Tennessee sophomore left fielder Dylan Dreiling was named Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament’s Knoxville Regional,
which the top-ranked Vols won Sunday night with a 12-3 win over Southern Miss at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
Six of the 11 spots on the team went to Tennessee players, but Dreiling won the Most Outstanding Player award after a consistently stout weekend at the plate.
The draft-eligible sophomore (and likely early-round pick in this summer’s draft) was big at the plate in the Vols’ wins over Northern Kentucky, Indiana and Southern Miss.
Dreiling was 7-of-13 (.538) in the Knoxville Regional, collecting two home runs, four extra-base hits and three RBI while scoring three runs. He also drew three walks, giving him an on-base percentage of .625.
Five other Vols — senior catcher Cal Stark, junior second baseman Christian4 Moore, junior third baseman Billy Amick, junior center fielder Hunter Ensley and junior pitcher AJ Causey — also were named to the All-Tournament team, joining Indiana first baseman Brock Tibbitts, Southern Miss shortstop Ozzie Pratt, Southern Miss right fielder Slade Wilks, Indiana left fielder Devin Taylor and Southern Miss pitcher Niko Mazza.
Mazza was the only unanimous selection to the All-Tournament team, which was chosen by media covering the event.
Stark nearly took home the Most Outstanding Player award, especially after his big performance in Tennessee’s championship game win over Southern Miss. Stark, a mainstay in the No. 9 hole in the Vols’ lineup this season, was 2-for-4 with two tape-measure home runs against the Golden Eagles. He hit a solo home run that gave Tennessee a 2-1 lead in the fifth inning, and he added a three-run homer to cap the scoring in the ninth inning. He also drew a walk Sunday night, so he reached base three times in five plate appearances.
Dreiling had a huge performance Sunday, as well, reaching base three times in five plate appearances and going 2-for-4 with a home run, a double, one RBI and three runs scored. Dreiling’s home run was a solo shot to open the seventh inning that gave the Vols a 7-3 lead. The walk he drew was a big one, too. Moments after the Vols fell into a 3-2 deficit in the bottom of the fifth, he got on base to open the sixth and then scored on a three-run home run from sophomore right fielder Kavares Tears that gave Tennessee a 5-3 lead.
