Baseball players often tinker with their swing in their ongoing pursuing of a winning edge. That’s just an integral part of hitting.

But Tennessee redshirt sophomore outfielder Kavares Tears changed his eating more than his swing in the off-season. He lost about 30 pounds but gained more muscle.

He can evaluate the results Friday when the Vols open their season against Texas Tech in Arlington, Texas.

“I don’t think (the change) has affected my power,” Tears told me. “That was one of my biggest fears. What if I lose too much weight?”

UT’s right fielder has never been lacking in power. His longballs have even turned the heads of his teammates.

For example, take the ball he rocketed over the fence in a fall scrimmage. How long was it?

You no longer need to estimate distance in this sport. Just check a computer, which Tears did after the game. It was longer than he thought.

“When I first hit it, I was thinking about making it to second base,” he said.

But the ball just kept going. Dugout chatter ensued.

“There were rumblings about how long it was,” Tears said.

Distance: 467 feet, which qualified as the longest documented hit of Tears’ career.

You might see more of what once qualified as “tape-measure” home runs from Tears this season. He’s a candidate to infuse what should be a heavy-hitting team with more power after seeing action as a spot-duty player the past two seasons.

Unlike his home run power, Tears’ more prominent role can’t be tracked on a computer.

“This year, I’ve stepped into more of a leadership role, especially with the freshmen in the outfield,” he said.

His diet also speaks to his maturity. He has become conscious of doing everything he can to improve as a player. Some of his favorite foods got benched in the process. He even has an app for monitoring his intake. He also has taken up cooking.

“Growing up in my household, we ate a lot of southern food,” he said. “If I saw grilled chicken, I was not touching it.”

Grilled chicken is now a regular in his dietary lineup. He does mix it up once a month with “air-fryer chicken,” which he sometimes prepares for his teammates. But his once-steady diet of fried chicken has been relegated to the past.

We didn’t just talk about food, though. I’m curious about this team, which will include high-profile transfers, sought-after recruits and returning players who, like Tears, will be counted on for more production as the Vols attempt to qualify for their third College World Series in four seasons.

“I don’t want to speak too far ahead,” Tears said. “But we do have a really good team. And I can definitely tell you we are very competitive. You could see that in our scrimmages.

“The biggest thing I would say about the new transfers and freshmen: They have come into our program with the same mindset we’ve had the past few years. They want to do whatever it takes to win. That has helped us bond sooner this year.  We’ve all been pushing each other.”

The push will give way to playing this weekend. Based on how successful this program has become under Vitello, fans have reason to be excited about the possibilities. So does Tears.

“I’m super excited (for the opener),” he said. “It has been hard to sleep the last few days.”

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He can catch up on sleep once the season-opening anticipation is replaced by the routine of a long season – and in a best-case scenario, home runs long enough to track on a computer.

John Adams is a senior columnist. He may be reached at 865-342-6284 or john.adams@knoxnews.com. Follow him at: twitter.com/johnadamskns.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee baseball: Kavares Tears downsized but his home runs haven't.