Everything Tony Vitello said following Sunday's rubber match with Ole Miss

Tennessee baseball coach Tony Vitello briefly detailed Sunday’s game three rubber match at Ole Miss following another weekend of Southeastern Conference play. The following is a written transcript on the Tennessee win from the Tony Vitello postgame presser.

Up Next: Tennessee returns home to Lindsey Nelson Stadium for a Tuesday midweek with Bellarmine beginning at 6 PM ET. The Vols then welcome Kentucky to Knoxville for a three-game series next weekend.   

On how the team was able to pull off the win:

“Just with what we were lacking last Saturday, with grit. It really didn’t even make any sense, to be honest with you. Maybe they could’ve had the same narrative if they were able to win, maybe that storyline is that they did it at home, but for us, I don’t know if you could argue we played good baseball. Again, part of it is the competition you are playing. We’re playing in a new environment as far as the field goes, but [we] just kind of and gritted and gutted our way through the whole thing and it worked out the right way.”

On changing things from last weekend and if last weekend served as a ‘wake-up call’:

“Reminder. I don’t think it was a wake-up call. I think [it was] a reminder. And it’s not like our guys didn’t compete. We kind of already talked about [it]… (Justin) Lamkin threw well and (Weston) Moss is a really good arm, and we just didn’t play good ball in the second game. But to be honest with you, we didn’t play that good of ball this weekend at all. There were plenty of things we could have done better at the plate even though we scored a lot of runs. Pitching decisions could be better, pitching could be better, defense certainly could be better, and then even baserunning might have cost us a run early in there. But these are college kids, man. They’re going to make mistakes. 

“And I get it. If you’re watching at home – and maybe my mind should just be on our team – but if you’re watching at home, it can be frustrating. No one wants to see mistakes made where it looks like guys aren’t fundamental or we’re not coached well or we’re not communicating, but you’re always going to be in a hostile environment in the SEC on the road, and sometimes emotions can take over. And then again, two, with college kids, they’re going to make mistakes. A lot of times it’s, ‘Who makes fewer mistakes in the game?’ And then, with all due respect to them, maybe today wasn’t about mistakes. Maybe it was just about finding a way, and we were able to do it.”

On Dalton Bargo and Reese Chapman’s at-bats in the ninth:

“Just really good presence. Those are two guys, just to be fair, last year at times I think were pressing and then changing personality and doubting themselves, and I don’t know what the numbers look like right now for both of them, but both of them are incredibly consistent with their approach and their presence at the park every day. (Dalton) Bargo decided to switch on the positivity-communication switch at one point further back in history. Reese (Chapman) just decided that this is his year, this is his team, that’s his spot out there, he’s going to be in the lineup and just go play ball and walk around like you own it. 

“So both those guys have set an example because – the new guys are doing what new guys probably do. It’s up to us to put them in a position to succeed, but there will be trials and tribulations. And then some of the older guys, too – the new guys can learn from them, obviously – but some of the older guys need to rely on that, too, so it’s not kind of a split personality, almost,deal that you’re working with with our position players and pitchers. 

“Again, knowing what we get, if we get out there and we get beat, great. But it’d be nice to see some consistency like those two have.”