Ouch.
This one had to hurt on a couple of different levels for Tennessee baseball coach Todd Raleigh.
Not only was it another mid-week loss to a mid-major team, it also happened to come from his alma mater and former employer.
Western Carolina (20-24) came into Lindsey Nelson Stadium and handed its former coach a 5-2 defeat on a cold, frustrating Tuesday night for the Vols (25-20).
"I don't know if this one hurts any more, but we're just not playing well," Raleigh said. "It seems like we out-hit our opponents every single game and we don't score runs."
Raleigh coached Western Carolina 2000-2007 and he knew better than anyone the Catamounts would relish handing him a loss. He was right.
"You kind of want to prove something to him," Western Carolina catcher Blake Murphy said. "You want to prove you can do it and there's a heightened sense of awareness."
Murphy (.329, 15 HRs, 52 RBIs) obviously was aware of a first-inning pitch from UT's Jeff Lockwood (2-2).
It appeared Lockwood was going to pitch around Murphy with two balls and runners on second and third, but his third pitch was right over the plate. Murphy sent it screaming over the left-field fence for a three-run homer.
"I know Coach Raleigh pretty well and I know they weren't trying to throw me a strike," Murphy said. "I figured if I saw one I would take a hack at it."
Tennessee managed 10 hits, but most of them were scattered. There was a solo home run from UT senior third baseman Danny Lima in the second and a wild set of events in the fifth.
Trailing 3-1, UT sent four batters to the plate and every one of them reached base.
Cody Grisham had a single, but was picked off on a snap throw to the bag from Murphy.
Kentrail Davis and Josh Liles then singled and the bases were loaded when WCU right fielder Reid Rollison lost a Yan Gomes fly ball in the lights.
Shawn Griffin (0-for-2, two strikeouts) then picked up one strike and was pulled for pinch-hitter Alan Wright. WCU starter Drew Saberhagen attempted to pick off Gomes at first, but the ball got away and the circus inning unfolded.
Davis scored from third, but Liles tried to score after hesitating and was caught in a rundown. Murphy eventually ran him down and then dove to tag out Gomes coming to third for a double play to end the inning.
"I said 'no, no, no' and he thought I said 'go, go, go,' " Raleigh said of Liles. "There's no way I would send him in that situation, but he's a freshman and those things happen."
The Catamounts added two runs in the seventh and UT never mounted another serious threat.
Gomes, named to the Johnny Bench Award watch list on Tuesday, did manage to up his hitting streak to 18 games with a single in the third. It's the longest hitting streak by a Vol since Matt Sternberg hit in 18 games in 2002.
The Vols now get ready for a weekend visit from Vanderbilt.
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Comments » 18
tennvol writes:
Amazing ignorance, chkrbrd.
Hopson2008 writes:
These negative baseball posters know nothing about the game. UT had three players drafted in the first round last year and our starting ss transfered. Raleigh is doing a great job with the lack of experience, talent, and pitching depth he has inherited. Remember, the gap in talent between the mid and high majors in baseball is much less than in basketball or football.
Virgil_Tutwiler writes:
You never know, Todd may have brought doughnuts to the interview and Hamilton may have been hungry....
The Vols hired the only out-of-conference coach that we beat every single time.
Then we lose to that coaches old program the first time out.
Honestly, which program was improved most by the hire of Todd Raleigh- Western Carolina or Tennessee?
Volalumnus writes:
Seems Mike is a one hit wonder - Pearl.
I don't think any other decision he has made has been very good.
He is costing TN a lot of money with his actions, and isn't delivering the goods and forcing the fans to pay the consequences.
huntined#565710 writes:
We lost to a mid-major team because right now we are a mid-major team..Like I said in other post..We should have the talent at Tenn to beat any team like this on any day with our last starting pitcher.. These teams come in here now knowing they can beat the VOLS and most are doing it. We are just not a good team right now.
Don't know if it is coaching or players just not playing their best..
