University of Tennessee Athletics
Vol Baseball Countdown: 24 Days
January 20, 2015 | Baseball
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Baseball Time in Tennessee is just 24 days away!
Throughout January and February, UTSports.com will count down the days leading up to the start of the Vols' 2015 campaign (Feb. 13) with a look back at the many players who donned each jersey No. 30 through No. 1.
After opening last season at home, the Vols will travel to Miami, Fla., this year to face Florida International for a three-game series (Feb. 13-15). The team will return home to take on Tennessee Tech on Wednesday, Feb. 18 and Rutgers for four games (Feb. 20-22) during Tennessee's home opener weekend at Lindsey Nelson Stadium, including a doubleheader against the Scarlet Knights on Saturday, Feb. 21. The Orange & White will later host long-time SEC foe Georgia (March 20-22) for the program's first home conference opponent series in March. Additionally, Missouri (April 9-11), South Carolina (April 24-26), Texas A&M (May 1-3) and Mississippi State (May 15-17) will make trips to Rocky Top this year.
On the season, the Volunteers, led by Head Coach Dave Serrano and his staff, are scheduled to play 27 of their 55 regular season games against nine 2014 NCAA postseason participants, including College World Series squads Vanderbilt, UC Irvine and Ole Miss.
In total, 22 Volunteers have worn the No. 24, with junior right-handed pitcher and first baseman Andrew Lee being the 22nd. Joining Lee as a fellow No. 24 Vol is former Major League Baseball reliever, World Series Champion and Knoxville native Greg McMichael.
Looking Back...#24 GREG MCMICHAEL
1986-88 | RHP | 6-3 | 215 lbs. | Knoxville, Tenn. (Webb)
A local product out of the Webb School of Knoxville, former Tennessee right-handed pitcher Greg McMichael was a letterwinner on Rocky Top from 1986-88. McMichael started his career with the Volunteers as a reliever but quickly moved into the starting rotation.
Over his 43 appearances at Tennessee, including 24 starts, McMichael compiled nine wins, four complete games and tallied a pair of saves in 151.1 innings of work. He also struck out 94 over his three-year career.
As a junior in 1988, McMichael led the team with six wins and a 3.41 ERA. He earned the Mike Smithson Most Valuable Pitcher Award that season.
McMichael was drafted in the seventh round by the Cleveland Indians in 1988 and embarked on an eight-year Major League career that saw him play for the Atlanta Braves, New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers and Oakland Athletics from 1993-2000.
In 1994, he was selected to the Topps Rookie All-Star Team and finished runner-up in the rookie of the year balloting. He then helped the Braves reach the World Series in both 1995 and 1996, with Atlanta winning the MLB title in 1995. In all, McMichael finished with a 31-29 record and 3.25 ERA in 453 MLB appearances, all out of the bullpen.
After retiring in 2001, McMichael opened a training facility where he teaches young pitchers how to play the game. Greg and his wife, Jennifer, have five children, and make their home in Johns Creek, Ga.
The righty returned to Rocky Top in 2005, when he was inducted into the Tennessee Baseball Hall of Fame, and again in 2010, serving as a guest speaker at one of the Vols' in-season luncheons.
THROWBACK NOTES ON MCMICHAEL
- Travelled with Athletes in Action baseball team across Europe while at UT
- Named Knoxville Player of the Year in 1985 while at Webb
- Brother of former Vol football linebacker Jeff McMichael (1981-82)
Looking Ahead...#24 Andrew Lee
2013-14 | RHP/1B | 6-5 | 210 lbs. | L/R | Morristown, Tenn.
Junior Andrew Lee returns to Rocky Top for a his third season as a Vol after appearing in 23 games (including six games as a position player) last season and 25 games as a freshman. Returning from Tommy John Surgery in the summer of 2012, Lee earned the win in his first start since the surgery on Feb. 17, 2014 against Purdue. He went on to post a 4-4 record with four saves and a 3.90 ERA during his sophomore campaign. As a freshman, he made 18 starts primarily at first base and compiled three doubles, one home run and nine RBI. A stud pitcher at Morristown West High School, Lee looks to contribute on both sides of the ball in 2015.
NOTES FROM HIS BIO
- Full name is Andrew Karl Lee
- Led the Cape Cod League's Brewster Whitecaps with a .333 average over 24 games (Summer 2014), driving in 13 runs and knocking four doubles.
- Made his collegiate debut on February 15 at UNLV, becoming the first freshman to hit in the cleanup spot for the Vols on Opening Day since 1990
