The Mike Keith Show (Apr. 16, 2026)

From a Tennessee Football legend in Alvin Kamara to a sophomore golfer back from his first Masters in Jackson Herrington, this week's show is one you don't want to miss.

Transcript

SPEAKER_11 0:00

From the banks of the Mississippi to the peaks of the smokies, this is the home field of champions.

SPEAKER_02 0:21

Landing on the back of hands once hidden scores for tennis league.

SPEAKER_11 0:26

More than 75 years of broadcast excellence. We're big orange fans. Get ready for game day. Your guide, the voice of the fall, Mike Keith.

SPEAKER_13 0:44

Delivered by Uber Eats. The Mike Keith Show is delivered by Uber Eats. I am your host, Mike Keith, joined by Mr. 865 himself, Dr. Andy Brock, and the host of the Everything Arts podcast, Sarah Detweiler. Glad to have you for this hour of the program, which starts off being sponsored by KUB Fiber, the world's fastest internet and Ball Nation's favorite way to connect. Gearing up for a big baseball weekend starting tomorrow night with Ole Miss at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. Saturday night, it is Checker, Lindsay Nelson Stadium. Do either of you know where you go to find out? Because I haven't looked. I should have done this. As the host of the show, you should be prepared. Where do you go to find out what you're supposed to wear in what section?

SPEAKER_18 1:33

I'm pretty sure on the website.

SPEAKER_13 1:35

On the website.

SPEAKER_18 1:36

Yes.

SPEAKER_09 1:36

Baseball, Twitter, social media accounts.

SPEAKER_13 1:38

They'll have it out. I'm very excited to be here. I'm very excited about this weekend. I'm excited about baseball. Softball is off this weekend. I'm excited about what's going on in the portal. I'm excited about women's golf in the SEC tournament this weekend. Sarah, you have a lot of insight on the Lady Ball's golf team. They've had a they've had a great year. They've been like top 20 all year.

SPEAKER_18 2:00

Yeah, they've had one of their best seasons in the past five years here on Rocky Top. So it's exciting to see what they've done. Um, they've got a they've got a really good group and some great girls that I've been able to meet through the ball leaders program as well. So I'm excited to see what they do in the postseason.

SPEAKER_13 2:14

She always drops that ball leaders program.

SPEAKER_18 2:16

I just love them.

SPEAKER_13 2:17

Yeah, I know you do. Where are you going this year with them?

SPEAKER_18 2:20

We're going to Rwanda. They're actually taking two trips this year, which is a first. So we're taking a group in May, and then I'm going on the trip in June.

SPEAKER_13 2:27

Very exciting stuff going on here. We've got track and field in the middle of it. Um, the golf team, as we mentioned, the women's golf team is at the SEC tournament this weekend. The men's team heads to the SEC next weekend. So it's starting to wind down. Um, hopefully, for baseball and softball, it is not winding down. And speaking of wind-ups, how about this week's Uber Eats delivery of the week? Who else but Cam Appenzeller, the talented freshman, the SEC freshman of the week? He comes in Friday night, taking over in the fifth, and handles Mississippi State the rest of the way to get the balls home with a six to five victory. Again, mentioning that he is the SEC freshman of the week. He is nasty. And here's my question to the both of you. I like what they're doing with him. That you get in a situation where you're ahead in the game, where you can win a game, and you basically bring him in as the second starter. Landon Mack went four innings. Maybe he didn't have his best stuff. Tennessee had the lead. So they, you know, they went ahead and said, hey, Cam, go get it. What role does Cam play the rest of the year for this staff? Because I mean, he is something else, right?

SPEAKER_09 3:49

Yeah, it's pretty unreal. Um, it's one of those things where he's so good. Well, one, this should have been his second straight freshman of the week in the SEC after what he did against LSU. I get it, you didn't win the series, so it's you don't get the accolades. But what I think what he's been doing is so good that you almost can't touch it right now because you want him to keep that same feel. Obviously, he's good enough to be a weekend starter. That's that's clear. He will be the next two years of his career at Tennessee because he's not draft eligible for the next two years at least, so which is great. Get more of this. But I think what he's what he's doing is so good right now. Like, how how can you touch it? You have to keep writing this role until he shows any sign of it, and maybe he doesn't, but I think it's great because you can have a shorter leash with maybe a starter who's not showing their best up.

SPEAKER_13 4:36

The last pitch that he threw to the hitter for Mississippi State, that was unhittable. Yeah, that was absolutely unhittable. That was so nasty. I mean, that looked like a Randy Johnson pitch from back in the in the hate or a Garrett Crochet pitch of today. Golly. I mean, I I went back and watched it like three times. I'm like, you are not hitting that.

SPEAKER_09 5:02

No, it's he's not gonna blow you away with any VLO. Uh, I mean, you look at it and you he's it's about 92, it's very calm. It's but it's it's so effective, it's so efficient, he doesn't miss his spot.

SPEAKER_13 5:14

He's throwing from outside to a left-hand hitter. And it's almost as if because his velocity is not a hundred miles an hour, he's got more movement. Yep. And the location was great, but the movement is just brutal. Yeah, and when you watch him pitch, I I think sometimes it's a little hard to call balls and strikes with him for an umpire because the ball moves so much. Um he pitches with such confidence as we saw after he after he got him out.

SPEAKER_09 5:47

Good energy.

SPEAKER_13 5:48

Sending sending the fans at uh Mississippi State home with a see you later. Good night, everybody. That was pretty great. I I'm a big fan. I'm a big fan. My understanding is he's gonna be on Kibb's Corner next week.

SPEAKER_09 6:04

That's the plan.

SPEAKER_13 6:05

That's my understanding.

SPEAKER_09 6:06

We get we gotta get to know this guy more.

SPEAKER_13 6:09

Yes. Maybe get some copper cellar or cows in here for him.

SPEAKER_09 6:14

Got to. He's gonna be a name that we gotta get familiar with for a while.

SPEAKER_13 6:18

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SPEAKER_12 7:01

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SPEAKER_05 7:27

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SPEAKER_10 8:27

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SPEAKER_01 8:57

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SPEAKER_13 9:50

Mike Keith Show continues. This segment brought to you by First Horizon, official Bank of the Valls, and this is University of Tennessee golfer Jackson Harrington. This guy played the masters. I mean, that's just all I could say. Does that sound crazy?

SPEAKER_14 10:06

It kind of does, but uh it was the probably the best experience I've had in my 19 years, but man, I wish I could go back and do it all over again. I know that. It was a pretty special week.

SPEAKER_13 10:19

Now you've been in situations, U.S. Amateur, different things where they announce your name and it's a big moment and everything. But when they announced your name to tee off at 8 14 and you step up to take the swing, do you remember what that moment felt like?

SPEAKER_14 10:38

It was the most nervous I've ever been. I know that. Um I was on the range and I knew I felt a little amped up. Um I was just trying to stay in the zone and you know, just make sure I got loose enough to go to that first T and make a good swing. But yeah, we got to the potting green right before, and I heard everyone's name announced in the group in front of me. So I knew what was coming, but it would it didn't do it justice to, you know, when I did walk up and I was sitting there and you know they announced on El Cabrera first, and then um Sammy Walamaki was playing with, and I stubbed up and put my team in the ground, and then they announced. I was like, oh, okay, this is actually happening. And I didn't make a great swing on the first, but it was in play. That's all that matters. But yeah, it was I kind of had to calm myself down after that first hole. I mean, bogey the first, but quickly rebounded with a birdie at the second. So yeah, it was a pretty surreal experience and something I hope happens again next year.

SPEAKER_13 11:43

How did you think you played in the two routes?

SPEAKER_14 11:47

I played alright. The first day settling myself down and getting used to it, but it was I've heard some of the guys I actually just watched something this morning about Scotty saying, you know, it was probably the firmest he's seeing the golf course ever. So that was a good experience for me, I think. Getting to experience the probably the firmest golf course I've ever played, and let alone the toughest already. Um that was a cool experience to be able to play with the best in the world, but also put my game up against against a course like that with them being there. Um But man, it was it's pretty special. Um, but yeah, I didn't have my best stuff that week. I left a couple shots out there, but to be able to, you know, basically when I went went back and looked at it, I was two holes for making the cut. It was really, when I thought about it, three feet in distance from two iron shots that I hit. So to look back on it, you know, I'm not even 20 yet. To be 19 and playing in the masters and be that close to making the cut, that was uh that was pretty special.

SPEAKER_13 12:52

Fred Couples, a great one, masters champion, said it is hard to describe to anyone else what it's like to play not only Augusta National, but at the Masters. Do you think that's totally accurate now that you've done it?

SPEAKER_14 13:09

I think it's very accurate. You know, the when I went there for my practice rounds, the the five rounds I got before, different feeling. You know, it's like I know this how special that place was, and I was trying to take it all in while I was also trying to take notes on the course. And then you get their tournament week, and it's a whole different, whole different beast. You know, you're there with thousands of patrons and you know, best players in the world. And, you know, I'm just a 19-year-old sophomore from Tennessee that, you know, I'm just out there trying to make a name for myself and kind of prove to everybody that I belong. And it was a different feeling, something that's I would agree that's tough to describe. But, you know, being able to be out there with all those guys and you know, Tommy Fleetwood and and Bryson who I got to play with in the practice rounds, that was pretty special for them to kind of take me under the wing and show me, you know, oh, this whole you have to hit it here if you're out of position, you know, if you if you do miss, you gotta be here. To be able to surround myself with that environment, I think helped me for the week because even though I didn't play with anyone that was like a huge name uh during the tournament, I mean there were still a couple thousand people at all times. It was a pretty special experience. And then obviously I got with got with Bryson and Day Chambeau. Yeah, he was a lot of people out there, but you know, I walked up to the first T first round I played with him and on Tuesday, and I wasn't I wasn't really nervous. I was a little bit, but you out driving. I outdrove him four times. He actually told me on all five, he's like, watch this one, and I mean he was just starting to swing as hard as he possibly could, and I think that was pretty cool to see just how far he could hit it, but also that the longest probably the longest, if one of the longest in the field, I was you know, hitting it past him a couple times until he started swinging as hard as he possibly could. But you know, it showed out there that the longest players in the field, I think the top four longest players in the field didn't make the cut, so it's not all about hitting it far. You still gotta be pretty accurate. So man, they show me a lot of stuff and stuff I'll get to get to use for years to come.

