Austin Price: Hello everybody. Welcome in for another episode of Walkup Confidential, brought to you by the great people at Knoxville Smiles. I'm your host Austin Price. Coming up tonight on the show we have Tennessee third baseman, Billy Amick, but before we get to him, we bring in the volunteer clubs, Brandon Spurlock and Brandon Tennessee. Coming off a nice weekend in basketball, two big wins. They're onto this week, 16 onto Detroit. All club members need to be watching out for where the watch party, where all the kind of hoopla will be in the motor city. Brandon Spurlock: That's right. Yeah. Excited to be going up there and kind of keep the season going so I know we're spending some time at the MGM Grand and things like that, so be on the lookout and look forward to catching up with folks and keeping this thing rolling. Austin Price: As for baseball, the porch is a hop in place this time of year, and if you're out there on the porch, you're going to see a lot of Ball club merchandise. Brandon Spurlock: Not only Vol Club merchandise, there's a lot of home run balls flying out that way. I know a couple of guys that are close to breaking some records. I had my chance at a moment. I was out there on the grill and I don't think it was Billy Amick who everybody's going to hear from here soon because all his balls go over the railroad tracks, but one of the other guys hit one right on our porch. I'm tending to the dogs and everybody's depending on me, and I saw it at the last moment and it hit four feet from where I was standing. That was my chance. My initial reaction, unfortunately was to step away, but if I could go back, I would've barehanded it with the tong, but Austin Price: Hesitancy never a popular play on the Brandon Spurlock: Porch. Yeah, it's just there. There it is. And then boom, it's gone. Bounced away. Austin Price: I'll tell you what's not gone. The great people at Knoxville Smiles. Now let's learn more about them. At Knoxville Smiles, they aren't just focused on teeth, they're focused on helping people and making their lives better. It just so happens that they're great at dentistry too. Alright, Billy, we're about a third of the way through the college baseball season. What's this year been like and what have you enjoyed about Tennessee? Yeah, Billy Amick: I've loved getting to be here and play in front of this fan base. First of all, it's been a great experience. I had heard about the fans Tennessee and how passionate they are about sports and games, but actually being here in person and getting to play these games in front of however many people we can fit in Lindsay Nelson Stadium, I'm on a midweek is pretty crazy for me and it's been great and I've enjoyed every part of this bit. I'm just ready to get the rest of the season going and keep continuing to play with these guys. Austin Price: Getting that SEC season rolling, the atmospheres both home and away become really good. Right, so how much do you kind of relish those mean? Sure the early season stuff's fine. It kind of gets some momentum and get a little bit of traction, but now you get to that SEC slate and every weekend is a grind, Billy Amick: Even in non-conference games on Tuesday. It's been great and I've enjoyed it. Like I said, getting to play in front of these fans and then going on the road is tough anywhere, but especially in the SEC and going to Alabama for example, it was good for our team to get to do that and we're ready to move forward and the fans are obviously, they're very passionate about their school and I think everywhere is like that, so it was a good experience and we're ready to keep rolling. Austin Price: You're a third baseman, you've been a third baseman. What do you like most about playing the hot corner? Billy Amick: I like just being in the field. Honestly. It doesn't really have to be the hot corner. I have to be third, but I do like playing infield and just the way that my body is, I'm not really built to be a shortstop and move in the hole and make all those plays, but I enjoy playing third and I feel that's where I feel most comfortable overall. So I had the most fun just as a product of that playing third, and I feel like that's where it can help my team best win. Austin Price: You look at that too at the next level. Maybe you play third, maybe you don't. I mean there's some versatility there. I mean, Trey Lipscomb, Lutens, he's third basement a couple of years ago and he's been playing a lot of second during spring training with the Nationals. So how much do you, I mean I know Christian kind of bounced around second and short at points early in the year, how much do you kind relish? They're like, if I have a chance to go and play another position, it's good for me to show versatility. Billy Amick: