you can walk and pick up a ball. It’s the craziest thing ever.”
Vols’ championship lineup littered with homegrown talent
Cal Stark knows what the Tennessee fanbase has been through. The Farragut High School product has seen it firsthand. He was the everyday catcher for Tennessee during the 2024 campaign and caught every game of the College World Series. His teammates refer to him as the general when the Vols hit the field.
Now, he gets to bring the trophy back to his hometown of Knoxville.
“It’s going to mean a lot to Knoxville,” Stark said. “I know how much — what our fan base is like. I know what they’ve gone through over the years. A lot of heartbreak. So for us to finally, finally bring one home, it’s pretty fricking special.”
Tennessee’s offense has been littered with homegrown talent as Vitello has continued to grow the program. Perhaps one of the most important on Monday night was Huntingdon High School alum Hunter Ensley.
Ensley went barreling into home with an agile dive to dodge a tag and score what ended up being the deciding run for Tennessee. He did all of it while dealing with a nagging hamstring injury.
Saturday, as a child, was filled with Tennessee football on the TV. Given the chance, nothing was going to stop the outfielder from fulfilling his childhood dream of leading the Vols to the pinnacle of college baseball.
“Never would I have imagined being in a situation like this — being able to finally bring home a national championship in baseball for this university,” Ensley said. “You know, the last national championship Tennessee won, it was before I was even born, so I wasn’t even able to experience that. Really just honored to win one for this state.”
CALEB
Christian Moore (1) celebrates a single during a College World Series game against Texas A&M at Charles Schwab Field. Sunday, June 23, 2024.Cole Moore / The Daily Beacon
Drew Beam (32) is interviewed after winning the College World Series title over Texas A&M at Charles Schwab Field. Monday, June 24, 2024. Cole Moore / The Daily Beacon
Feels like ‘24
Tennessee baseball captured the first national championship in program history to cap off the 2024 season, bringing a whirlwind of emotions.
David Smith / The Daily Beacon
Cole Moore / The Daily Beacon
Cole Moore / The Daily Beacon
Cole Moore / The Daily Beacon
Cole Moore / The Daily Beacon
Cole Moore / The Daily Beacon
Cole Moore / The Daily Beacon
Cole Moore / The Daily Beacon
Cole Moore / The Daily Beacon
Cole Moore / The Daily Beacon
‘Best is yet to come’: White, Barnes, Heupel attend national championship
TREVOR MCGEE
Assisitant Sports Editor
OMAHA, Neb. — The biggest game in over a decade for the University of Tennessee brought along some big, familiar faces to Charles Schwab Field.
Tennessee baseball brought home the first major team national championship since Pat Summitt’s Lady Vols basketball team won it all in 2007-08. The title was also the first major men’s team championship since the football team won it under Phillip Fulmer in 1998.
Attendees featured Tennessee athletic director Danny White, head football coach Josh Heupel and head basketball coach Rick Barnes.
Hoisting the first championship trophy in 16 years, the winning tradition had to be started somewhere.
“Just so excited for this group,” White said. “They’ve worked so hard, they’ve got great leadership, great student-athletes. Obviously with Tony and the coaching staff, this is the pinnacle moment — it’s awesome. We plan on winning a lot of national championships around Rocky Top but you got to start somewhere.”
On the forefront was head coach Tony Vitello, guiding his team to 60 wins this season and ending the final calendar day with a national championship trophy.
“He’s real,” Barnes said. “I love him because he is who he is.
“He appreciates everybody, he appreciates his players. He’s a fighter. He’s gone at it since day one, and when you think about it, not a lot of tradition prior to him. He finally got the big one tonight, but he’s been there, he’s put himself into position a number of different times now. I’m just happy for him because he got something done that only one gets done every year.”
White was not the athletic director to hire coach Vitello, but he’s endured the successful season his baseball team has brought to campus.
“I think he’s built it the right way,” White said. “He’s been here in Omaha three of the last four years — consistency. There’s no shortcuts in this thing, he’s built a heckuva program and Tony is a great representation of that.”
The fun brand of baseball, as Heupel calls it, has put Tennessee on the map.
“What he’s done in his seven years, he’s built the program,” Heupel said. “It’s been at an unbelievably high level these past three, four years. This group just competing, it’s a fun brand of baseball — they play with passion, play with energy, care about each other. That’s what he’s built in front of that dugout. It’s something that we’re all trying to build with our own team. It’s a group of head
coaches, across the entire athletic department, that care about each other.”