SPEAKER_13 15:17

Well, golf is a lifelong journey, and you're talking about the different things that you've learned from where you are right now seeing Roy McElroy, seeing the guys who competed there at the top. What's the difference at this point in your game and their game, which obviously was not their game when they were 19, but what's the difference in terms of where you have to learn about golf and make that advancement to be able to play at that type of level?

SPEAKER_14 15:47

I don't think it's necessarily a lack of any skill that I have. I think it's more of especially around there, it's experience around there. So knowing where to hit it, at what time you gotta hit this shot, uh, this pin, you gotta hit that shot. So it's a little bit of experience there. 22 first timers, and none of them made the cut. Just kind of goes to show that experience does you well around there. But I think just in general, is you know, the maturity that they have. Um, you know, still still learning. It was my first tour start, I guess you could say. I felt I handled myself really well. I never, you know, I made I made a triple on 12, and that was kind of the point where I was like, okay, if I don't make burdies coming in, then this is kind of my week. But I never let that affect me. You know, that's kind of what my team was telling me that was around me. You could never tell that I was, you know, I never walked around with my shoulders down. I think most importantly was just watching how they carry themselves. You know, there's they're not giving up. You know, if they make one bad swing, that doesn't affect their day. I think you see some guys in college or at my age, you know, if they make one bad swing, then they're in the tank. Exactly. But yeah, it was just kind of more for me watching how they handle themselves, how they go around that place. For me, it was really nice to see that I'm not that far. You know, I felt like I had the game to be Rory that week. I just didn't do it. I think it was a good thing for me to kind of learn about myself, what what my tendencies are and the most amount of pressure I've ever faced.

SPEAKER_13 17:24

What did it mean to you to see your parents get to have this experience with you?

SPEAKER_14 17:29

It was pretty incredible. It's just as much mine as it is theirs. If they didn't make all the sacrifices and pay for me to basically get here, it's this doesn't happen. So yeah, without without their love and support, none of this happens. And to be able to go up on the first first hole right before I tee off and give them a hug. And yeah, my mom was I heard she was crying, so which I would too, to be honest. She came up and gave me a hug and said, You got this? I told her I'll be alright. Um, so I had full confidence I was gonna do well, but you know, if they weren't there and if they weren't putting all the support and sacrifices into me getting to this place today, it wouldn't happen. So to be able to share that moment with them and yeah, it was probably the best part of the week, to be honest.

SPEAKER_13 18:23

How much and what did you hear from your Tennessee teammates?

SPEAKER_14 18:27

I heard a lot. Um, Lance was there. He came on got there Wednesday night and he was out there all day, Thursday and early on Friday. So yeah, to just be able to get texts from my teammates and even have Lance there is um it was pretty awesome. Just shows how well this team bonds and you know just how much of a family we really are. So to be able to even have Webb there getting to hug him on the first hole. And I had Lance even unfortunately I didn't get him a coffee mug that he wanted because they didn't have it, but oh no, yeah.

SPEAKER_13 18:59

So you're in real trouble.

SPEAKER_14 19:01

Hope not, but no, but yeah, it's to be able to share that experience with with Lance and and Webb and have Derek on the bag, it's it was pretty special.

SPEAKER_13 19:12

Why did I call you the fridge?

SPEAKER_14 19:14

Uh Bryce Lewis, who was on the team, I guess this three years ago now. I was told they were, I think it was in Cabo, maybe. They had a buffet and which they have the best food of the year by far. And they had like fridge toast sticks, I think it was. And he told everybody you're gonna have to keep these away from the fridge. We came up in a summer tournament right before I came in. For the first three holes, they kept saying fridge. I had no idea what they were talking about, so I looked at him like the four screens. I was like, Man, what are you talking about? Like, what are you saying? And I forgot who you said it. He's like, that's you. And I was like, what? Like, yeah, that's you. I've lost a little bit here in the last, you know, eight weeks. We worked pretty hard on making sure that everything was good, and you know, G's the best trainer out there, so I'm glad to have him on the team. And he actually didn't end up coming on on Wednesday and stretch and give me some stretches at the end of the day, and you know, did a lot together. So um I think he's in he's in Virginia right now, so I'm I'm looking forward to seeing him here on on Wednesday and getting back after with him.

SPEAKER_13 20:18

So all right, so this weekend the women play the SEC tournament. Next weekend is the men's tournament. I think it's the 22nd through the 26th.

SPEAKER_14 20:28

Okay. So I think we've got a week and a half.

SPEAKER_13 20:29

Yeah, so it's coming up. So for the men's tournament and for what you will take from a master's experience into backplaying for Tennessee, trying to win an SEC championship, gonna be a different player?

SPEAKER_14 20:42

I think so. For I mean, first thing I think of is the golf course KP as close to as hard as what I just experienced. So I think that helps me out. But yeah, I think just taking what I learned from the guys that I played with, um, I think that's gonna be big for me. Learning, you know, taking what I learned about myself in those pressure situations is gonna help me out. Yeah, I think regardless of what I took from there, I you know, I talked with Webb. It kind of felt like in six months I took my game to it almost felt like I was three years better. Yeah, and just in six months, I you know matured, my game got a lot better. So regardless of what I learned this week, um I was just proud of myself and the prep I did leading up to it. I would like to think that would have happened with if I did make this tournament, but um, yeah, I definitely did uh mature and get better a lot quicker than I probably would have. So I think without this tournament, it that wouldn't happen. So yeah, I think taking all that I did leading up to it, what I learned this week, and putting it all to the test, the SECs, I think it's gonna be a good thing for me. And you know, hopefully I walk out with a win, and hopefully the team walks out with a win as well.

SPEAKER_13 22:00

That's what we want.

SPEAKER_14 22:01

Yes, sir.

SPEAKER_13 22:01

Congratulations on your experience at Augusta National. Jackson Harrington with us on the Mike Keith Show. We'll have more right after this.

SPEAKER_05 22:13

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SPEAKER_03 23:03

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SPEAKER_09 23:10

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SPEAKER_02 23:40

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SPEAKER_11 24:29

A complete preview of this weekend's action. My keith continues, delivered by Uber Eats. Welcome back.

SPEAKER_13 24:38

The show within a show with food. Brought to you by our sponsor, Cal Hoons. This is what you get when you sweep Mississippi State. You get Calhoun's, the sponsor of the show within the show, Kibbs Corner, with Ross Kibbitt, Tennessee Assistant Baseball Coach and recruiting coordinator. All this is for you and for your guests.

SPEAKER_08 25:09

I want my guest and his friends to do this more often.

SPEAKER_13 25:12

It smells amazing. So this feature is only going to last like two minutes because as soon as we're done, we can get to the ribs, the biscuits, the cardbread, the brisket, the pork, the spinach maria, the beans, the slaw. What a guest.

SPEAKER_08 25:30

What a guest. The fastest guest we've ever had. He can really run. That's one of his tools. He's got personality, which is why he's here too. And he helped our team with a humongous Saturday. Sweet. Three for three. Mississippi State. He's from Atlanta, Georgia. Yes, he is. Northcop High School. Ackworth, Georgia.

SPEAKER_04 25:46

Jay.

SPEAKER_08 25:47

How are we doing? Abernatch. Welcome. Thanks for having me. I like this guest. Not that I haven't liked all of them. He's been asking. You have been asking. He is not a hater. I'm not a hater. He's a lover. Yeah. I'm excited to have him. I have a lot of good questions. Well, let's go. The first one is probably the deepest one because I am a journalist. Yes, you are. Expectation prior to the season. You have a, I would say a solid freshman year. In and out of the lineup. Then you're getting a start every day, not the start you wanted. You're moving positions, you're playing second, you're playing center, you've played some left. You even DH'd the game. In out, not your best start, but your mentality, the way you do your business. The last two weeks in SEC play started to show up.

SPEAKER_06 26:30

How nothing changes. I mean, I kept my same routine. And then um, I mean, coming back in a dugout after the struggles and having guys like you, Elander, Elander, and just guys around me just keeping pushing me forward. Like, that's the reason why I'm still going. So the mental part of the games is tough and it's hard to get to, but the routine is the reason why I'm still going.

SPEAKER_08 26:53

It's hard on these guys because they want to do well. I I think that's kind of the funniest thing about um sports in general is fans are super passionate. That's why we love working in Knoxville. No one's like trying to do bad. We don't like go, hey, let's suck today. Right. But especially in a game of failure, where we've talked about on the show, three of ten, it's like Hall of Fame. But guys that come in heavily recruited, um, Cape Cod player, team USA watch list, and then you struggle. Well, how do you get out of it? You're starting a show. What is one thing that you said about your routine that you fall back on that you're going, I know if I do this every day over 56, it's gonna work out.

SPEAKER_06 27:34

So it's nothing to do with anything physical before the game's all right now, something that I'm grateful for every day. The reason why I'm still going to the field, and that's something that keeps me going. So that's literally it. On the bus before Starkville, Friday night, Saturday night, Sunday night, everything was something that I was grateful for. And Friday night was just the teammates that I have around me to keep pushing me to play this game.

SPEAKER_08 27:57

So his teammates, they they seem to always kind of be around you. You're always smiling, you're keeping it loose, whether you're starting or or in late in the game or whatnot. Is that something you've always had? Is that something that you had in high school? Where does that positivity come from? Is that how you were raised on? Like going into some detail on that.

SPEAKER_06 28:17

So I mean, I've never really had um, I guess, like the struggle of being in and out of the lineup. So learning this um has been something that I've had to overcome, but being positive is something that like you're able to do every day. Like that's controllable. So I feel like if that's something I can do to bring something towards the team, then why not be positive?