Raynoch writes:
There's nothing wrong with that Helton story. Batters get buzzed all the time for different reasons.
This coach hasn't even been here a year. We can really start judging him a few years from now after he's had some time to build this thing the way he wants it. The complaining on this board is a good example of what's wrong with college sports right now. If a new hire doesn't create huge excitement and a top 25 team out of the gates, he's a failure. That's garbage.
Go Vols
bhjohnso#207063 writes:
i still don't understand why some of y'all are so hard on raleigh, delmonico fans i guess. this team has been losing some mid-week games because they don't have much pitching depth. they've been competing well in the SEC, actually above .500 there, and they don't seem to have the talent many other teams there have. i think that while time will really tell with raleigh, early returns are positive...i don't see how an objective observer could say otherwise.
Beasty72 writes:
I think some of the negative people are nuts.Raleigh is selling out to try and win the games that matter(SEC). I really like the recruits he has been signing and I feel we have a very bright future.Trust me Delmonico lost plenty of these midweek games and with alot more talent.
tigervol9802 writes:
Wow, I see today is Idiot Day on the boards.
This team with DelMonico as coach would probably have the same record, but would have 20 wins against Tennessee-Temple right now and be 5-16 in conference.
richvol writes:
It's tough to lose these games but Raynoch is right...let's give the man some time. We will know in 2 or 3 years.
feathersax writes:
Delmonico left the cupboard pretty bare. Coach Raleigh will have a competitive team in the SEC. Of that I'm convinced. Delmonico's "run yourself out of an inning...wave the bat, but don't SWING it" approach is gone. Geeez, some of these Vol "fans" are such weenie-wads.
wyomingvol writes:
Is this day any different from any other on the postings?
superk#226173 writes:
As a casual observer I can't help but think this guy is in over his head.
Pullingguard writes:
Takes time, takes patience, How much time and how patience... Probably 3 years... He is one down and two to go... His recruiting of players this winter will determine his future... Wish him good luck and a winning way.
Virgil_Tutwiler writes:
Thin pitching????
We lost 5-2.... Hardly a pitching problem.
This depth argument is very weak. Afterall, the midweek opponents are not using weekend pitching either. The Vols are throwing the occasional weeked guy into midweek rotation.
This team is weak in pitching and hitting and it's simple excution. It's not talent!
The best players on this team are GREAT players. Where would the Vols be without Kentrail Davis. and the knee-jerk Anti Delmonico people refuse to admit that their is talent on this team.
It also appears that Raleigh can apparently only recruit Western North Carolina with occasional pickups outside that area.
Next year the talent will be even thinner and the year after that will be saran wrap thin.
Add on top of that the embarrasingly bad promotion of the sport by the athletic department and you wonder why Hamilton even fields a team.
Since Kentucky has improved, Tennessee is now the most amatuerish baseball program in SEC. Look at who UT hires, look at how UT promotes, look at where football practices in fall, look at construction timetables and planning.
No the UT program is worse now than under Delmonico. And the light at the end of the tunnel will probably be another Clemson reject!
Raynoch writes:
wow
tennvol writes:
"So you risk injuring Todd Helton just because he didn't say hello to you, the opposing first base coach, DURING a game? What a fine example you set for your players. If that pitch had hit Todd in the head and ended his career, would you have told that story?"
Wow. I'm starting to wonder if you have ever watched a baseball game. Just when I think you couldn't possibly be any more clueless, you make a new post and prove me wrong. You are one of the top 5 morons on this site. That is a significant accomplishment considering the competition.
UT_Thread_Head writes:
something going on!...a Coach has to have the respect of his players..for whatever reason, and from what i've seen, i not sure if raleigh is there yet..the title Coach carries a certain level of respect, however in the relationship between a Coach and player..it's not a given.
my point, the word FUBU was shouted by a player from UT's dugout..."For U By U" ...Players Need A Coach.
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