Austin Price: Welcome in for another episode of Vol Club Confidential. I'm your host, Austin Price. Tennessee basketball, in the midst of the SEC basketball tournament. Tennessee Baseball, really getting rolling over there at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. Big show tonight. We'll talk to Griffin Merritt coming up, the American Conference Player of the Year a year ago, who's now a Tennessee Vol. But before we talk to him, we'll talk to James Clawson. James, you look at where we're at here as we hit almost the middle part of March. Basketball's wrapping up. Baseball's in full swing. What do y'all have planned for baseball as fans get revved up for Tony Vitello and another run at Omaha? James Clawson: Yeah, so we're working on a lot of events throughout the whole entire season, almost every single game on the porch. So we'll invite members periodically, but we'll have a presence on the porch and in the stadium. We may do some tailgates outside the stadium for certain games on SEC weekends, so we're still working on that. Austin Price: Then you got the Orange & White Game coming up April 15th. It's an easy date to remember, it's my wife's birthday. James Clawson: Don't forget that. Austin Price: Yeah, exactly. Can you take me through what y'all have planned for that big event? James Clawson: Middle of April, it should be great weather. We're going to have a huge tailgate. We'll have a lot of players there, probably basketball, baseball. Well, actually, baseball's going to be in Arkansas, but we'll have some players there. It should be a really fun weekend. Maybe getting to do some stuff with the team after the game, where we can do some stuff with autographs and meet and greets and stuff, so working with Tennessee on that. But should be a really fun weekend for the spring game. Austin Price: All right. Now let's get to the s of the show. The newest Vol, Griffin Merritt. Griffin Merritt: Hey, how you doing? Austin Price: Hello, man. How are you? Griffin Merritt: Good, how are you? Austin Price: Good. Griffin, you're a Cincinnati kid, you're playing at Cincinnati. You're the American Conference Player of the Year. Now you're at Tennessee. Take me through that decision to leave your hometown team and then come to one of the hottest teams in college baseball. Griffin Merritt: Yeah, it sounds a little weird, doesn't it? But no, after last season when I was trying to decide what I want to do, and with the draft being late in the summer and the season I had, I thought I was going to sign the draft. And when my negotiations fell through, I was in the spot of do I want to go back to Cincinnati or do I want something different? I think when most people hear portal transfer stories now, they think... I think they think the worst. Well, this could be rightfully so. Sometimes they think somebody was unhappy or they didn't like the situation they were in. But honestly, that wasn't at all the case with me. I loved it there. It was my home, really, where I grew up. I got to play in front of my family and friends, and I loved every second of it. But I decided at that point for my career what was best was a new challenge and a new experience, something I could grow from in a different way. I think I was so settled in, in that conference and in that school and I had a lot of success, that I wanted a different challenge, and that's when I decided to transfer. I had to actually jump through a bunch of hoops to be even be eligible to transfer, because I missed the portal date, which was July 1st. Which makes no sense now, since the draft's after July 1st that you can't transfer after. So yeah, that was a whole mess. But I got in, thank God, and just when I was deciding on where to go, I actually came to Tennessee. It was my second visit, really my first visit that I cared about, I guess. And I just fell in love with it. I mean, I love the coaching staff. I love the place, I love my teammates, and it's been great. Austin Price: How aware were you of... And I know Tennessee was number one for so long last year, but were you watching that team from a year ago, going, "Man, they're having a lot of fun"? Griffin Merritt: Yeah, I mean, it's definitely something... Just a mutual respect. A team that wasn't in the conference I was in, wasn't really on my headline, but every week, you see what they do. And just from baseball player to baseball player, you know how hard it is to perform at that level with that consistency. It doesn't matter where you're at, you're going to take tip your cap and respect what's being done. And when I decided I wanted to transfer, the biggest thing to me is I wanted to go somewhere to win. And not win in three years, not win next year. I have one year, like I wanted to win now. And I was like, "I want to go to the place that's set up to win now." And for me, that was here, and I haven't seen any reason to think that's not the truth. Austin Price: We're in the middle of this big home swing here in early March. Take me through