Auburn earned a significant road series victory in Week 12, taking two out of three games from Tennessee in Knoxville.
A key contributor to the Tigers’ success was Samuel Dutton, who delivered a strong performance in Auburn’s 6-1 win. Dutton kept Tennessee scoreless through the first six innings and ended with 6.2 innings pitched, allowing just one earned run on four hits, striking out eight without issuing a walk.
Dutton appeared on SiriusXM’s College Sports Radio on Monday to reflect on the series and share his experience pitching in a challenging SEC road setting.
“It’s a good time. Early on, the crowd is loud and rowdy,” Dutton said. “But by the sixth or seventh inning, when we’re ahead by six, it gets completely quiet. I really like that aspect of pitching away from home.”
Radio hosts Dari Nowkah and Caroline Fenton were curious about how Tennessee fans compare to others across the SEC.
“They definitely talk more than most SEC fans,” Dutton remarked.
When asked whether the crowd’s banter was offensive, humorous, or clever, Dutton replied, “It’s not disrespectful. They just tend to speak up at moments when you probably shouldn’t be saying much.”
The series also featured a dramatic moment when Tennessee head coach Tony Vitello was ejected for disputing a check-swing call.
According to Dutton, the ejection gave Auburn a boost. “It definitely fires us up and can help us get some calls from the umpires,” he explained.
Next, Dutton and the Tigers will try to maintain their momentum as they return home to face a struggling South Carolina team in a Thursday-to-Saturday series.
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