Tony Vitello Discusses Major Challenges for Tennessee Vols Baseball Ahead of Super Regional
Tony Vitello on the Biggest Challenges Heading into the Super Regional vs. Evansville
The top-ranked Tennessee Volunteers are preparing to host Evansville starting Friday night in Knoxville, Tennessee. Head baseball coach Tony Vitello shared his insights with the media about the primary challenges the Volunteers might face.
“I think managing the adrenaline and intensity is crucial. Our crowd is a huge help, but we need to be cautious about getting too amped up, and I think our guys handled it well. Being at home for the second weekend in a row in a playoff environment should give our guys a better understanding of how to handle it,” Vitello said.
Hosting the regional or even super regional is not new for this baseball program, but Vitello provided examples of how the crowd has influenced the tournament, sometimes not in the Vols’ favor. “One negative example from last weekend is when we were in a position to finish or win the regional against a good team on Sunday night in Southern Miss. Our guys were a bit too amped up about finishing the job or whatever cliché you want to use. For about three or four innings, there was too much tension. Whether it’s trying too hard, tension, or too much adrenaline, these are things that come with postseason games and playing at home in front of an energized crowd. Our guys need to enjoy it because they’ve worked hard to get here, and then they just need to play ball.”