SPEAKER_13 28:38

I agree. And if you've learned that at your age, that's an amazing gift, whether you're an athlete or not.

SPEAKER_08 28:44

I think the other thing that people always ask me when they stop me, and if you get brought up, is how does he handle infield, which is a different type of wear and tear? It's a different type of cardio, plus outfield. How do you balance out your reps and do you prefer one or the other? And you don't have to say infield because I run the infield team.

SPEAKER_06 29:02

No, I I mean I I came here as an infielder, and that's something that I like love as um and I've been doing pretty much my whole life. But being able to do both is so cool because I'm able to be dynamic. And so me saying I prefer one or the other, like I I can't even really answer that right now, to be honest.

SPEAKER_13 29:22

Sure. I'm a utility. Well, the more that you can do, the better. Do you have different gloves for infield and outfield?

SPEAKER_06 29:29

I do. So I have two for the infield, and I just have one for the outfield. Why do you have two for the infield?

SPEAKER_08 29:33

One turns double plays, one doesn't. Ew.

SPEAKER_06 29:36

Shout out, Ricky. Shout out Ricky. No, I just have one. One is black that goes with our black jerseys, and the other one is green. Oh, it's a style. It's a style.

SPEAKER_13 29:45

See, I like that even better. Swag. By the way, I just got our swagger. I just want to say the Sundays, the Sunday uniform with the colours. The creams. The creams look good. You like the new creams. But I but I also like the black hat with the Tennessee jersey. It looks great. We're checkerboarding Neeland this Saturday. That's right. Are you excited about that?

SPEAKER_08 30:03

I am excited about that because the fans love that. I think it's cool too. It is cool. What jerseys do you want to wear for that? They're already picked out. Probably white on orange would be smart. White on orange, probably. Yeah, I'll make the decisions, right? What about the team struggles? You go through SEC and you start 4-8, and you're looking down the barrel of what could be the toughest place to play in the country. Starkville has literally nothing else to do but go to the games. Everything closes at 9:30. And you and your groups get off that bus Thursday night, have an unbelievable practice, and then you say, hey, from here on out, we're just gonna do it kind of our way. What leads to that?

SPEAKER_06 30:44

I mean, before the games, you have Henry Ford, Reese Chapman, Stone Lawless that didn't even make the trip, that are talking to us and just keeping us pushing forward. Like Stone is sending things in the group chat that can't probably can't be said on here, but they're just close.

SPEAKER_07 31:01

They're funny.

SPEAKER_06 31:04

And like he is is someone that really shows true leadership on this team. And so the motto has been why not?

SPEAKER_13 31:11

Winning the first game was it kind of a now we can put some things behind us and move on?

SPEAKER_06 31:17

Yeah, I'll say that, but honestly, when we had our pitching meeting, um, the mound visit, Henry Ford looked around and was like, We've been here before. So it wasn't really a here we go again, to be honest. It was like a we've learned from this, let's do it, let's just keep going. So I I I will say that Friday definitely propelled us forward because we're like, we got them on the ropes, let's keep going, let's let's you know stomp on their stomp on their grave a little bit.

SPEAKER_08 31:45

Yeah, I like that because it ends in the left column. Shout out John John Wilkerson. What what about when Saturday you you have a humongous two out RBI, right? It's left on left. They bring him in to face just you. Um, well, he had faced the guy before you, but struck him out. I think it was Levi, right? And now you're up with a runner at second base and you slap a ball down the left field line. After the game, Coach E. Lander says, when you're using the whole field, you're one of the best players in the country. Every fan wants to go, use the whole field, Jay, right? But it's hard because they're manipulating the pitch and there's different pitch shape. What are you saying to yourself when you swing at the first pitch, which is a heater, right? And you and you blast that third base screen. What's the approach going in?

SPEAKER_06 32:28

So before, before I even stepped out to go on the um on deck, I was talking with Elander, and um he was like, everything's out and over the plate. So everything uh and don't give up because you know he had a little bit of sink. So don't give up on the pitch that's on the outer half. So I was like, this is what I'm gonna, I'm just gonna hit a line driver over the shortstop. And it played into my barrel path, and it went past the third baseman and just stuck to their approach.

SPEAKER_13 32:54

Situational hitting was fantastic this weekend. I mean, the bunt to get the run home, the the different things that Tennessee executed to me, and for both of you, you could pick up on this. It was just such good baseball. And the pitching was just such good baseball, and the defense. I mean, it was in it was in every area that you watch Tennessee this weekend and you thought, wow, that team is executed. Yeah, and nobody likes to play that team because those teams are hard to beat.

SPEAKER_08 33:26

Don't let me speak for you, but I feel like teams in the league are going, man, we might have got away with it in the first few weeks because they're still kind of learning. It is a young group. I mean, your sophomore class gets more heat than maybe anybody. And I have a question on expectations later, but it when when you're going and it's not going as well, and then they watch this past weekend, they're going, oh man, if this team learns how to finish, they've been ahead in almost every single SEC game. We could be in some trouble. I mean, I'm sure that that's where some of the confidence level started to build, especially after Friday when Appy was you know politely waiver by the most of that group. Right. I mean, do you have anything to add on maybe some momentum stuff?

SPEAKER_06 34:08

I mean, that's just our brand of baseball. So, like, we're barely scratching the surface of of what it can be. I mean, we we talk about how we were in every SEC game that we've played this year. Maybe not a couple, but I mean, that's our brand of baseball, and it's just gonna get better.

SPEAKER_08 34:23

How about leadership amongst the clubhouse? How do you pick up a reliever? I I mean, your roommates with a couple of the relief pitchers that may have struggled early on, especially in league play. How do you keep their spirits up where then they come out and you see Brandon Arvidson pitch well and Advanzel's been doing his thing? Bo Rudy was fantastic. Guys that you're always around in inside the team lounge. Like, what's kind of the talk amongst that?

SPEAKER_06 34:46

I mean, the talk is just to just keep going because we're all having our like minor struggles as a team, and um, we can get through them. So, you know, I talked to a couple guys that are also going through that and just telling them just keep going because that's all you can do, and then trust your stuff and go out there and dominate.

SPEAKER_08 35:04

He's a TV show watcher, or you were. What are you watching right now?

SPEAKER_06 35:09

What did you watch on the plane? What did I watch on the plane? I watched this Netflix show called Alice in the Borderlands. Ethan Moore, Blaine Brown, and um, who else was there? Blake Grimer.

SPEAKER_08 35:21

Ethan Moore has a funny story, coach, and I think we could talk about it here. Sure. Ethan Moore has now started. I would say it's more of an usher than than like amigos. He's kind of a rapper RB. Yeah, both. Yeah, post-page. He's our karaoke guy. Nice. We have a karaoke guy.

SPEAKER_13 35:42

It's exciting. It's so baseball. It's so baseball. Shout out baseball.

SPEAKER_08 35:46

Shout out.

SPEAKER_06 35:47

Shout out Ethan Moore.

SPEAKER_08 35:48

What about the at bats that like hey, some of these at bats, Manny Marin hitting it in front of you, Levi with a huge double. And then let's talk about the Latino swag in the middle. You go to center, they bring in Ariel, top spin rocket to second, after a Manny play that I'm going to do. You can't even coach that. That's just a skill set. And how does that kind of uplift a group of pitchers going, hey, I can throw strikes. I don't I don't have to try to strike everybody out. What's the emphasis on that? And then personally, how much has your defense improved since getting here?

SPEAKER_06 36:26

I mean, first let's talk about the past three weeks. E-Lanner's been talking about when you come in the game, you gotta be ready. So shout out to Ariel for being a good idea.

SPEAKER_07 36:34

Shout out show Ariel.

SPEAKER_06 36:35

Well, Ariel for for being ready in that in that spot, and then Manny making that fantastic play. I mean, that's that's something that you really can't even teach. But like on the defensive side, it gives pitchers a break and uh a sense of like, you know, I got somebody behind me that that's gonna be able to make those plays for me. And then when it comes to my defense over time, like it's just been reps here on reps on reps, and I feel like uh I've improved tenfold in the infield and outfield, honestly.

SPEAKER_08 37:04

Doing both is so hard. Sure, yeah. He's under selling it because he's so athletic, he's skilled. I could never I had to do one at a time. I had to move to the outfield in professional baseball because I did not run. And you're like, well, why did you go to the outfield? Because I could not throw either, so I had to go play left field. No offense to Blaine Brown because he could throw that. But these guys that are getting the reps, it's it's amazing how they balance it, plus the hitting. Plus, you go to school still, like this isn't professional sports. You're going to school, you have off the field. What's something that you like to do with the guys? Because this is a get to know Jay Kibbs corner as well.

SPEAKER_06 37:40

So, I mean, we play the game all the time. We'll go to the hot tubs with Frederick, Rudy, Myatt, we'll all just chill there, hang out. Man, that's really it. We just like our downtime really consists of we'll either go get clothes, like look around at the mall. His glove matches the jersey. Got to. That's good. Got to.

SPEAKER_13 37:59

Aura. Aura. Oh, that's new. What is that? Aura.

SPEAKER_06 38:04

Aura.

SPEAKER_13 38:04

I don't know what this means. If it's a guy-only term and there's a girl-only term for it, I don't know. What is there?

SPEAKER_06 38:11

If you have aura, you have aura.

SPEAKER_13 38:12

You have aura. Yeah.

SPEAKER_08 38:13

I think Carlin has aura. She has aura. She's got aura. Aura. I think too. Our team has a lot of fashionistas on it. You matching the sleeves, the shoes. It's pretty stylish. Let's go anti-aura. Anti-aura. What did you think about Trent Grindlinger's turn in the ninth inning in a pretty big game with two outs, needing him to get the second base? And he looked like he got his legs taken out by the first base. Yeah. Literally the base that the basement. What are you thinking when that goes down?

