Adams: Adkins wants to stay out of harm's way

But he almost did.

Adkins had just released a practice pitch at the Millard West High School field when a hit baseball sailed within inches of his head.

"It would have been a good story if you had got hit," University of Tennessee teammate Eli Iorg told Adkins in the dugout. "Pitcher gets hit but still pitches."

Dugout humor dies hard. One loss, even on a stage as big as the College World Series, couldn't kill it.

There was nothing grim about UT's workout in preparation for a loser-goes-home game against Arizona State this afternoon on Day 3 of the CWS. The sun was shining, a breeze was blowing and a team that no one outside its dugout expected to be here in preseason was still alive and hitting.

You couldn't say it was a perfect day, because the coach's son doesn't get hit on a perfect day. Rod Delmonico's youngest son, Nicky, was struck on his left wrist while shagging balls during batting practice. A sharply hit ball off the bat of catcher J. P. Arencibia apparently took a tricky bounce and sidelined the younger Delmonico for the rest of practice.

Otherwise, Saturday was considerably better than Friday for the Vols, who played an uncharacteristically sloppy game in a 6-4 loss to Florida. But their misfortune might actually work to the advantage of Adkins, the precocious freshman pitcher from Mt. Juliet.

Had the Vols beaten Florida, Adkins would have been pitching tonight against heavy-hitting Nebraska, whose fans have adjusted the color of this CWS from neutral to Big Red and turned up the volume to a relentless roar.

UT publicist John Painter, who has worked seven College World Series, is sensitive to the difference.

"You would have one fan saying, 'I like Tennessee,' and another saying, 'I like Florida,' " Painter said of the usual non-partisan atmosphere at a CWS.

Neutrality took a beating when Nebraska qualified for this CWS. If you had closed your eyes and listened to the crowd Friday night, you would have thought Nebraska was beating Oklahoma in football. A mere missed swing from an Arizona State batter provoked a home-run-like cheer.

Florida will get Nebraska and the noise tonight while the Vols take their chances on the quiet side of the bracket this afternoon. Adkins says he's ready for the challenge.

He was ready Thursday, too, when Delmonico announced he would start Adkins instead of Luke Hochevar, the SEC's top pitcher, in the CWS opener.

"I was getting in the zone," Adkins said.

He can now write that off as getting-in-the-zone practice. Delmonico changed his mind and started Hochevar.

"Luke has been our ace," an understanding Adkins said. "To come back for the second game is important."

Only the most important game Adkins has ever pitched. But the pressure is nothing like high school when radar guns were more intimidating than the hitters.

"Getting scouted by pros, that was as much pressure as I've ever felt," he said. "You see those guns behind the plate If I can get through that, I can get through a lot."

Arencibia is optimistic his freshman classmate can do just that. He gained an appreciation of the 6-foot-5 lefthander way back in October when he figured out catching Adkins was easier than hitting him.

"He was pretty much unhittable in the fall," Arencibia said. "I think he gave up like three hits the entire fall (in intrasquad games)."

The Vols would gladly take another three-hitter this afternoon.

Sports editor John Adams may be reached at 865-342-6284 or adamsj@knews.com.