HOOVER, Ala. — Cam Appenzeller walked off the mound at Hoover Met Stadium on Tuesday night having just earned his first career SEC win. Then he sat down in front of the media and told them he still didn’t have his best stuff.

That honesty is rare, but so is going 6-1 as a freshman.

Appenzeller threw five innings against South Carolina on Tuesday, allowing three runs on six hits while striking out five. The left-hander tossed 84 pitches, 52 of which were strikes. Tennessee’s offense gave him a cushion to work with, helping lead the freshman to his sixth career win, 11-6.

The box score said it was a productive outing, but not by Appenzeller’s measures.

“I don’t think it was very close to my best stuff,” he said. “I was kind of moving a little slow today, but obviously, the amount of strikeouts was fun.”

Having a good game in the SEC Tournament as a freshman, especially when your body isn’t cooperating, is an accomplishment.

Appenzeller’s slow feeling has been building for about a month. After the Chatham, Illinois, native’s hot start — six runs allowed through his first 11 appearances — things took a swift turn.

After earning SEC Freshman of the Week for his five-inning, eight-strikeout performance against Mississippi State on April 10, Appenzeller got a hard lesson from the SEC. He allowed six runs to Ole Miss, then four runs each to Alabama, Kentucky and Texas. His ERA jumped from 1.49 to 4.84 in just over a month.

“It’s been a bit of a grind,” Appenzeller said. “I don’t have my best stuff, but I’m working my way to get back there.”

The mechanical culprit, according to head coach Josh Elander, was a timing issue in his delivery. Appenzeller was rushing toward the plate, causing his arm to fall behind. When his tempo slows and he drives down the mound through his backhand, everything sharpens — more life on the fastball and a better angle against right-handed hitters. 

When he rushes, nothing works quite right.

Elander noticed signs of correction in Appenzeller’s start at Oklahoma last week, a 2.2-inning outing where he allowed just two earned runs and showed better command. After the game, Elander had a simple message for his freshman.

“Welcome back, Appy,” he told the freshman.

That bounce-back wasn’t accidental. Over the last few weeks, Appenzeller has been working closely with Keegan Knoll, Tennessee’s Director of Sports Performance. The two drew up a game plan on how to handle his rocky patch – more attention to his mechanics and a reduced pitch count to let his body reset. 

The investment showed up Tuesday night in Hoover.

“His tempo and delivery were better,” Elander said Monday ahead of the tournament. “He wasn’t as rushed. When he throws strikes and he’s in attack mode, he’s as good as anybody.”

Elander pushed back on the freshman’s self-criticism Tuesday night with the confidence that comes from watching him battle all season long.

“He’s talking about not having his best stuff,” Elander said. “But the guy’s 6-1. The last two games, he gave us a chance to win an SEC game. To be able to do that as a true freshman and just take the ball — he’s been amazing for us all year long.”

Even on a night when Appenzeller wasn’t at his best, the Vols’ offense made sure it didn’t matter. Garrett Wright went 4-for-5 with a home run and three RBIs. Henry Ford added three hits, a home run and two RBIs. Tennessee finished with 15 hits and 11 runs, giving Appenzeller a wide cushion.

Appenzeller leaned on that throughout the night.

“Knowing that they’re behind me, and whenever I get in the dugout they’re gonna put up a couple of runs or keep fighting for me, that helps,” he said.

While the wins haven’t always been pretty, and the ERA isn’t where Appenzeller wants it, he’s still taking the ball and competing every outing. 

For a true freshman still navigating his first collegiate season, that might be the most important thing he’s shown all year. 

“We still have more season left,” he said. “It’s the most important part of the season.”

Elander couldn’t agree more.

“You’re never gonna have success be completely linear,” he said. “That guy’s a winner, and I’m glad he’s on our team every day.”