Skip to main content
Join Now
Get a profile. Be recruited.

Dalton Bargo breaks bat in half on swing vs. Gage Wood pitch in Game 2 of Fayetteville Super Regional

by: Alex Byington06/08/25_AlexByington
Dalton Bargo and Hunter Ensley. Credit: Tennessee Athletics/Kate Luffman
Dalton Bargo and Hunter Ensley. Credit: Tennessee Athletics/Kate Luffman

Broken bats are somewhat routine in the Major Leagues, but far less so in college baseball, where they utilize aluminum bats. But never say never.

Tennessee‘s Dalton Bargo shattered his bat on the final out of the bottom of the first inning Sunday in Game 2 of the Fayetteville Super Regional best-of-three series vs. host Arkansas, continuing a disappointing postseason slump for the Volunteers star. Razorbacks ace Gage Wood induced the broken-bat pop-out to strand one and get out of the first frame without giving up a hit.

Check out Bargo’s bat splintering on a simple inning-ending pop-out to shortstop Sunday:

The funny thing is, it came on an 83-mph breaking ball on a 2-2 offering that sent the ball to straightaway short, while the barrel of the bat landed between first and second base. Arkansas second baseman Cam Kozeal picked it up and handed to the second-base umpire Mike Jarboe.

Meanwhile, the broken bat pop-out continued a 2-of-38 slump in the last 10 games for Bargo.

The defending NCAA champion Volunteers face elimination in the best-of-three Super Regional after dropping Game 1 to the host Razorbacks, 4-3, on Saturday.

The Razorbacks struck first with a two-run home run from Charles Davalan off Tennessee ace Liam Doyle in the top of the third inning, but the Vols responded with a bases-loaded RBI-sacrifice double-play from Andew Fischer to cut the lead in half Sunday afternoon.

Tony Vitello reveals whether he wanted Zach Root ejected for taunting vs. Andrew Fischer

Tennessee head coach Tony Vitello has garnered a reputation for not being afraid to let his feelings known during the course of a ballgame. He got a bit of his own medicine on Saturday when Arkansas left-handed pitcher Zach Root let everybody know how he was feeling in a high tension Super Regional game.

Clinging to a 2-1 lead in the top of the sixth inning, Root forced a 4-6-3 double play to get the Razorbacks out of the frame without surrendering a run. Walking back to the dugout, Root taunted Tennessee’s Andrew Fischer and went on an NSFW tirade.

Vitello revealed whether or not he wanted Root ejected for taunting postgame.

“Not really,” Vitello said before stopping himself. “Maybe I wanted to go back in time. Kind of like Clemson (in 2023), so that would be about it. Because I misbehaved there was a warning and retroactively there was a warning for Root being fired up to get a guy that’s… I don’t know what the tickets cost but I’m sure everyone here would pay to see Root vs. [Andrew] Fischer again. So, all for any initial emotion that comes out of anybody for our game tomorrow or any other games that are left.”

“I think there’s 16 or so teams left … good for you athletes. Fun environment to be in and it’ll be an experience you look back on forever.”

— On3’s Daniel Hager contributed to this report.