Was it really a shock?

If there is one thing the country learned about Tennessee baseball Sunday night, it’s that four runs are far from enough to keep the No. 1 team in the country at bay. So no, Tennessee’s 9-6 comeback win over Georgia Tech in the Knoxville Regional Final should not have been shocking.

Here are three things we learned from Tennessee’s play against the Georgia Tech.

Tennessee seems inevitable

The Yellow Jackets walked Drew Gilbert to load the bases in the ninth inning, tied 4-4. It was the objectively correct move at the time.

It’s a byproduct of the microcosm of Tennessee’s dangerous nature that was starting to unfold in front of Georgia Tech pitcher Dawson Brown’s eyes. Gilbert took his base and Trey Lipscomb strolled to the plate.

Tennessee finally chased Georgia Tech’s starting pitcher, Zach Maxwell, a few innings prior but couldn’t push the equalizing runs across. Now, it was the top of the ninth as the away team in their own ballpark. It was truly now or never if they wanted to avoid a game 7 to advance to the Super Regional round on Monday.

That is partially why Gilbert, who had just hit a game-defining home run against Campbell Saturday night, was walked. The Yellow Jackets wanted a force-out at every plate, but also didn’t want to see their four-run lead evaporate completely with one swing of the bat.

It was really just kicking the can down the road. Brown hit Lipscomb with a pitch, forced a ground out at home to record the first out and could only watch as Christian Moore ripped a single to left field.

You know what happened next. The Vols, yet again, had erased an early deficit like it was nothing. It just seems to be what this team does, right?

Head coach Tony Vitello has the Vols humming heading into the Super Regionals once more. Last year’s team was dangerous, but there’s something about this one that just feels…inevitable.

It feels like a lot of people should have seen it coming when the Vols came back from down 4-1 with no hits until the seventh inning against Florida in April. Or maybe when Tennessee completed the sweep against the reigning National Champion Mississippi State in comeback fashion in late May.

Campbell and Georgia Tech both jumped to early, 4-0 leads against these Vols. Neither came out on top.

Mabrey deals, catapults Vols to Supers

Twenty-nine year Georgia Tech coaching veteran Danny Hall felt one pitching change put the Vols in the win column Sunday night.

“The hero for them was Will Mabrey,” Hall said. “He did what they needed him to do and he settled the game.”

Mabrey shoved a solid 3.2 innings of work for the Volunteers when they needed it most. Perhaps that’s even underselling it.

The junior right-handed pitcher from Cookeville, Tennessee was just what Tennessee needed in the bottom of the fourth Sunday night. Mabrey was thrown in with just one out to work with and two men on first and second. He calmly struck out the next batter then forced a ground-out to end the inning.

And he just kept dealing. Mabrey allowed five hits, but struck out five batters and didn’t allow a single run to cross as Tennessee’s bats chinked away at the Georgia Tech lead.

The Vols received their best innings from relief pitchers this weekend. Kirby Connell filled that role after an uncharacteristic start from Chase Dollander against Campbell. Not to mention Redmond Walsh coming in against both Campbell and Georgia Tech and finishing the job in the final inning, even as shaky as it was against the Yellow Jackets.

Pitching depth is crucial moving forward. If Mabrey and Connell’s performances to start the postseason are any indication, the Vols have a lot more baseball left in them.

Who’s next?

Tennessee will host Notre Dame in the Super Regional round next weekend, back within the confines of Lindsey Nelson Stadium.

The Fighting Irish entered the Statesboro regional as one of the most underseeded squads in the country, matching up against Texas Tech, UNC Greensboro and host No. 16 Georgia Southern.

The Vols swept Georgia Southern earlier in the season, thanks in part to a former Eagles arm and SEC pitcher of the year in Dollander.

Notre Dame made quick work of the regional, downing Texas Tech on day one, outworking the host Eagles on day two and finishing the job against the Red Raiders to advance to Knoxville for its second straight super regional appearance on Sunday.

Notre Dame leans on its pitching, which will be a stark difference for Tennessee after its bat-heavy crowd in the regional round.

Tennessee outscored Notre Dame’s entire offensive production in one game against Campbell. The Fighting Irish saw 11 runs cross in three games this past weekend. Tennessee scored in the double digits in two of their three outings, averaging 10 runs per contest. Notre Dame averaged just under four.

John Michael Bertrand leads the way for the Fighting Irish on the mound and pitched in two games this past weekend. He has an 8-2 W/L record and an impressive 2.36 ERA on the season in 15 starts. Opponents have hit just .219 against Bertrand.