Yeah, that's a huge piece. Not only at the next level, but even in college baseball and having the ability to play multiple positions can help your team win in the long run. It doesn't matter who it is. I think all of our infielders can really play any position and that's something special and it's something that we've had definitely taken advantage of up to this point and putting guys in different spots and whatever it is, it's absolutely important to play different positions not only for yourself but also mainly for the team and just helping your team win it, whatever it is, whatever you're asked of. Just having the ability to do that, it's important. Austin Price: You've been really hitting the ball well. When you're seeing the ball really well, how do you know? You know what I mean? Is it a vibe, is it just a feeling? Is it just come natural? You know what I mean? And if you're not, how do you get back to where you are? Billy Amick: Yeah, honestly, my style of play is just like I said this in interview before, it was just less think and more hit. So I don't have a long thought out process that I go through when I'm going to the plate. I'm just kind of up there trying to hit the ball hard and help my team win. But when I'm seeing the ball, well, it is obviously just a confidence booster in my mind. It helps me have that confidence. I don't care who's on that mound, I'm going to be able to hit 'em and I have confidence in that. And then when I'm maybe not seeing it as well, I'm still just having the mind process of doing what it takes to help my team win, whatever it is. Whether it's get a guy over, get 'em in, just having all my focus and all my preparation aimed towards that and just keeping the same routine whether I'm seeing the ball well or I'm not just doing what it takes to help my team wins, really my main approach to hitting. Austin Price: So you and several athletes across college sports in general of taking advantage of the transfer portal, you come in, you have new teammates, you leave some teammates behind. What's that experience? Because I know you're still buddies with those guys at Clemson and then you've got a new set of guys that you've kind of jelled and bond with here. Billy Amick: Yeah, it's actually been great. We have, I don't know the exact number of transfers, but we have a good bit and we're honestly half and half new guys and returning guys. So it wasn't just me that had to make that transfer and that transition into a new team with new coaches and whatever it is. So they made it easy. Not only the returning guys, but even the new guys. Everybody kind of bought in and we jelled together pretty well and honestly pretty early and it was fun to see. And yeah, I've enjoyed getting to be here ever since August or July, whenever I got here. I think everybody can say that and everybody can say that the transition was easy and everybody here made it that way. Austin Price: Who have you bonded with the most? I mean, who have you kind of like six months into this thing you're like, man, this guy's going to be my life for the rest of my life. Billy Amick: Yeah, I would probably say Hunter Ensley and Blake Burke are the two that I probably hang out with the most. We just, I don't know, I guess you say hit it off early and we've just had a great friendship up to this point. I know it's going to last for forever, but there's obviously more guys that I know I'm going to have a relationship for the rest of my life and that's one beautiful thing about being on a college baseball team, especially at a very high level as you go through the ups and downs with those guys and there's nobody else you would want to be with. Austin Price: So you're sitting there on the opposite side last year at Clemson and the regional and comes so close and then it gets ripped away from you, but you kind of got to see Tennessee fans in action there on the road and then see what the atmosphere was like around Coach Vitello's program at that point. When you went in the portal, did you go, man, I just saw those guys. It looked like they're having a lot of fun. Billy Amick: Yeah, it was funny actually. You mentioned the fan base. My dad was sitting right in front of a Tennessee fan that was apparently going crazy and my dad wanted to turn around and punch him and So yeah, that's funny how that all worked out. And he said he wanted to turn around and pour water on him or something. He was so mad about the fan. But anyways, no, it's funny how it all worked out Tennessee. There wasn't anybody specific on my mind when I hit the portal. I just was looking for something new and something that was right and it ended up being here. And it's just funny how it worked out that I played 'em in a regional and got to see them in a