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How Tennessee will deal with Cannon Peebles suspension in Game 1 of Arkansas Super Regional

IMG_3593by: Grant Ramey06/07/25GrantRamey
Cannon Peebles. Credit: Tennessee Athletics
Cannon Peebles. Credit: Tennessee Athletics

Redshirt freshman Stone Lawless is seemingly the next man up for Tennessee Baseball in Game 1 of the Fayetteville Super Regional Saturday at Arkansas, with starting catcher Cannon Peebles serving a one-game suspension. 

Peebles was suspended after being ejected late in Tennessee’s 10-5 win over Wake Forest in the Knoxville Regional final Monday night at Lindsey Nelson Stadium, as the Vols punched their ticket to a fifth straight Super Regional.

Peebles was ejected after celebrating an inning-ending strikeout, turning to say something to the home plate umpire on his way to the dugout.

Game 1: No. 14 Tennessee at No. 3 Arkansas, Saturday, 5 p.m. ET

Tennessee (46-17) and Arkansas (46-13) start the three-game Super Regional series Saturday at 5 p.m. Eastern Time on ESPN at Baum-Walker Stadium. 

“The catcher celebrated the strikeout, as he should,” Vitello said after the game, “we’re in a regional. Cannon said something back to him, as he should not. But probably what he said to the catcher is something both dugouts said back and forth to one another the whole night long.”

Tennessee is starting junior right-hander Marcus Phillips Saturday at Arkansas, while the Razorbacks start left-hander Zach Root. 

The Vols will go with ace Liam Doyle in Game 2 on Saturday (3 p.m. ET, ESPN) after Doyle pitched 2.1 innings to close the win over Wake Forest Monday night. He threw 135 pitches during the regional and would have been on four days rest had he started Saturday’s Game 1.

‘You’re not going to find somebody that’s not excited to see him play’

Lawless has 20 starts in 27 appearances this season. He appeared in SEC weekends against Florida, Alabama, South Carolina, Texas A&M, Ole Miss and Kentucky in the regular season, then against Alabama and Vanderbilt in the SEC Tournament.

“I fully understand it’s not exactly an SEC conference series,” Vitello said of the Super Regional at Arkansas, “but it’s an SEC series, and he’s caught in SEC games, and we’ve won some of those games too. So he’s prepared.”

“You’re not going to find somebody that’s not excited to see him play,” Vitello added. “And I guess equally, I could say if you wanted to tap any of our pitchers on the shoulder before they get on the bus tomorrow, you’re not going to find one that’s not excited to throw to him or willing to throw to him and enjoy that camaraderie that’s there.”

Lawless is hitting .304 with a 1.166 OPS and .679 slugging percentage. He has five home runs and four doubles among his 17 hits this season, and has 20 RBI and 17 runs scored. 

“There are guys we look down on the right that we have confidence in,” Vitello said, “and Stone is one of them. He’s the next guy up and he’s ready to go.”

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