University of Tennessee Athletics
Halloween Event Suits Tennessee Baseball
October 30, 2014 | Baseball
By Brian Rice
UTSports.com
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- The Tennessee baseball team had a different look as it took the field for its scrimmage Thursday afternoon. No jerseys, no traditional black hats with an orange "T," not a pair of baseball pants in sight.
Instead, there was a cheerleader in the batter's box. Then Tiger Woods, followed by his caddie. At one point, the President of the United States was pitching in an orange tie.
Instead of pondering the parameters of the alternate universe, consider the date. On Halloween Eve, the Volunteers hosted their first Halloween Extravaganza, with a modified scrimmage in front of fans also clad in their best costumes. The team hosted trick-or-treating on the field and in the clubhouse after Lt. Dan, Forrest Gump and their friends finished a couple of trips through the lineup.
"I'm glad we're doing this," Head Coach Dave Serrano said while wearing a chicken suit. "I've seen a totally different attitude out of our guys today. Baseball is supposed to be fun and today is fun. We're actually giving up a legitimate practice day for us to come out here and dress up in Halloween costumes and enjoy being around each other."
Serrano later admitted to being a little warm covered in feathers on a beautiful afternoon in Knoxville. The entire coaching staff joined in on the fun, highlighted by Assistant Coach Aric Thomas, who traded his usual big orange in for, well, a big orange.
Serrano held a similar event during his days at UC Irvine, and said the idea of a fall scrimmage in costume is something that has blown up all over the country.
And while the suits for Gumby and the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man may have obscured the view of some of the fielders, Serrano thought they might actually be an improvement from the looks they sport every day.
"I think a lot of our guys look better with their masks on," Serrano said. "They may decide to wear them out on the weekends."
Here's a look at the Vols' official roster for their first-ever Halloween Extravaganza:
Forrest Bramlett - Forrest Gump
Dominick Cammarata - Whoopee Cushion
Andy Cox - Ninja Turtle
Eric Freeman - Tiger Woods' Caddie
Chris Hall - Nerd
David Houser - Rocky
Richard Jackson - Whoopee Cushion
Vincent Jackson - Spartan Warrior
Steven Kane - Happy Gilmore's Caddie
Derek Lance - Teletubby
Brett Langhorne - Jackie Moon
Andrew Lee - Haz-Mat Suit
Brodie Leftridge - Stay Puft Marshmellow Man
Peter Lenstrohm - Penguin
Nathaniel Maggio - Peter Pan
Bret Marks - Vol Cheerleader
Eric Martin - Darth Vader
Hunter Martin - Lieutenant Dan
Jeff Moberg - Eggs
Drake Owenby - Lego Man
Andrew Plunkett - Happy Gilmore
Jared Pruett - Duck Dynasty
Zach Reid - Elf
Quint Robinson - Baby
Jordan Rodgers - Bacon
Benito Santiago - Winnie the Pooh
Tyler Schultz - Popeye
Nick Senzel - Luigi
Kyle Serrano - Old Vol Fan
A.J. Simcox - Spartan Warrior
Aaron Soto - Reno 911 Cop
Christin Stewart - Clubber Lang (Mr. T)
Tei Vanderford - Psy (Gangnam Style)
Zach Warren - French Maid
Jacob Westphal - Tigger
Parker Wormsley - Gumby
Jonathan Youngblood - Tiger Woods
Head Coach Dave Serrano - Chicken
Assoc. Head Coach Greg Bergeron - Aussie on an Ostrich
Assist. Coach Aric Thomas - Orange
Assist. Coach Chip Dill - Pickle
Director of Opertations Tony Asaro - Sumo Wrestler
Strength & Conditioning Coach Herman Demmink - Tony Perkis of 'Heavy Weights'
Manager Blake Carver - Coach Aric Thomas
Manager Riley Clem - President Obama
Manager Zach Haire - Penguin
Video Coordinator Douglas Piercy - Ketchup
For the most up-to-date information, visit UTSports.com/Baseball, follow @Vol_Baseball on Twitter and like the Vols on Facebook at Facebook.com/VolBaseball.
