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GENERAL INFO

MEDIA INFO

COACHES/STAFF

PLAYERS OPPONENTS REVIEW RECORDS & HONORS VOLMANAC

2019 MEDIA GUIDE | @VOL_BASEBALL 5 MEDIA INFORMATION Media Services ers, public address announcer and scoreboard operator. The 2019 Baseball Media Guide is Also located on the press level are two radio booths and published primarily as a source of information for mem- a television/VIP booth. Admission to the press box is by bers of the media. Requests for additional informa- credential only. tion, interviews and photographs should be directed to Assistant Director for Media Relations Sean Barows. Press Box Services Updated cumulative statistics, game notes and score- cards, along with team rosters, will be available in the Media Relations press box at each home game. A final box score will be Contact Info compiled and distributed at the completion of each game. An official scorer is assigned to all home games, and Sean Barows Sean Barows will keep the media informed of all scoring Office:(865) 974-7478 decisions, notable facts and records. Cell: (561) 312-9432 Email: [email protected] Telephones The Stadium press box is equipped Sean Barows with one telephone for use by the media only. Each radio booth is equipped with two courtesy phone lines and an Media Relations Department ISDN line, use of which will be granted on a reciprocal The Tennessee Athletics Media Relations Department is basis. Visiting radio crews needing assistance should located in the Brenda Lawson Athletic Center at 1551 Lake contact Assistant Media Relations Director Sean Barows Loudoun Blvd. The Media Relations office phone number at (865) 974-7478. is (865) 974-1212. The Media Relations fax number is (865) 974-1269. The press box Internet phone number is (865) 974-3376. High-speed wireless Internet is available in the Lindsey Nelson Stadium press box, including both radio booths Mailing address: Overnight address: and the television booth. There also are a limited number P.O. Box 15016 1551 Lake Loudoun Blvd. of DSL connections available for use by the media in the Knoxville, TN 37901-5016 Knoxville, TN 37996 press box (but not in the radio booths), and phone lines for dial-up access are available as well. Questions regard- Media Credentials ing system requirements can be directed to Thomas Media credentials will be issued to members of the Moats in the UT Athletic Department prior to the day of working media only. Children and other non-workers will the game (865-974-9027 or [email protected]). be prohibited. Requests for credentials should be made The official web site of Tennessee athletics is: by calling or e-mailing Sean Barows at least one day in UTSports.com advance of each home game or series. All credentials not The official web site of the is: picked up at the Media Relations Office will be left at the SECSports.com ticket will call window at the entrance of the stadium. Autographs Interview Policy Credentialed members of the media are prohibited Players and coaches are available for interviews during from requesting autographs or equipment at any time. weekly media opportunities or by appointment arranged Should the need arise for an autograph request, notify through Assistant Media Relations Director Sean Barows. the Media Relations Department. Any violation of these Interviews with coaches or players while the team is on guidelines will result in immediate revocation of the cre- the road also should be arranged through Sean Barows. dential and future access.

Postgame Interviews  LINDSEY NELSON STADIUM Tennessee Head Coach and select players will be available to meet working members of the media Lindsey Nelson Stadium is located on the cor- following games at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. Media mem- ner of Pat Head Summitt Street and bers are not permitted in the locker room or clubhouse Drive with the main entrance on Pat Head area at any time. Summitt Street. There is no provision for press Interviews with visiting team members may also be parking at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. The best place done on the field, subject to the policy of the visiting to park, however, is the gravel parking lot directly team’s media relations representative. behind the video board in right field or GF4 behind right field. Photographers Lindsey Nelson Stadium Ground Rules Media credentials are required for all photographers and television media. All credentials not picked up at the 1. The field at Lindsey Nelson Stadium is completely Media Relations office will be left at the ticket will call enclosed. The only way a ball can leave the field is in the dugout area, over the fence or through the gate. window at the main entrance of the stadium. Photo decks are located atop the stairwells behind the 2. Dugout limitation - any ball that rolls over the top first- and third-baselines. There are also field-level photo and into the dugout is a dead ball. All of the tartan wells at the far end of each dugout. Both still and tele- lip is live. If the ball hits any part of the dugout, it is a dead ball. vision photographers are welcome to shoot from these locations. Television crews are welcome to film from the 3. The foul poles, flag pole, light standards and score- mezzanine level underneath the press box. board are all outside the park. Photographers will not be permitted in or between the 4. The backstop does not have any apparent holes, dugouts and may not use the weight room to change but the padding has spaces that the ball can lodge locations. in, which would result in a dead ball and rule book applied. The Press Box 5. Tarp area - Any ball that lodges under, behind or in The Lindsey Nelson Stadium press box is for working the cylinder of the tarp is dead. A player can have members of the media only. The press box is located atop one knee on the tarp to make a catch. the grandstand behind home plate and includes space for 6. Do not warm up or hit pepper in the dugout area. working members of the press, official and visiting scor- 6 2019 TENNESSEE BASEBALL MEDIA GUIDE | UTSPORTS.COM