Much of the attention goes to the fall when Heupel’s football team takes the field, but Vitello’s program has brought the school even more attention.
“It showcases to recruits, the brand. It showcases the opportunity to compete for a championship — our logo, our brand being in front of the entire country 365 days out of the year.”
Vitello’s accomplishments are on par with the expectations White has set for his athletics department.
“You don’t come to Tennessee if you don’t want to compete in everything at the highest level,” White said. “Baseball kind of has been one of our top programs to set the pace.
We’ve got a lot of other teams on their way and I think the best is yet to come for Tennessee athletics.”
Barnes believes in the benefit, universitywide.
“I think it’s great for everybody,” Barnes said. “There’s this energy that’s going on at the University right now, not only on the athletic side but on the academic side in terms of how many people are wanting to be a part of Vol Nation and the University of Tennessee. It’s just something special and you don’t get to do it much.”
Barnes was particularly ‘blessed’ to be in attendance, feeding off what Vitello has done in his tenure.
“A blessing, incredible,” Barnes said. “I’ve watched what Tony has done in my time
there and the way he’s come in from the beginning.
“His vision, what he wanted it to be, and how he’s gone about it. Hasn’t wavered and the fan base, the best in the country. I know how hard my guys work, I know how hard they work and he would tell you the same thing that any coach would tell you. He just got the ultimate prize, you know he’s the best in the game and he deserves every bit of it. To be here and be a part of it is a blessing for me.”
Vitello’s vision came out victorious, but the other coaching staffs on campus will now have a standard to meet. Heupel’s Vols are next on deck, as the academic year has finally concluded with Tennessee baseball on to
AJ Russell (33) speaks to Josh Heupel and Rick Barnes after winning the College World Series title over Texas A&M at Charles Schwab Field. Monday, June 24, 2024. Cole Moore / The Daily Beacon
Head coach Tony Vitello returns to the dugout during a College World Series game against Florida State at Charles Schwab Field. Wednesday, June 19, 2024. Cole Moore / The Daily Beacon
‘They paved the road’: How the 2022 team set the 2024 team up for success
CALEB
JARREAU Sports Editor
Kirby Connell (35) pitches during a College World Series game against Texas A&M at Charles Schwab Field. Sunday, June 23, 2024. Cole Moore / The Daily Beacon
OMAHA, Neb. — Josh Elander texted his group chat filled with former players. The Tennessee baseball associate head coach keeps in contact with the former Vols, but this text was different.
The text, one of gratitude, came as Tennes-
see baseball was preparing to lock up the 2024 national championship. Elander thanked the group for paving the way so the 2024 team could reach the top of college baseball. The championship wouldn’t have happened without the past players under head coach Tony Vitello and Elander who helped build the program.
“I just told them that man, ‘I wish I could suit up with them one more time,’” Elander said. “But this doesn’t happen without them. I could rattle off 25 names right now. I’m just thankful because this is a win for them as much as anybody else.”
The 2024 national championship run began long before 2024. It began with players like Jake Rucker, Luc Lipcius and Drew Gilbert who built Tennessee into the program it is now.
“They paved the road for us to be able to get here and to get the fans to here also,” pitcher Kirby Connell said. “And so to be able to experience that and play alongside those guys and then finally get here and win the thing for them was awesome.”
Several players on the 2024 team, including Connell, were a part of the 2022 team that saw its record-breaking season come to an end in the NCAA Super Regional.
Tennessee’s staff allowed Redmond Walsh to leave a parting word with the team. The veteran had been an essential part of the re-
build, but his career ended in Knoxville instead of Omaha.
The message to the team, and then-freshman Drew Beam, Christian Moore and Blake Burke, was to treat every day like a gift. You never know when your last day picking up a baseball will be, Walsh said.
That team didn’t face much adversity during the season. When adversity finally came, the team wasn’t able to overcome it and clinch a College World Series appearance.
That is what separates the 2024 squad from the equally, or even more talented, 2022 team.
“I think that was a learning curve for the coaching staff and for the team is to understand like, ‘Hey, we got to play every game like our hair’s on fire and that we don’t know what tomorrow brings,” Walsh said.
It’s safe to say the 2024 team accepted that mantra. Come-from-behind wins or Sunday clinchers were nothing new to the Vols. When the lights were the brightest and the stakes the highest, the 2024 team didn’t waver. They had been there before.
