How Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel's son Carter ended up playing baseball at Volunteer State
It doesn't take long to realize Carter Vrabel is the son of a coach.
Sure he's a talented Volunteer State baseball player with excellent fundamentals.
But the more obvious giveaway signs are the admirable characteristics Vrabel learned away from the game from his father Mike, coach of the Tennessee Titans.
"We have to do our own field maintenance and Carter's the first one to grab a rake, the first one do whatever needs to be done to the field when we finish playing or practicing," Vol State coach Jim McGuire said. "He gets it and understands what it takes. It isn't just about showing up, playing and going home. You can see the qualities he has and that he's been around it his whole life."
Vrabel, a pitcher and third baseman from Father Ryan, transferred to Vol State after one season at Wabash Valley in Mount Carmel, Illinois, and brought with him the traits he learned from from his father on and off the field.
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"My dad taught me the importance of taking care of and taking pride in the field I played on in any sport when I was younger," Vrabel said. "Even away from sports I've always taken care of things that I have had. It's always been something we've done in our family."
On the field Vrabel's best pitch is a curveball. He's been clocked at 90 mph on the mound. He will be used, McGuire said, most often in short relief.
Vrabel earned a spot on Vol State's roster based on his own merits, but a Titans connection played a role in his transition.
McGuire, who spent six years as the coach at Middle Tennessee State and a total of 26 years on the Blue Raiders staff, was the analyst along with voice of the Titans Mike Keith for a streaming broadcast of the TSSAA baseball state tournament last spring.
Parents of some of the players in the state tournament approached McGuire between broadcasts. They had heard the buzz about McGuire being a candidate at Vol State and asked if he was getting the job. McGuire was noncommittal, but Keith overheard the conversation and asked McGuire privately and McGuire said he expected to be hired.
Keith then made a push for Vrabel.
"Mike knew Carter had left Wabash and said, 'I'm just going to tell you that Vrabel is looking; he's available,"' McGuire said. "I was like, 'OK.' Then for the next two days with Mike it was, 'Don't forget that Vrabel boy's out there.'"
After McGuire officially was named Vol State's coach in late July, Hillwood coach Cody Ginsberg, who also coaches the Knights Baseball travel team that Vrabel had been a member of, contacted McGuire. Ginsberg said Vrabel and his former Wabash Valley teammate Jase Mizell were available.
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That was just three weeks before school started. Both players signed after visiting the campus and are now roommates.
Mike Vrabel attended as many games as his hectic schedule would allow during the Pioneers' fall season while also making it to as many of his other son Tyler's football games at Boston College.
Tyler, a tight end, declared for the NFL Draft on Jan. 18.
"He loves to find his way here for the games," Vrabel said. "He's always loved watching me and my brother."
Vrabel left Wabash Valley, he said, because it wasn't a good fit and he wanted to be closer to home. His apartment in Gallatin is about 45 minutes from is parents' home.
"It's a lot closer to home but still just far enough away," he said.
Vrabel played football (quarterback and safety) when he was in high school in Houston before his father got the Titans job. He gave up football after the family moved to Nashville.
"I got injured my freshman year in football; I broke my foot and then as soon as I got back I got a concussion," Vrabel said. "After that I was like, 'Look dad, I don't think this is for me.' He was like, 'I don't care. I think you're a better baseball player.'"
Vol State's season opens on Feb. 11 with a doubleheader at Calhoun State.
Shan Foster will sign his new book on Feb. 5
Vanderbilt basketball great Shan Foster will celebrate the launch of his new book at a signing Feb. 5 at the Vanderbilt bookstore on campus at 3 p.m.
The signing will coincide with the retirement of Foster's jersey No. 32 at Memorial Gym that night at halftime of the Commodores' game against LSU.
The book "What Hurt Didn't Hinder" is about how Foster went from being Vanderbilt's all-time leading scorer with 2,011 career points who was drafted into the NBA to becoming an anti-domestic violence advocate.
Foster will tell stories at the signing about his playing days, including details about leading Vanderbilt to wins over No. 1-ranked Florida and Tennessee and to the Sweet 16 in 2006-07 along with the time he scored 42 points against Mississippi State and was named the 2008 SEC player of the year.
The book is available at amazon.com.
Over 400,000 Nashville TV households watched Titans playoff game
The Tennessee Titans-Cincinnati Bengals AFC divisional playoff game earned the highest local television ratings of the 2021 season for the Titans.
The CBS broadcast of the game, played before a capacity crowd at Nissan Stadium, earned a 35.7 rating, according to WTVF-5 senior programming director Mark Binda.
That means 400,233 Nashville TV market households tuned in to see the Bengals win 19-16 and advance to the AFC Championship.
That was below the Titans' 2020 wild-card playoff game against the Baltimore Ravens, which earned a 42.3.
Nationally the Titans-Bengals game had 30.8 million viewers.
Overton's Steven Losoya transferring from MTSU to Mississippi State
Former Overton offensive lineman Steven Losoya, who spent the last three seasons at MTSU, has transferred to Mississippi State.
Loyosa announced he was transferring on Twitter.
“I would like to thank everybody who has supported me throughout this process, and also these past three years. I want to thank the Mississippi State Football staff for this opportunity. Now that I’ve made my decision, it’s time to get to work,” Loyosa tweeted.
Loyosa, 6-foot-4, 305 pounds, played in 23 games and started in 10 at MTSU splitting time between tackle and guard.
He made The Tennessean All-Midstate second team as a senior at Overton in 2018.
Also, Walter Yates, a linebacker from Savanah State, transferred to MTSU.
