Tony Vitello’s Tennessee baseball program traveled to the Round Rock Classic in 2020 and made a statement.
In Vitello’s third year at the helm, the Vols traveled to Texas and knocked off No. 1 Texas Tech, Houston and No. 25 Stanford. Their performance emphatically stated to the rest of college baseball that they had arrived under Vitello.
Two years later, Vitello and the Vols now head back to Texas seeking to make a similar statement.
“It’s always a little different,” Vitello told the media this week. “It’s about getting a little taste of a multi-team environment that has the regional type feel even though It’s not going to quite play out like that and you get to size yourself up against the other high quality teams.
“That trip was exciting for our guys because they were so close. The first time you go out on the road you get even closer. You get to spend a lot of time with each other and I don’t see why this group isn’t in the same boat.”
This year’s group looks to make a different statement. Vitello’s fifth-year bunch of Vols want to prove that making it to Omaha last season wasn’t a fluke, rather that they’ve permanently arrived on the college baseball scene.
“I think that we’re always trying to prove ourselves,” Tennessee right fielder Jordan Beck said. “Prove the program and show what our coaches have done and the recruiting classes they’ve been putting together.”
Tennessee gets an opportunity to do so against the team that ended its season in Omaha. The Vols lost both games at the 2021 College World Series with Texas knocking them off 8-4 to eliminate them.
Both teams arrive in Houston for the Shriners Hospitals for Children College Classic as the only two undefeated teams in the field. First pitch on Friday night to kick off the weekend is at 8 p.m. ET.
“We’ve got a couple of guys on last year’s team that still have that bitter taste in their mouth,” Beck said. “We’ve got some freshman that will step up and do their job, so it should be a good game and a fun weekend.”
“It’s just human nature,” Vols reliever Camden Sewell added. “They ended our season last year, so we want to get some revenge.”
Friday’s showdown against No. 1 Texas (9-0) won’t define the weekend. Tennessee will turn around and face Baylor (4-4) at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday before facing Oklahoma (5-2) at 12 p.m. ET on Sunday to conclude the trip.
The weekend ahead in Houston may offer the Vols a chance at revenge and give them an opportunity to make a statement, but it’ll also offer Vitello an opportunity to learn more about his team as conference play quickly approaches.
“Other than add up some repetitions, just see how guys are when the fire is a little hot,” Vitello said. “Anytime the fire is hot, you get to pull stuff from that. Out of three days, I’m willing to bet two, if not three will have nine full innings of the fire burning just as hot as you want it to.”
This weekend will be the first time Tennessee ventures away from Knoxville. Needless to say, playing in Minute Maid Park — the home of the Houston Astros — will be vastly different than playing in its friendly confines of Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
“We expect our guys to behave a certain way when we travel,” Vitello said. “You have to act like a pro in this league. You may even get heckled on the road at a neutral-site, but you know it’s going to happen in the SEC. I think this is a preface for what it’s like playing at Hoover, or if we’re fortunate enough to play in a regional — what it’s like in a big time setting in that way?
“Then between the lines, with (Texas, Baylor, Oklahoma), literally two of them will be SEC teams, but you almost get a preview of what it’s going to be like during the first SEC weekend. I know we’ve played some decent competition so far, but nothing is going to simulate it as much as this particular weekend will.”
Tennessee is coming off a 4-1 midweek win over East Tennessee State. It’s the first time this season that one of its games was close throughout nine innings.
The Vols opened the season by sweeping Georgia Southern and outscoring the Eagles 33-3 in the process. They then outscored Iona 68-3 in a sweep this past weekend.
“We haven’t been challenged as much as I think we should yet,” Sewell said. “We’ve had a lot more innings that have been laid back than we have had stressful innings, so this weekend will be really good for us to see what our team is about.”
“I want to see what happens when something doesn’t go our way,” Beck said. “We’ll respond to it, but it’s also fun to see and with it being early in the year, it’s good learning points if it happens.”
As much as Tennessee could prove this weekend, it’s still baseball at the end of the day. That’s what Vitello wants his team to remember as they make their way back to Texas.
“It’s a big league park and not just that, but one where there’s a lot of history,” Vitello said. “The environment starts well in advance, but yeah, Friday will be special and then Saturday as will Sunday. I think it will be like that for every team.”
