Tony Vitello opens up on his appreciation for the level of baseball being played in Omaha

Tennessee won their second straight game on Sunday night in the College World Series, defeating North Carolina in a 6-1 victory that will give the Vols some rest until Wednesday as they remain undefeated in Omaha.

Per usual, the Vols scored some runs thanks to the long ball with two home runs on the night. But the highlight play of the night was made by centerfielder Hunter Ensley, who made a difficult catch in the second inning that sent him crashing into the outfield wall in a true display of toughness.

Throughout the postseason outfielders across many programs have made various impressive highlight catches where they’ve put their bodies on the line. And with that in mind, Tennessee head coach Tony Vitello about his appreciation for Ensley’s catch and others in the NCAA Tournament.

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“You can in general of the others,” Vitello said regarding outfield plays made by other teams. “I mentioned it after our Super Regional against Evansville, sometimes it’s not the right occasion to shake hands. But man, when I was a little kid in St. Louis, it’s a hockey city. My dad’s from Chicago, it’s a hockey city. I love that deal where with two teams are trying to beat each other’s brains in, but they have the respect for the effort and the ability to be at that level. That’s why that handshake is so special in the hockey playoffs.”

“Took me a while at a young age to figure out why are they shaking hands, they just fought,” Vitello admitted. “One guy knocked another guy’s teeth out, whatever it might be. Shout-out to Bob Probert.”

While baseball is not as physical of a sport as hockey, there are a handful of moments where players can display their toughness. Like when Evansville centerfielder Ty Rumsey got a shoutout from Vitello following Super Regionals for returning to action after suffering an injury in a collision with the outfield wall. A verbal hockey handshake of sorts that Vitello shared with other gutsy outfielders.

“It’s kind of the same admiration. You want to be the best team here, but you have to take a step back and realize that you’re amongst the best athletes at the college level,” Vitello explained. “A lot of these guys you scouted, or see in Cape Cod doing well, or Team USA and things like that. So you’ve got to pinch yourself and make sure you’re not being a fan too much. But you’re crazy to not be just the spectacle this thing has become.”

Ensley ended up exiting Sunday’s game after his collision with the wall and hopefully will be able to return for Tennessee’s game on Wednesday. As he and the other outfielders in Omaha can hopefully all stay healthy as they continue making impressive plays on defense.