University of Tennessee Athletics
DIAMOND VOLS SPOTLIGHT: LANCE McCLAIN
February 11, 2007 | Baseball
Feb. 11, 2007
By Melissa Anderson, UT Sports Information
Growing up just miles from the University of Tennessee campus, Lance McClain had one dream.
"I always wanted to go to UT," McClain said.
He almost didn't get the chance.
Vols coach Rod Delmonico was familiar enough with McClain, a former South-Doyle High School standout, but felt he lacked the power to compete in the Southeastern Conference.
"He was throwing (in the) low 80s out of high school," Delmonico said. "And with what we had coming in, we didn't think he would get to pitch a lot in the top five."
After a stop at Walters State Community College, McClain is now in the starting rotation for the Big Orange, and he said he's ready for the challenge.
"It's a lot harder (at this level)," McClain said. "You actually have to pitch and hit location and stuff like that in order to be successful. I've had my ups and downs through the fall and spring. It's a huge transition. I can already tell its going to be tough, but I'm excited."
McClain said he did not look at his year at Walters State as an indication of his ability. Instead he said he was determined to prove to himself and the coaches at UT that he could compete at the Division I level.
"After talking to coaches here they told me that if I went to junior college and proved myself that they might be able to offer me something," McClain said.
So prove himself is exactly what he did. In one season at Walters State, McClain compiled a 10-1 record in 16 starts with a 3.68 ERA. He pitched 102.7 innings with 105 strikeouts and only 52 walks. His pitching, along with the rest of his team, helped the Senators to compile a 61-8 record on their way to the 2006 Junior College World Series title. It was an experience McClain said he will never forget.
"It was definitely awesome. The best thing ever," McClain said. "Flying out to Grand Junction, Colo., I got to pitch in front of 12,000 people. It was a rush ... it was incredible."
After compiling such numbers, Delmonico knew McClain was ready to become a Volunteer. Delmonico sites the extra innings and work that McClain was able to acquire at Walters State as a reason for his improvement.
This season for the Vols, McClain will take the spot of the Sunday starter. Delmonico, along with pitching coach Mike Bell, is looking to see what kind of impact McClain will have. The Vols were 1-8 last season on Sundays - one of the reasons Delmonico offered for their failure to reach the SEC Tournament and beyond last year.
If you really look at it, we didn't play very well on Sunday," Delmonico said. "We did fairly well on Friday and Saturday. We had a Sunday starter who started nine games in SEC play and didn't win a game. I think that was one of our main problems."
McClain hopes that working with Tennessee veterans Craig Cobb and James Adkins will help him continue to improve. He said that learning from those two has helped him a lot. He feels some of the pressure starting on Sunday but has not really let it bother him. He simply wants to pitch his game and see where that takes the team.
"It was unfortunate last year, they had some ups and downs," McClain said of the 2006 Vols. "But we have a great time this year, a really good team and we're looking forward to a really good season. Hopefully I can just go out there and throw my game and get some wins on Sunday. We'll see."
McClain said he knows that playing in the SEC will be a step above the competition he saw at Walters State, but he's not worried. Winning games on Sunday will be critical for the Vols' success this year, and that excites him. He is ready to play.
"I know its going to be really tough," McClain said. "But like I said, I'm from Knoxville, and ever since I was little I always wanted to play in the SEC.
"This is my dream."
