Tennessee Baseball's history as the No. 1-ranked team in the country
Tennessee Baseball’s history as the No. 1 team in the country is brief. Before Tony Vitello, it had never happened.
But on Monday the Vols became the consensus No. 1-ranked team in college baseball for just the second time in program history. It’s the first No. 1 ranking since Week 6 of the 2022 season and their first consensus No. 1 ranking since Week 7 of that season.
Tennessee has now been ranked No. 1 in at least one college baseball poll for 13 weeks in program history. All 13 of those weeks have been under Vitello.
Vols are one game back of Kentucky in SEC East after seven straight series wins
The Vols (39-9, 17-7 SEC) have won seven straight SEC series and are now one game back of Kentucky (35-10, 18-6) in the SEC East.
Tennessee used an 11-run sixth inning Saturday at Florida to win 16-3 and take two of three games over the Gators in Gainesville.
The Vols during swept Missouri last week after winning two of three at Kentucky. They swept LSU and won two of three against Auburn, Georgia and Ole Miss.
“I think it’s a stronger group — a tougher group is the right word — than we originally thought,” Vitello said Saturday in Gainesville, “and they keep kind of pushing that line which has been fun to watch.”
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Tennessee earned its first unanimous No. 1 ranking in program history — D1 Baseball, Baseball America, USA Today Coaches Poll, National College Baseball Writer’s Association, Perfect Game and Collegiate Baseball News — in March 2022, after a 23-1 start to the 2022 season.
Tony Vitello has increased win total in each season at Tennessee
The Vols would go on to be ranked No. 1 for 10 straight weeks that season, starting a perfect 12-0 in SEC play with sweeps of South Carolina, Ole Miss, Vanderbilt and Missouri. Tennessee finished 57-9 overall — the 57 wins set a new program record — and 25-5 in SEC play, winning the SEC Tournament in Hoover before a loss to Notre Dame in the Super Regional.
Vitello, in his seventh year as Tennessee’s head coach, has taken to the Vols to the College World Series twice, to the Super Regionals three times and Regionals four times. Vitello has also increased Tennessee win total in each season with the Vols: 29 (2018), 40 (2019), 50 (2021) and 57 (2022).
Tennessee, which hosts Queens Tuesday at 6 p.m. Eastern Time at Lindsey Nelson Stadium, has eight games left on schedule. The Vols go to Vanderbilt this weekend, host Belmont next week then close the regular-season schedule at home against South Carolina, before the SEC Tournament begins on May 21.
