University of Tennessee Athletics
Volunteers Name Orange and White World Series MVPs
November 16, 2009 | Baseball
Nov. 16, 2009
By Cameron Harris, Assistant Media Relations Director
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - The University of Tennessee baseball team and Head Coach Todd Raleigh announced the Most Valuable Players for this year's Orange and White World Series on Monday, selecting junior Blake Forsythe as the top position player and sophomores Steven Gruver and Adam Adkins as co-recipients of the best pitcher award.
All three of the MVP winners played on first year pitching coach Jason Beverlin's Orange squad, which defeated infielders coach Bradley LeCroy's White team, six games to one.
Forsythe was the top run-producer in the Orange and White World Series, knocking in 13 runs while hitting .324 with a pair of home runs and four doubles. The 2009 All-Southeastern Conference First Team member spent the summer with the USA Collegiate Baseball National Team where he hit at a .293 clip with two home runs and nine RBIs.
"Blake did a great job and was our most consistent player throughout the fall," Raleigh said. "He came through with a number of clutch hits and did a lot of the little things that will help our team win ball games this spring. Just as importantly, he continued to develop as a leader both on and off the field."
On the mound, Adkins was responsible for half of the Orange team's wins this fall, going 3-1 in five appearances, including three starts, with a 3.46 ERA. The Goodlettsville, Tenn., native twirled 13 innings, striking out 16 which tied junior Bryan Morgado for the series lead. Adkins allowed just three extra-base hits and held opposing batters to a .234 batting average.
"Adam really improved over the course of our fall practice," Raleigh said. "He was dominant at times and had some really dynamic stuff. We always look for the biggest jump in a player's development between his freshmen and sophomore years, and there is no doubt that Adam made that leap. Every time he stepped on the mound, he gave his team an opportunity to win. That is a very important quality in a pitcher and something we hope will carry over to the spring."
Gruver also started three games for Beverlin's Orange squad, posting a 1-0 record and 2.13 ERA in 12.2 innings of work. A 6-1 left-hander just like Adkins, Gruver tallied eight strikeouts and limited the White team to 11 total hits and three earned runs.
"Steven was probably our most consistent overall performer on the mound," Raleigh said. "Since the end of last season, he has improved more than anyone on our pitching staff. A lot of that stems from the fact that he has developed a really effective cutter and gained better command of his fastball. I was also very impressed with his poise on the mound. He did not have a single bad outing all fall."
According to Raleigh, the fall season provided the UT coaching staff with the opportunity to evaluate players in game-like situations that are difficult to reproduce in practice. It also provided a good foundation for the upcoming 2010 campaign.
"As a team, this was our most productive fall since I've been at Tennessee," Raleigh said. "Although we had a few injuries slow us down a little, I was extremely happy with what we were able to accomplish. Easily the biggest improvement was in our pitching. It really emerged, and you could see it progress every single week. Our depth and overall team chemistry are also better than they have ever been which makes me feel very good about the future of this team."
OREGON STATE SERIES MOVED TO CORVALLIS
The University of Tennessee baseball team's series with Oregon State, originally scheduled to take place at PGE Park in Portland, Ore., has been moved to Goss Stadium at Coleman Field in Corvallis, Ore., due to ongoing construction. The Volunteers will take on the Beavers at 8:30 p.m. ET on Friday, Feb. 26, and 5 p.m. ET on Saturday, Feb. 27, before closing out the series with a 4 p.m. ET contest Sunday, Feb. 28.
