The Tennessee Volunteers got a 5-1 win over the Samford Bulldogs on Friday at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. The win marks the 300th for Tony Vitello. He reached the milestone faster than any other coach in Tennessee history, doing so in 412 games.
Vitello began coaching Tennessee in 2018 after leaving his job as an assistant with the Arkansas Razorbacks. He very quickly turned college baseball in Knoxville around into an elite powerhouse.
Despite an average first season, when the Volunteers finished 29-27 overall, Vitello led Tennessee to a regional in 2019. This was the first time the Vols had been in the NCAA Tournament since 2005.
After a shortened and canceled COVID-19 season in 2020, the Volunteers’ skipper led them to back-to-back 50-win seasons in 2021 and 2022. This included Tennessee’s fifth-ever College World Series appearance in 2021.
Vitello eventually led Tennessee to a historic 60-win season in 2024 and the program’s first-ever national championship.
His accolades in seven full years with Tennessee include the 2024 National Championship, two SEC regular season championships, two SEC Tournament titles, five straight NCAA Tournament berths, and four straight NCAA Regional Championships.
At 46 years old, Vitello still has a lot to accomplish. The 300-win milestone is just the start. This season, his Volunteers are 5-0 and ranked among the top five teams in the country.
