It’s a baseball scout’s dream scenario in Knoxville, Tennessee, this weekend at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. With the Tennessee Volunteers and the Florida Gators squaring off, plenty of top-end MLB draft talent is on display throughout the series.
On Saturday, some notable outings came from both starting pitchers.
For Tennessee, it was junior Marcus Phillips. It was the right-hander’s first career start against SEC competition. Phillips’ only regular-season appearance in conference play during the 2024 season came on the road against Kentucky. He needed just five pitches to record the final out and secure the series victory for the Vols in Lexington.
Phillips threw 110 pitches across seven innings on Saturday. The Tennessee righty had impressive command of his fastball and slider, to the tune of seven strikeouts to just one walk. The result was a complete-game shutout, as the Volunteer offense exploded for nine runs in the seventh inning to walk-off the Gators, 10-0. For Phillips, staying focused and letting his stuff work in the strike zone was key for Saturday’s performance.
“I was mainly just focusing on competing in the zone,” said Phillips. “When I try to go outside of my way to try to strike people out or just try and do too much. That’s kind of when I get in my own way. And so I was just trying to get ahead on strike one and work from there.”
Tennessee head coach Tony Vitello echoed the same sentiment.
“This year, it’s been a steady incline of just improving,” Vitello said. “I can break it down. It’s a long list of little things, but they all pile up into who he is as a teammate and a person and competitor and obviously a pitcher.
“I mean you’re going to give up runs and you’re going to give up hits, you know. But I’m excited for him, because I think there’s years past (college) where he’s just going to continue on an incline.”
An SEC debut for a Gator
Starting on the bump for Florida was freshman Aidan King. The right-hander threw 59 strikes on 93 pitches across six innings. King’s only run came off of a Manny Marin single in the second inning. King showcased an effective pitch mix. He flashed a slider with good depth, along with fastball velocity in the mid-90s. The righty was the lone bright spot for Florida on Saturday, as the bullpen collapsed after his exit, forcing the Gators to try to salvage the series on Sunday.
King was a major draft risk last summer, but the Gators landed the Jacksonville, Florida, native on campus. He will be atop boards for the 2027 MLB draft.
