On biggest stage of career, Vols' Zander Sechrist staying true to himself

OMAHA, Neb. — The scouts filed into Hog Mountain Sports Complex.

Around 40 representatives from Major League Baseball teams were on hand to watch North Gwinnett's Corey Collins against Flowery Branch on Feb. 19, 2020. Zander Sechrist became the headliner, instead.

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The left-handed pitcher, committed to Tennessee and its then-third-year head coach Tony Vitello tossed seven strikeouts in five innings, leading the way in a 2-1 win in extra innings.

"Nobody was there to see Zander. He was ready for it. He wanted the moment," Flowery Branch pitching coach Dusty Black told VolReport. "I didn’t have any doubt in him. He is who he is. He threw strikes, found the zone. In high school, he did a little bit more mixing the timing. He had all kinds of things in his arsenal."

Kraig Peebles watched in awe as Sechrist held Collins, who currently plays at Georgia, 0-for-4 and three strikeouts. That was the moment that the Flowery Branch assistant coach began to believe Sechrist could play in the SEC.

"There were scouts from every Major League Baseball team," Peebles said. "He just owned (Collins). He just shoved that day. I knew he was special, but that day was kind of the day where I was like, 'Hey, this kid is going places."

That place is the College World Series, where Sechrist will pitch for the 1-seed Vols against 3-seed Texas A&M for the National Championship at Charles Schwab Field on Monday (7 p.m. ET, ESPN).

Sechrist's path to starting in the most significant game in Tennessee's program history has been paved with similar moments.

Once a midweek staple, it is undeniable that Sechrist's contributions are in no small part why the Vols are here, though it’s not exactly a spot he expected to find himself in.

“I think everybody envisions it," Sechrist said. "Doing it is quite different."

Peebles called Sechrist one day last summer.

Sechrist was preparing for his final season at Tennessee and the last stretch of a career where he served mainly as a midweek option. As he looked over the roster, he didn't see a clear path for him to get into the starting weekend rotation.

“I told him, ‘You’re going to be a weekend guy.’ He said, you know, 'We’ve still got this guy and that guy,' and he’s naming off people," Peebles said. "Tennessee is super talented. Especially with arms and has been for years and he was realistic about just being a midweek guy, but he was happy with that.

"I told him, with his gumption and the way he gets after it, you’re going to end up being a weekend starter. It turned out to be true.”

Peebles had seen Sechrist defy reality at Flowery Branch. That's why he wasn't surprised to see him work his way into the role of Sunday starter early in the season.

Off the field, Peebles described Sechrist as a quiet, unassuming kid. That changed when he was on the mound.

“I certainly was surprised the first time that I saw him pitch and the fire that he has when he comes off the mound and the passion," Peebles said. "Super talented, always. You just wouldn’t expect what he turns into on the mound. He’s just such a competitor."

"I love that about him. He’s just one of those guys that you want pitching in the big game. There’s no question.”

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Less than a month after Sechrist's stellar outing against North Gwinnett, Flowery Branch's season was cancelled due to COVID following a 12-1 start.

It cut short his final high school season before joining Tennessee and made the transition to college harder, causing frustration in his development and place on the depth chart.

"I think that hurt (Sechrist's) progress as far as people getting more eligibility," Peebles said. "High School kids not having what he would have had. He had to battle to get where he’s at. He’s stuck it out. He could have easily left.”

Sechrist didn't sulk. He appeared in eight games in a relief role as a freshman in 2021, winning two and posting a 2.89 ERA. His role increased in the midweek over the next two seasons and he pitched in a regional game against Charlotte during the Vols' College World Series run a year ago.

"Everybody got messed up in some sort of way (from COVID), but you know, it's just baseball and you’ve got to adjust on the fly in this game," Sechrist said. "Baseball is about adjustments. It was a much quicker transition for the 2020 class than the 2021 class because they got an extra year of high school ball. Just quick adjustments. I’m thankful that I’ve done them pretty good.”

Sechrist's patience has accumulated in his best season yet and few are more deserving of the role he will play for Tennessee on Monday night.

“You’ve got to trust the process," Black said. "There’s going to be some tough times. You’ve got to learn how to adapt. You’ve got to learn how to control your emotions. (Sechrist) does a really good job with all that stuff. He’s one of those guys that I never had to worry about being focused. Never had to worry about his attitude, his effort, his want-to.

"He is the person you want on the mound in those situations. You know what you’re going to get.”

A.J. Russell and Hunter Ensley wondered if Sechrist knew what he was about to do.

Hours before Tennessee's season would be decided in a winner-take-all Game 3 of the Knoxville Super Regional at Lindsey Nelson Stadium, Sechrist was providing his usual comedic relief and playing games on his phone.

He then pitched a career-high 6.1 innings, allowed just six hits and one unearned run and struck out six in a convincing 12-1 victory over Evansville that sent the Vols to the CWS for the third time in four years.

If Sechrist ever let's magnitude of the situation weigh on him, it hasn't shown. He didn't show it then and he has yet to show it in Omaha, where he again kept Tennessee on course with an efficient outing that beat Florida State to send the Vols' to the CWS finals for the first time in 73 years.

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“You can’t take credit for a kid like Zander," Peebles said. "You think about it, little kids played this game in their backyard, all over this country, dreaming of what he gets to do (Monday). It gives me goosebumps for him. You can’t take any credit for a kid like him. You just say, he’s worked his butt off.

"He’s a tremendous competitor and he’s a great kid. He deserves to be on that mound and win a ring.”

Sechrist hasn't gotten away from who he is. On the eve of the national championship, that held even more true.

Moments after Tennessee kept its title hopes alive against Texas A&M in Game 2 on Sunday, the prospect of being the starter in the final game of the college baseball season with everything on the line was hardly a thought.

He has yet to let a moment get too big. Not against Cory Collins. Not against his spot on the depth chart. Not against Evansville. Not against Florida State.

“It’s just baseball. At the end of the day, it’s just a baseball game with a title on it," Sechrist said. "The game’s not going to change. The rules aren’t going to change. It’s just baseball.”

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