The experiences all came together to allow the Vols to break through where other teams hit a wall. The “revenge” tour is complete with a national championship trophy headed back to Knoxville.
“This whole past two seasons, we’ve just been out for revenge,” outfielder Kavares Tears
said. “That was, quote unquote the team. People say that was the best team, but you can’t say that now as good as that team was. That team, again, is one of the best teams that I’ve ever been a part of, but this team right here — it’s special. It’s something that I have never, I just — I don’t have any words literally.”
Championship impacts go beyond 2024 team Walsh wasn’t the only former Vol who tuned in to watch Tennessee reach the top of college baseball. Elander’s group chat was blowing up following the game.
Players took to social media to congratulate their former school and teammates.
“Decade of the Vols,” Jordan Beck posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“Pretty fricking surreal,” Luc Lipcius told The Daily Beacon.
The championship was felt beyond just the current team. The ripple effect reached as far back as former head coach Dave Serrano and the Vols who came before him. But for the group who saw their career end in Lindsey Nelson Stadium, it means just a little more.
“I might had a little impact, but to show that those guys were prepared for that situation and if that’s because of something I did great,” Walsh said.
‘This is not the last’: Peyton Manning reacts to national championship
CALEB JARREAU
Sports Editor
OMAHA, Neb. — Tennessee football legend Peyton Manning has been there before.
The former Vol and NFL quarterback knows the feeling of knocking on the door but never being able to break through. It’s a feeling that Tennessee baseball had become used to heading into the 2024 season.
The Vols finally broke through the door on Monday night and won the first national championship In program history. Sitting in the stands of Charles Schwab Field was Manning, joined with Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel and basketball coach Rick Barnes. The trio lived, and died, with every pitch and play during Monday night’s game. They celebrated with the team after the win as well. It was the first championship for Tennessee in a major men’s sport since 1998 — the year after Manning left Knoxville. It made the celebration that much sweeter.
“It’s awesome,” Manning said. “And hey, this is not the last. I mean, we’re coming. ... All our sports are coming. And this is just the first, I’m telling you.”
Manning has watched firsthand as Vitello continues to build Tennessee baseball to a powerhouse program. His dad has watched
as well.
Archie Manning played for Ole Miss in 1969, traveling with the Rebels to their third College World Series in program history during that season. Archie Manning and Vitello have built a relationship since he took over as head coach of the Vols. The relationship his father and Vitello share is something Manning doesn’t take for granted.
“He’s been great to my dad, he gets back to my dad,” Manning said. “He always gets back to him, which is awesome, which you appreciate that as a son. And Tony’s close with his dad. So it’s been a really special friendship. Just proud of him and this program he’s built.”
Manning, who owns a plethora of honors from both college and the NFL, knows what it takes to win. He sees those characteristics with Vitello’s group.
Vitello’s players do not come to Tennessee for Name, Image and Likeness deals. They come to Tennessee to play for a winning coach and program.
Those attributes, Manning said, are what has led the Vols to the top of college baseball.
“It’s hard to build a program, I think, in today’s college sports world, but Tony has,” Manning has. “These players are coming to play for him and to be a part of this culture — that says everything you need
to know about him and this program.”
Manning couldn’t hide his excitement for Vitello after the game — giving the head coach a big hug before posing for pictures. It was clear that the feeling of admiration was mutual.
Vitello can say he has something on “the Sheriff” now. He has an NCAA National Championship, although the Super Bowl
rings may carry more weight.
Either way, Manning couldn’t hide his admiration for the Vols on Monday night as they dogpiled on Charles Schwab Field.
“It’s awesome,” Manning said. “I mean, (Vitello’s) a rockstar. He’s created an incredible culture and program. These players play hard for him.”
Peyton Manning takes the field following a Tennessee College World Series title at Charles Schwab Field. Monday, June 24, 2024. Cole Moore / The Daily Beacon
Stories of Herky Payne and the 1951 ‘Vol baseballers’, the last Tennessee team to play in the CWS finals
brink of elimination
The Vols fought through the loser’s bracket, defeating Princeton, Springfield and Utah before facing Southern California with a trip to the finals on the line.
OMAHA, Neb. — Harold “Herky” Payne remembered taking the long train journey to the College World Series in Omaha.
The trip took the 1951 Tennessee baseball up to Chicago before taking another train to Omaha. The 17 Vols took in a White Sox game, watching Chicago play rookie Mickey Mantle and the soon-to-be-retired Joe DiMaggio play with the Yankees. He always remembered DiMaggio receiving a standing ovation from the Chicago crowd.
