Tony Vitello is wrong about the state of the Tennessee Vols baseball program
The Tennessee Vols baseball team had a historic regular season. There is no questioning that. They grew the sport of college baseball. Whether you like it or not, their dominance and energy brought a lot of attention to the sport. Some of that attention was negative towards the Vols, but regardless, their actions and success […]
The Tennessee Vols baseball team had a historic regular season. There is no questioning that. They grew the sport of college baseball. Whether you like it or not, their dominance and energy brought a lot of attention to the sport. Some of that attention was negative towards the Vols, but regardless, their actions and success created buzz. It all comes with the territory.
That being said, they came up short in the postseason. It's one of the biggest disappointments in recent memory in college baseball. Why is that, though? It is because of how special their performance was in the regular season. That can be appreciated while also understanding that they didn't accomplish the ultimate goal. Wildly, they didn't even get to Omaha for the College World Series. Many are comparing the collapse to Arkansas from last season, but this Vols team was even better than that Razorbacks squad.
Head Coach Tony Vitello had an interesting comment for the team following the Super Regional loss to Notre Dame.
Vitello called the current state of Tennessee Vols baseball program a "dynasty."
Calling the Tennessee Vols program a "dynasty" right now is much, much too early. The team had one of the best regular seasons of all-time, and they won both the SEC in the regular season and the conference tournament. They breezed through both of those obstacles. Alas, throwing the term "dynasty" around for their performance over the past couple of seasons is way too aggressive. Overusing the concept of a dynasty is how people overlook actual dynasties in sports. Multiple championships, legendary careers, and pure dominance from beginning to end all intertwine to complete a dynasty. You can't crown achievements just because a program is new to them.
There is no "set definition" for a college baseball dynasty, but you simply cannot call Tennessee that currently. This Vols program has a really bright future, but they haven't won a single national championship, let alone multiple in a short span.
Tennessee never made it to Omaha in back-to-back seasons. 2021 was the first year since 2005 that they won a regional. The Vols have made the College World Series only three times since the turn of the century. As of now, their only trip to the title game was in 1951. They lost that game.
Other SEC schools that have been powerhouses in college baseball over the past decade or so like Vanderbilt and Mississippi State have been to the CWS five and four times, respectively, since 2010. The number of Omaha trips for the Vols is going to grow, of course. Regardless, a dynasty is based on what you have accomplished. It is not based on regular season success or what the future holds for a program.
Now, Vitello also said that this team and its success have put him and the program in a really good situation going forward. That checks out. That should have been the biggest positive takeaway from this disappointing end to the season for the Vols. The roster has multiple future first-round picks, and they have plenty of pieces returning that were key this year.
The future is extremely bright for the Tennessee Vols on the diamond, but they have plenty more to accomplish before being mentioned in the "dynasty" category for college baseball.
Featured Image via USA TODAY-Sports