Austin Peay names 2022 hall of fame class
The 2022 Austin Peay Athletics Hall of Fame class includes Bill Alexander, Sean Bailey, Reed Harper, Marco Iten and Breigh Jones.
Alexander was a running back and defensive back on the football team and also on the track and field team in the mid-1950s.
Bailey led the 2013 men's tennis team to the program’s first NCAA Tournament appearance.
Harper was walk-on baseball player who became a two-time All-OVC shortstop (2012 and 2013).
Iten is the only golfer in program history to win the individual title at an NCAA regional championship (2014).
Jones became the school's first NCAA track and field championship participant in 14 years when she earned a spot in 2014.
The 44th induction class will be honored during a dinner Feb. 18 at the Morgan University Center on campus. Tickets are available by contacting Tara Patterson at pattersont@apsu.edu.
The class will also be recognized at halftime of the Feb. 19 men’s home basketball game against Tennessee State.
Special teams coordinator leaves Austin Peay
Austin Peay special teams coordinator and linebackers coach Mark Powell is no longer with the program, according to footballscoop.com.
Powell, a native of Orange, Connecticut, arrived at Austin Peay as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach in 2019 and remained in that role through the abbreviated 2020 fall season.
He moved to special teams coordinator in the spring 2021 season while remaining linebackers coach.
Also, former VMI outside linebacker Ethan Caselberry has transferred to Austin Peay.
The Sparkman, Alabama, native started in a total of 17 games over the last two seasons and made 114 tackles. He also had two interceptions in 2021.
Rick Byrd leadership curriculum established at Belmont
Belmont introduced a new curriculum based on the leadership characteristics of retired basketball coach Rick Byrd.
The Rick Byrd Character Formation and Leadership Program is an initiative that will create curriculum that will be embedded in academic courses and co-curricular programming across the university.
In addition, the newly established Rick Byrd Character Award will annually recognize an individual in the community who exemplifies Byrd’s leadership and character qualities.
Both initiatives come on the heels of Byrd’s induction into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in November and before he receives the John R. Wooden Legends of Coaching Award in April.
“Rick Byrd embodies the kind of character we hope our students will emulate,” Belmont president Greg Jones said. “His integrity, grace and humility, along with his dedicated and disciplined leadership approach will provide a tremendous model for our students to explore as we develop programming that will guide them in their own character formation.”
Belmont's Grayson Murphy becomes OVC's all-time assists leader
Grayson Murphy became the Ohio Valley Conference’s career assist leader Monday in Belmont’s 90-56 win at Eastern Illinois.
Murphy, a graduate student from Independence, had five assists giving him 702 for his career.
That eclipsed the record of 699 held by Eastern Kentucky’s Bruce Jones for 41 years.
Murphy is second in assists this season in the OVC averaging 5.9.
TSU's Anthony Levine retires after 10 years in the NFL
Former Tennessee State defensive back Anthony Levine announced his retirement from the NFL after 10 seasons with the Baltimore Ravens.
Levine, 34, spent most of his career as a special teams player while also serving as a co-captain.
"He worked tirelessly to become one of the NFL's best special teams players, and he could always be relied upon to contribute at a high level on defense – no matter the role he was asked to play,” Baltimore coach John Harbaugh told BaltimoreRavens.com.
CPA's Langston Patterson is the TBCA player of the year
Christ Presbyterian Academy's Langston Patterson, a Vanderbilt football signee, was named the Tennessee Baseball Coaches Association player of the year.
Patterson helped lead CPA to the football and baseball state championships as a junior.
He's a catcher and second baseman in baseball who hit. 333 with four homers with 19 RBIs.
Nashville Golf Show canceled
The annual Nashville Golf Show, which was scheduled for Feb. 11-12 at Nashville Fairgrounds, has been canceled because of COVID-19.
Joe Hall, owner of the show, said he is uncertain about its future.
Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway schedule announced
The 2022 Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway schedule was released with the first point standings race set for April 2. Divisions include pro late models (118 laps), limited late models, pure stocks, front runners, Legends and Bandoleros.
Other point standing races will be on June 4, July 8, Aug. 13, Sept. 17, Oct 8 and Oct. 28,
Other features include the U.S. Legends International Spring Series on April 15; ARCA Menards Series Music City 200 and North/South Super Late Model Challenge on May 7; Rackley Roofing Masters of the Pros 150 (JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour) on July 9 and the 38th annual All American 400 on Oct. 30.
For tickets or more information visit nashvillefairgroundsspeedway.racing.
Tryouts set for Middle Tennessee Adult Baseball Association
Registration is available for all divisions of the Middle Tennessee Adult Baseball Association 2022 season.
Divisions include 18+, 35+ and 50+. Tryouts will be March 13 at Rose Park from 1-4:30 p.m. The tryout fee is $4.
To register or for more information visit https://bit.ly/3fTYnBo.
Drew R. Maddux Golf Tourney set for April
The Drew R. Maddux Golf Tournament is set for April 27 at Tennessee Grasslands Golf and Country Club.
The tournament is presented by the Northern Middle Tennessee Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Registration will open at 10:30 a.m. and include lunch at 11 a.m. The tournament begins at noon.
For more information contact Jason McCormick at jmccormick@fca.org.
If you have an item for Midstate Chatter contact Mike Organ at 615-259-8021 or on Twitter @MikeOrganWriter.
Sports on Nashville TV
The five highest-rated sports events locally for the week ending Jan. 17-23 in Nashville:
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel's son plays baseball at Volunteer State
