By Ron Wynn
NCAA Photos via Getty Images
NASHVILLE, TN — The transformation of Tennessee baseball from mediocrity to championship status was completed Monday night in Omaha.
The Volunteers won the school’s first Men’s College World Series title by defeating Texas A&M in the third and deciding game 6-5.
Tennessee had to win consecutive games after losing the opener. The victory completed a season where they won a record 60 games, becoming the first SEC team to reach that plateau while losing only 13 and leading the nation in home runs. They also became the first number one team to win the Men’s College World Series since Miami in 1999.
Dylan Drieling was selected Most Outstanding Player, hitting home runs in all three games.
Head Coach Tony Vitello’s team didn’t lose two straight games after early March. When he took over in June of 2017, Tennessee baseball was in the lower end of the SEC. His first two seasons they were 12-18 and 14-16 in the conference.
But they are now a worthy competitor to two time national champion Vanderbilt for both state and national status.
They’ve been to five NCAA regionals, four super regionals and three College World Series under Vitello, with this year being the third time since 2021 that Tennessee has won at least 50 games.
The Volunteers under Vitello are 293-112, a winning percentage of .723.
This year in addition to the national title they finished tied for first in the SEC regular season, then won the SEC Tournament.
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