Brandon Arvidson’s Stellar Performance Propels Tennessee Baseball Past Texas in SEC Tournament
HOOVER, Ala. —
Tony Vitello
felt anxious about going to Hoover Met.
The
Tennessee baseball
The coach needed to honor an agreement with the pitcher.
Brandon Arvidson
Days before, he had been informed that he would be pitching against Texas. As the event approached, he upheld his end of the deal, and with every throw Arvidson made, his nervousness dissipated.
“Once he got into the game, he took care of the rest,” Vitello stated.
When Arvidson stood on the pitcher’s mound during the SEC Tournament quarterfinals, he confronted the Texas program where he had initially signed before committing to Tennessee, as well as his previous coach from Texas A&M.
The second-year player originating from beyond Austin sliced through the top-ranked Longhorns during his standout performance. The southpaw fanned nine batters over five and two-thirds innings, giving up just one unearned run off of four hits and a walk in the eighth-seed matchup.
Tennessee’s 7-5 victory in 12 innings on May 22
.
“He truly made the difference in the match,” stated Texas coach Jim Schlossnagle, who was coaching at Texas A&M in 2023 during the time Arvidson took a redshirt with the Aggies.
Arvidson came into the game when Tennessee was down 4-0 during the fourth inning with a record of 43-15. He managed to exit the inning without further damage, stranding a baserunner at third base as he recorded his first out in what turned out to be an outstanding relief appearance.
The 79-inch southpaw consecutively recorded five scoreless frames, navigating the pressure-filled later innings. He retired 10 batters in a row spanning from the last out of the sixth frame until the completion of the ninth, propelling Tennessee into extra innings and securing their spot as one of the semi-finalists at the SEC Tournament for the fourth occasion within five years.
By demonstrating the skills and varied pitching approach that had previously led the University of Tennessee to desire him following his time at San Jacintos Junior College, he ensured that Vitello could not remove him from contention.
He possessed two distinct breaking balls that we simply couldn’t anticipate,” Schlossnagle stated. “We ended up swinging at them, but they weren’t even within thestrikezone, which underscores just how skilled he was.
The Vols’ shortstop, Gavin Kilen, understands where Arvidson is coming from. Having faced his curveball during practice games, he is familiar with the challenge the Longhorns (42-12) have been up against.
Kilen mentioned, “He stands at an impressive 6 feet 5 inches and can throw the ball way above his head, almost like he’s throwing from the moon.” He continued, “I’ve never managed to connect with one of those throws. It speaks for itself—simple as that.”
Arvidson reached his peak performance during his game against Texas, which significantly built up his reputation over several weeks. His recent performances have shown a sharp increase in form, culminating in him pitching 8⅔ innings with 14 strikeout victories and only one walk, without allowing any earned runs.
He has saturated the strike zone and reduced walks. Against Texas, he showcased his command by throwing 60 strikes out of 58 pitches, overpowering the Longhorns with his mid-90s fastball and nasty off-speed pitches.
“That’s pretty much been the main point throughout the entire year, which is also why I had some difficulties early on was because I fell behind batters and had to fight my way back into favorable positions,” Arvidson stated.
Arvidson’s rise marks the most recent significant addition to Tennessee’s pitching rotation as they prepare for the semifinals against the victor between No. 4 seed Vanderbilt (39-16) and No. 12 Oklahoma (35-19), scheduled for May 24 at 1 p.m. ET on the SEC Network. This follows an outstanding outing from AJ Russell who delivered his best game this season against Alabama, indicating that the bullpen enters the NCAA Tournament in their peak form.
He caught Vitello’s attention with his competitive performance against Texas, yet it was clear why Arvidson had additional incentive when playing at Hoover Met.
He hails from Texas, pledged his allegiance to Texas, and outperformed Texas.
“I’m pleased he managed to exit the park with a grin today as his performance was extraordinary,” Vitello stated.
Mike Wilson
Covers University of Tennessee sports. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on X @wilson_michael123
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The article was initially published in the Knoxville News Sentinel.
Within Brandon Arvidson’s standout performance during the Tennessee baseball game against Texas in the SEC Tournament,