The No. 6 Tennessee Volunteers had to make do over the past month without their behemoth of offensive pressure, Gavin Kilen. The star second baseman was sidelined for 12 games leading up to the Ole Miss series with a hamstring injury. The absence of Kilen called for others in the lineup to fill his shoes at the plate for the Vols.
In their first series without Kilen, the Vols faced off against the No. 10 Alabama Crimson Tide. They lost the first game 6-5, showing signs of a comeback in the seventh inning but fizzling out and falling short over the next two innings.
In the following game, standout freshman Levi Clark struggled with three strikeouts, and coach Tony Vitello replaced him with Dalton Bargo. Bargo started at third base the day before but was out of the starting lineup to start this game. Bargo immediately made an impact with an RBI double in the seventh and followed it up the next inning with a two-run single, helping the Vols win by three.
“We know we’re good, we know what we’re capable of, we’re talented, we trust the guys behind us in the lineup, we trust the guys on the field, and we trust the guys on the mound, no matter who’s out there,” Bargo said after the game two victory.
In the Game 3 rubber match the next day, Bargo took Clark’s spot in the lineup as the designated hitter and continued his hot streak with a solo home run in the third inning, helping the team to a 9-2 victory and series win.
Bargo has remained in the lineup since that series, bouncing between designated hitter, third base and left field. He has continued to add strong performances on offense. Over the 12-game stretch without Kilen, Bargo accounted for 15 runs, 10 RBIs and four home runs.
“I can’t control if I’m in the lineup or if I’m not in the lineup, if I’m pinch hitting or at left field. I have trust in Coach V and trust in my teammates for whoever’s in the spot. I’m just playing my game and letting my abilities take over,” Bargo said after the Vols’ Game 1 victory over South Carolina.
Even with Kilen returning to the lineup against No 6 Ole Miss, Bargo added to his share of the offensive workload by totaling three RBIs, three runs and a home run over the weekend.
Kilen delivered an equally explosive weekend at the plate. But as Bargo would be the first to say, anyone in the Tennessee lineup can carry the torch when called upon.
This weekend, the Vols play a three-game series against No. 7 LSU in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, beginning on Friday.
