Often overshadowed, Dylan Dreiling is in the center of it all for Tennessee
OMAHA, Neb. – The 2024 Tennessee Volunteers are doing their best Bronx Bombers impersonation, leading the nation with 177 home runs entering the College World Series Finals this weekend.
You’ve got Christian Moore – who is one of the biggest names in the sport – hitting leadoff. All-American Blake Burke bats next and potential first round pick Billy Amick is third. Kavares Tears and Hunter Ensley do damage. Freshman shortstop Dean Curley has had a nice season. Even catcher Cal Stark has launched timely homers this year.
It’s almost funny how – at times – sophomore Dylan Dreiling is an afterthought. With names like those above, it’s easy to get lost in the shuffle but all the outfielder has done this season is hit for a .329 average, mash 20 homers and drive in 68 runs, which is six behind Moore for the team-lead.
“Yeah, I don’t ever forget about him. He’s always on when I’m at the plate. He can frustrate me sometimes when guys are on base and he hits the homers and gets the RBI,” Hunter Ensley laughed when asked about Dreiling. “Other than that, he’s been incredible and he’s been steady. That guy, he’s 20 homers, a bunch of doubles and walks, low strikeouts. He’s just a producer and thrives in big situations and I expect him to do that this weekend as well.”
Dreiling seems to have that ‘clutch’ gene Ensley speaks of. Throughout his two-year career to date, the slugger seems to always find himself in the box when Tennessee needs a hit. When Tennessee needs the hit.
Last Friday was no different as Tennessee rallied from down three in the ninth to steal the College World Series opener over Florida State in walk off fashion. Dreiling was the one at the plate that delivered the final blow – a single to left-center that plated Burke for the game-winning run.
DYLAN CLUTCH DREILING WALKS IT OFF!!!!!VOLS WIN!!! pic.twitter.com/lHcMQxTZ9U— Tennessee Baseball (@Vol_Baseball) June 15, 2024
The hit also came against Seminole lefty Connor Hults. Might seem like a small anecdote in the grand scheme of things, but if we recall last season, the narrative was that Dreiling – a freshman at the time – couldn’t hit lefties.
“I think it was a lot mental. Before I got into the box, I was telling myself ‘Oh it’s a lefty and I don’t hit lefties that well,” Dreiling admitted. “Honestly, I think the media created the image I couldn’t hit lefties more than it was me. I was reading into that and it kept spiraling, honestly.”
To be fair, it was a small sample size of 0-for-15. That’s it as the freshman was used as a part-time player and pinch hitter for the Omaha bound Vols in 2023. Regardless, it wasn’t his strong suit, but the slugger went to work and began to perfect his craft.
“I’ve learned a lot from Burke on just facing lefties and what pitch to look for. Me and KT have put in a lot of work in the cages against lefties as well. Hitting sliders, fastballs and everything.”
And more than just the physical work, the left-handed hitting trio worked the mental side of the battle as well.
“I think a lot of what me, him and Burke would talk about in the offseason was just a lot of stuff based around the approach,” Kavares Tears said. “Nothing mechanically that should be changed. Just more about the approach and what you’re trying to do.”
Don’t look now, but Dreiling is raking left-handed pitching to a tune of .361, going 30-for-83 against southpaws. Not bad. In comparison, the sophomore is hitting a modest .311 against righties, too. That’s getting it done.
“I was here with a little wrist injury from last year and just started getting going in the weight room,” Dreiling said of the work put in. “I gained probably 10 pounds of muscle, 15 pounds of muscle, over the course of the summer and fall. That really helped me be where I’m at.”
Dreiling is in a good spot. The draft eligible sophomore could be playing his final weekend in the Orange & White as he was mocked just outside the second round by ESPN for this summer’s MLB Draft earlier this week.
If this is indeed it for Dreiling in a Tennessee uniform, what a fitting end it would be here in Omaha as the final team left standing. Nobody would be forgetting his name if that were to happen. Instead, Dreiling and his teammates would be etched in history.
We’ll see if it plays out that way, but either way, Dreiling will be right in the middle of it.
The post Often overshadowed, Dylan Dreiling is in the center of it all for Tennessee appeared first on On3.
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