SPEAKER_06 38:45

Well, my first initial reaction was like I had tears coming out of my eyes. Like I was genuinely laughing. And then I heard the carnival music after that, and I was like, oh. It was really good. And then Trent, the first, I promise you, first word he says were I lost 10,000 aura points. Nice. And so I mean, we talk about aura. That was anti-aura.

SPEAKER_08 39:08

Let's look forward to this series. Ole Miss, they're hot. Five and one in their last six in the league. Let's focus more on Hunter Elliott because you've seen him before. Yeah. Left-hander, it's it's an old player. He mixes both, change up to left-handers. What's the one way that you would probably want to attack it as far as being a guy that is still young but has reps in the league?

SPEAKER_06 39:31

If we're going to attack Hunter Elliott, I would say get his heater early because he's going to want to spin everything else. Um, so if you get deep in the count, it's going to be tough. But if you hop on that heater early, then you'll you'll be fine. Um, and then let's see. You know, we got other arms in the pen. And then on Sunday, I know we have Kate Townsend. Was he an area code guy?

SPEAKER_08 39:52

He was uh East Coast Pro uh East Coast Pro and Area Code are two like really large tournaments at the end of the summer for guys essentially that are gonna be seniors that build their draft. I thought the area code was West Coast. It is so East Coast Pro is now in um they they do both. It's crazy how much money your family spend in the summer. They go to Hoover for like five days, Hoover Alabama. Sure. And then they fly from Hoover to, I guess it's in San Diego, so they're going to San Diego for a week. Wow. And it's a it's basically like hey, people gotta work.

SPEAKER_13 40:24

Tennessee fans know the Abernathy name from the Atlanta area because there have been some of your relatives who have played here and have done a great job. The Abernathy name in the Atlanta area is special for a lot of different reasons. How much pride do you have in that and how much responsibility do you feel to live up to the Abernathy name, knowing those who have come before you three three generations now to you, what it means and and how you feel about it on a day-to-day basis, representing all of your family.

SPEAKER_06 41:03

Yeah, I mean, it's a blessing, first of all. Um when I'm whenever I'm back in town, like I'll drive and I'll see the road signs that say Abernathy Road, and it's just like it's kind of surreal that that's you know, that's something I'm a part of. Um, and then just going about it on a day-to-day basis, being able to see Abernathy on my jersey, like that's something that I'm I'm living towards, you know. When I have a family, when when I have a son, I want him to be able to embody the same things that that we do, and um just having that respect. And we go back to positivity, which we talked about earlier, like that's something that is like a staple in my family. Like, that's where I get it from. You know, I learned from my dad and my mom, like, you know, you stay positive no matter what happens in your life. So that's something that I um I I truly embed in my life.

SPEAKER_13 41:49

Well, no shout out or joke here. You represent it well, and that's a big deal. And I know the Tennessee fans are really proud that the Abernathy's have been part of this Tennessee family and continue to be. It's a big deal.

SPEAKER_08 42:03

I appreciate that. I'm just happy we have him. Well, yeah, that's fair too. Yeah, he's so dynamic, not only with his play, but his personality and how he leads a group of older players as a sophomore, is probably what we just talked about. That's right. Coming from his family name and how you were raised. But I appreciate you jumping on here. I I'm really glad that you being a lover of Kibb's Corner got to come on here. So shout out Cal Hooch.

SPEAKER_13 42:29

Shout out Cal Hooch is the sponsor of Kibb's Corner. Jay Abernathy, Ross Kivitt, and me, Mike Keith. The show within a show. Go ahead and get a basketball basket. I'm gonna go cornbread. We've got more coming at you. Well, I know I love cornbread. Back with more right after this.

SPEAKER_20 42:44

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SPEAKER_13 43:15

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SPEAKER_05 43:45

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SPEAKER_16 44:15

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SPEAKER_13 45:11

This segment of Mike Keith Show brought to you by Clayton Homes, Oakwood Homes, and Love Homes of Tennessee, helping families across the state find their dream homes. What's next on the Mike Keith Show? Well, it looks like from the set, it's the Firehouse Subs hot take of the week. Brought to you by Firehouse Subs. Enjoy hot subs all across Big Orange Country. All right, so hot takes. Who wants to go first with a hot take?

SPEAKER_18 45:41

Well, everyone was saying after this weekend, like, is Tennessee baseball back? And I would argue that they never left. I would argue that they were a young team that needed some time to figure out all of their pieces, and they're going to ride this momentum through the month of April into the postseason. So hot take. They've been here. We just have been waiting for them to arrive, I guess you could say.

SPEAKER_09 46:06

I like it. You do. I like it. Okay. Yeah.

SPEAKER_13 46:09

It's a big week. I like winning. Winning's good.

SPEAKER_09 46:12

Andy Brock, your hot take. Okay. My hot take also surrounds baseball. Uh, Checker Lindsey Nelson Stadium on Saturday when Ole Miss comes to town. Going to be very fun for the new look stadium. They've done it once before at Lindsey Nelson Stadium, and it was in 2021 when Arkansas came to town. My hot take is that was one of the more fun, best iterations of a Checker Stadium that Tennessee has had because of where Tennessee baseball was. They were on the rise. That year they went to Omaha, and it was a walk-off win against Arkansas. It was a ton of fun. So I think baseball does it really well.

SPEAKER_13 46:48

I like the checker because I like how it looks, but I like it more because it makes the fan base have to think before they come to the stadium. You've got to look and you've got to see, okay, what's my section doing here? What have I got to do? Yada, yada, yada. And so you're more, I think you're more prepared and you're more into it because you can't just line up, get in the car, and pop over. You've got to be in a little bit of a mode. Tennessee needs locked in this week against Ole Miss. Ole Miss has won five of their last six. Let's go. Let's make it loud. Let's go. Let's let's keep it up. Let's let's make a profit out of Sarah Detweiner. I mean, the key for this ball club the rest of the year, my opinion, is to win series. They've got five more series. You got to win series. If you get close to 500 overall in the conference, you're you're probably gonna go to a regional. If you get to 500, 14 or 15, you're going to a regional. If you get to 17, then you're probably hosting a regional, which is what you want. You want to be home for a regional. Because then you have a shot to host a super regional.

SPEAKER_09 48:09

So there's not one team in SEC baseball this this year that has had a disappointing, every team has had a disappointing weekend. And that happens. Happens all the time.

SPEAKER_13 48:20

The cool thing about baseball is it is just such a cyclical game. That's the reason baseball people are the most superstitious people in all of Spain. John Wilkerson and I had a back and forth. I I sent him something uh on Friday night and we won. So I had to send him something. I'm totally serious. So I sent him the same thing on Saturday and then the same thing on Sunday.

SPEAKER_09 48:44

And you'll do it again on Friday.

SPEAKER_13 48:47

I'll figure out something if it works. I mean, if it works, you're I mean, never mess with a streak. No. Never mess with a streak. And what you do need to mess with is the chicken and cheddar rancher at Firehouse Subs. It's packed with grilled chicken breast, crispy bacon, melted cheddar, and creamy buttermilk ranch. Order in the Firehouse Subs app or get it delivered today only at Firehouse Subs. Let's do the heavy lift. We can speak of baseball. We can speak of football. We can speak of basketball. We can speak of women's basketball transfer portal. We can, I mean, we can speak of a lot of things. So let's present the heavy lift brought to you by our friends at Planet Fitness. The Planet Fitness Black Card, only $24.99 a month. We're all strong on this planet. Join today. See Home Club for details. What's the heavy lift, Mr. 865 Andy Brown?

SPEAKER_09 49:42

I mean, I had one, but you said transfer portal, and that just felt felt heavy when you said it. Even the words is it's heavy for both our teams right now. But softball, I will say their weekend. It's not a heavy lift in terms of workload for them this upcoming weekend because they have off, but that's so rare. It's one of those things where it's going to be a heavy lift in terms of preparation, maybe before Alabama, as you have a rare off week. How do you prepare for maybe a postseason defining weekend against another really good SEC team? Going to be uh a packed house, I'm sure at Sherry Parker Lee, but it's it's weird. You know, you're not gonna have that normal rhythm and routine, but you're gonna still have to try to stay locked in, stay sharp. But it is a bit of a heavy lift in a sense, even though you're not playing. Sarah?

SPEAKER_18 50:27

Andy kind of took mine. I was gonna mention softball as well, because we talked about earlier this morning about how the Alabama weekend could be very telling if they end up hosting uh a super regional with how many stacked SEC teams there are in conference ahead of us, and we are in the top 10. So that says a lot. So um, I mean, Alabama coming into town will be a huge weekend for them for postseason implications.

SPEAKER_13 50:51

My heavy lift is both the men's and women's basketball program closing the portal strongly. Uh, both have done very well. You're excited about what has been added. The names left in the hamper at this point, as we know them. And and more could come in right at the end. Because you can declare right at the end of the portal, but for what we know now, the competition is such for the top players remaining that it is heavy duty stuff. So uh closing strong is a heavy lift for both Rick Barnes and Kim Caldwell, but it's what they both want to do. It's the goal, it's where Tennessee wants to be in terms of that competition. And so hopefully uh we'll continue to get good news over the next few days about the players that both Tennessee basketball programs add. Does it for this hour of the Mike Keith Show delivered by Uber Eats? Stay tuned for more.

SPEAKER_15 51:48

Catch up on today's show, Anytime, presented by Uber Eats.com.

SPEAKER_11 51:54

Mike Keith. We are the Fall Network. The weekend's coming. Mike Keith is here with your weekend scouting report, delivered by UberEats.

SPEAKER_13 52:12

So glad to have you with us for the Mike Keith show. I'm Mike Keith, joined by Mr. 865, Dr. Andy Brock, and the host of the Everything Orange podcast. She is Sarah Detweiler. You're gonna continue to sit together after doing it last week. Did you prefer this or I think it was great.

SPEAKER_09 52:33

It worked well. Smokey visited because we did this, I think. So might as well keep it like that, right?