what do you think Tennessee fans have seen in you to this point? What do you feel like, as they watch you, they see in your game? How would you describe it? Griffin Merritt: Yeah, I think my role on this team is a little different from where I was in the past. Which is a good thing, because I'm surrounded with guys that are great players. Everybody wants to be a superstar, and I think we have a bunch of superstars, but I think we also have a lot of guys that are superstars that play the role. And my role on this team is to be a mature hitter that's consistent, that can be counted on in the middle of that lineup, and that's going to play good defense and make the plays that need to be made. And also be a mature presence in that locker room. Because even though we started this season... To this point, we're still young and we're still figuring things out. So from a guy that has 800 college at-bats and a couple hundred games under his belt, it's part of my job to try to get some of that maturity to rub off on some of these younger guys earlier in the season, versus finding it out 30, 40 games into the year and when it could be too late. So hopefully, I want fans to look and say, "Hey, that guy's a leader, and the other guys on the team look at him as somebody that they can trust and that makes them better." Austin Price: I was talking to Coach Vitello, I was like, "Who do you think would be really good for Vol Club Confidential?" And he sat down with us about a month ago or so and instantly he said your name. He's like, "He just handled himself a pro. He's smart, he's articulate. He just knows how to handle himself." You step in here and you got Jared Dickey. We had him out a couple weeks ago, and he says that if there's one person he can count on, it's you. You're new. How have you infused yourself into the program to the point where these guys that have been here are like, "I know I can count on that guy"? Griffin Merritt: Yeah, it's just something, just the way I was raised. I have a lot of thanks I can give to people for that. But I was just taught to handle your business first. And when I came in here, I set reputation to the side, because I was new here. Nobody knew who I was, and I was fine with that, but I was going to come in, in the fall. I was going to come in and handle my business, and I wanted people to look at me and be like, "Wow, this guy does his stuff the right way every day." And once that settled in for itself, I think people looked at me and they had a respect. I think whenever you go into a new situation, whether that be a different sporting program, a different job, anything, you got to handle your own business first to get respect. I didn't want my name to carry weight with it. I didn't want people to judge me or give me fake respect because of what I'd done in the past. I wanted people to give me respect for what I was doing. And I think once I did that and showed that, hey, I care about the right things and I do stuff the right way, that people were able to trust me. And I think Jared, living with Jared definitely has, I think a little pull on that. I don't know if he was sucking up to me or not. But no, I think it's been pretty cool to serve in a role like that, where these guys come to you to ask questions. We were just hitting the other day, and freshmen come up and ask like, "Hey man, what do you do in this situation? What are you doing here?" And that makes me better voicing it, because sometimes I don't know, but I got to think about it and be able to tell them. And that makes me better, and then hopefully it makes them better. At the end of the day when I leave here in a couple months, that's the reality of it. I just want to be a guy that was here for nine months that made a mark on this program that lasts way longer than that. Austin Price: So how much did you immerse yourself in Tennessee Athletics? I mean, you picked a good time football-wise to roll in here. Were you at all at these games this fall, just enjoying being a student? Griffin Merritt: Yeah, I definitely think I've had a different appreciation for where I'm at in my life with a different experience here. I enjoyed the fall. I had fun. When I had time to enjoy Knoxville, to enjoy football games and Saturdays here, I did it. And looking back, I'm super happy I did. One, because it was a one-shot thing for me here. But two, it's just given me so much reflective time to be thankful for where I'm at in my life. And it's the same thing with baseball. And baseball's a tough game, man. It's hard. Especially as a hitter, it's hard. It's like if you just beat yourself up and beat yourself up, you just add fuel to the fire that you can get caught up in. And I think here, just enjoying every single day and being thankful for every opportunity just puts you in a different mindset, and I think it helps you perform. So with the football team and everything this fall and everything I got to experience and that Alabama game, I was there. That's probably the single