Stone Lawless looked like he had never touched a bat before.
When the redshirt sophomore catcher returned to the batting cages following a facial fracture against Vanderbilt three weeks ago, Lawless admitted to the foolish nature of his swing after being away. It only took a day to knock off that rust, and it never bled into gameplay.
Lawless made his second-straight start on Tuesday, finishing 2-for-2 with a home run, single and a walk in a run-rule win over Lipscomb. Even after an 11-game absence from the lineup, Lawless has continued to rip the baseball with three hits in five at-bats.
“It’s been great,” Lawless said. “A lot smoother than I anticipated, given the talent we’re playing. I’m just really grateful to be back.”
Lawless was one of Tennessee’s best hitters before Vanderbilt’s Alex Kranzler lost control of a pitch on March 29 that spiked the batter in the face, requiring facial surgery and keeping him out of the lineup. At that point, Lawless was batting .250 with four home runs, four doubles and 10 RBIs with 21 starts behind the plate.
In the first game back with a bat in hand against Ole Miss on Sunday, Lawless managed a hit and a walk, scoring two runs in the win. He made it aboard three times against Lipscomb.
“The only surprise has kind of just been how much poise I’ve had kind of mentally,” Lawless said. “Usually, the game can speed up a bit, and I just feel like it’s been a little more normal transition, opposed to what it can be in the early time of year.”
It’s his selfless nature that kept him level-minded throughout the recovery process.
Lawless had a bucket list of ballparks to check off.
The redshirt sophomore catcher has been a staple of Tennessee baseball’s travel roster since he arrived on campus, not missing a trip in his three years. It’s taken him to the likes of Alex Box Stadium, Hawkins Field and Swayze Field, among many others — but a facial fracture kept him from checking off Dudy Noble Field.
Lawless was only bummed for a little bit until he realized it meant freshman Ethan Moore got his first opportunity to travel.
“I was pretty grateful for him to be able to go,” Lawless said. “And then they played well, so I felt like it was a good trade-off.”
That “100%” epitomizes who Lawless is, according to head coach Josh Elander.
“He’s an easy guy to root for,” Elander said.
“All the success that he gets is earned in a lot of different ways,” Elander said. “Just taking short swings. Just taking a walk. You’ve been on the bench – him for a different reason – but hadn’t had a ton of (at-bats). Those guys may want to chase some hits at the beginning. But to mix in a walk and hit a homer and catch the ball the way he has the last few days, it’s a really good sign for us moving forward.”
Tennessee and Lawless will have a quick turnaround for the next conference matchup. The Vols host foe Alabama beginning Thursday, April 23.
