KNOXVILLE – Tennessee baseball coach Tony Vitello said before the season that he figured his pitching staff would be a strength for the Volunteers this season.
Through the first week, he’s been right.
The Vols are 7-0 to start the year, having swept Appalachian State and Indiana in three-game series. They also have a win over Northern Kentucky.
Tennessee’s pitchers have allowed only four earned runs in those seven games. Zach Linginfelter, who was named Southeastern Conference pitcher of the week on Monday, has allowed no runs and only four hits in two starts. He’s struck out 18 of the 36 batters he’s faced.
The Vols have a 0.57 team earned run average and have allowed just 27 hits.
“The start gives you a little bit of room for error down the road,” Vitello told reporters after Sunday’s 5-3 win over Indiana. “The difference between conference and nonconference wins, no matter who’s playing or what conference you’re in, it’s easier when you get off to a good start, so when the struggles come, it hurts a little less.
“But all in all, any time you get a chance to win a game, every team in the country wants to do it.”
All four runs given up came in the series against the Hoosiers, who took a 3-0 lead Sunday on a trio of home runs. The Vols had to rally, using a three-run double by Andre Lipcius in the bottom of the fifth that gave them a 4-3 lead. They would add a run on a Justin Ammons single that scored Ricky Martinez in the bottom of the sixth.
“We were fortunate to win today,” Vitello said. “They (the Hoosiers) came out swinging. That team knows how to win and has a winning tradition there, so for the guys to come back and hold on, you feel maybe this is a group you feel can hold on when the back-and-forth battles take place.”
The solid pitching has helped overcome what’s been a slow start offensively. The Vols are hitting .260 as a team, which currently ranks 12th out of 14 SEC teams. They do have a league-high 20 doubles, six by sophomore Evan Russell.
The Vols finish their season-opening nine-game homestand with games against Liberty Tuesday at 4:30 and Middle Tennessee on Wednesday. They first hit the road this weekend, playing in the Cox Diamond Invitational at Blue Wahoos Stadium in Pensacola, Florida.
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenley3 or at Facebook.com/VolsUpdate.