SAD NEWS: Tennessee baseball outfielder hurt in CWS.
Coach Tony Vitello of Tennessee baseball stated on Tuesday that outfielder Hunter Ensley is still out for the College World Series due to a lower-body ailment. Vitello stated, “He’s definitely better today than he was on Monday.”
Ensley participated in every practice held by Tennessee on Tuesday in order to get ready for their Wednesday (3 p.m. ET, ESPN) matchup against Florida State (49-16). But following his injury during a highlight-reel run into the centerfield wall at Charles Schwab Field during Tennessee’s 6-1 victory over UNC on Sunday, the redshirt junior did not play at full pace.
“I don’t know if he could have gone full speed but he was cautioned to not go full speed through everything,” said Vitello. “He performed all of our guys’ tasks, albeit not to the same extent as he might have.”
With a victory on Wednesday, the Vols move on to the best-of-three championship series.
Ensley was hurt while making a catch in the second inning on a deep fly ball that Anthony Donofrio of UNC hit. He sprinted straight into the wall. Even though he was still in the game, he left after the fourth inning.
Ensley remarked, “I felt like I was going into the wall.” “I knew it would be a painful catch because I could feel my feet on the track before I caught it.”
According to Vitello, Ensley was let go because he was unable to maneuver as well as he could. Ensley was replaced in the top of the fifth inning by senior Colby Backus. In the College World Series, Kirby Connell is a Tennessee baseball fan’s most deserved favorite.
Ensley claimed that although the range of motion wasn’t optimal, the UT training staff had bandaged his leg before his at-bat in the fourth inning. Ensley had a strikeout and was 0 for 2. He is striking.286 with 45 RBIs and 11 home homers.