Payne recalled the trip and the team camaraderie they built during the long trek to play in the second College World Series in history. He recalled arriving in Omaha to be treated like kings. These are all stories he told his sons, Leslie and Jason, that live on today even after Payne died at the age of 92 in 2021.
Here are some of the stories of Payne and the 1951 Tennessee baseball team — which the 2024 Vols joined as the only two teams in program history to make the College World Series finals.
Suffering a loss in the first game
General Robert Neyland was there on the first day to throw out the first pitch and get the 1951 festivities started. For Tennessee, the first game didn’t go to plan.
Payne thought the Vols were uptight, playing nervously on the big stage. They suffered a 7-1 defeat to Utah and were on the
Payne launched a home run to tie the ball game after going down 6-2 against the Trojans. Tennessee ended up winning the game, 9-8, and going to the finals.
“Dad individually did very well that tournament,” Leslie Payne said. “I think he had a couple home runs. He always talked about how that helped him earn second-team AllAmerican honors.
Tennessee suffered a defeat in the National Championship against Oklahoma, falling 3-2. Payne stood on deck as the final out was recorded. He told his son that he would have tied the game up — or even won the game for Tennessee — if he was given the chance to step to the plate.
Payne finished the season as Tennessee’s leading hitter, batting .371. The Volunteer Yearbook called him the most outstanding player of the year. He held down second base for head coach Cy Anderson.
“He would just always talk about how great of an experience it was,” Leslie Payne said.
Payne helps lead Tennessee to 1951 football National Championship
Payne put up his glove and traded it for a football helmet when fall came around. He was a part of the 1951 squad that claimed the school’s first undisputed National Championship. Tennessee also claimed the 1950 title, although it is disputed. What isn’t disputed is Payne’s impact on the
team. He played a little bit of quarterback during the 1950 season, throwing for five touchdowns while rushing for seven more with 444 yards.
He was the short-yardage specialist in 1951, backing up Heisman runner-up Hank Lauricella. Payne chipped in an SEC-leading 14 touchdowns and 566 yards that season.
“Dad was blessed, he sat right next to General Neyland on the bench,” Jason Payne said. “There’s a famous picture of him and Lauricella on the bench. He sat right next to him and watched him handle the game.
Payne and Bert Rechichar were the only two baseball players who also played on the football team. Neyland always loved baseball, dating back to his playing days at Texas A&M and West Point.
Payne comes back to baseball
Even playing both football and baseball in the SEC, Payne always ended up coming back to baseball.
“He just loved playing sports,” Leslie Payne said. “I don’t know, I guess at the end of the day, he seemed to gravitate more towards baseball.”
“He loved baseball more than football,” Jason Payne said. “Baseball was his best sport. He’s known for football but he loved baseball more.”
After serving in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, Payne returned to Knoxville. He worked at ORNL before entering coaching at Farragut High School.
He began as an assistant under John Heatherly, helping the Admirals earn their first state championship in school history in
Tennessee’s stadium, defeating Bearden. He got the opportunity to coach his son Jason Payne with the Admirals. He remembers his dad’s coaching style as that of an old-school coach, similar to Neyland. There were no excuses and hard work was expected from the group.
Since that first state title in 1982, Farragut has earned 13 titles and continues to run high school baseball in Tennessee. Payne and Heatherly helped future coaches Tommy Pharr and Matthew Buckner with building the program.
“Their program is incredible right now,” Leslie Payne said. “And I think dad and John really started the trajectory of the Farragut program.”
Then as The Orange & White, Tennessee’s student newspaper chronicles the 1951 ‘Vol baseballers’
The Orange & White, Tennessee’s student newspaper before The Daily Beacon was coined in 1965, said the 1951 “Vol baseballers” were the dark horses of the College World Series.
The darkhorse team finished SEC play 16-1 before being proclaimed champions of the third district of the NCAA by Happy Campbell of the University of Alabama.
The Orange & White didn’t print during the summer to chronicle Tennessee’s College World Series run that ended with a runnerup finish to Oklahoma. An appearance in the finals, and the chance at a championship, eluded the Vols for the next 70 years.
CALEB JARREAU
Sports Editor
Herky Payne and ‘Vol baseballers’ pictured in The 1952 Volunteer Yearbook chronicling the 1951 Tennessee baseball team. Courtesy of Tennessee Athletics