Andrew Lindsey shut out emotion, then shut down Charlotte for Tennessee baseball
CLEMSON, S.C. − Charlotte coach Robert Woodard stared at a recognizable yet different scene Friday.
Andrew Lindsey was on the mound, the frontline starter for a weekend rotation. Only the Tennessee baseball pitcher was controlling Charlotte instead of controlling for Charlotte.
"His competitive spirit and fire is still there," Woodard said. "He is two years older so you can see some maturity there. He still mixes his pitches like he used to. Still has a slow pulse like he used to.”
That final observation from Woodard is why Lindsey was successful in Tennessee's opener against his former team in the Clemson Regional.
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Lindsey shut out the potential emotion of facing the 49ers. It was never about Lindsey against the team he pitched for in 2021. It was all about getting the Vols off to a crucial start and he did that in No. 2 seed Tennessee's 8-1 win against No. 3-seeded Charlotte.
“I think it was just business as usual," Lindsey said. "It is the postseason. Just play ball. No matter who we get we need to play good baseball at this time of year. When they popped up, it was just another team to go out and beat.”
Lindsey struck out 10 in seven innings to match his career high in strikeouts for the Vols (39-19). He allowed one run on five hits and walked one. He pitched out of a bases-loaded scene in the first inning by getting a strikeout, that steady pulse showing and staying.
It is what has made Lindsey so good in the Game 1 role for the past seven weeks. It is easy to argue that is why Tennessee's pitching rotation has settled into form in the past few weeks. Vols coach Tony Vitello probably would. Lindsey sets the standard. Chase Dollander, who will start against No. 1-seeded Clemson (44-17) on Saturday (6 p.m., ESPN2), keeps it humming. Drew Beam finishes it on Sunday.
But Friday could have been different. Feelings could have taken over in facing Charlotte, the program he left following the 2021 season before sitting out the 2022 season. He nestled into his routines to avoid any such possibility prior to the bracket being announced Monday and stuck to them after.
He threw bullpens with pitching coach Frank Anderson and worked with catcher Cal Stark. Nothing changed.
"Just stick to what you have done," Lindsey said.
Lindsey did so against a lineup that he said included four former teammates. He built on his best start of the season, a dazzling display in 8⅓ innings at South Carolina. He has turned in four quality starts in his past six after Friday's gem.
Woodard told someone before the game that he feels like he will always be a coach of any player he has coached. He said it again after the game, Lindsey's slow pulse and stellar pitching having pushed Tennessee to the winner's bracket and Charlotte into the loser's bracket.
"So as much as it stings to be on the losing side of the game, I am really happy to see him doing well," Woodard said. "He pitched a heck of a game.”
Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on Twitter @ByMikeWilson. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee baseball's Andrew Lindsey shut down Charlotte, his former team