GENERAL INFO 

John Wilkerson Play-by-Play Voice of the Volunteers @JWilkersonWNML John Wilkerson enters his 29th season on the Vol Radio Network and his 21st year as Tennessee base- MEDIA INFO ball’s play-by-play announcer. His relationship with Tennessee baseball dates back to 1988 (the same year he graduated from the univer- sity) and has run consecutively since the 1991 season. Wilkerson’s duties have ranged

from doing public address at the ballpark to moving over to the broadcast COACHES/STAFF booth where he joined former Vols and current announcer Mike Keith. Boasting a nearly unmatched baseball IQ and an encyclopedia-like knowledge of the Vols’ program, Wilkerson has called both of Tennessee’s most recent trips to the NCAA in 2001 and 2005.

In addition to Tennessee baseball, Wilkerson is the scoreboard host for the Vol Network on both football and broadcasts.

Formerly morning sports anchor for WIVK and WNOX, he received the Associated Press award for PLAYERS Best Sportscast in the state five times over a six-year period and has been named best Play-by-Play in the state by the Associated Press on three occasions. In addition to his Vol Network assignments in the fall, Wilkerson—who resides in Knoxville with his wife, Pennye—also calls football games for Knoxville OPPONENTS Catholic High School on WNML. Monday through Friday, Wilkerson joins Jimmy Hyams on WNML SportsTalk from 3-7 p.m. Sports Radio WNML AM 990/FM 99.1, the flagship station of the Tennessee baseball radio network, takes to the air again for its 29th season of broadcasting baseball. The live action will be carried through the Southeastern Conference tournament and any NCAA tournament games. Stations on the network will carry all SEC games, select non-conference games and all postseason action. Most game broadcasts include a 15-minute pregame show that includes player and coach interviews REVIEW RECORDS & HONORS VOLMANAC to bring Vols fans up-to-the-minute information concerning the Tennessee baseball program.

Vince Ferrara Color Analyst @VinceSports Joining longtime voice of Vol Baseball John Wilkerson in the Tennessee radio booth for his seventh-straight season will be Vince Ferrara. Born and raised in Tampa, , Vince is a graduate of USF in Tampa with a broadcasting degree. Vol fans can hear Vince on the Vol Network broadcasts of Tennessee football and men’s basketball. He conducts the pregame player interviews for every game in both sports. He’s also a part of the “Kickoff Call-In Show” football pre-game show, as well as handling half-time stats courtside at UT men’s basketball home game broadcasts. Ferrara has been a sports talk show host and play-by-play announcer for Sports Radio WNML in Knoxville since October 2010. He often fills-in on various live shows including “SportsTalk” hosted by John Wilkerson and Jimmy Hyams. He also is the play-by-play voice of the high school football “Game of the Week” on WNML with analyst Will West. You also may see or hear Vince handling fight sports as well. He announces MMA as lead commen- tator/play-by-play announcer for Valor Fights that airs live on pay-per-view via FloCombat.com with replays airing weekly on FOX 43 in Knoxville and WKPT in the Tri-Cities. Ferrara has freelanced as a reporter/correspondent for CBS Sports Radio, Radio, ESPN Radio and Sirius/XM. He previously served as the color analyst and play-by-play broadcaster for the University of baseball in 2008, as play-by-play announcer for UAB women’s basketball for the 2009-10 season, fill-in color analyst for UAB football and as the football play-by-play announcer for Stillman College.