coolest sporting event I've ever been to in my life. And I know this is going to break Tennessee fans' hearts, but I didn't grow up a Tennessee fan. I wasn't a Tennessee fan growing up, but immersing myself in everything that is here in this fan base and being a part of that fan base now is just awesome. Austin Price: You morphed into one. Griffin Merritt: Right. And quickly, and it's easy. It's easy to see why a school like this has success. They have good coaches, they have resources, and they have an engaged fan base and an athletic department that cares. And it's massive in baseball, right? You got to have an athletic department if you want to be a good baseball school that puts emphasis on being a good baseball school. Austin Price: So only four hours from the house. It makes it easy for family to get down here for all the games. How much have they enjoyed coming down to Knoxville some, letting you be you, letting you breathe and stuff, but at the same time getting to be a small part of it? Griffin Merritt: Yeah, I definitely think my parents especially are enjoying it. I only have one other sibling. It's my younger brother, and he's actually a freshman outfielder at Cincinnati now. So my parents are officially empty nesters. I know my dad has eaten it up, getting to come down to all the games. And that's cool, man. You look back when you're little, and you go play college and you forget about that stuff. But it's awesome to see how much enjoyment I'm able to bring to my family and friends. I had friends come visit me this fall and come for football games. I've had family come down for baseball games, girlfriend's family come down, and it's just cool. I'm proud when they come, that they're able to experience what it is that we have here, and that's a pretty cool thing. Austin Price: You sound so reflective, like you know that no matter what happens at the next level, your college years are winding down. And so you're just soaking up everything, whether that's hanging out with your buddies at your apartment playing PlayStation, or batting practice or whatever. Griffin Merritt: Yeah, definitely when I leave here, I want to be like, "I took every advantage of every opportunity that I had." I don't want to look back and... I've lived my life with no regrets in general, but there's some times where things get hard and you look back and wish you had done things differently. But I don't think that's going to be the case with me here. Honestly, with COVID and everything, and I know it wasn't a good thing for many, many people, but it gave me an extra year, because my year got canceled. And I was like, "Man, I got house money to go play at possibly right now the nation's best casino. How can you not enjoy it?" How can any day be that bad kind of thing. So I've just loved it. And I think when you're happy with where you're at and you're in that kind of head space, baseball's easy. Easier, I should say. Austin Price: Best chili in Cincinnati? Griffin Merritt: Oh, Skyline, no doubt. If anybody says anything different, they're not from Cincinnati or they haven't been. Gold Star, the other place up there, acts, but no, Skyline by a mile. Austin Price: Any particular toppings you put on there for that are specific to Griffin Merritt? Griffin Merritt: No, I mean, I got my orders, man. If I'm hungry, two cheese conies, onion, mustard. I do not drink... I'll say pop, and I know everybody's going to be like, "What is that?" But in the Midwest we say pop, not soda, whatever they say here. Austin Price: I think they just say Coke here. Griffin Merritt: Coke here, yeah. So pop is... That's what I'm referencing. I don't think I drink pop anywhere else the entire year. But when you go to Skyline, you got to have a Dr. Pepper, like there's no doubt. Austin Price: Dr. Pepper, that's my guy right there. Griffin Merritt: Yeah, yeah. So I go two conies, onion and mustard, Dr. Pepper. If I'm hungry, I'll do the same thing with a three-way on the side, which you can't really call it a side, but... Austin Price: Dr. Pepper Zero, that's dangerous. Griffin Merritt: Is it? See, I need to stay out of that world. I'm cool with going to Skyline and having one, but I'm getting to the age where I need to probably start watching what I'm eating, so I'm going to stay away from that. Austin Price: Oh yeah, you're getting real old. You're getting real old. Jeff Ruby's? Griffin Merritt: Yeah, great. I actually know Mr. Ruby. He's a good guy, and great steakhouse, great place. If you're ever up in Cincinnati and you want to get a good steak at a place that is going to take care of you, definitely. Austin Price: Filet, ribeye? What are we rolling? Griffin Merritt: I like the filet more. I like steak, but I'm not a huge steak guy. I'd rather have a smaller good steak for something that's just volume, I guess. Austin Price: Sure. Griffin Merritt: But everything at Ruby's is good, so you can't go wrong. Austin Price: I asked Jared this while back. Do you ever get on YouTube, watch old clips