We all have our fears that affect the things we do…for Brett Eldredge, one of those fears is riding in elevators.
Brett even had to face that fear head on, when one time he did take an elevator — and it stopped.
Brett shares the story, “If I don’t have to ride an elevator, I won’t. I kind of have a fear of small spaces as it is, but one time I got stuck in an elevator with like six other people. It’s actually online you can watch it on Youtube, but I started playing my guitar and I was pretending I wasn’t sweating and thought I was going to die. But definitely a fear of elevators.”
Brett wasn’t kidding – check out his stuck in an elevator performance right here…
Even though he emerged from that experience safely – it did nothing to alleviate his fears, “I don’t know if I’ll ever got over my fear of elevators, once you’ve been stuck in one once and you’ve watched the video of the guy that was stuck in it for 48 hours on Youtube, you will never get over the fear of elevators. So I think this going to be something I’m always stuck with. So if you see me in an elevator just tell me to stay calm, we can mediate, do whatever give me a pep talk, ‘we only have five more floors to go Brett, lets do this.’ I hate elevators.”
While there’s no love lost for elevators – Brett is super excited to be heading back on the road for his Good Day tour!
Brett and Morgan Evans kick things off in September in Cleveland, Ohio…
As you see from the dates, next Spring, Brett will be heading to Europe. For fans that can’t make the trek, Brett’s giving you a virtual experience of what his overseas shows are like with his Live From Europe EP.
The 4 track collection includes, “Magnolia”…
“Crowd My Mind”
“Love Someone”
and his current single “Good Day”
For more info about the Live From Europe EP, the Good Day tour, and all other things Brett Eldredge – head to his website
Monday was Day 4 for me here at the College World Series. Here’s what it looked like from “Vince’s View.”
99.1 THE Sports Animal’s coverage of the Vols in the College World Series in Omaha is presented by: Senior Benefit, AG Heins Company, Bobcat of Knoxville, Mercedes Benz of Knoxville and Chattanooga Whiskey.
Vince’s CWS Trip Day 4
*Buffet style breakfast in the team serving room
*Full day of sponsored reports from Omaha on 99.1 THE Sports Animal starting with The Starting Lineup as well as NewsTalk 98.7 and WIVK in morning and afternoon drive
— 99.1 THE Sports Animal (@SportsRadioWNML) June 21, 2021
Vince Ferrara / Credit: 102.5 The Game
*Radio reports from Omaha for stations in Nashville and Florence, AL
*Lunch at Addy’s Sports Bar…fantastic “Char Buffed” wings that are chargrilled, smoky with a hint of buffalo sauce!
*The Vols practiced late in the afternoon back at Creighton University
*Started prep for Tennessee’s opponent on Tuesday in an elimination game Texas
*Returned to TD Ameritrade Park and enjoyed a fabulous pitching duel between Jack Leiter (15 Ks for Vandy) and Sam Highfill/Evan Justice (2 hits allowed for NC State) in a 1-0 Wolfpack win sending them to the semifinals at 2-0.
According to ESPN Stats & Info…
NC State is the first team to beat the overall #1 seed (Arkansas) and the defending National Champs (Vandy) in the same NCAA tournament.
They're the fourth team to face both in same tourney since seeding began in 1999
Sunday, Gameday for Tennessee, was Day 3 for me here at the College World Series. Here’s what it looked like from “Vince’s View.”
99.1 THE Sports Animal’s coverage of the Vols in the College World Series in Omaha is presented by: Senior Benefit, AG Heins Company, Bobcat of Knoxville, Mercedes Benz of Knoxville and Chattanooga Whiskey.
