Tennessee pitcher Kirby Connell, a member of the so-called villains of college baseball, poked his unmistakably mustached face into the doorway at East Tennessee Children’s Hospital.
Young grinning faces greeted Connell andfive Tennessee baseball teammates Thursday. They brought encouraging words and a box of “Vollie Fingers” T-shirts donated privately by an admiring fan.
This is how Connell and the No. 1 ranked Volsspent their Thursday, one day before playing Notre Dame in the NCAA super regional at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
The hospital visit had its roots in a ceremonial first pitch, the Vols’ 23-game winning streak, an unforgettable photo, churches in three states and a tube of mustache wax.
“It’s a pretty awesome feeling when you can do something to make a kid’s day,” Connell said. “You’ll remember that for a while, maybe longer than anything you could do in baseball.”
Connell’s long hair and handlebar mustache make him one of the most recognizable players among a cast of characters for Tennessee, the best and most hated team in college baseball.
They’re admittedly confident, brash and very talented. But bat flips, extensive celebrations andin-your-face antics reveal only one layer of these Vols.