of guys that played 30 and 40 years ago? You know what I'm saying? Because you seem like an old soul who would sit back and watch Cal Ripken play or watch Cecil Fielder or try to look up highlights of Reggie Jackson or whatever. Is that you or no? Griffin Merritt: I would actually say no. When I watch sports, especially baseball, I like to watch current. Because I'm one of those dudes, where whatever I'm doing, I try to find some way to benefit what I care about. And right now I care about baseball. It's like if I'm watching the game, I want to watch current game, current guys, what they're doing that could make me better. And the way the game has changed, immense. Even for my first year in college to now, the game has changed crazily, and in five years it's going to be completely different than it is today. So when you ask me this same question in five years, I bet you they say what I'm doing now might not help them be successful for whatever they're facing. But as a hitter now, stuff's changing so much with analytics. Back in the day, if you threw hard, you threw hard. If you didn't, you didn't. Well, nowadays they can train anybody to throw 95. So that's kind of scary as a hitter, knowing that it's not just like, "Oh, this guy here or this guy there, he has gifted velocity." Now it's every guy can, right? I mean, you got Ben Joyce throwing 105 miles an hour in college. And every kid on our staff's throwing 95 out there every inning. So it's trained now, and as a hitter, you got to adjust. Hitting's just adjusting and baseball goes through waves. Kind of funny you asked that question, because back in the day... Did I say back in the day? Probably 10 years ago, everybody was talking pitcher-wise, "Throw at the knees. Keep it low, keep it low, keep it low." Well, hitters adjust to that. It's down, and they go through the whole launch angle phase of getting down on that ball so you can get it in the air and all these home runs go off. So what do the pitchers do now watching the game? Austin Price: Get it up, get it up. Griffin Merritt: Now they throw up. They throw hard and they spin the ball and they stay up. Now the guys that are... You know, a real big launch angle, can't catch up to it. So now who's having success? It's the guys that are able to get back on top of the ball, the same guys that were successful 20 years ago. So it goes in waves and it's just a cat and mouse game. It's all baseball is, is pitchers trying to get hitters out. That's it. And it's weird how it goes through waves, but in 10 years it might be back to guys are hammering the up fastball, we got to get it down again. It's weird. Austin Price: You a Reds fan? Griffin Merritt: Yeah. I'd say unfortunately right now. Yeah, I'm happy for the Bengals, we'll say that. Always been a Reds fan. My family growing up, huge Reds fans. And they were pretty good when I was 10, 11, 12 ages. But it's been tough recently of being a Reds fan. Austin Price: There is no NBA team. Griffin Merritt: There's not. There used to be. Austin Price: But you have the Cavs, which is Cleveland. And Cincinnati and Cleveland normally have a decent rivalry. Do Cincinnati sports fans like the Cavs in basketball? Griffin Merritt: I'm not a huge NBA guy in general, but for the most part, from everybody I know, I'd say no. Austin Price: No? Griffin Merritt: No. Basketball in Cincinnati's more in the college rank. University of Cincinnati and Xavier, people get pretty passionate about those basketball- Austin Price: Ohio State's not too far. Griffin Merritt: Yeah. But with Cincinnati getting pretty good in football lately, the university, a lot of people college-wise that were Ohio State fans just because they were good, have changed support to their backyard team, which has helped. I know it helped that athletic department a lot. And with the Bengals being good now... It's crazy. I compare Knoxville and Cincinnati, they're so similar. I think Knoxville is just a little smaller than Cincinnati, really. And the people are really similar. I feel like that's why it's been so easy for me to transition, because I feel like it's literally, as cliche as it sounds, it's like a second home because it's really not different. The fans here are so passionate about what they care about. You see that every weekend at Tennessee sports, because pro sports aren't big in Knoxville. And it's the same thing in Cincinnati. As soon as the Bengals started making moves to win and showed that they wanted to win, people hopped on like crazy in support, because they want to be a fan of something. So it's pretty cool. Austin Price: All right, let's go rapid fire. How many sports did you play growing up? Griffin Merritt: Three: football, basketball, and baseball. I played three in high school, and actually three times state champion in football. Austin Price: What position in football? Griffin Merritt: Quarterback. Yeah. Yeah, football's the big one in Cincinnati Austin Price: Did you play at Moeller? Griffin Merritt: No, I went to La Salle. It