Vince’s CWS Trip Day 3
*Gameday breakfast in the team serving room
*This amazing fan gathering in the lobby as John Wilkerson and I walked out of the elevators to head out to the ballpark
— 99.1 THE Sports Animal (@SportsRadioWNML) June 21, 2021
*We visited the grounds of the old, legendary Rosenblatt Stadium with cool makings of the exact locations of the bases and the mound
Johnny’s Italian Steakhouse / Credit: Vince Ferrara
*John and I took three tries at a postgame steak dinner, starting with “The Drover” that everybody has recommended (2+ hour wait) then 801 Chophouse (2+ hour wait) then finally lucked out and found Johnny’s Italian Steakhouse, with no wait, which was excellent
*We heard a lot about Ted & Wally’s Ice Cream, so we took a walk downtown to crush some fantastic ice cream
Congrats to Maddie & Tae as they were recently presented with plaques commemorating the certification of their number-1 song “Die Of A Broken Heart” as a 2 times Platinum single!
Maddie says, “The reaction to ‘Die From A Broken Heart’ was completely unexpected. We didn’t even realize that song was gonna have the life that it is having. It excites me. I can’t even tell you how much it excites me to hear our fans relate to this because it’s so our story and so real and true of what we’ve been through.”
She also shares the kind of feedback they get from fans, “There was a mom that said, ‘My daughter’s going through her first heartbreak, and he wasn’t good for her anyways. She doesn’t realize that now, but that song is getting her through it.’ And that just gives us so much purpose and just like keeps us going just knowing that we’re doing something for people.”
Maddie adds, that the biggest thrill, is when they are playing “Die From A Broken Heart” at a show, “The crowd sings ‘Die From A Broken Heart’ so loud to where we can’t even hear ourselves sing…and I’m like ‘Thank you God, this is so cool’.”
On Sunday, Kyle Larson won the first NASCAR Cup race hosted in Nashville since 1984.
Before they started their engines, Brad Paisley and Dale Earnhardt Jr. got things revved up with a pre-race show that had them singing the praises of pairing Music City with NASCAR…
Of course, this is just one more thing that’s great about the “City Of Music.”
As you listen to Brad’s new single, you’ll notice the lyrics paint a pretty vivid picture, this is something that Brad looks to achieve in all of his songs, “I write very visually. My idea of country music is always about the pictures it paints for you. I don’t like songs that don’t give me images in my mind – in country music, that is. Even in pop music. You think about great pop songs that you love, sometimes you don’t always know what they mean, but there’s some great words in there. ‘Hotel California’ is a good example. I don’t know totally what that’s about, but you know, ‘On a dark desert highway’… you know, it’s just…you see everything they’re sayin.”
Photo Courtesy of Brad Paisley, NASCAR & NBC Sports
Tennessee baseball head coach Tony Vitello and catcher Connor Pavolony spoke to the media in the postgame after UT’s 6-0 loss to Virginia at the College World Series in Omaha at TD Ameritrade Park. Video courtesy of the NCAA Media Hub.
Ashley McBryde recently released her EP, Never Will: Live From A Distance – which takes certain tracks from her Never Will album and presents them to fans in more of a “live” setting. Because most fans have not had the opportunity to hear Ashley in concert sing the songs from Never Will because the shut down happened as the album arrived for fans to check out last year.
But that wait to see Ashley is over.
Her This Town Talks tour gets rolling next month in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Then for the next 7 months she’ll be crisscrossing this nation playing shows from Georgia to Montana and everywhere in between.
So, with all that travel, and different locations, packing for a tour can present some challenges. Ashley shares one basic piece of advice when it comes to preparing for the road, “At first, learning how to pack for on tour…I really didn’t do a good job. I guess maybe I thought I was leaving for summer camp. So, I would spend a couple of weeks where I overpacked, and a couple of weeks where I under packed. Just let me tell you…if you have to choose between the two – overpack. You can put those clothes away when you get back.”
Fans will soon be able to see Ashley in person…but for now, they can watch the Release Show for Ashley McBryde’s Never Will: Live From A Distance when she plays each of the songs on the EP.
OMAHA, Neb. – No. 2 Tennessee dropped its College World Series opener Sunday at TD Ameritrade Park, falling to No. 8 Virginia, 6-0.
In what was a low-scoring pitchers’ duel for most of the game, Virginia used a four-run seventh inning to separate itself on the scoreboard and advance to Tuesday’s winner’s bracket game.
