University of Tennessee Athletics
Vol Baseball Countdown: 15 Days
January 29, 2015 | Baseball
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Baseball Time in Tennessee is just 15 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.
Practice has officially begun on Rocky Top. The Diamond Vols are in action throughout the week. All outdoor practices at Lindsey Nelson Stadium are free and open to the public. For more information, visit UTSports.com.
In total, just 23 Vols have worn the Orange and White No. 15, and sophomore first baseman Nathaniel Maggio returns to claim it on opening day. From 2011-13 , the uniform was worn by the Vols' ace on the hill Zack Godley, and if you flashback to the early 1970s it was sported by former Vol and current member of the Tennessee Baseball Hall of Fame, Joe O'Brien.
THE PAST...#15 JOE O'BRIEN
1971-73 | RHP | R/R | 6-1 | 200 lbs. | Knoxville, Tenn.
A native of Knoxville, former right-handed pitcher Joe O'Brien played at Tennessee from 1971-73. The Vols' ace earned SEC All-Eastern Division honors in both 1972 and 1973. He led the Vols in strikeouts all three years he took the mound.
In 1972, O'Brien set the school's single game record with 20 strikeouts against Maryville on May 9, 1972. The record still stands today. It is also a UT team single game record. O'Brien also posted the seventh-best ERA in Vols' single season history in 1972, finishing the season with a mark of 1.95. He pitched seven complete games that same season, which ranks sixth in UT's record books.
In 1973, O'Brien recorded nearly one third of Tennessee's total strikeouts (63 of 196) and actually registered the first recorded no-hitter in UT history. On March 30, 1973, O'Brien went all 7.0 innings, striking out six of the 22 total batters he faced. Only a first-inning error kept O'Brien from recording a perfect game. Bobby Tucker's three-run home in the fifth inning was the game-winning hit.
For his career, O'Brien ranks eighth all-time with a 2.99 ERA and is tied for fifth with 12 complete games.
O'Brien was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 22nd round of the 1973 MLB Amateur Draft. He played two seasons in the organization, pitching with the Rocky Mount Phillies (A) and the Reading Phillies (AA). He posted a 13-6 record with a 2.32 ERA, one complete game, five saves and 94 strikeouts in 132 innings pitched.
O'Brien was inducted into the Tennessee Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999 and later named to UT's All-Century Team.
NOTES ON O'BRIEN
- Full name is Paul Joseph O'Brien
- Led the Vols in innings pitched every year of his career
- Also wore numbers 22, 28, 32 and 38 while at UT
THE PRESENT...#15 Nathaniel Maggio
2014-Present | 1B | 6-5 | 240 lbs. | L/R | Alpharetta, Ga. (Blessed Trinity Catholic)
A 32nd round draftee by the Seattle Mariners out of high school, sophomore first baseman Nathaniel Maggio returns for his second season with the Orange and White. As a true freshman in 2014, Maggio played in 44 games, primarily first base, and hit .239 with four doubles and 18 RBI on the year. Defensively, the Georgia native maintained a .994 fielding percentage, committing just two errors.
Maggio was rated as the No. 2 first baseman and the 15th overall prospect in the state of Georgia by Perfect Game. One of the premier left-handed bats in the country, Maggio also rated No. 24 in the country on the 2013 Rawlings Top Prospects List and was a member of the 2011 and 2012 Perfect Game Underclass All-America Teams. A member of the East Cobb Braves 17U travel team, he helped the squad claim the 18U Perfect Game BCS Final title and finish second at the inaugural 17U Perfect Game World Series in 2012.
NOTES ON MAGGIO
- Full name is Nathaniel Paul Maggio
- Born Jan. 31, 1995
- Majoring in sport management