was us, Moeller, St. X, and Elder were the four big all-male private schools up there. That's where the football's at. Austin Price: Oh, no doubt about that. When you were playing football, though, did you always know baseball was my path, or were you still holding out hope football was going to be it? Griffin Merritt: Man, I went back and forth on what I wanted to do the whole time. In high school, I'm like, "Do I want to play football? Do I want to play baseball? Football or baseball?" When I realized I'm six two and I can't jump, I'm like, "Maybe basketball isn't the best option," so kicked that one to the side and played because I had fun with it. But as far as the future, I balanced back and forth between football and baseball, and then decided on, for probably the longevity of my health, I think baseball is probably a good decision. I see those guys out there on Saturday and just see me getting crushed, so I think I made a good choice. Austin Price: Top three players you watched growing up? Griffin Merritt: Ken Griffey, no doubt. Chad Johnson, slash Chad Ochocinco for the Bengals. And still watching him and love everything about his game, Joey Votto. Talk about a guy that adjusts, makes adjustments and does whatever it takes to win. Austin Price: Favorite baseball superstition. Griffin Merritt: I'm not a big superstitious guy, honestly. But I got in a thing last year where before every game I'd go to Dunkin' Donuts and get an iced coffee. I think I got one... Austin Price: You're getting old if you're getting iced coffees. Griffin Merritt: That's what I'm saying. But I was like three for four. I'm like, "There's some hits in this thing." Austin Price: I'm sure that was it. Griffin Merritt: Yeah, I started donating, I think, money hand over fist at Dunkin' Donuts and it rewarded me. I've been going down to the one on Chapman Highway to check out before these scrimmages. We'll see if it holds true here. Austin Price: Maybe it'll get you an NIL deal. Griffin Merritt: I've been reaching out like three times, so if anybody from Dunkin's listening, man, hit me up. Austin Price: Did you trade baseball cards as a kid? And if so, which one was your prize possession? Griffin Merritt: I had baseball cards, but I didn't trade them. I wasn't real big into that, but I remember having a good amount of baseball cards. I just like anybody from the Reds. I hated anybody else, honestly. Austin Price: Best baseball movie is what? Griffin Merritt: Field of Dreams. Austin Price: If you could be one character in that movie, who would you be? Griffin Merritt: I got to say Kevin Costner, right? Austin Price: I'm with you on that. I'll be Moonlight Graham. Where are you going on your next vacation? Griffin Merritt: We usually go to Siesta Key as a family. I've been going for a bunch of years. It's outside of Sarasota in Florida and I love it there. So I'll say Siesta Key. Austin Price: What's your walkup song? Griffin Merritt: Homecoming by Kanye West. At Cincinnati, it was cool, because being from Cincinnati and having that be your walkup song, it talks about homecoming, like coming back to where you're from. But I'm going to keep it here. I enjoy it and it puts me in a good routine. Austin Price: I just love the guys that rock the wrestling themes. Old school like Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, Ric Flair. Those old school wrestling walkout songs is their walkup music. Favorite place you found in Knoxville? It doesn't have to be a restaurant. It could just be just some place you like to go and veg out, or it could be your favorite place to go eat, whatever. Griffin Merritt: My favorite little gem here is probably Dos Bros. It's a little different. It's like a different kind of Chipotle. I really like to eat there. I also like Nama. I'm a big sushi guy, so Nama's been pretty good. But a place I like to go in the fall... I'm going to pronounce this wrong and somebody will reach out and say that I did, but I think it's Ijams. It's this- Austin Price: Ijams Nature Center. Griffin Merritt: Yeah, yeah. And look, I'm not a big hike guy. I don't look like a big hike guy. But just to get away from things sometimes, it was nice to go up there and just walk around. Austin Price: It's not too far from campus. Griffin Merritt: Yeah, it was nice. Austin Price: Right around the corner. Griffin Merritt: Yeah, right on the... Is that a river- Austin Price: Mm-hmm. Griffin Merritt: ... or a big lake right there? And it was a good reset. Like I said, baseball's hard, and sometimes getting away from it and just separating that it's a game you play, it's not your life. And having a reset can be huge for the game. Austin Price: I want to double back to the movie thing. If you were a Major League character, who would you be, for the movie Major League? Griffin Merritt: I don't know, man. I don't know. That's a tough one. It's kind of crazy. I have a feeling if you ask that question to the entirety of the Tennessee baseball team, you'd probably have 60% of guys