The Vols recorded six hits on the day and had opportunities to score runs, but were unable to capitalize with runners in scoring position. Tennessee (50-17) had two runners on base with no outs during the first, fifth and sixth innings, but could not put any runs across. The Vols stranded a runner on third base during each of those three innings.
Tennessee starter Chad Dallas pitched 6.1 innings, giving up four runs on eight hits. However, through six innings, the Texas native had given up only one run on five hits, but was pulled from the game midway through the Cavaliers’ big seventh inning.
For Virginia on the mound, Andrew Abbott got the start and picked up the win, striking out 10 batters in six shutout innings while allowing five hits and two walks.
Virginia (36-25) plated the only run by either team during the first six innings of the game, taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning on a solo home run to left field by Chris Newell.
Following Newell’s home run, the Vols held Virginia in check offensively until its big seventh inning, when the Cavaliers more than doubled their output in hits from the previous six innings—scoring four runs and tallying six hits. Virginia added on one more run in the ninth inning to push its final run tally to six.
Tennessee is back in action on Tuesday at 2 p.m. ET for its second game in Omaha. The Vols will take on the loser of Sunday evening’s Texas-Mississippi State contest in an elimination game.
OMAHA, Neb. – No. 2 Tennessee returns to the biggest stage in college baseball for the first time in 16 years this weekend, beginning its College World Series run Sunday at 2 p.m. ET against Virginia at TD Ameritrade Park Omaha.
The NCAA Tournament’s No. 3 overall seed, the Vols (50-16) made it to Omaha by way of going a combined 5-0 in the Knoxville Regional and the Knoxville Super Regional.
Last weekend at Lindsey Nelson Stadium, in what was the first super regional UT had ever hosted, Tennessee tallied two wins over No. 14 LSU after having already previously swept the Tigers during the regular season.
COLLEGE WORLD SERIES SCHEDULE
Saturday, June 19
Game 1: Stanford vs. NC State | 2 p.m. ET | ESPN
Game 2: Vanderbilt vs. Arizona | 7 p.m. | ESPN
Sunday, June 20 Game 3: Tennessee vs. Virginia | 2 p.m. | ESPN2
Game 4: Texas vs. Mississippi State | 7 p.m. | ESPN2
Monday, June 21
Game 5: Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser | 2 p.m. | ESPNU
Game 6: Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner | 7 p.m. | ESPN
Tuesday, June 22
Game 7: Game 3 loser vs. Game 4 loser | 2 p.m. | ESPNU
Game 8: Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner | 7 p.m. | ESPN2
Wednesday, June 23
Game 9: 7 p.m. | ESPN
Thursday, June 24
Game 10: 7 p.m. | ESPN2
Friday, June 25
Game 11: 2 p.m. | ESPN2
Game 12: 7 p.m. | ESPN
Saturday, June 26
Game 13: 2 p.m. | ESPN (if necessary)
Game 14: 7 p.m. | ESPN2 (if necessary)
CWS Finals (Best-of-3 series)
Game 1: 7 p.m. | Monday, June 28 | ESPN2
Game 2: 7 p.m. | Tuesday, June 29 | ESPN
Game 3: 7 p.m. | Wednesday, June 30 | ESPN2 (if necessary)
BROADCAST INFO
TV/Stream: ESPN / ESPN2 / ESPNU
On call for Tennessee’s College World Series opener will be Tom Hart (PxP), Chris Burke (Analyst), Ben McDonald (Analyst), Kris Budden (Sideline). The game will be televised on ESPN2.
Across ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU, every pitch of the College World Series will be televised on an ESPN network. In addition to the broadcast crew for Tennessee’s opening game against Virginia, Karl Ravech (PxP), Kyle Peterson (Analyst), Eduardo Perez (Analyst), Kris Budden (Sideline) will also call games from Omaha.
