Cam Appenzeller strutted off the mound to the march of similar moxies that came before him.
The chirp of the opponent, with choice words delivered, matched that of what SEC Pitcher of the Year Liam Doyle gave Tennessee baseball last season. And his performance to will the Vols to a 4-1 win over LSU on Saturday mimicked it as well.
Appenzeller didn’t want the same story to unfold. Derek Curiel, LSU’s hero the night before, had two runners on after starter Tegan Kuhns was chased out of the game. A seven-pitch battle — with an injury timeout nestled in between — Tennessee’s 6-foot-5 left-handed freshman got the last laugh. He dotted the outside corner of the plate with a 93-mph fastball for a looking strikeout.
And the emotions rolled as he watched Curiel head back to the opposing dugout.
“Definitely a big at-bat for this energy in the game,” Appenzeller said. “Kind of swung the energy back our way, instead of sending it to them.”
It was part of a stellar relief appearance for the professional-level pitcher. Appenzeller dealt five innings out of the bullpen that were nearly perfect. His lone blemish was a Steven Milam single through the right side as the first hitter he faced.
He finished with six strikeouts and one hit across 68 pitches. Appenzeller retired the final 15 batters of the game.
“It’s not like he’s like ‘Hey, everybody look at me,’” head coach Josh Elander said. “He’s celebrating the moment with his teammates. And I just think there’s a calming presence when you get out there, and you kind of know what you’re going to get.”
Yet the emotion he’s providing is not the same as Appenzeller was on the recruiting trail. Elander recalls his laid-back persona as the nation’s No. 22 overall prospect out of high school.
But there’s nothing laid-back about the performances Appenzeller has delivered in his young SEC career, either. He’s been tabbed with a 4-0 record, but the Vols are 8-2 in games he’s pitched in this season.
He’s been Elander’s most reliable pitching option. Since conference play began, Appenzeller has delivered 18.1 scoreless innings, striking out 19 batters and walking just one batter. The Springfield, Illinois, native has allowed nine hits and has dropped his season ERA to a team-best 1.15 in the process.
He makes it look like the sliders are on rookie mode.
“(It’s) not easy,” Appenzeller said. “SEC baseball isn’t easy, so I’ve just been fortunate enough to be doing good right now. Hopefully, I keep it going.”
Instead, it’s the poise Appenzeller attacks with that Elander attributes most to his success. Between the lines, he dealt 46 strikes on 68 pitches. Outside the lines, he’s never approached the coaching office with the demand to be a starter.
The deceiving lefty has all the tools to be Tennessee’s ace — and his numbers support that. But the Vols, who are 4-7 in SEC play, suggest they need his abilities used multiple times in a weekend if the arm allows.
Even while facing the defending national champions, Appenzeller was the same Appenzeller he was recruited to be.
“The moment never gets too big,” Elander said. “I really think it’s a credit to his parents and how he was raised. I mean, he does things the right way, and there’s really no ego there for a guy that has had all the accolades throughout the course of his high school career and turns down a ton of money to come to school.”