SPEAKER_13 52:38

You like it? I think Smokey did very well last Saturday at the Orange and White game. I was very pleased. It was unclear running on the field if he was a little bit thrown by Davy Crockett with the giant flag, or if he was thrown by mascot smoky. Just the look of mascot smokey. Sarah, what was your opinion?

SPEAKER_18 53:04

I'd imagine it would be mascot smoky because I can't imagine how wild it would be as a dog to see a larger, bigger dog on two feet running at you. I just think that that would be very overwhelming and I wouldn't know what to make of the situation. So I feel like that was probably his biggest hurdle to overcome.

SPEAKER_09 53:25

I mean, those are all new things that a dog you would never think they would ever see. And there you are, front row, right up in it.

SPEAKER_13 53:32

Right? Well, it's funny because they brought him up here to see us last Thursday. And in the process, they then took him around the building a little more, and then they came back and they had the smokey head out on one of the the porches. If if you don't know, uh that's a costume. I I hope you were aware of it.

SPEAKER_07 53:57

Just in case.

SPEAKER_13 53:58

That's you know, 6'6 dog is that's not real. So they had the head out to let him see Smokey's mascot head, and he didn't seem too thrown off by it at that point. So I wondered if it was the giant flag that Davy Crockett runs out with.

SPEAKER_09 54:17

And maybe the studio itself, it threw him off so much on that day that everything else was just pleasant.

SPEAKER_13 54:23

What a thrill for us to get that opportunity to meet him and to tell his story and Garrett Reeves, the handler's story, and uh what the College of Agriculture and the veterinary school and everything at the University of Tennessee that's working in that area is doing. Sounds like that could be an Everything Orange podcast one day, Sarah.

SPEAKER_18 54:43

Honestly, nothing would make me happier than sitting down with Smokey and and talking all things.

SPEAKER_13 54:49

Well, no, you wouldn't sit down with Smokey. He's not very talkative.

SPEAKER_18 54:52

But that's the point. I think I would love that. Just hanging out with a dog, me and the dog. It'd be great.

SPEAKER_13 54:58

Let me remind everybody that uh the Mike Keith show was delivered by Uber Eats on game day. You don't want to miss a single play. Uber Eats brings your favorite food right to your door. Wings, pizza, burgers, whatever you're craving. It's just a tap away. Download the Uber Eats app and use the code Go Big Orange to get $15 off all orders. Uber Eats, official on-demand delivery partner of the balls. Let's eat. That sounds pretty good right now, as a matter of fact. Something from Uber Eats. Get that mid-afternoon towards evening craving for food. So that's that's good. Also tell you this segment of the Mike Keith show is brought to you by our great friends at Food City, the official supermarket and tailgate headquarters of the vaults. Maybe we could also run out and go to Food City, gather some things. But either way, get fed. Yes, Sarah Detweiler has a question. She's raising her hand. Wow. I don't know that that's the first happened on this program. We're deep into April now, and it's the first time Sarah has raised her hand wanting to speak.

SPEAKER_18 56:04

Well, I didn't want to interrupt you, Mike, but I thought maybe like we could have an end-of-year celebration like you do when you're in school and it's about to be summer break and all the things. We should Uber Eats and go to Food City and have a little party in here. Celebrate the first year of the Mike Keith show.

SPEAKER_13 56:21

Well, that's a great idea. I mean, for food. Calhoun's actually just Kibb's Corner on this week's show. Calhoun's brought food in here because the team swept Mississippi State.

SPEAKER_09 56:32

A celebration was called for after that.

SPEAKER_13 56:35

A celebration was called for. I mean, is that just easily Quinn for the win, or did you have others?

SPEAKER_09 56:41

I had that down.

SPEAKER_13 56:42

Let me do this because I want I want to talk about it some more because it's just awesome. Uh, Quinn for the Win highlighting a great moment or performance in Tennessee Athletics, brought to you by Quinn Appliance, your home for the best selection of GE appliances. Visit their shown room in Alcoa or at QuinAppliance.com. GE appliance is built for America. So here's the interesting thing. In this school year, Tennessee went to Mississippi State in football and won. Tennessee went to Mississippi State in basketball and won. Tennessee went to Mississippi State in women's basketball and won. Tennessee went to Mississippi State in baseball and won three. Six and oh Starkville for those sports.

SPEAKER_09 57:26

Look away, Bulldog fans. Scary. 11 straight wins, too, for baseball over Mississippi State. Which is crazy.

SPEAKER_13 57:34

Have you guys been to baseball there?

SPEAKER_09 57:36

I haven't. Obviously, you have spoken very highly about it. Funny story.

SPEAKER_13 57:41

So the first time we went to state, um, we got swept there. Not great. The second time we went, we're playing a doubleheader. Because that's back when you play doubleheaders on Saturday and a single game on Sunday. And so we're playing a doubleheader, and the Lady Balls are in the NCAA tournament. This is right in the middle of all of Pat Summit's greatness. And so baseball was on Lady Balls took precedent on the radio. You know, that and making total sense, it should have. And so, um, so we're waiting on the basketball game to end, and then we were gonna go on the air. So the baseball game starts. So the person who was doing the broadcast with me at that time was a great friend. I'm gonna sell him out here because he's a big famous attorney now, Cody Allison. Cowboy Cody Allison, one of America's great human beings. So Cody says, as we're getting ready to go on the air, he says, I'm hungry. I'm gonna go out in the left field lounge and see if somebody will give me something to eat. Because and and I think it's more formal now at Duty Noble Field, but the left field lounge was famous out there. And if you were a big donor, you had the opportunity to have a spot in the left field lounge, and most people would take just a basic truck and they would outfit the bed of the truck just to come to the left field lounge. So some people would have chairs built in, some people would have, you know, all kinds of things to cook and whatever, which never made sense to me because you know, a truck is operated by gasoline. So that always made me nervous that they were right. But anyway, I said, Yeah, Cody, go ahead. I can I can start because we don't know when we're gonna come on. So we don't end up coming on till like the fifth inning of the first game. Cody's not back. We play, we play the rest of the first game. Cody's not back. We start the second game, but Cody's not back. So he comes in like the seventh or eighth inning of the second game.

SPEAKER_09 59:58

Days over.

SPEAKER_13 59:59

Well, he's just made friends. He's made friends with all these people, and they were so nice, which is is what they are really known for, is they know baseball because they're serious about baseball, and the hospitality is phenomenal. So when he comes back in, before I can start getting angry with him for you know just leaving me alone for you know almost two games, he goes, Hey, he goes, We're going out with these people after the game to a restaurant. I'm like, who? We don't know these people. He said, No, no, no, it's gonna be great. You're gonna love so game ends, and I'm just I'm so stunned I can't even get angry. We go out with these people and we go to this great place and have this great dinner, and they pay for dinner, and we talk the whole time. And then we end up staying in touch with these people over there. So they were fantastic. So I have a very good feeling about the left field lounge in Mississippi State because of the hospitality we were shown. Um, just very, very nice. I still have not, you know, Doc Cody's paycheck missing two games. Yeah, that's not fair. Now he's a big-time attorney in Nashville, so I can probably get the money.

SPEAKER_18 1:01:08

Probably.

SPEAKER_13 1:01:08

He is a guy that can connect with anybody, so it was no surprise that he did this. All right. So Quinn for the win. You had a variation on that, Andy Brock.

SPEAKER_09 1:01:18

I was gonna say the pitching step, just two walks on the week. That's a winning recipe.

SPEAKER_13 1:01:23

And no hit batters either, right?

SPEAKER_09 1:01:24

No, not a lot of free passes. And that's, you know, that's been Tennessee's recipe for most of their stretch of the last nine years with Josh E. Lander and then former staff, Tony Vitello, Frank Anderson. No free passes. Uh, so two walks, not hitting anyone, good boost of confidence that you needed in April, 11 straight wins. And that win margin of those 11 straight is 10 runs. So it's it's not just over the last stretch you have had some close margins of wins. You've had some big time wins for Mississippi State now. Sarah?

SPEAKER_18 1:01:56

Well, Monday night was the WNBA draft, and we had two athletes go in the second round. We had Z. Spearman and Janaya Barker um make their dreams turn to reality. So very excited for the both of them to see them play over the summer uh in the big leagues. That's great. Yeah.

SPEAKER_13 1:02:13

The orange and white game was a quen for the win. 48,000 people showed up.

SPEAKER_18 1:02:17

That's amazing.

SPEAKER_13 1:02:18

Crazy, right? It's good numbers. It's just people love it. People love getting to see the football team. I mean, when I was a young person, my dad used to bring me, and they would divide the teams. There was an orange team and a white team. So you had an orange offense and an orange defense, white offense, white defense, and they would play. It was a real game. They can't do that anymore. They just don't have the numbers that they did. I mean, back in those days, I mean, they'd bring in a hundred players a year. And there was a JV team, and you know, just it they had just gotten rid of the freshman team because freshmen became eligible uh in the early 1970s. But I remember, I mean, it was to get to go to an orange and white game was just a thrill. You know, people from all over the state show up. You know, it was really it was really fascinating. So I'm driving in, I had to come in early Saturday morning, and you're driving in, and there are people coming in with car flags, just like it's a Saturday, and I saw um you know, license plates from Middle Tennessee, from all over East Tennessee, and even from West Tennessee as well. So just goes to show.

SPEAKER_09 1:03:30

Football in the spring. Never a bad thing. Never a bad thing.

SPEAKER_13 1:03:34

The thing we did not include before we go on, that we need to include is who is on the Everything Orange podcast this week, Sarah Dettwile.

SPEAKER_18 1:03:44

Well, we've been talking about baseball and what a great weekend they had and the pitching staff. So we have Landon Mack joining us on the podcast. Yeah, get to learn a little bit more about him and just hear about this weekend, this past weekend, what it what it did for the team and what this first year on Rocky Top has meant to him because it was a dream come true to be here.

SPEAKER_13 1:04:02

He's a trip. He is great. He's gonna be, is he gonna be on some more, Andy?

