KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee third baseman Billy Amick is off to a hot start with his new club in 2024.
The pre-season All-American, and transfer from Clemson, came into Saturday night’s contest against Bowling Green, hitting .342 while slugging .895 through 38 at-bats on the young season. Amick is generating a ton of buzz and garnering second-round attention for July’s MLB draft after carrying his hard-hit tool from 2023.
At Clemson, Amick hit .413 with 13 home runs, leading the Tigers to a conference championship. Tennessee ended the Tigers’ season in the NCAA Tournament Regional last June. The Volunteers made an impression on Amick last summer and the feeling was reciprocal.
“I like the way we’ve played this year,” Amick said. “I like they way (Tennessee) played in the past – just with a lot of confidence. And playing the game right, giving 100% effort every inning, every pitch.”
Amick also drew the attention of Vols’ head coach Tony Vitello in the 2023 regional at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.
“We had a lot of time in the hotel at Clemson,” said Vitello. “We were kind of looking at stuff, and we did not like him being in that lineup. So, through scouting, we had really high expectations for what he and several other guys could do in that lineup.”
As far as continuing on display of consistently barreling up hard hits, Amick said he spends little time worrying about the details of his loudest tool.
“Thinking less and hitting more,” Amick said. “I think that’s how I’m going to live my life until I don’t work anymore.”
Amick is a key component in a Tennessee lineup that has notched 25 home runs through 11 games. Coming into Saturday’s tilt versus Bowling Green, Amick was listed as one of three players on the Vols’ roster slugging over .600 with 30 or more at-bats, joining Christian Moore and Kavares Tears.
Amick went 3-for-3 against the Falcons, collecting two more RBIs and launching another homer. The opposite-field blast traveled 350 feet, with an EV of 100 mph. He now has seven home runs through 11 games this season.
After Tennessee’s 12-1 victory over Bowling Green on Saturday, Vitello echoed the same sentiment about Amick’s mantra.
“He has a pretty good understanding of who he is and what he needs to do,” Vitello said. “He’s a good listener when you offer information, but he’s not looking to add eye wash or anything like that … So, the fact that he lives his day-to-day life and also works day-to-day to prepare for games, kind of with that same mantra.”