game in a very big game, obviously, and just got to see how they play. You obviously hear about all the crazy stuff that they've done, especially in the 22 year, just all the games they won and how well they did and whatever else you can say about 'em. But getting to see them in person was, I guess I can say it helped. Just seeing how they play and how much fun that they have and how much they want to win is one thing that I took from that game. Austin Price: When you first talked to Coach Vital, what was that conversation like? What were you thinking and what were your initial impressions? Billy Amick: Yeah, the first time I talked to coach in person was actually in a parking lot up in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. And we got back from away game and he was just sitting in the parking lot in his car and me and Brad Kire, who's played Juco last year and is here now, we were on the same summer team and he was just like, Hey guys. He was in the parking lot, it was like 10 at night and that was the first time I met him and I dunno, we just introduced ourselves. And so Austin Price: He walked up to you like TMZ at the airport? Billy Amick: Pretty much, Austin Price: Yeah, I guess you Billy Amick: Could say that, but it was cool. I thought it was cool and I just never seen anything like that. It was just, I guess it can go to show how different he is and that's just how he is what I've come to learn. Austin Price: What was his message? Billy Amick: His message, I don't know if I really have a specific answer. You could just really tell that he was a good dude and just was real about everything and there wasn't any nonsense around him and he was kind of straight to the point about how Tennessee is and what they want. And that honestly kind of helped his case for me just because I didn't want any of that nonsense. I just want to get straight to the point. I want to win ball games and I know he wants the same thing. So yeah, that's definitely one similarity we had right off the bat and then just kind of went from there. Austin Price: You get to a new location, you don't know that many people. I mean maybe you cringingly know them and it's almost like a restart. Does it feel like you're back to a freshman so to speak, or is it a little bit different than that? Billy Amick: I would say it's a little bit different, but at first maybe you can get the freshmen feel just because you're a new guy, you might know one or two guys and it was just different because I had been in college baseball and I kind of know how things go. I kind of know what a good locker room looks like, what a bad one might look like, how just the ins and outs are really a team and just I would say more than a freshman, just knowing how things go really for coaches and players, just kind of understanding that. And it was just easier to have relationships with players too than a freshman coming in and you have all these upperclassmen, they've known each other for years and whatnot, and coming in as a transfer was just kind of different. I think it's just a different mindset for upperclassmen as me coming in as a junior than a freshman. I just felt like it was different and easier for me to get to know the upperclassmen, even the freshmen too. It was easy for everybody. Austin Price: What makes you smile more? A big bomb or a bear handed or diving play at third where you deliver and get the guy out? Billy Amick: Well, it's tough to beat a big bomb. We have those conversations around the locker room, like pitchers will say, there's nothing cooler than really hitting a homer and everybody's watching you around the bases and there's nothing a pitcher can do that's relevant to that. So I would definitely say that it is cool to make the bare hand plays and all that stuff, but hitting a bomb is definitely awesome because you get to go back in the dugout and everybody's fired up and it just, it's a good momentum for the team. Austin Price: Speaking of smiling, let's hear more about the great people at Knoxville Smiles. Dr. Michael Costa: Hi, I'm Dr. Michael Costa. Dr. Malone and I here at Knoxville Smiles are here to help you with any of your dental needs, whether it's a routine cleaning, a root canal, or if you just want some advice. Did you know that you don't have to settle for a denture anymore? My team and Dr. Malone are here to help you no matter where you're at and to help you figure out the truth for your dental health. So give us a call or visit our website@knoxvillesmiles.com. Austin Price: So your dad was a NASCAR driver for about seven years, right? Like 97 to oh three, something like that. Something like Billy Amick: That. I couldn't Austin Price: Tell you had his fair share of top tens? Yep. But you weren't born to oh