SPEAKER_09 1:04:08

I think so. Yeah. Uh he's doing the full tour right now. Yeah, he's a big friend of the show.

SPEAKER_13 1:04:13

I think we're gonna, Andy Books guests here for the Mike Keith show. I love having him on. He's just he is a total trip. We haven't talked about softball, though, and that's why it is our Sonic Smash of the Week brought to you by Sonic Refreshers. Live free, eat Sonic. Let me ask you first before we go to the video. Alana or Alana? I've heard it both ways. Leach. Alana is how I've said it. That's what I would have said too, but I've heard it said both ways. You don't want to get someone's name wrong.

SPEAKER_11 1:04:45

This is ripped to the right field and gone. Alana Leach with a no-down.

SPEAKER_13 1:04:53

Alana Leach, Monday night in Lexington against Kentucky. Not one, but two home runs in the Ladyball's 10-3 victory, which meant Tennessee swept over the Wildcats. 5'6 Jr. from the Woodlands, Texas. She is a twin of Gabby. Her sisters are LVFLs, Aubrey and Kelsey, and she is bombing away at the plate. Not one, but two home runs. She's now in double digits, has been hitting around 350 all year. And uh in the cleanup hole most of the time, Andy. That's what I've I've noticed recently. Has that been all year?

SPEAKER_09 1:05:36

No, it it has been the lineup for Lady Volsoftball has changed throughout the year, trying to find the right pieces, and a lot of leach was someone who's they knew she was going to be good, but man, she has been better than advertised this year and has earned more opportunities to hit with guys on.

SPEAKER_13 1:05:50

They uh they got some hitters. Lady Volsoftball off this weekend in conference activity, and uh twelve and six is I guess. Alabama is next. Is that right? Yep. Freshly number one, Alabama. Yeah. And so next, not this weekend, but next weekend, it's all Alabama in here for baseball and softball.

SPEAKER_09 1:06:12

It is an Alabama weekend. Gear up. Thursday through Monday because baseball starts Thursday. Softball starts Sunday or Saturday. So you get it for even more time than you would expect. Not just a weekend.

SPEAKER_13 1:06:27

That puts a cap on our Sonic Smash of the Week. Introducing Sonic Refreshers. A hydrating blend of green tea and real fruit. Try it sparkling or in three delicious flavors: berry citrus, mango peach, and strawberry passion fruit. Live free, eat Sonic. Sarah, which would you which would you have the Sonic Refreshers?

SPEAKER_18 1:06:48

The berry one sounded really good.

SPEAKER_13 1:06:50

Okay. How about you, Andy? Yeah, berry. All about berry. Berry sounds good. I'm afraid if I said mango peach or strawberry passion fruit, I would be mocked for that. So probably go with berry citrus. Wow. Just because I'm afraid to be judged on the Mike Keith show. Presented by Uber Eats. We got more coming up. Stay with us.

SPEAKER_11 1:07:13

Mike Keith on the Vall Network.

SPEAKER_12 1:07:16

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SPEAKER_16 1:08:44

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SPEAKER_13 1:09:14

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SPEAKER_11 1:10:04

Prepping Newport Game Day, delivered by Uber Eats with Mike Keith.

SPEAKER_13 1:10:10

Mike Keith Show continues with this segment of the program sponsored by Pilot, official travel partner of the University of Tennessee. And this is one of our favorites, Alvin Kamara. Man, it's good to see you. Yeah, man, it's always good. There's so many ways that I need to introduce you, though. They know you're a former vol. Really a BFL. Vall for like. And nine years with the New Orleans Saints, five-time pro bowler, meaning records and records and more records. What's the record you're most proud of?

SPEAKER_17 1:10:42

The record I'm most proud of.

SPEAKER_13 1:10:43

The six touchdowns with Gail Sayers.

SPEAKER_17 1:10:46

Yeah, the six touchdowns was cool. Probably the uh Saints. Stuff like that. Because it's it like, you know, it it takes a while to get those type of records. And I was never really tracking it or or thinking about it until it I started creeping up on it. I started thinking after, and I was like, oh, you gotta do like you gotta be, like you said, nine years, you gotta be somewhere for a while to to to crack some of those those records and and to be in those those history books. So just blessed to be able to have the opportunity.

SPEAKER_13 1:11:16

What has had to happen for Alvin Kamara to stay with the New Orleans Saints for nine years going on year ten?

SPEAKER_17 1:11:24

Honestly, I walked into a to a great situation. Um great city. Uh, you know, when I when I when I got drafted with Sean Payton and Drew Brees and those guys, and I think it just it just worked. It clicked. Had Drew to sit there and kind of to learn from and he he mentored me along the way. Because I could I could admit it, my first year or two, I just I really didn't know what was going on. You know what I'm saying? Like it looked good. I was playing well, but I didn't know what I was doing all the way, you know. But playing with Drew and having Sean there and like, you know, having some veteran guys there, um, Mark Ingrams, Teron Armsteads, um, you know, guys like that to kind of you know pull me along Ted Gin. And and I mean, I played with Adrian Peterson my first year. So those guys kind of just tugging me and you know, literally out of the huddle, me and Ted Gin used to push each other and tell each other which way to go, you know. So just things like that. Like you got you got some veteran leadership and and you know, some guys that played a lot of football around that that made me grow up fast, right? So um being able to walk into a situation like that and then you know learn the ropes from those guys and kind of form my own kind of like regimen and and and and um routine, it just it set me up for long-term success. So uh I've been able to be successful, like you said, nine years in New Orleans. Um, it just it has a lot to do with um, you know, how you come in, where you where you come into. Um, because you know a lot of guys aren't as fortunate um to walk into a situation like that, as good as good as that. And a little bit of what what football is is you know walking into the right situation at the right time. And I I just came in at a at a at a perfect time and couldn't have been any better.

SPEAKER_13 1:13:02

Because of that tenure, though, obviously, and your success, you are going to be known as one of the all-time great saints. Yeah and very few people. That sounds crazy. Would you think about it though, Alvin? You you know, you think about certain franchises and certain players that immediately come to mind. Yeah, you're going to be, when your career is finally over, and we hope that's not soon, but when it's finally over, you are always going to be identified as one of that franchise's greats because of your tenure and your success.

SPEAKER_17 1:13:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_13 1:13:36

Is that almost mind-blowing?

SPEAKER_17 1:13:37

It is, because when you say that, I think of Drew Brees, and I think you know what I'm saying. So, like to to be recognized with you know, a guy like that, man, it's amazing. Like Willie Rose and and and you know, the dome that Trump. Yeah, you okay, and you know, those guys are serious, like those are dudes, you know. When you when you when you think about the Saints, those are guys you think of. So um, whenever it's all said and done, you know, to you know, when you say New Orleans and people think my name, I uh man, it's uh it's an honor.

SPEAKER_13 1:14:05

How has the running back position changed since you got into the NFL?

SPEAKER_17 1:14:11

As I was getting in, right when I got in, I felt like there was like a little shift going on, you know. Um just thinking about guys like Todd Gurley and you know, they it was a lot of more dynamic things going on at the running back position, guys catching the ball, and it was starting to shift there, catching the ball and and doing a lot of different things um outside of just lining up behind the queue and and and running, you know. Um so I think in this like nine years, you see that shift fully happen. Um guys more dynamic, lining up at receiver spots, um, catching the ball a lot more, running backs, um just really kind of showing the value that they have, and then you know, that the with with showing that value comes the money part, right? So that shifted uh obviously since I've been in the league, you know, me, Christian McCaffrey, and then like younger guys, as there's uh Bijons and and Jameer, and you know, I'm I I could sit here and list countless dudes, Bucky Irvin and like guys that are coming and and you know the their games are changing now. Like their games are they're they're doing more of the things that you know I've been doing, that Christian been doing in college. You know, the coaches changes everybody's mindset. It changes the coaches' mindsets, it changes the players' mindsets. Even the younger guys, like in high school, now they're starting to to to you know, I get guys hit me up all the time, like, man, what how did you train to like be able to catch the ball and run it receiver? Like, that's what I'm doing now. And you know, so I think it changes the whole scope and you know, and in our landscape in the NFL game, like it literally shifted to where you know guys didn't want to just line up, running backs didn't just want to line up and and and take 30 handoffs and just be kind of one dimension. Yeah, you know, so I think it like it's literally a a game of where the running back is like the the the exact of all trades, like he's the ace. He can do anything, line up at receivers. These guys want to kick return, punt return, catch the ball out of backfield. Like it's so it's so much more to the to the game at running back now.

SPEAKER_13 1:16:13

So it's amazing because when you came in, you were picked early in the third round, yeah, you were considered a luxury.

SPEAKER_17 1:16:20

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_13 1:16:20

The the the do-it-all back, you were you were gonna come in on third down, you were gonna play situationally. Yeah, yeah. Now you are the norm, you are what everybody wants. You would have been a first-round pick if you were coming out this year. Oh, yeah, yeah. Because of the value. So it feels like Alvin Kamara's success in the NFL is in part due to the timing of when you came into the league. Oh, yeah. Fair?

SPEAKER_17 1:16:46

100%. I I agree with you 100%. I think if I was coming out in the 2012 NFL draft, it'll be I'll be we'll be talking, having a whole different conversation, a whole different career trajectory, honestly. Um, because that I don't think the game has shifted there yet, you know. Um you had a couple of guys, you had like the Sean McCoys and guys like that, um, Jamal Charles that did a little bit of catching, but you know, it was like they're more uh uh it the league was consistent more of traditional runners. Just turn around, hand the ball off, and go. You know, so like you said, the timing of me coming in and that small shift starting to happen, the you know, backs getting used in in in more dynamic ways, like it played right into, you know, what my game was.

SPEAKER_13 1:17:30

More with Alvin Kabrera coming up on the mic. Keith Joe, stay tuned.

