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What Tennessee's Tony Vitello said about his ejection Sunday against Auburn

IMG_3593by:Grant Ramey•05/04/25•

GrantRamey

Tony Vitello, Tennessee Baseball | Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
(Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images) Tennessee baseball coach Tony Vitello exchanges words with the home-plate umpire John Brammer before being ejected during an NCAA baseball game between Tennessee and Auburn on May 4, 2025, in Knoxville, Tenn.

Tony Vitello started at home plate. The Tennessee coach had an animated discussion with home plate umpire John Brammer Sunday afternoon at Lindsey Nelson Stadium, pointed his finger and becoming increasingly agitated as the argument continued.

When he had enough, he went toward third base, where umpire Javerro January stood. The finger pointing continued, as did Vitello’s walk around the infield. Next was umpire Ben Levin at second base, then Richard Riley at first. 

Vitello was getting his money’s worth as he got ejected in the series finale against Auburn, an 8-1 loss to cap a weekend full of rain and frustration. 

Tony Vitello ejected for fifth time in Tennessee career

It was Vitello’s fifth ejection of his Tennessee career and his first since Missouri during the 2023 season. Afterward, he said it started with a call on a check swing. 

“Probably the comparison of the check swings of Levi (Clark) versus,” Vitello said, before changing direction, “Levi won’t like hearing it, but I think he went. I think both guys went.”

Clark had been called out on strikes to end the fourth, leaving runners stranded on second and third with Tennessee trailing 4-0. 

Vitello was ejected with one out in the fifth, after Auburn loaded the bases with two singles and walk, then scored two runs on two straight bases-loaded walks to build a 6-0 lead.

And then there was what Vitello desired as “spillover” that played a role in the ejection and the heat of the moment.  

Vitello and January, who was behind the plate for Saturday’s second game, spent time barking at one another before it was suspended in the 10th inning due to inclement weather. Levin was the home plate umpire for Saturday’s first game, with a strike zone the Tennessee dugout rarely agreed with.

But the turning point was early Sunday, in the 11th inning the resumed game, when Tennessee pitcher Liam Doyle tagged Auburn’s Bristol Carter out at home plate. 

‘I pat myself on the back and everybody else for keeping composure’

The two players exchanged words and the benches cleared, but only Doyle was ejected.

“Which I pat myself on the back and everybody else for keeping composure,” Vitello said, “because our best player got thrown out of the game in an elimination situation for exchanging words with a guy.

“Two adults competing in a league, which for the record everybody gets to chime in this league more than anybody on Twitter and from the stands more than anything else.”

Doyle pitched 27 innings Friday night, before rain postponed the series opener after the top of the first. He returned to start the bottom of the 10th Sunday afternoon, throwing 34 pitches over two innings and getting the win. 

But now, per SEC rules, he’ll serve a two-game suspension — pending the official umpire report — for getting ejected as a relief pitcher. The first game of the suspension was Sunday’s 8-1 loss and the second will be Tuesday’s midweek game against Indiana State, making Doyle available for his usual Friday night start at home against Vanderbilt. 

But Vitello believed it should have never come to that.

“If anything,” he said, “these guys that are out there between the lines should probably get to say some things to each other and probably should be granted that right.”

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