two, so a lot of that happened before you were around. So do you look at pictures? Does your dad ever show you highlights of him racing? Do you grasp He ran the Bush series, which is the equivalent of in the aaa, right? It's not the top top, but only the top 1% even get to that far. So it's a pretty big deal. Do you ever look at the old pictures? Look at the old footage? Billy Amick: Yeah, I definitely have. It's actually funny, if you look up his name on YouTube, the first thing that comes up is top five crashes of London am. So if you ever want to go look that one up, it's a good watch. But no, it's obviously really cool to get to say your dad was a NASCAR driver, but he honestly doesn't like when I say that on interviews or stuff like that, he's so far past our life. He doesn't even watch Austin Price: Race. That was 12 or 20 years ago. Billy Amick: Yeah, yeah, he's done a lot since then. But no, we obviously have a lot of pictures from back then and I've seen a couple of them and watched a couple races, but he doesn't really worry about it anymore. He doesn't me watch racing anymore, so there's not much to it these days. Austin Price: You have a lot of your ties down in the South Carolina area, just kind of between Aiken and Columbia. Favorite spot to go to in South Carolina? Billy Amick: In South Carolina it's probably Beaufort, South Carolina. Why? It's a little small town, probably an hour and a half south of Charleston I think. And it's just, it's a little main street on the water basically. It's on the little riverway and we always go down there and we have, there's shops and stuff downtown and there's great places to eat and it's just not as populated as somewhere like Charleston. So it's nice. And you're like a 20 minute boat ride from the beach. Austin Price: You're not a Myrtle Beach guy is what I'm finding out Billy Amick: Negative. Not a Myrtle Beach guy. Austin Price: You like to hunt and fish. Now is this lake fishing or is this deep sea fishing? Both, Billy Amick: Yeah, wherever they're biting pretty much. But I do most of my fishing in a lake or in ponds and stuff with my friends. Austin Price: Is that why you like Endsley? He and Burke just look like guys that like to fish? Billy Amick: Yeah. Well, Burke being from California, nothing really. He doesn't really fish a lot, but he says he wants to, so we might go. They Austin Price: Do have lakes in California there. Billy Amick: Yeah, they do, but I don't know. We haven't been yet, but we've always talked about going, so we might have to once we get a day off or something like Austin Price: That. You don't give any of those this time of year? No. Give me your best fishing story. Billy Amick: Best fishing story. I actually have a good one. So I was fishing at my grandma's pond and I got caught on a limb and was trying to yank it off and ended up pulling as tight as I could and it finally popped out, the weight came up and hit me in my eye and the weight was like an inch from the hook. So I don't know how I didn't get hooked, but the weight came, hit me in my eye, ended up filling with blood halfway. It was bad, but I think I went to the ER or something. How is Austin Price: This a good story again? Billy Amick: It's action packed. I guess. There's not a lot of good fishing injury stories I don't Austin Price: Think. Well, I didn't know where you were going to get injuries. I thought you were telling me you caught a big large mouth or small mouth or Billy Amick: I thought this was the best story for the viewers too. I get something to know about me if you ever see an eye little lazy, that's why that's my right one. Austin Price: Oh, trust me, if you've watched fall clip confidential long enough, you know that I have a lazy eye at times when I'm tired, which is a lot of times when we tape these shows. Not today though. That thing tends to wonder when you look at baseball, you try to model your game after. Who do you enjoy watching and is it always got to be today's player? Do you go back and watch old clips of old players? Billy Amick: Yeah, so my answer to this question pretty much every time is Evan Longoria, if you don't know who he is, he's played in the big leagues for I don't know how long, ever since I can remember Austin Price: Arizona now, right? Billy Amick: Yeah. He was with Arizona, went to the World Series last year, and that was first time he's been in the World Series since I think his rookie Austin Price: Year. Yeah, when he was at Tampa. Yeah. Billy Amick: But he's third baseman, right-handed hitter hit, hit really well, pretty much his whole career and always been solid at third. And I like his demeanor, at least from what I can tell, he seems like a pretty laid back guy, just hits the ball hard and plays third. And so I