SPEAKER_21 1:17:34

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SPEAKER_03 1:17:57

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SPEAKER_16 1:18:05

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SPEAKER_05 1:18:37

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SPEAKER_04 1:19:04

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SPEAKER_11 1:19:58

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SPEAKER_13 1:20:01

We continue with five-time NFL Pro Bowler and VFL, one of the greats in the game, Alvin Camara with us. This segment of the Mike Keith show brought to you by CertoPro Painters of East Tennessee, proud supporters of the Vols. How much longer are you going to do this? I mean, you'll be 31 in July. Yeah. Still a very young man. How how do you have a time frame that you want to see yourself go? Because now you're hitting the magic number that NFL players strive for, which is double digits.

SPEAKER_17 1:20:32

Yeah. Man, I'm I I never had a uh a gaze on how long I wanted to play, right? So, you know, you you get you get in the league and you like, okay, I'm finally here. Now you look up and it's year four, and you're like, dang. And then you look up again, it's year six. And now like I'm going on year ten, and I'm like, man, it still feels like yesterday I just got in the league and I I feel great. Um mentally I feel great. I mean, I've I've been 10 years doing anything is a long time, right? You know what I'm saying? So like there's a lot of growth, you know, even off the field. Uh there's a lot of growth that's that's happened in 10 years. There's a lot of things um I've evolved mentally, just in in a lot of different aspects of my life. So, you know, you you you things that are important now might not have been as important in 2017 for me. So, you know, you just think of think of your life all around. Um, and I hope that all all all my at fellow athletes do this. You think of about your life all the way around. You don't think about just football, you know, and when you think about all those things, you add up family and and just other certain things, you you you kind of like that's what that's what I feel like you make those decisions based off, right? Um and not to say that now that's outweighing football, but you know, I I I I I have I'm a father, like you know, I'm saying I now when I when I uh spend time with my sister, my brother, my mom, and stuff, like because early in my career, I was so I was chasing being so great and like getting to the point that I'm at now where now it's kind of like on autopilot. I still work hard, but it's on autopilot because now I I'm I've gained so much experience and know so much. Early in my career, I was squeezing so hard on like my craft, and and you know, it took a lot of time away from you know being with my family and like doing certain things with my friends and doing certain things off the field. And now that like I got a good balance, like work life balance, you know, I I I'm some of that stuff is is shifting and it's like okay, I'm spending more time with my mom, my sister, my brother, and like you you cherish those moments, like you know what I'm saying? Um and like you know, it's a hard job like playing football, doing this. Like, even here, these guys, it's it takes up a lot of time. So when I have those moments, I always think of like, dang, you know, this could be like yeah, I could I could be doing this all the time. But you know, I I still want to play though. So um man, it's just you just think about a lot of things, but to answer your question, just to bring it back all the way around. I don't have a gaze. You know, I think I think when like I'm still playing, I still, I still, I still love it, I still enjoy it. You still like to train. Exactly. The first thing I fell in love with was the process, you know, getting ready to play. All working out, like getting your body right, like just everything that it takes to to like everything that you got to do before you step onto the grass. So I'm I'm still dialed in with that. Love it. You know what I'm saying? I think probably once that fades, that'll probably be, you know, that'll probably be time to go. But I'm good right now. I'm logged in.

SPEAKER_13 1:23:28

I want to ask you about something from when you came into the league and turn it in a little different direction. I remember us hearing around the NFL that your Wonder Lick score was off the charts, especially in the running back group.

SPEAKER_17 1:23:42

I think I die. True. Yeah, I'd die.

SPEAKER_13 1:23:45

Okay. Now, what else I've read is you've done very well in business. Oh, yeah, yeah. Away from the field. And so I I guess the two things with you being obviously very bright and obviously interested in business, is that something that has also motivated you to keep pushing it away? Because that fascinates you almost as much as training in football to not only make the dough, but to to keep engaged and interested in pushing.

SPEAKER_17 1:24:16

I think that keeps me fresh when football comes around because you know, football isn't the only thing. It's one of the things. But, you know, like I said, like you said, with with business and and and things like that off the field, man. I'm I'm so stimulated. I wouldn't say I would say overly stimulated in this sense is a good thing. I'm so overly stimulated, I'm in real estate. I'm I'm I got business in Africa doing like import and exporting commodities. Like, man, I do so much. Like I'm developing an app right now. Like I'm doing so many things, and it's it's it's so intriguing and so interesting, and it and it and it keeps me like going, and that somewhat keeps me motivated. Like it's I have ultimate and and infinite motivation to pull from every day. So, you know, like the football part is like, like I said, it sounds crazy, but it's on autopilot because it's like second nature. I know that, you know, I'm saying the in the business world with real estate, like every day there's something that I don't know. You know what I'm saying? And with within business, and it's so interesting because like I I'm longing and like I I have this like urge and this like insatiable appetite to like figure it out or like find a solution or or figure out a better way to do this or do that. Like I like I'm I'm not a restaurateur, but I I mean my partners opened a restaurant. Like, so like there's so many things in that business that I have no clue about, and I'm just learning on the fly and and and figuring out like even hospitality, like clubs and things like that. Like, me and my partners, I don't they've been doing it longer than me, and I I and I'm sitting there just like figuring everything out, and it's just driving me, driving me, driving me to to keep going and like keep pushing real estate. Like a good friend now, um Renard Mead, crap and builders, like that he built my house in New Orleans, and I literally was like, I came to him and I was like, I want you to build my house. And I was like, I don't care what it takes, let's do it. And I was literally on the site, like sheet rock, doing sheet rock, like working the excavator, digging my pool, like because I just wanted to know, like it's it's just I have this thing in me that like I want to know how to do everything.

SPEAKER_13 1:26:21

When you were here at Tennessee, would you have had any idea that as a football player and in business that you would have used your mind even more than you've used your body if I told you that nine years ago?

SPEAKER_17 1:26:33

Yes and no. Yes or no. I've always had this like inquisitive mind where it's like I want to know, I want to know, I want to know. But I just I didn't even know how far football was gonna go. Right. You know, so like I I mean just just I'm literally living a dream. I've I'm nine years in the NFL, I'm living a dream because I wouldn't say I had the the best college career. Like, you know, I went from Alabama to to Hutchins Community College, played here for two years, loved it. But I mean I feel like I could have been more um I could have been more productive, but you know, it it what what what happened happened and I was blessed to be put in a situation in New Orleans that I was able to showcase what I didn't feel like I was able to showcase in college. So everything has a funny way of working out, but like you said, I think nah I never would have I never would have thought like I'll be using my mind like this.

SPEAKER_13 1:27:22

You have literally connections around the world, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_17 1:27:26

Which is crazy.

SPEAKER_13 1:27:27

Yeah, and yet the University of Tennessee is still so deep in your heart. You feel such an attachment, you come back. What is it about this place that got to you that deeply that keeps you this involved nearly a decade after you left?

SPEAKER_17 1:27:43

Man, I I I did a lot of growing up here in two years, and it sounds crazy, but the two years was like a lifetime. You know, I like I said, I came I was coming from Bama, went to junior college and was just in junior college trying to figure it out and you know, committed to Tennessee. I'm like I came up here. Felt good. And I did the recruitment process one time, right? High school recruitment process, the letters, the you know, the the hype train and all that. And you know, ended up where I was. But the second time around during the recruitment process, I like I kind of had a list of of the things that I really cared about, you know, and Tennessee f checked all the boxes for that. You know, I could have gone anywhere. Yeah. I could have gone anywhere else. You know, I left Alabama, I got every offer back that I had when I was leaving high school, but I think this checked the box for me. And and, you know, by the end of my time here, I was like, yeah, I made the right decision. You know? Being here really like filled a void in me that was very empty because I didn't know, I didn't know. I let I was in JUCO and didn't really know like football was gonna be like it was still gonna be there, you know? Because I mean having to go, having to go to JUKO route is a hard route. It's a hard route to take. And you know, a lot of guys don't get out of there, you know, and not because of sports, but you know, it's a it's a it's a lot of other things. Like I was in Hutchinson, Kansas in the middle of nowhere. Like it was many days where I was like, man, I'm just gonna go home, you know, like because it's like again, it's tough. It's like you you're for coming from the top, and then you gotta go back to the bottom and and and start the race blindfolded pretty much, because you just it's it's limited resources, it's like it's it's a hard night life the whole time. But you know, I kind of I had a goal in mind and I was like, man, I'm gonna get back to you know the top. And when I got here, it was like it just it just it just happened for me.

SPEAKER_13 1:29:31

Can you explain what Tennessee football is based on all you've seen and what you experienced in your entire football career?

SPEAKER_17 1:29:41

Tennessee football is resilience, Tennessee football is discipline, Tennessee football is a standard. When you say VFL, there's a lot that that that stands for, you know. I mean, that it I've been a little bit of everywhere, I've seen a little bit of everything, and and there's not many universities that have the type of pride and the type of the the type of standard that Tennessee has as a whole, you know, from from inception to you know we're in 2026. When you say VFL or or you you you you say I went to the University of Tennessee, I played football, I play it, it means something. I'm proud to say, like when when the conversation comes up about college and and and sports, and you know, the times I do talk about sports, I talk about Tennessee. I'm like, man, I went to UT and y'all know it. And you know, you get you get that, you get respect from from that. Regardless of if you played uh a year when we were losing, or if you play it's still it's still a University of Tennessee and Knoxville means something, Neiling Stadium means something. Like it's just there's a lot that comes with being a University of Tennessee football athlete, past or present.

SPEAKER_13 1:30:47

It's your decision to make a big gift to the athletic department. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Uh doesn't just come from the bank account, it comes from the heart.

SPEAKER_17 1:30:54

It was something I was thinking about and and just going back and forth with because I had a couple of uh different options. You know, I just wanted to make sure that that what I was doing was right and it was impactful, uh, both for me and and it for for um the athletic department. Um, you know, I went back and forth with uh Marcus Hillier, I went back and forth with Danny, I talked to Hype, you know, I I talked to a couple people on uh on campus and you know, guys that that went here that aren't here anymore. I made the decision and I think it's because I then Tennessee kind of it kind of molded me. You know what I'm saying? So I felt like I just I just felt like I had to come and and and give back and and find a way to to I guess pay it back. Like I I don't think I don't think I could ever pay to pay it back though. You know, the the the amount of money I don't think it is even close to the amount of growth that you know Tennessee gave me, and I'm just trying to give it back in some way, shape, form. And I mean it's it's it's it's not comparable, but I think it it's it's a little splash.

