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Tennessee baseball’s Tegan Kuhns strikes out 15 in ‘incredible’ start
TL;DR
Tegan Kuhns of Tennessee baseball struck out 15 batters in a standout performance. Coach Josh Elander decided to keep him in the game despite Kuhns thinking he was done after 109 pitches.
Key points
- Tegan Kuhns struck out 15 batters
- Coach Josh Elander kept Kuhns in the game
- Kuhns threw 109 pitches
- The crowd gave him a standing ovation
- It was an incredible start for Kuhns
Mentioned in this story
Josh Elander
Tegan KuhnsTennessee baseball
Tennessee baseball’s Tegan Kuhns strikes out 15 in ‘incredible’ start
The crowd was already on its feet to give him a standing ovation, but it wasn’t time yet for Tegan Kuhns’ curtain call.
Tennessee baseball coach Josh Elander walked to the mound to talk with his sophomore right-hander, who had already provided a gem of a start. With 109 pitches already under his belt, Kuhns figured his night was done. Elander had different ideas.
“They must be cheering for me, because you’re staying in this game,” Elander told Kuhns. Back to work.
A long foul ball provided strike one, and an off-speed pitch on the outside edge gave strike two. The fans rose again, and Kuhns sent them into a frenzy by inducing a swing and miss to end the seventh inning. He pointed to the turf at Lindsey Nelson Stadium and declared: “This is my house!”
It was the 113th and final pitch of a masterful performance, putting an exclamation point on the most dominant start of Kuhns’ career in a 5-1 win over No. 4 Texas on May 8. A career-high 15 strikeouts highlighted seven shutout innings, which included just four Texas hits and one walk.
It was only the second time this season an SEC pitcher recorded 15 strikeouts in a game, the other coming on March 19 when LSU’s Casan Evans did it against Oklahoma.
“I have (struck out 15 batters) in high school, but it was nothing like I did tonight for sure,” Kuhns said. “Just executing when I needed to and landing that curveball down in the bottom of the zone.”
Kuhns set the tone from the start, working around a leadoff walk for a scoreless first inning. His opposite was Texas lefty Dylan Volantis, one of the best pitchers in the SEC, so runs would be at a premium. Once the put a run on the board in the bottom half Kuhns’ confidence rose.
Q&A
How many strikeouts did Tegan Kuhns achieve in his recent game?
Tegan Kuhns struck out 15 batters in his recent game.
What did Coach Josh Elander say to Tegan Kuhns during the game?
Coach Josh Elander told Kuhns, 'They must be cheering for me, because you’re staying in this game.'
How many pitches did Tegan Kuhns throw before being told to stay in the game?
Tegan Kuhns had thrown 109 pitches before Coach Elander decided to keep him in the game.
What was the crowd's reaction to Tegan Kuhns' performance?
The crowd gave Tegan Kuhns a standing ovation for his incredible performance.