just always liked to watch him. And then another guy's, Ken Griffey Jr. And just because of the swagger that he brings to the game and how funny he is to watch, but those two are definitely my main answers. Austin Price: Do you ever pull up those old home run derby with Ken Griffey Jr? Billy Amick: I have not watched. I've watched one with Josh Hamilton. That one was crazy. He hit like 30 something and one round. Yeah, but I haven't seen the Ken Griffin one. Austin Price: Now you got to get on YouTube. Pull up those ones from the nineties. I Billy Amick: Do, yeah. Austin Price: Ken Junior, Mar McGuire, Sammy. So going toe to toe. I think the one year was at Fenway. It was really good. Yeah, Billy Amick: I'll have to watch that. Austin Price: I know you don't care, you just want to play major league baseball, but if you got to pick which team you went to, who would it be? Because South Carolina doesn't have a team, right? Billy Amick: I guess it would've to be either staying close in Atlanta or Tampa or something like that, or I mean, I love Texas, so anywhere in Texas would be great too. Houston or Arlington. Austin Price: So Drew Beam would say too, just so he can be near that girl of his Yeah, I know. I know. When did you grow up a Braves fan? Billy Amick: Yeah, I guess you could say that. I mean, I had went to the games in the old stadium. Now it's kind of weird, but I wasn't a diehard fan of anybody. I just liked watching baseball growing up. I still kind of that way. I don't really have a team. I just like watching baseball. Austin Price: Best moment from playing baseball. Not at the college level and not, I would say just little league that age range. It doesn't have to be a little league, but you know what I mean. Minor league, little league. Even in high school, what's your best moment? What comes to mind? What's a core memory for you? Billy Amick: Yeah, probably my first home run and I think it was like a, I don't know what age group, maybe nine? Nine or 10? Yeah, 10 U age group. And we were in Houston, Texas. Me and my dad and my little Austin Price: Brother played. You like Texas somewhere? Yeah. Billy Amick: Must be. Must be. I like hitting in Texas apparently. But me, my dad and my brother, my little brothers was playing in a younger age group, but I had gotten close four times, four or five times that season and finally got one out and it was just a great moment. I remember getting in the car after and just talking about it and being so happy that it actually finally happened. So yeah, that's definitely Austin Price: How quick did you hit number two? Normally when you get the first it's like boom, boom, right? Billy Amick: Yeah, yeah. Was, I don't remember exactly when it was, but I remember they started rolling in after that. Austin Price: You talk about that 22 team and they had so much bravado. I don't know if y'all are quite to that level, but it does seem like you have a little more bravado than last year's team, which seem more kind of quiet and reserved. Do you feel like you've got that in, you seem like such a reserved kid. Well-mannered kid, but do you have that when you're out there on the field, are you a talker at all? Billy Amick: Yeah. Austin Price: If you're rounding the bases on a home run, are you talking Billy Amick: Nine times out of 10? Yeah. I'm going to say something, especially in the E-C-S-E-C play or any big ball game, I'm pretty much, I'm saying something, but yeah, off the field I'm super laid back. Everybody says I'm quiet and just a shy guy, honestly. But once I'm on the field it, it's a different ball game for everybody really. Everybody's not a different person, but it definitely brings out the most, especially playing at a high level. Austin Price: What's something most people don't know about you? Billy Amick: There's really not much to me, to be honest with you. Something people don't know about me. I can do a back flip, standing back flip. That's about all I got. Austin Price: Do you do this after wins? Do you do this? This is, are you, are we going to go Ozzy Smith the rest of the way? Billy Amick: I Austin Price: Don't know. You going to run out there and just start the game and do a back flip? Billy Amick: We actually have a little freshman that does it. I didn't say I could do it just because I didn't want to do it every game. So we got a little left-handed pitcher that'll do it before every game. But no, I can do it. I just choose when to and when not to. Austin Price: Who's the one guy when you got here and you went into kind of fall ball and you're playing each other, the pitcher that you're like, I don't like going against this guy. He's rough on me. Billy Amick: Both the ajs are definitely, they suck to head against Zy just because he is submarine