Trinity Christian's Ariel Antigua hungry for more after national championship at Tennessee

• Ariel Antigua, a freshman from Trinity Christian Academy, played one inning as a defensive replacement in the fifth game of the College World Series.
• In the eighth inning of the decisive game against Texas A&M, with a national championship on the line, Antigua was thrust into the national spotlight.

Ariel Antigua spent most of the College World Series as a spectator. He never got off the bench in Tennessee's four games, then played one inning as a defensive replacement in the fifth.

But in the eighth inning of the decisive game against Texas A&M, with a national championship on the line, the freshman from Trinity Christian Academy was thrust into the national spotlight.

The Aggies had rallied for two runs to cut their deficit to 6-3. With one out and a runner on second, Vols coach Tony Vitello decided to change pitchers — and shortstops. In a rare mid-inning defensive switch, he pulled starter Dean Curley in favor of Antigua.

"He took out his regular shortstop up only three runs," said Miguel Cuello, Antigua's high school coach in Lake Worth. "That says a lot. It says that defensively, he thinks Ariel is the best infielder they have."

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Ariel Antigua in College World Series

With a crowd of 24,000 and a national television audience looking on, Antigua was put to the test immediately. The first batter, A&M's Ali Camarillo, hit a sharp grounder in the hole between third base and shortstop. 

"I was trying to figure out which way to approach the ball," Antigua said. He decided to slide, making a slick play to stop the ball from going into the outfield, then bouncing to his feet. Even though his throw to first was late, his play kept the runner on second from scoring, and the Vols then got out of the inning with back-to-back strikeouts.

One inning later, Antigua was joining the on-field celebration after the Vols had come back for a 6-5 win to earn their first national title. One day later, he was waving to thousands of fans who lined the streets of downtown Knoxville during the team's victory parade.

It was the conclusion of a whirlwind year and a half for Antigua that included a change of SEC commitments, two serious injuries and a struggle for playing time at college baseball's premier program.

Ariel Antigua recruitment to Tennessee baseball

Antigua, one of Palm Beach County's top prospects for years, was a mainstay in the Trinity Christian lineup since seventh grade and committed to South Carolina as a freshman. But the fall before his senior season, he abandoned the Gamecocks in favor of the Vols. 

"Why not go play for the best coach in the nation?" Antigua said of Vitello.

A torn ACL cost Antigua most of his senior season at Trinity, although he came back for the last few weeks and "never missed a beat," Cuello said. He enrolled at Tennessee in the fall with hopes of contending for a starting job, but he tore a ligament in his thumb in January, leaving him on the sidelines when the Vols opened the season in mid-February.

By the time Antigua had healed enough to hold a bat, Tennessee's middle infield was set with Christian Moore, a three-year starter and preseason All-American, at second base and freshman Curley at shortstop. 

"It was difficult but I had to accept it," Antigua said. "The team was rolling. You can't fix what isn't broken."

Ariel Antigua outlook for Vols in 2024-25

Antigua saw action in 40 of the Vols' 60 games, making six starts. In his first start, he tied a school record with nine assists against Tennessee Tech. For the season, he batted .217 (5-for-23) with two doubles and four RBIs.

Even though he was struggling at the plate, Antigua earned playing time with his defense. Vitello often subbed him in at second base or shortstop in the late innings. In Game 2 of the Texas A&M series, Antigua replaced Moore — the team's top hitter (.375, 34 home runs, 74 RBIs) — in the ninth inning of a 4-1 Vols victory.

Moore is expected to be an early-round pick in the MLB draft and his departure leaves an opening at second base. Antigua plans to take full advantage and is spending the summer in Knoxville instead of playing in a collegiate league.

"It's something I wanted to do," he said. "I haven't had a full year of being healthy. I'm working on getting bigger, stronger, faster."

Antigua enjoys playing in the SEC, which he calls "the best league in the world." He also likes the similarities between Cuello, his longtime high school coach, and Vitello.

"They're both fiery, they're both very passionate and they both want to win," he said.

The same can be said of Antigua, who's determined to be in the starting lineup when the defending national champions take the field next year.