KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — As Tennessee gets ready to play in the NCAA Tournament Super Regional against Evansville this weekend, fans were delighted to see catcher Cal Stark perform the way he did in the Regional.
To get to that success wasn't always easy,
His college career started at the JUCO level after graduating from Farragut High School. He started at Navarro College and then played his second season at Weatherford College.
“Helped me grow as a person, helped me grow as a player and a leader on the field and off the field," Stark said. "Making that decision out of high school was one of the best decisions I ever made.”
He wanted to play at Tennessee though. Head coach Tony Vitello made that a reality with an offer late one night that had Stark excited.
His first season was last season in 2023. Stark struggled and he didn't have the season he wanted. In the offseason, the Vols brought in Cannon Peebles through the transfer portal.
It was a move Stark expected with how the catchers performed in 2023.
Stark had a choice to make. He could enter the transfer portal to try and find a spot with guaranteed playing time. Or he could fight for his spot.
“I made my decision to stay here because, at the end of the day, it’s just competition," Stark said. "You can either run from it or go somewhere else. You can have very different opinions thrown your way about you for running from the competition, and I didn’t want that. I wanted to stay here, I wanted to compete. Competition is just going to make you better at the end of the day.”
He competed and stayed the majority starter at catcher this season. He has had some good moments, but maybe none better than this past weekend in the NCAA Tournament Regional.
He had a batting average of .300, five RBIs, five runs, drew three walks and hit three home runs — all of this in three games.
“Not trying to do too much. Really just trying to pass my bat to the next guy who just happens to be the triple crown winner in the SEC [Christian Moore]," he said.
His journey has made him the player he is today. Stark hopes to keep producing at a high level for the Vols.
“To have my parents there in the stands watching me, my sister watching me," he said. It’s something I’m very blessed to be able to do and I’ll cherish it for a long time.”
