The wild dash to get Billy Amick his No. 11 jersey for Tennessee baseball vs Vanderbilt
NASHVILLE − Chad Zurcher dashed through the lobby of Hilton Green Hills in Nashville on Saturday.
The Tennessee baseball director of operations opted for stairs over elevator. He only had to get to the second floor. Zurcher bolted into the second room on the left and spotted the orange Vols jersey he needed.
The Vols were less than 15 minutes from first pitch against Vanderbilt as Zurcher barreled back through the hotel lobby with Billy Amick's No. 11 jersey in tow.
“You are just trained to do,” Zurcher said. “You can ask any ops person, you are ready to go. That is what you are here for — to make sure they can play.”
Zurcher jumped into action before Tennessee’s 7-6 win against Vanderbilt at Hawkins Field. He had 36 minutes until first pitch when he found out Amick didn’t have his jersey. He got it done in 32.
How Chad Zurcher got Billy Amick’s jersey for Tennessee at Vanderbilt
Amick approached Zurcher and assistant director of baseball operations Adam Low at 1:26 CT Saturday. The starting third baseman realized he had forgotten his jersey after batting practice.
Zurcher grabbed his car keys and Amick’s room key. He ran out of Hawkins Field, letting a security guard know the situation. It was a 15-minute drive to the hotel down Hillsboro Pike, which gave him red light after red light.
“I looked down and realized I didn’t have my wallet,” Zurcher said. “I was like, ‘I hope I don’t get pulled over.’ "
Zurcher hurtled into the hotel to retrieve the jersey as Amick warmed up in a No. 29 jersey.
That was the easy part. Getting back in time through Nashville traffic and Vanderbilt construction was another. His GPS offered a solution with a 10-minute route back on different roads. He got back to the ballpark with minutes to spare, parking the car beyond the centerfield fence and ran.
The security guard he notified waved him home, holding up lines of fans to get Zurcher through. He jogged into the dugout at 1:58 to Amick waiting to put on his jersey with four minutes before first pitch.
“I was pretty exhausted when I got done,” Zurcher said. “I don’t do much running these days.”
Chad Zurcher is always solving Tennessee baseball problems
Zurcher, a South-Doyle alum and Memphis hall of famer, has spent the past nine seasons solving Tennessee’s problems like Amick’s jersey issue.
He did the same for Maui Ahuna last season before UT's opener at LSU, tossing the jersey over the fence to the former Vols shortstop. Former Vols shortstop Cortland Lawson forgot his glove at the hotel during the 2022 SEC Tournament. Zurcher went and got it.
DOBO: Meet the Tennessee basketball superwoman who keeps the Vols running in March Madness
Zurcher once hustled to get Garrett Crochet food after the former Vols ace forgot to eat breakfast, did his off day running and was struggling.
“You are always prepared,” Zurcher said. “You want these guys to play and not worry about that kind of stuff.”
Zurcher gets it done so the players can get it done on the field. The No. 1 Vols (42-9, 19-7 SEC) did that again against Vanderbilt (33-17, 11-14).
They’ll go for a sweep Sunday. Maybe Zurcher will have another problem to solve — and maybe Amick will make sure it’s the same one.
“He said he will probably do it again tomorrow so we can win,” Zurcher said.
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 Chad Zurcher the hero to get Billy Amick's jersey