SPEAKER_13 1:31:57

Well, everybody's incredibly appreciative and incredibly appreciative the way that you represent this university going forward in the NFL and in all that you do. And I just want to end with this. One of the things that I think is really beautiful is when I watch high school football and I see a running back wearing six or forty-one, that's the impact that you've had on the game itself. You know, because seeing a guy wearing six, seeing a guy wearing 41, there's the merge of them saying, Hey, my standard is Alpha Commerce.

SPEAKER_17 1:32:33

Yeah. Now it's amazing. That's amazing. Yeah. And you know, you when you're in it, you don't think about those things too much because you're still in it and you and you're moving, you're going. But you know, sometimes every every now and then I like I catch a moment where I'm like, I'll be talking to some of my friends, and then they'll get to talking about stats and stuff like that, which I don't ever think about. And then I realize, like, man, I've done a lot. You know, you gotta, yeah. And I hate to like pat myself on the back and stuff, but in those moments, I'm like, dang, okay.

SPEAKER_13 1:33:01

Thank you. For all that you do. No doubt. Alvin Kamara with us on the Mike Keith show. We've got more coming up after this.

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Your weekend scouting report with Mike Keith.

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SPEAKER_13 1:36:06

Welcome back to the Mike Keith Show, this segment of the program brought to you by UT Medical, the official healthcare provider of the Valls and the Lady Balls. And speaking of the Lady Balls, Diana Khan 2.

SPEAKER_19 1:36:19

How are you? I'm great. How are you?

SPEAKER_13 1:36:20

Well, I'm I'm great, but it's it's a big week for the Lady Balls golf head coach and for the Lady Balls. SEC tournament starts tomorrow, as a matter of fact. And for you guys as you prepare for the SECs, it feels like you're coming in at a great place with the year that you've had.

SPEAKER_19 1:36:40

It is. It's a long season. Eight months of preparation hitting to now postseason, and it comes back quick, and we're kind of just taking it day by day, but really excited about the spot that we're at right now with our team and just continue to work hard and show how good we are.

SPEAKER_13 1:36:57

It's been a top 20 program all year in the polls. What has gone so well for Lady Ball golf so far this year?

SPEAKER_19 1:37:04

You know, this is the most deep team I've had in a while, and they all kind of play off of each other. We have uh some really strong players, but everybody kind of shows up at different times, which is really good. They kind of tend to have each other's backs, and it's just been really fun to see them buy into what we're doing and the vision that we have and what we want to achieve. Last year was a little taste of what we could do finishing 13th at the national championship. And we lost uh uh at SEC's in the first match against South Carolina. So we kind of have that little fire in us, that little hunger that's been kind of lingering for a while now. And we want to go out there and improve each other and everybody else, how good we are.

SPEAKER_13 1:37:46

Your roster is a blend of international players, and then you have like Madison Messemer, who's the top uh junior golfer in the state of South Carolina, who's a freshman, and Sophie Christopher, who's from Germantown. That mix, that blend, how have you gone about coming up with the international players and and more of the regional stars?

SPEAKER_19 1:38:08

It's really just it's not where they're from, it's just who they are as people. And they've come together in a really nice way. I mean, I myself, I am from a different country and I grew up in a different culture and language. So so we do a really good job understanding that and empathizing and just respecting each other's differences. And then they just come together and they're one. You know, they're ladyballs at the end of the day. And it's been really fun to see how everybody learns from each other. Everybody looks for a sushi place when we get to tournaments. It's it's the place we need to go. And it's fun to see how kind of they all support each other, and and we're all far from home in a way. So we make this uh home sweet home and and and they're there for each other. It's it's really fun. They're a really good group of kids. That's what I love as a coach, is I'm always looking for good people that then actually kind of happen to play great golf, and and we've done a really good job doing that this year.

SPEAKER_13 1:39:00

You were a lady ball coming from another country, coming from Mexico. And so you had that experience about what it's like to be on that side, to be an international player coming to Knoxville. Not only is the United States different, but a place like Knoxville, Tennessee is very different. You feel like that's one of your advantages in this job, is you can help them acclimate based on your own experience.

SPEAKER_19 1:39:24

Absolutely. It's it's really hard to be away from home. And and all of these kids are are big family people, and that's what it was for me. And so it's tough. It's tough, especially when you're when you're sacrificing so much and you have good days and you have bad days, and on those bad days, you really have to rely with the community that you've built here. And I try to be that for them, and my staff does the same. And so it's it's been definitely an advantage to know what they went through because I did that myself, and I just continue to put myself in their shoes and and be there for them when they need it.

SPEAKER_13 1:39:57

What have you tried to build on with Lady Ball golf that you saw in your experience and in trying to move it forward now? I mean, it's been 20 years since you started as a freshman here. In that time, where have you seen the growth of golf, in particular women's golf, women's college golf, but where Tennessee needed to get to as a program to be able to compete on an elite level?

SPEAKER_19 1:40:22

I mean, we were really good when I was here. Tennessee Women's Golf has a rich history of just stellar, stellar golfers. And we just saw that a few days ago with Erica Popson being in the Hall of Fame. There's a lot of good um history. Uh, when I was here, I knew we were good. I just had that little chip on my shoulder when I left that like we didn't achieve what we're capable of. And having the opportunity to come back here and give it another try is is just a blessing. And and it doesn't come by often. And golf has grown so much in the last 20 years. I mean, good good scores then are not good enough anymore. It's the depth, the, the, the amount of uh birdies and the amount of uh great scores and records that continue to be broken, it's incredible the level that there is globally. I mean, you see that on on tour and in professional golf. And so just uh continuing to level up to what the resources are are given now. I think uh I put a lot of emphasis on the holistic approach of golf. And it's not just your swing coach anymore. It's that nutrition, it's the mentality, it's the the recovery aspect. There's just so much involved, the golf IQ and how you go about the strategy of the game. And so bringing that to this program that wasn't there before, I think has kind of pushed the envelope a little bit more and it's helping us prepare our players for elite competition.

SPEAKER_13 1:41:47

Well, the Lady Vol golfers will never find any more person coach committed to the game than you. Is it true that you joined the Mexican Junior Golf Association when you were six?

SPEAKER_19 1:42:01

I started competing at that age, yes.

SPEAKER_13 1:42:03

When did you okay, you started competing at age six? When did you start playing?

SPEAKER_19 1:42:09

Pretty much um right before then. I mean, my my older brother started playing, and I used to go to the tournaments and just kind of found ways to entertain myself, and then somebody gave me a club, and you know, it was a bunch of balls, a a chair in between the balls and the green, and they said you gotta get the ball over the chair and keep the ball on the green. And I just stood there for hours and and I got hooked, and my brother ended up not playing golf as much anymore, and I was the one that that did it, and you know, I started competing, competing at seven, pretty much just turned seven in the eight to ten group. So I was carrying my golf bag for 18 holes at that age, and that just tells you how much I loved it, I guess.

SPEAKER_13 1:42:52

How did you get to Tennessee?

SPEAKER_19 1:42:54

Uh competed, you know, as much as I could at the high level. I won the Mexican amateur at age 16. At that time, was the youngest to ever have won it. And uh Judy Pavone, the coach at that time here, had an eye on me since then. And uh Violeta Retamoso is a player here, also in the Hall of Fame from Mexico. She was here before me. So there was that connection. And when I came to visit campus, uh, there was no other place I was gonna go. It I loved it here.

SPEAKER_13 1:43:21

And so you leave and within four years, you're the head coach at Maryland. How do you advance that quickly to what obviously is a is a great Big Ten program?

SPEAKER_19 1:43:30

I know. I I I was at the at the right place at the right time. And Baylor, I'll I'll forever be grateful to them for the opportunity to let me start coaching. And uh I'm very grateful to Jay Goble. He gave me a lot of um opportunities to grow and to learn. And it was sink or swim for a little bit, but I I just went ahead and did it. I I was taught uh growing up that if you're gonna do something, you better do it right and give it your all. So I have been given my all a long time before coming to Tennessee. And just the way I was raised is is just just work really hard for what you have and you gotta earn it. And I think that's just kind of what I've been doing my whole life. And I I don't look back, you know. Um, when I do something good, I tell myself I'm supposed to. Uh sometimes I need to pat myself on the back a little bit and and see what we've done. But I just I just want to make uh proud all those, you know, people in my family who gave so much to me to be able to be in this position that that's what I do it for every day.

SPEAKER_13 1:44:32

Almost surreal to be back in Knoxville now, five years.

SPEAKER_19 1:44:35

Yes. I it's gone by quick, I'm telling you. Uh and the moment Danny White was like, Do you want to come here? And and you know, how do you how could you not? And now it's been almost five years, it's crazy.

SPEAKER_13 1:44:48

And a big weekend this weekend at the SEC. What do you have to do well this weekend to take the next step and and maybe chase an SEC title?

SPEAKER_19 1:44:56

They just need to play free. They just need to play the golf, trust the amount of work they put in and believe in themselves like I believe in them, and just go out there and be who they are. They are enough. They are great kids, they are amazing golfers, and if we do that for each other, it's gonna be a great week.

SPEAKER_13 1:45:13

Yana Cantu, thank you for stopping by. Thank you. Lady Vol Golf this weekend at the SECs. Look forward to that. Thanks for joining us for the Mike Keith Show. We'll see you next time.

SPEAKER_11 1:45:24

Mike Keith talks big orange sports right here every week. Getting you ready to work game day.

SPEAKER_15 1:45:29

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SPEAKER_11 1:45:31

Download the show at utsports.com. Mike Keith, we are the Ball Network.