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For the first time in program history, Tennessee is No. 1 in a college baseball ranking coming in at the top spot in this week’s Perfect Game poll.
After making it to the College World Series for the first time in 16 years last season, Tony Vitello’s sixth Tennessee team is off to a fast start.
The Vols are 19-1 and 3-0 in SEC play after a decisive sweep of South Carolina this past weekend at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
“I think that was something that wasn’t too big of a surprise because you look at guys like Luc, Redmond, Evan — those guys kind of know what it’s all about,” Tennessee head coach Tony Vitello said of if the fast SEC start surprised him. “They should by now, but I think they also have a lot of influence on the guys just in a social setting. They have the right frame of mind. If the younger guys don’t know what quite to do they follow the lead but I also think some of these younger guys have a knack for knowing what to do.”
Despite spending much of the 2021 season in the top five and the vast majority in the top 10, the Vols never climbed to the top spot in any of the six major rankings.
While the Vols are only No. 1 in Perfect Game’s rankings, they are in the top five of the majority of rankings. Tennessee is No. 2 in Collegiate Baseball Magazine’s rankings, No. 3 in NCWBA’s rankings, No. 5 in the D1Baseball ranking, No. 5 in the USA Today’s Coaches Poll and No. 7 in the Baseball America rankings.
Things elevate to another level for Tennessee the next two weekends as they go on the road for three-game series against two of the nation’s best teams.
The Vols face Ole Miss — who is No. 1 in two of the main six rankings — this weekend in Oxford before traveling to Nashville for a instate battle with Vanderbilt. The Commodores are ranked No. 1 in three of the main six rankings.
“We have a lot of fans that are angry and they want to win some big games and we have a lot of intentions of going in places and at least causing some ruckus,” Tennessee catcher Evan Russell said. “If we go in and play our game, no matter who we’re playing we’ll be fine. As long as we go in and get after some people and make people uncomfortable, we’ll have a lot of success.”
Tennessee’s next two series are its hardest of the season. If they can have success in them they’ll have a great chance to win its second straight SEC title.
