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‘Hungry’ Vols back in NCAA baseball tourney after hiatus

Tennessee sophomore Evan Russell heads toward first base after getting a hit against Appalachian State during a home game in February. The Vols are in the NCAA baseball tournament for the first time since 2005. Their first game is Friday against Liberty in the four-team regional in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Tennessee sophomore Evan Russell heads toward first base after getting a hit against Appalachian State during a home game in February. The Vols are in the NCAA baseball tournament for the first time since 2005. Their first game is Friday against Liberty in the four-team regional in Chapel Hill, N.C. Tennessee sophomore Evan Russell heads toward first base after getting a hit against Appalachian State during a home game in February. The Vols are in the NCAA baseball tournament for the first time since 2005. Their first game is Friday against Liberty in the four-team regional in Chapel Hill, N.C.

By Associated Press 4 min read

photo Tennessee baseball coach Tony Vitello said many people didn’t believe he could help the Vols rebuild their program when he took the job in Knoxville two years ago, but they showed plenty of progress this season.

KNOXVILLE – Earlier this week, Tennessee finally ended the longest NCAA baseball tournament drought of any Southeastern Conference program by earning its first bid since its 2005 appearance that ended in the College World Series.

Now the Volunteers want to try to match that team’s accomplishment by also getting to Omaha, Nebraska, and it begins by making it out of the 64-team tournament’s opening weekend.

Tennessee (38-19) is the No. 2 seed in the four-team regional that starts Friday in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. In addition to the Vols and the top-seeded and host Tar Heels (42-17), the double-elimination bracket includes No. 3 seed Liberty (42-19) and No. 4 seed UNC Wilmington (32-29).

“We’re hungry,” said Tennessee sophomore designated hitter Evan Russell. “We’re ready for more success. We’re ready to start something that hasn’t been done here in a long time.”

The Vols reached three College World Series and went 699-396 in 18 seasons under former coach Rod Delmonico, who made a congratulatory phone call to current coach Tony Vitello this week. Delmonico was fired in 2007, and Tennessee struggled in the decade that followed.