University of Tennessee Athletics
Vol Baseball Countdown: 21 Days
January 23, 2015 | Baseball
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Baseball Time in Tennessee is just 21 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, 30 Vols have worn the No. 21 for the Volunteers, with true freshman Dominick Cammarata claiming the jersey this season. Today, we remember the only four-time All-Southeastern Conference honoree in UT Baseball history - the late Bobby Tucker.
Looking Back...#21 BOBBY TUCKER
1970-73 | OF | 5-11 | 180 lbs. | Memphis, Tenn.
A Memphis native, Bobby Tucker starred for the Volunteers from 1970-73, earning first team All-America honors by the American Baseball Coaches Association as a senior and garnering All-SEC acclaim all four seasons (three times as an outfielder and once as a first baseman). He is the only four-time All-SEC honoree in program history.
He finished his career with the third-highest batting average in school history at .389 and slugged 34 home runs, a record that stood for the next 20 years. Tucker hit .400 with 13 home runs and a .800 slugging percentage during his senior season, guiding the Vols to a 20-15 record and second place SEC East finish.
A member of the UT Baseball All-Century Team, Tucker holds the program record in career slugging percentage (.721) and ranks fourth in batting average (.389), fifth in home runs (34) and eighth in RBI (147). He also holds UT's freshman batting average record (.406).
Tucker was also a standout in the classroom during his time in Knoxville, earning Academic All-American status in 1972 and 1973 and landing on the SEC Academic Honor Roll from 1971-73. He is also a member of the Memphis Amateur Sports Hall of Fame.
He was a 15th round selection by the Chicago White Sox in the 1973 MLB Draft and went on to play in the Minor Leagues for three seasons with the organization. The Tennessean represented the United States in the 1972 Baseball World Cup in Managua, Nicaragua.
Sadly, Tucker passed away on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2013, at his home in Cordova, Tenn. He was 62.
NOTES ON TUCKER
- Led the NCAA in home runs per game in 1973 with 0.37 (13 HR in 35 games)
- Led the SEC in home runs in 1973 with 13
- Played in the minors for the Knoxville Sox, Appleton Foxes, Iowa Oaks and Mexico City Diablos Rojos
Looking Ahead...#21 Dominick Cammarata
2015 Debut | C | 6-2 | 213 lbs. | R/R | Asheville, N.C.
Freshman Dominick Cammarata debuts this season on Rocky Top as the 30th Vol to ever wear jersey No. 21. Ranked as the No. 1 catcher and No. 4 overall prospect out of the state of North Carolina by Perfect Game, Cammarata arrived in Knoxville and demonstrated a solid bat, strong arm and incredible work ethic throughout Fall Ball with the Volunteers.
As a four-year varsity letterman for TC Roberson High School in Asheville, N.C., Cammarata was named Preseason All-American as a senior and helped his high school squad to three consecutive conference championships.
NOTES FROM HIS BIO
- Full name is Dominick Steven Cammarata
- Majoring in Kinesiology
- Has seven years of experience playing the piano
- Also played forward for the men's basketball team at TC Roberson High School
