Tony Vitello drops quote after Tennessee's win against UNC-Asheville that's bad news for the rest of college baseball
The Tennessee Vols, the defending national champs, are off to a red-hot start in 2025. Tennessee swept Hofstra in their first series of the season, outscoring the Pride 46-2 in three games. The Vols kept the good times rolling on Tuesday night in a dominant 29-4 win against UNC-Asheville. In the coming weeks, the competition […]
The Tennessee Vols, the defending national champs, are off to a red-hot start in 2025.
Tennessee swept Hofstra in their first series of the season, outscoring the Pride 46-2 in three games.
The Vols kept the good times rolling on Tuesday night in a dominant 29-4 win against UNC-Asheville.
In the coming weeks, the competition that Tennessee will face will improve significantly. But the Vols' four consecutive blowouts to open the season shouldn't be overlooked (just ask Wake Forest, which lost 4-0 to UNC-Greensboro on Tuesday night).
One reason why the Vols are off to such a great start is because of the depth of the roster, which includes several talented freshmen players.
Jay Abernathy, for example, is easily one of the most talented freshmen in the country. And he already looks like an upperclassman. Against UNC-Asheville, Abernathy went 1-for-1 with four walks and created some havoc on the base paths.
RHP Nic Abraham is also among the freshmen that's off to a good start for the Volunteers. Abraham pitched 1.1 innings while giving up zero hits and walking zero in the win against UNC-Asheville.
Freshman RHP Brayden Brenzel also shined against UNC-Asheville, giving up just one hit in one inning of work.
After the win against UNC-Asheville, Vols coach Tony Vitello suggested that Tennessee's freshmen are getting comfortable "real fast".
"Kind of that vibe you got in the fall was whatever team he (Abernathy) was on, or when we played outside opponents, when he was in the lineup, he kind of brings a different dynamic to the whole deal," said Vitello. "Just that feeling. But also that statistical fact is nice to see. He and some of those other freshmen are getting real comfortable, real fast. So I hope that they stay the course because things will get more challenging as we move forward."
If Tennessee's freshmen continue to thrive, it could be bad news for the rest of college baseball. This Vols team already looks really deep. And if that depth proves to be "real" — and there's no reason to think that it won't — then this Tennessee team is going to be awfully hard to deal with this spring/summer.
Winning a championship in baseball requires a complete roster. And it looks like Tennessee has as complete of a roster as any team in the nation thanks to the quick emergence of their stud freshmen additions.
