Matt Kirkland didn't waste any time throwing a challenge at a potential future teammate.
"You make sure you let everyone know my goal at the University of Tennessee is to break every record Cody Hawn sets," Kirkland said Friday of his former high school teammate. "I ended up tying his single-season home run record this year at South-Doyle with 17.
"I would have broken it but people stopped pitching to me late in the season."
That's confidence coming from a high school player who just wrapped up his junior year.
It could be a sign of things to come.
Kirkland told UT baseball coaches this week he wanted to follow in Hawn's footsteps and verbally committed to join the Vols in the fall of 2010.
The 6-foot-1, 220-pound catcher/infielder/pitcher hit .458 with 17 home runs and 41 RBIs during an All-PrepXtra effort this past spring.
He received contact from every school in the SEC, but decided to stay close to home, picking UT ahead of LSU, Mississippi State and Vanderbilt.
"I thought about being a hometown boy and that made up my mind," he said. "I'd rather be five minutes from home if I'm happy or unhappy than 12 hours away and be happy or unhappy."
Kirkland had just finished working out for the Atlanta Braves on Friday at Walters State. He has been a regular at talent showcase events around the country and is considered among the top prospects in the state.
There's a good chance he'll be drafted after his senior season at South-Doyle, but Kirkland said it would take "around $700,000" from a major league team to keep him from playing at UT.
He's 18 years old and would be 21 and draft eligible again after his sophomore season at Tennessee.
Kirkland - no relation to former South-Doyle player and minor leaguer Chris Kirkland - is following a recent South-Doyle pipeline to UT. He joins pitcher Chad Bell and Hawn (who led UT last season as a sophomore with a .364 average, 22 home runs and 81 RBIs).
Another factor in Kirkland's decision was the coaching style of UT coach Todd Raleigh.
"People ask me all the time what I think of Coach Raleigh," he said. "We're a lot alike. He's old school and I'm old school. He's blue collar and I'm blue collar.
"We're both hard-nosed and when it's time to play it's time to play. We're definitely on the same page."
South-Doyle coach Jeff Browning thinks Kirkland will fit right in at UT for several reasons.
"Matt's definitely a Division I hitter," he said. "He has bat speed, power, makes adjustments at the plate and just has a really high baseball IQ.
"He'd be a great catcher at that level with his arm strength. We've played him everywhere in the infield and he can pitch. He's just a big, strong kid with a lot of baseball savvy."
Mark Burgess is a freelance contributor.
Vanderbilt 93, Tennessee 79, Feb. 9…
Signing day celebration at Neyland…
Notre Dame beats Tennessee 72-44…
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 10
rclarkfork#639958 writes:
Good to hear the kid say that he likes old fashioned hard nosed baseball. We had some players last year that did not believe in that philosophy. I think we will see the program start back in the right direction.
Futurecoach16 writes:
But isn't the football team 2nd tier compared to Florida the same way the baseball team is to LSU? Why can't people enjoy the good things. I like the swagger this kid brings. A little over the top? Perhaps, but it seems like he can back it up. If this was Jesse Scroggins saying things like this, you'd be kissing the ground he walks on. I'm glad to see Raleigh can bring in the hometown talent, something Delmonico could not do. Go Vols!
smashmouth98 writes:
sounds like south doyle is a hot bed for baseball players. good thing it is in our backyard or we might not get these guys!!!
CynicalCitizen writes:
I wonder if he will follow Raleigh after his contract is not renewed at the end of this upcoming season?
Intheknow30 writes:
south doyle had an unbelievable class the year of hawn and brentz but farragut has consistently produced top level players for years. And I would not hesitate to say they have a better team now. I encourage you to go to a baseball game at farragut and ask some parents what they think of the current tennessee baseball program.
And, as far as I know, the farragut kids are good kids. You cant build a team around a kid who is obviously in it just for himself.
Vol4ever_1 writes:
Great commitment for the Vols!
Kirkland is a man child with his power. This was a great pick up.
CTR had to have picked up the phone or went to his house. I am starting to think he might be getting a clue either that or he slept in a holiday inn.
Where's my "Raleigh towel"?
Maybe the ring around his collar is actually "blue".
You say "blue collar" when you can't say "knowledge for the game".
makessense writes:
This kid is just acting the way he was raised to act. Hes got the talent but probably short on attitude well see if that changes under higher management.
Vol4ever_1 writes:
You need to change your log in name.
Why does Kirkland need attitude adjustment by higher management? This is why he is a very good player.
You must be related in some way with CTR. Who would see this players comments as needing to be fixed?
He is very confident. "let's straighten him out".
This is why CTR underachieved in his first two years, bringing good players down. Not motivating, but demoralizing good athletes.
Where's my "Raleigh towel"?
cainclifton23 writes:
Farragut players? No.. look at the players that came out of south doyle the past 5 years.
Lance Mclain- Boston Red Sox 12th Rd
Cody Hawn- Tennessee record breaker
Chad Bell- Atlanta Braves Draftee now at UT
Ryan Holland- SP Memphis
Chad Zurcher- 2nd Memphis
Bryce Brentz- All american MTSY 28Hr 479ba and prejected to be top 15 pick,
What farragut player besides kyle waldrop and delmonico (kinda) has panned out like that.
Intheknow30 writes:
I believe I used the word "unbelievable" when describing the class that included all but one of the names you mentioned.
I assume you play or played baseball for SD and I understand you defending your school. But all I am saying is that, as I understand it, UT has moved toward the bottom of the list for farragut kids when it used to be the only choice. And I dont think Brentz will have any trouble going top 5.
Share your thoughts
Comments are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. You agree not to post comments that are off topic, defamatory, obscene, abusive, threatening or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be banned. Click here for our full user agreement.