Tennessee's Tegan Kuhns named SEC Pitcher of the Week after 15 strikeouts vs. Texas

Tegan Kuhns on Monday was named the SEC Pitcher of the Week after his 15-strikeout performance in Tennessee baseball’s 5-1 win over Texas Friday night at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. 

Kuhns went seven innings and threw 113 pitches in the win, giving up just four hits with just one walk to the 15 strikeouts.

Tennessee coach Josh Elander had a mound visit with Kuhns in the seventh, after Texas put runners on first and second with the Vols leading 3-0.

“Incredible performance by him tonight in so many ways,” Elander said after the game. “But they get a couple hits right there. And I’ll be honest, I think he finished at 113 (pitches). That’s the most, I think, we’ve run anybody this year. So, just waned to give Arv (Brandon Arvidson) a breather.” 

Tegan Kuhns, Brandon Arvidson combined for 19 strikeouts vs. Texas

Arvidson took over in the eighth for Kuhns and struck out four more batters, giving the Vols 19 strikeouts of the 27 outs in the game.

“I was giving Arv a little bit more time to get moving,” Elander said of the mound visit with Kuhns in the seventh, “but I just went out there, I said, hey, you’re not giving me the ball, man. You got one more out to get. 

“So I just thought it was a good moment for us to kind of take a little reset, a little deep breath. And what a performance by (Kuhns). I mean, he was immaculate tonight.”

Kuhns got a strikeout to get out of trouble in the seventh, after striking out the first two batters of the inning.

“He was throwing a lot of heaters at the top of the zone,” Elander said. “… I think when you get going 95, 96 with good takeoff and good burn at the top of the zone, you get some of those short swings that opens up the depth of the breaking ball at the bottom. He did just a really good job competing tonight.”

Vols close regular season vs. Belmont, at Oklahoma

Kuhns improved to 4-4 with the win, with a 3.13 ERA and 1.07 WHIP. He’s allowed 27 runs — 25 earned — on 64 hits over 72.0 innings pitched on the season. 

Tennessee came back from down 3-0 on Saturday to beat Texas 14-9 to clinch the series win. The Longhorns won 13-6 on Sunday. 

The Vols (34-18, 13-14 SEC) hosts Belmont on Tuesday in the final midweek game of the season, then closes the regular-season schedule with a three-game series at Oklahoma beginning Thursday. The SEC Tournament begins May 19 in Hoover.