pitcher Austin Price: Delivery. Billy Amick: Yeah, I think I almost popped my ACL on one of a chuck swing on a sinker. Well, we're Austin Price: Glad you didn't. Billy Amick: Yeah. Yeah, me too. And then AJ I think has struck me out every time I've faced him. So those two are, they suck Austin Price: To face Russell, huh? Billy Amick: Yeah. Yeah, he's been throwing it pretty well. He just threw again in Alabama, took a couple weekends off and he looked great. Austin Price: What's the long-term goal here? Obviously I noticed to play major leagues, but I mean play out your dream in your mind. Billy Amick: Yeah, obviously, like you said, to play major leagues and as long as my body's able to and as long as I'm having fun just to play baseball and I feel like that's what I'm supposed to do, and it'ss been great up to this point in my life and I expect it to keep being the most fun I can have in my life until I'm physically unable to do it anymore. And if I'm able to do that, then whatever God has in store for me after baseball is what I'll do. Whether that's go hunt and fish for a living or something like that, that'd be great. But whatever it is I want to do, whatever I'm happy is doing. Austin Price: How important is your faith to you? Billy Amick: Yeah, it's really important. I obviously grew up going to church and all with my parents taking me to church and stuff like that, but yeah, it's really important to me to have that not only in everyday life, but especially in baseball, just knowing that I have someone there that is going to love me regardless how good I do on a baseball field and whatever my results are. I know that Jesus loves me for who I am and there's nothing I can do to change that. Austin Price: Favorite uniform combination? Is it Sunday creams? Is it the black? What do you like? Billy Amick: For me, it's the black. I mean, I got to see 'em in person for the regional, but we wore 'em in a midweek a couple weeks ago and it was, I really enjoyed wearing those. They were sick. The creams are pretty sweet too. Austin Price: What do you think the football team would look like if they rolled out with cream uniforms? Billy Amick: I don't know if that'd be the look. They got some good things going for 'em. I don't know if they should throw the creams in there. Austin Price: Stay in your lane. Yeah. Billy Amick: Yeah. Stay with the smokey grays and blacks. They look Austin Price: Good. How much have you enjoyed that for, because you've been to two schools that are football schools in a lot of ways. So I mean, you got Howard Rock at Clemson, you obviously run through the T here. Compare those atmospheres. Billy Amick: Yeah. Well, I thought Clemson was a great atmosphere, which it is. It's really good. But I had grown up going to Clemson games and that's the only really college football game I'd known my entire life until I got here and I was like, whoa, there's 20 more thousand people in the stands, and that's the loudest college football game I've ever been to in my life. But it was sick to see that and obviously hadn't played a baseball game yet, but I was like, if this is how much crazier football is here, I wonder what baseball is like. And it's lived up to that so far. But no, the football games are really fun to go to. Austin Price: I'll get you out the door on this one. What's one thing that you would tell young Billy Aec to give advice looking back? Billy Amick: Yeah. I would say to have as much fun as you possibly can and don't put any pressure on yourself to do well or perform for somebody or be results driven. Just to have fun and play the game through every step, whether it's 12 U or in high school, trying to get recruited. Just have as much fun as you can. It's a kid's game that we're all playing and we're all, I think everybody puts a lot of pressure on their self. I mean, not everybody, but people who put a lot of pressures on themselves take the fun out of the game. And that's one thing that personally I don't like to do. I like to have fun and I would say having fun at every step of the game is essential for any baseball player that wants to play for a long time. Austin Price: Well, we hope you get to play for a long time. Professional teams do tend to watch these things. NFL teams have watched this show before and used it when they've interviewed players at the combine. So if those baseball teams, those major League baseball teams, watch this, they're going to learn two things. The Texas teams are going to go, he likes to playing Texas check and put in his contract, do not let him cast a rod near a tree. That also is detrimental to him staying and playing for a long time. He's Billy Amick. I'm Austin Price. We'll talk to you next week on another ball Austin Price: Club. Confidential.