Few people would have been surprised if they were told in February the Tennessee baseball team would reach the Men’s College World Series. But it would have been much harder to imagine the route the Vols took to get there.
Having been one of the nation’s top-ranked teams in the preseason, the Vols suffered through months of up-and-down performances. They endured puzzling losses and showcased dazzling potential.
But Tennessee ended up where right where it wanted to be in the end.
The Vols clinched a spot in the Men’s College World Series for the second time in three years and sixth overall by defeating Southern Miss 5-0 in a winner-take-all Game 3 late Monday night in a weather-plagued NCAA Super Regional in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
“I wish we could have done this in Knoxville in front of our fans because they’ve meant a lot to us. But it’s a challenge to win in the postseason and we had to go do it on the road,” Tennessee head coach Tony Vitello says. “No one wants to hear it, but there were a lot of difficult circumstances this group had to overcome and I’m proud of it.”
The unseeded Vols (43-20) will face No. 5 LSU (47-15) Saturday at 7 p.m. ET (ESPN) in their first game of the MCWS in Omaha, Nebraska. UT lost two of three against the Tigers in an early April series in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Joining Tennessee and LSU in Omaha are: No. 1 Wake Forest, No. 2 Florida, No. 7 Virginia, No. 8 Stanford, Oral Roberts and TCU.
Tennessee and Stanford are the only two schools to have both their baseball and softball teams reach the World Series this season. The No. 4 Lady Vols were eliminated in the semifinals of the Women’s College World Series by No. 3 Florida State last week in Oklahoma City.
Success despite delays
By beating Southern Miss, the Vols extended their streak of having never lost a road Super Regional. They swept East Carolina in 2001 and Georgia Tech in 2005.
The final step on the road to Omaha this year was emblematic of Tennessee’s season.
Trailing 4-0 and facing elimination in Game 2, the Vols roared back to win. They used a six-run fourth-inning – highlighted by mammoth 479-foot home run by Blake Burke on his birthday – to rally for the 8-4 victory. Chase Dollander and Chase Burns combined to hold Southern Miss scoreless for the remainder.
The lights-out pitching continued in Game 3 as Tennessee did not allow a run in the final 15 innings of the Super Regional. Drew Beam struck out seven in six scoreless innings in the clinching win, scattering six hits and walking one.
Zane Denton prolonged his strong postseason at the plate by hitting a three-run home run in the fifth inning. It was Denton’s fourth homer in the postseason and his second three-run shot following his game-changing swing in Tennessee’s wild win against host Clemson in the regional.
Having to endure numerous weather delays, wait under bleachers and shuttle back and forth to their hotel made the series victory even sweeter for Denton and the Vols.
“It was definitely pretty challenging, but it kind of goes with the theme of our whole team this year,” Denton says. “We want that adversity. We feel like a lot of things have gone against us all year, but just battling through it together and getting better each day and we’ll find ourselves where we want to be at the end of the season.”
Lady Vols build for future
It was the same spot the Lady Vols were in just a week ago. They were making their first appearance in the WCWS since 2015. They beat No. 5 Alabama and No. 6 Oklahoma State and suffered losses to No. 1 Oklahoma and No. 3 Florida State in the double-elimination format.
The trip marked the end of the decorated career for All-American graduate senior ace Ashley Rogers. The Athens native was proud to represent her home state on the sport’s biggest stage.
“What wearing the orange has meant to me and my family is unspeakable,” Rogers says. “Like I said, I just grew up a Tennessee fan. Just having the opportunity and that chance to come out here and just wear ‘Tennessee’ across my chest, I hope I did it with a lot of integrity. It’s been an absolute dream come true.”
Playing for Tennessee had an even deeper significance and emotional connection for Rogers than most players.
“My father, who passed away when I was 16, was the biggest Tennessee fan. He was laid to rest in a Tennessee orange shirt and has the Power T on his headstone,” Rogers says. “I think that says the most about what Tennessee has meant to me.”
The Lady Vols should be back in contention to defend their SEC regular-season and tournament titles in 2024. They return most of the other major pieces of the lineup, including senior center fielder Kiki Milloy.
Payton Gottshall and Karlyn Pickens will anchor the pitching staff without Rogers. The transfer portal will impact the roster with additions and subtractions. Former starting second baseman Lair Beautae entered the portal last week.
The experience of reaching the World Series will be an integral building block for the returning Lady Vols to use for the future.
“Just being put in those situations where you have to win, and learning how to play in those situations but play free and play with joy,” Lady Vols head coach Karen Weekly says. “I think that’s the biggest thing that I want this team to remember as we go into next year. No two teams are ever alike. You can look at our roster and say you lose Ashley and (Shakara Goodloe). You’re going to be great. I’ve coached too long to know that’s no guarantee.”
Destination: Omaha
Vitello can relate. His Vols were expected to make it to the MCWS in back-to-back seasons last year as the No. 1 overall seed. But they were upset by Notre Dame in a Super Regional in Knoxville.
They had 10 players drafted from that team, yet still were projected as one of the best clubs in the nation in 2023, something Vitello didn’t necessarily agree with right away.
“I’m not trying to undersell the team but we were not the No. 2 team in the country in February and March. But the comment was, ‘we very well could be that team,’” Vitello says. “Obviously we’d like to be one better, and I hope these guys don’t punch me, but I don’t think we’re that either yet.”
The Vols are hoping they continue to ascend and reach their full potential during their stay in Omaha. They’ve been through trials and tribulations. They’ve held team meetings, consulted with family members and had to look deep inside at points to turn their season around.
After dominating much of last season and falling short of their goal, a more battle-tested Vols team broke through. They will arrive in Omaha with a different perspective and hardened sense of self.
“The end of last year was painful, but immediately, like a few hours after our season was over, a very challenging period in our program started with a lot of different things,” Vitello says. “To be sitting on this stage advancing is very memorable. Tough to put into words.”