Tony Vitello Updates Status of Evan Russell

KNOXVILLE, Tenn.– Tennessee's starting catcher Evan Russell was unavailable for the Vols in their NCAA Regional Tournament opener against Alabama State on Friday. 

The original report of Russell being out for the game included that head coach Tony Vitello would update the super-senior catcher's status after the conclusion of the game. 

And in his opening statement, Vitello said Evan Russell was unavailable due to a sickness, and Russell had notified him in the morning of his illness. 

Vitello went on to note that Russell will likely be unavailable in Tennessee's Saturday evening contest with Campbell in Knoxville. 

All of Vitello's quotes on the matter are below. 

"We'll give it some time to figure out what's going on, and I gotta get with Doctor Klenck, but obviously Evan Russell is not here," Vitello said in his opening statement. "He was sick this morning. I got a message from him, and I am always going to refer to those folks (the doctors)."

"If [Russell] wasn't able to be here today, then I wouldn't think so with it being a quick turnaround," Vitello went on to say in regards to Russell's potential availability against Campbell on Saturday. "Hopefully everyone thinks we are conservative with our guys. Health first, and then we'll push the envelope."

In Russell's place, midweek catcher Charlie Taylor got the starting nod behind the plate. Taylor did his job well behind the plate, catching an elite Blade Tidwell outing, and the freshman recorded an RBI on a sac bunt that sparked a five-run offensive explosion by the Big Orange in the sixth inning. 

Taylor will start tomorrow, marking the first time he has started back-to-back games as a Vol. 

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Photo Credit: Calvin Mattheis of the Knoxville News Sentinel