say, "What's Major League?" Because V all the time references movies or... Mainly movies in team meetings, and the guys don't know what he's talking about. They don't know. So I don't know. I know what the movies are, but I'm not sure who I'd be. But it's kind of crazy now that in those meetings, V will make a reference like that, and half the guys will be like, "What's Major League?" kind of thing. So it's kinda weird. Austin Price: I asked Jared if there was somebody he could depend on, who would it be? And he said you. You're new, and we talked about that a little bit earlier. To flip that from a competitive standpoint, not counting yourself, who's the most competitive guy on this team? Griffin Merritt: I think that's a good thing that I'm balancing between certain options. But I think our New Yorker, Christian Moore, CMo, probably wears it on his sleeve probably a little more than anybody else in the country. But at the end of the day, the guy's super competitive. And a guy that's been blessed with a lot of baseball talent, to see that he's competitive and focused on the win is huge. Because I play with guys that are super talented, where they couldn't care if you won or lost. They just want to- Austin Price: As long as they got theirs. Griffin Merritt: Right. And of course, for CMo and everybody wants for him, that we want him to get his and we want him to play well. But I truly do believe that CMo cares about winning over everything. Even as competitive and as well as he wants to do himself and as hard as he works, he cares about the win. That's huge. Austin Price: I know the ultimate goal is to get to Omaha and play in the College World Series. How else does the movie producer script out this final go for you? In a perfect world, what's it look like for you? Griffin Merritt: Yeah, a perfect world for me is to win a national championship. Of course, I want to be a big part of that, and I'd love to be a headliner guy on that tour. But if I'm not, then I'm not. I'd rather win. I want to win a national championship. That's why I'm here. That's why I'm still playing college sports when I could have started a professional career. That's why I'm here, and it's to win. And that's why I transferred. And it all comes back to... Really, at the end of the day, all of this came because I wanted to win. And of course, I think that if we do win a national championship, that I'm going to have a pretty sizable hand in that in my role. But at the end of the day, it's not about the personal stuff to me here. I'm enjoying every second I have here. And if I leave here with the national championship, then there's nothing else that matters, really. Austin Price: You talked about earlier a new challenge. You got these SEC series coming up as we get towards the end of March and into April and May. Is that another big reason you came here, is this run of games? Griffin Merritt: Yeah. I mean, it's the SEC. And people aren't idiots. It's the premier baseball conference and there's not really a competitor to it. If you're a dude, you want to play in this conference. And I felt like I was a dude and I wasn't in that conference; I got in it. And I'm excited to compete against the other, quote, unquote, the other better teams in the country. They're going to have good stuff and the pitchers are going to be good, hitters are going to be good, but we have really good pitchers, we have really good hitters, and we're ready to play. We're ready. I think something people don't think about too much is for seven or eight months, seven months, we'll say, six months, all we do is play each other. So that means every day I'm hitting off of Chase Dollander, Chase Burns, Drew Beam, Andrew Lindsey, Zach Joyce, Seth Halvorsen, Jake Fitzgibbons, all these guys. That's all I hit off of. Is it fun every day? No, it's not. I'm going to be completely honest. Sometimes it's really hard, but it makes you a lot better. And I know that when we jump in these SEC series, we're prepared. There's a lot to be said you get in the box and be comfortable when that guy on the other is wearing a jersey from another SEC school and he's throwing 100 with four pitches, and it's like, "I've seen this, it's fine." It doesn't mean you're going to have success every time, but you're not going to be surprised. And that's a huge thing as a hitter, is getting in the box and knowing like, "Hey, I've been here, I've had success here. I'm comfortable. Now let me go to work." Versus, "I don't know what's going on. I've never seen a guy throw like that. I've never experienced this. Now there's 10,000 people looking at me." That's not what you want to be in as a hitter. But for me, I'm going to get in the box when these series go, and games slow down. Austin Price: It continues to slow down as the SEC play approaches in just a few weeks. Griffin Merritt, we appreciate you joining us on Vol Club Confidential. Griffin Merritt: Yeah, of course. Thanks for having me. Austin Price: Thank you. Griffin Merritt: Yeah. Go Vols.