Fans can also listen to the official Vol Network radio broadcast from the Voice of Tennessee Baseball John Wilkerson and Vince Ferrara on Sports Radio WNML (FM 99.1 / AM 990) as well as UTSports.com and the UT Gameday app.
COLLEGE WORLD SERIES HISTORY
Appearances: 5 (1951, 1995, 2001, 2005, 2021)
College World Series All-Time Record: 8-8
1951: 4-2 (Runner-Up)
1995: 2-2 (T-3rd Place)
2001: 2-2 (T-3rd Place)
2005: 0-2 (T-7th Place)
Tennessee is searching for just its second all-time win in the opening game of the College World Series, as the Vols are 1-3 all-time in College World Series openers.
NOTABLE
Vitello Named Coach of the Year
Tennessee head coach Tony Vitello was named the National Coach of the Year by the NCBWA and Perfect Game on Friday.
Vitello is just the second head coach in program history to earn National Coach of the Year honors, joining legendary Vols’ skipper Rod Delmonico, who was named National Coach of the Year by Baseball America in 1995. Vitello has led the Vols to 50 wins this year, their most since winning a program-record 54 during the 1995 season. It marks just the third time in program history that the Vols have reached the 50-win mark.
Sunday’s matchup will pit two NCBWA Coaches of the Year against one another, as Vitello will oppose Virginia’s Brian O’Connor, who won the award in 2009.
Four Vols Earn All-America Honors
Third baseman Jake Rucker, shortstop Liam Spence and pitchers Chad Dallas and Sean Hunley have all garnered All-America honors in the past week following the Vols punching their ticket to Omaha. UT’s four All-Americans are tied for the most in a single-season in program history, matching the record set back in 1994.
Rucker, who was named Third Team All-American by both Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball News, has put together his best season as a Vol in 2021. Entering the College World Series, Rucker leads the team and ranks 11th in the nation in hits (88), ranks second on the team in batting average (.331) and is third on the team in RBI (55).
Named a ABCA/Rawlings Third Team All-American, Spence established himself as Tennessee’s most reliable hitter for much of the season. The team leader in batting average (.339), Spence has 80 hits this season and an SEC-leading .477 on-base percentage. He also leads the team with 63 runs scored and has drawn 53 walks this year—fifth most in the nation.
A second team All-America selection by ABCA/Rawlings and a third team selection by the NCBWA, Dallas has started 16 games for the Vols and has posted an 11-1 record in the process. The Orange, Texas, native has recorded 118 strikeouts—eighth most in a single season in program history. Dallas’ 11 wins are the most by any Tennessee pitcher since 2005 and he’s currently tied for sixth in program history in single-season victories.
Hunley was named second team All-America by Baseball America. He ranks fourth all-time at Tennessee with a 2.56 ERA and is tied for fourth in program history with 13 saves. His nine saves this season are tied for fifth in program history and his 33 appearances are the most in a single season in program history.
Dynamic Duo on the Mound
Earning his 10th victory of the season during the Vols’ super regional win on Sunday win over LSU, Blade Tidwell became Tennessee’s second pitcher to reach double-digit wins this season, joining Dallas (11 wins).
It marks the third time in program history and first time since 2005 that the Vols have two pitchers with 10 or more wins. In 2005, Luke Hochevar (15) and James Adkins (10) both reached double digit wins, while in 1995, R.A. Dickey (14) and Ryan Meyers (10) accomplished the feat.
Hitting Bombs
Tennessee’s 98 home runs this season are its second most ever in a single season (107 in 1998) and rank fourth in the nation. The Vols have hit 16 home runs during their five NCAA Tournament games.
With Rucker’s two-home run performance this past Sunday against LSU, seven different Tennessee players now have at least one game of multiple jacks this season. The Vols have 11 total occurrences of one player hitting multiple home runs in a single game this season.
UP NEXT
Tennessee will play again on Tuesday, June 21 at either 2 p.m. or 7 p.m. ET against either Mississippi State or Texas, depending on the results of Sunday’s games. For the most up-to-date information on the 2021 College World Series, click HERE.