2019 TENNESSEE BASEBALL MEDIA GUIDE | @VOL_BASEBALL 7 MEDIA INFORMATION

 THE SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE

The Southeastern Conference, with its sto-  2018 ACCOMPLISHMENTS ried 84-year history of athletic achievements • The SEC led all conferences with three representatives in the and academic excellence, has built perhaps 2018 College World Series. Florida made its 12th trip to the Col- lege World Series and fourth in a row, while State the greatest tradition of intercollegiate com- reached the CWS for the 10th time and first time since 2013, petition in baseball of any league in the coun- and NCAA runner-up made its ninth trip to Omaha try since its inception in 1933. and first since 2015. An SEC squad has now appeared in the College World • The SEC has now sent 61 teams to the College World Series since 1990. LSU has been to Omaha 15 times in that stretch, Series 33 of the last 34 years, including appearances by Florida 12 times, Mississippi State and six times, 21 teams in the last eight years. Ten SEC teams were and Arkansas five times, while Alabama, Tennessee selected for NCAA Regional play with six advancing to and Vanderbilt have been three times each, Auburn twice and A&M once as a member of the Southeastern Conference. NCAA Super Regionals in 2018. • SEC teams have won 11 of the last 29 national championships, The SEC has now sent 61 teams to the College World with LSU winning six (1991, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2009), Series since 1990. That has been accomplished despite South Carolina winning two (2010, 2011), Florida taking home no SEC teams making the field in 1992. LSU has been the title last year, Vanderbilt in 2014 and Georgia claiming the 1990 title. The SEC has finished runner-up 11 times in that span: to Omaha 15 times in that stretch, Florida 12 times, 1997, 2002, 2005, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017 and Mississippi State and South Carolina six times, Arkansas 2018. and Georgia five times, Arkansas four times, while • With Arkansas reaching the CWS Championship Series, the SEC Alabama, Tennessee and Vanderbilt have been three has had a team in the College World Series final in 10 of the last 11 years. times each, and Auburn twice. Texas A&M made its first • At least one SEC team played in 13 of the 16 College World appearances a member of the Southeastern Conference. Series games in 2018. SEC teams have won 11 of the last 29 national cham- • For the second consecutive year, the SEC tied its own national pionships, with LSU winning six (1991, 1993, 1996, 1997, record with six teams in the NCAA Super Regionals. Six SEC 2000, 2009), South Carolina winning two (2010, 2011), teams also reached the Super Regionals in 2004. No other conference had more than two representatives in the Super Vanderbilt taking home the title in 2014, Georgia claiming Regionals. the 1990 title and Florida in 2017. The SEC has finished • The SEC led all conferences with its 10 selections to the NCAA runner up 11 times in that span: 1997, 2002, 2005, 2008, Tournament. 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2018. • Four SEC schools were selected as NCAA Regional host sites The SEC has played 67 games in the “Final Four” of and were among eight national seeds - Florida, Ole Miss, Ar- kansas and Georgia. the College World Series since 1990. Only six times, 1992, • Florida won the SEC regular season title, while Ole Miss claimed 1994, 2003, 2006, 2007 and 2016 has the SEC failed to the SEC Tournament crown. get a team to the “Final Four” of the CWS. • SEC teams combined for a 302-95 (.761) non-conference re- Total home attendance for all 14 SEC teams passed cord, which is best among all conferences. the two million mark for the eighth consecutive season. • Year after year, the SEC is the leader in college baseball at- The top four national attendance leaders in 2018 were all tendance. In 2018, for the eighth consecutive year, the SEC’s institutions drew more than 2 million fans, with a nation-lead- from the SEC (LSU, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Arkansas ing attendance total of more than 2.2 million fans. The SEC av- and South Carolina). eraged more than 4,800 fans per game in 2018. The SEC and Total attendance for the 2018 SEC Tournament was its member schools own virtually all regular season, conference tournament, NCAA Regional and Super Regional attendance 144,086, which was the second most in the tourna- records, and the top-four national attendance leaders were all ment’s history. The championship game on May 27 from the SEC (LSU, Ole Miss, Arkansas and South Carolina). between Ole Miss and LSU drew 14,126 fans, which • Seven SEC student-athletes were selected on the first day of is the fourth largest crowd in any SEC Tournament the Draft. Auburn’s Casey Mize was taken as the No. 1 overall pick by the . Florida’s game. The event has become the Birmingham metro’s Jonathan India (fifth) and Brady Singer (18th) and Ole Miss’ highest attended sporting event annually, second in the Ryan Rolison (22nd) were also selected in the first round. The state only to NASCAR races at Talladega. Birmingham SEC led all conferences with 38 players chosen in the first 10 rounds and 99 players selected overall. Magazine named it the top sporting event annually in the • A total of 38 student-athletes wore the SEC Graduate Patch Birmingham area. The entire SEC Baseball Tournament during the 2018 SEC Baseball Tournament. was broadcast live on national television for the fourth • 2018 Major League Baseball All-Star Game rosters included five consecutive year. players from SEC institutions.

Assistant Director of SEC Web Site Communications Ben Beaty is The SEC has an extensive presence on the World in his third year working at the Wide Web at www.SECSports.com. The SEC offers a Southeastern Conference. A 2007 media-only section of the website - www.secsportsme- graduate of the , dia.com. Beaty serves as the media contact Media covering the SEC can retrieve information from for baseball, track and field, cross the conference office as well as the 14 SEC institutions country and the SECU academic initiative, while assisting with foot- from the media site. An Internet photo gallery and championship credentialing system also is available on Ben Beaty ball. A native of Clayton, Ala., Beaty previously spent eight years at the the site. , working with nationally-ranked gymnastics, tennis, baseball and soc- Weekly Awards cer teams after arriving in Athens in 2007. The SEC office will name a Player of the Week, Pitcher of the Week and Freshman of the Week in baseball each SEC Media Relations Contacts Monday of the season. Each week’s selections will be Phone Number (205) 458-3000 released for Monday afternoon publication and also will Fax Number (205) 458-3031 be announced in the league’s weekly releases. Mailing Address 2201 Richard Arrington Blvd. North . Nominations for the award are made each week by the Birmingham, AL 35203 league’s baseball media relations contacts. Ben Beaty, Asst. Dir. of Comm. (Baseball) [email protected]

8 2019 TENNESSEE BASEBALL MEDIA GUIDE | UTSPORTS.COM