OMAHA, Neb. — Tennessee players and coaches touted their confidence in one another for the last week. On Sunday, they'll need to lean on it again.
The 1-seed Vols' national championship hopes are on the line one game into a best-of-three College World Series final in the wake of a 9-5 loss to 3-seed Texas A&M on Saturday at Charles Schwab Field.
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Much of the hallmarks that got Tennessee (58-13) this far were absent. The Vols committed three errors, including one in a five-run third inning that all but put them out of reach. Starting pitcher Chris Stamos got into early trouble before getting pulled. Reliever A.J. Causey had some of his own. Superstar second baseman Christian Moore looked human for the first time in weeks, going 0-for-5 at the plate and striking out twice.
Now Tennessee will play for its season on Sunday (2 p.m. ET, ABC).
"I think we can definitely play better," Tennessee head coach Tony Vitello said. "And this isn't a traditional series against an SEC opponent or just a good opponent...You go through the season and you welcome competition for a reason; it will make you better in a few different ways. You find out different ways to respond, and you can either get frustrated that tonight went the way that it did, or you can get more determined.
"And we've got guys that have done that a lot in the past where determination kicks up, play kicks up.
Tennessee learned that lesson against Evansville.
The Vols gave up a lead after rolling early in a Game 2 that would have decided the Knoxville Super Regional two weeks ago. Instead, they lost and had to come back the next day with their season on the line.
"(I think) that Evansville game was a little bit good for us," Vitello said. "This time of year you're only going to be able to go on a streak for so long. And I think you need to be reminded every now and again of certain things you need to do."
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The mistakes against Texas A&M in the first couple of innings, though mostly uncharacteristic for this team, were reminiscent of Tennessee's CWS opening game vs. Florida State more than a week ago.
The Vols committed errors and trailed by four or more runs twice before a remarkable rally down to their last out in the ninth that produced a thrilling 12-11 walk off victory to kick-start their run.
The stage is bigger and the stakes have never been higher, but Tennessee is no stranger falling behind in a series and responding well. The Vols' path to the SEC regular season and tournament titles was paved with similar scenarios at Kentucky in April and at the SEC Tournament in Hoover last month.
The biggest key for Tennessee is not getting away from the approach that brought it here.
"Just keep doing what we've been doing all year," Tennessee outfielder Dalton Bargo said. "We've got a very tight team. Anyone of those innings, we could have popped a five-spot. It just didn't fall our way tonight. Just stay with our approach and we'll get them tomorrow."
Drew Beam (9-2, 4.30 ERA) will get the start, and there's likely no one else Vitello would rather have on the mound in a game of this magnitude.
If keeping the same approach is important to the Vols' success, who better than the veteran right-hander to lead the way?
"(Beam) has been a blessing to have in the program as far as the approach he brings to the dugout or just the facility, in general, in how he works," Vitello said. "When your leaders have the right characteristics, it usually bleeds into the rest of the team in the dugout."
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