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One of Tennessee's regional opponents has a strength that the Vols will have to handle better than they have in 2025

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Craig Smith | Last updated May 27, 2025 4:48 PM ET

One of the Tennessee Vols' biggest obstacles this year has been slowing down opponents' running game on the basepaths. That could be an issue that the Vols have to deal with if they end up meeting one of their regional opponents over the weekend.

The Cincinnati Bearcats - the 3 seed in the Knoxville regional - are one of the best teams in the country at swiping bases. They ranked 18th in the country in steals with 128. That's third most among Power Four teams, with only Louisville and Boston College having more.

Tom Walter, head coach of 2 seed Wake Forest, talked about the Bearcats' prowess on the basepaths.

"I feel good that we'll put our best effort forward and we'll have this team ready to play. The guys are fired up." @WakeBaseball Head Coach Tom Walter after today's NCAA Baseball Tournament Selection Show. @WFMY #wfmysports pic.twitter.com/ErZ3bImAgf
— Brian Hall (@bhallwfmy) May 26, 2025

"Cincinnati's got a really dynamic offense. They steal a ton of bases. They remind me a lot of Boston College's offense just in how they put pressure on you defensively. So, we've got to certainly spend some time this week preparing for that."

It's no secret that Tennessee has had a tough time keeping opposing teams from stealing. That's been particularly the case with Marcus Phillips on the mound. Against Kentucky, the Wildcats stole 8 bases on Phillips alone in a 4-2 loss. Tony Vitello has talked about the importance of holding baserunners better with a veiled shot at Phillips back on May 11 after a 10-6 loss to Vanderbilt.

Tennessee will open up their regional play on Friday against Miami (OH) at 6:00 pm ET, and if they prevail, they'll take on the winner of Wake Forest and Cincinnati. If the Bearcats win, then Phillips - who seems likely to hold his game two spot this weekend - would have to do a far better job than what he did earlier in the year of allowing singles and walks to turn into doubles.

In postseason play against better competition, that type of stuff will simply get you beat.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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