CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Three former Clarksville area prep baseball players are headed to Omaha.
Tennessee’s Christian Scott and Elijah Pleasants along with Vanderbilt’s Gage Bradley will be making the trip to Nebraska this weekend to play in the 2021 College World Series.
For the Volunteers, it is the their first CWS appearance since 2005.
“It feels amazing,” Scott said. “This team is closer than any other team that we’ve had. We knew we were good, but just to say we’re going to Omaha is like a dream come true. Ever since I was a little kid, I’ve always wanted to go, and it’s just even better to get to do it with this group of guys. We’re just enjoying the ride.”
Pleasants’ phone hasn’t stopped going off with congratulatory texts and phone calls steadily pouring in.
“They’re still coming in waves, but it’s been fun to just get this opportunity,” Pleasants said. “Now it’s time to go there and see if we can make it happen, which I think we can.”
Ride of a lifetime
Pleasants tossed six scoreless innings in relief at Austin Peay State University back in early March, picking up the win while setting new career highs in innings pitched and strikeouts in a single game.
“It felt good to be back in Clarksville,” Pleasants said. “I hadn’t been there in awhile. It was nice to be able to perform well in front of those people that I played with in high school and on the other team.”
Despite falling in the SEC championship to No. 1-ranked and top-seeded Arkansas 7-2 on May 30, it is safe to say that Tennessee was able to get the last laugh.
The Razorbacks were sent packing in the Super Regional Sunday after losing to North Carolina State 3-2.
“They’re a great team,” Scott said. “They were the best team in the country. We knew we had to be on our A game and just fell short to them. Now we’re hoping to win the actual big prize and that’s the national championship.”
A lot of collegiate baseball fans locally have fallen in love with the Vols head baseball coach Tony Vitello. Scott believes it’s his down-to-earth demeanor that draws people to him.
“He’s a player’s coach,” Scott said. “Everybody loves him. He’s a young guy, so he meshes real well with us. We have a lot of fun and he interacts with us every day. There’s really no words to describe Coach Vitello. He’s a great guy, the best coach for us as a group, and I think he’s the reason why we’ve been so successful.”
Path to Omaha: Christian Scott
Scott spent the first three years of his high school career at Northeast, where he helped lead the Eagles to a region title.
After his junior campaign, Scott then made the move to Rossview, where the decision to transfer paid off in the form of a state championship.
“I met some great friends at Northeast that I still am in contact with now,” Scott said. “I loved all the teachers and my coach who I still talk with as well. Of course Josh Denison, who passed away, was like my best friend. It was bittersweet leaving there.
“Where I grew up was Rossview and I always had been around their players, coaches, friends and family over there. That’s where my granny lives, so I figured why not go out with a bang and go back to the other side of town, and it was just crazy how everything worked out. The support from both sides was phenomenal, and I wouldn’t go back and change a thing.”
Scott is hitting .286 on the season with four extra base hits, five runs driven in and two stolen bases. He also scored a run in Tennessee’s 15-6 win over LSU on Sunday.
Path to Omaha: Elijah Pleasants
Pleasants first made his way to Rossview as a sophomore after playing one season at Paducah Tilghman in Kentucky.
In the 2018 TSSAA State Championships Class AAA baseball game, Pleasants launched a two-run homer in the first inning to help spark the Hawks to an eventual 11-1 win over Brentwood in five innings.
For Pleasants, being an integral part of the first state championship team from Montgomery County is something he’ll never forget.
“That ride back in high school was a lot of fun,” Pleasants said. “We were a really good team, but we were a really close family as well. I think that’s what helped us make it as far as we did. Winning state was just a testament to Coach Holman (Parker), Coach Gunner (Cory) and everybody else on that staff.”
Path to Omaha: Gage Bradley
Another key cog on Rossview’s state title team in 2018 was Bradley, who is currently a freshman at Vanderbilt.
The hard-throwing righty was the winning pitcher of record against Brentwood after allowing just one run on three hits while striking out five hitters.
“It brings me a lot of joy to see them on this stage, having coached them in high school,” said Rossview baseball coach Parker Holman. “It’s just fun to watch three young men that you consider sons. I know that may be a little extreme to some, but that’s how I feel about all the players that come through our program. We wish them nothing but the best.”
Bradley has appeared in two games this season for the Commodores with his last outing coming against Florida International in which he fired a clean inning, recording a strikeout in front of the Vanderbilt faithful.
“It was a fun time being able to go out and pitch,” Bradley said. “I wasn’t trying to think too much and just went out there and threw. I pounded the zone and the rest took care of itself.”
Vanderbilt currently touts two of the game’s top pitching prospects in Kumar Rocker and Jack Leiter. Bradley shared what he’s been able to learn from each on the mound this season.
“They have a everyday routine for what they need pre-throwing and post-throwing,” Bradley said. “They are never thinking of things to do. They are very mature when it comes to baseball and trying to get better.”
The Commodores are no strangers to Omaha, as they get set to make their fifth appearance all-time in the CWS.
“Being a part of this team and being able to go to Omaha is a blessing,” Bradley said. “This has been a fun ride so far, and I can’t wait to see what else happens.”
When to watch
Vanderbilt (45-15) gets Arizona Saturday, June 19 at 7 p.m. which can be seen on ESPN2. According to Bradley, Commodores head coach Tim Corbin’s message to the team is simple. Get better between now and Saturday.
“We’re all pumped up,” Bradley said. “Once we get down there, we will take it game by game and go from there.”
Tennessee (50-16) takes on Virginia (35-25) Sunday, June 20 at 1 p.m. Central. The game can also be seen on ESPN2.
“I’m pretty sure they’re a scrappy team,” Scott said. “They made it to Omaha just like every other team that’s there, so I feel like every game is going to be a good one. We can’t take anyone lightly. Yes just being there is a blessing, but we’re not there just to be there. We’re there to win.”
Budding rivalry
Much discussion has been made about the possibility of the “Vandyboys” and the “Basevols” meeting up in the national championship. Holman believes it would be huge to see two of the top programs from the state of Tennessee face off on the game’s biggest stage.
“I have grown up always as a Vanderbilt fan,” Holman said. “But, I can say this for the first time, if the Vols and the Commodores play each other, I would be a Rossview fan that day. I really wouldn’t care who wins, but as long as the ones that are coming from the Hawks Nest get a little bit of good fortune and things go their way, I’ll be tickled pink.”
Despite taking a business-like approach to the tournament, Bradley is still looking forward to reuniting with his former Hawk teammates during his time in Omaha.
“They (Scott and Pleasants) called later that night after they won and said, ‘we’ll see you down there’,” Bradley said. “Hopefully, I’ll get to see them one night.”