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Where Tennessee baseball’s 2022 season ranks among all-time Vols choke jobs

By Caleb Calhoun

The Tennessee dugout after their loss to Notre Dame in the NCAA baseball Super Regional championship game in Knoxville, Tenn. on Sunday, June 12, 2022.Kns Ut Baseball Notre Dame
The Tennessee dugout after their loss to Notre Dame in the NCAA baseball Super Regional championship game in Knoxville, Tenn. on Sunday, June 12, 2022.Kns Ut Baseball Notre Dame /
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Lots of things can be a choke job. In the case of the 2022 Tennessee baseball season, it’s being the best team all year and winning everything but suffering a massive upset loss before even reaching the College World Series. However, choke jobs can also mean completely blown opportunities without the high ranking.

Vol fans are used to choke jobs of all kinds in Tennessee football, Tennessee basketball and Tennessee women’s basketball. Heck, this isn’t even the first time the baseball program has had a choke job. All the sports know how to break the hearts of UT fans.

What are the worst blown opportunities by the programs, though? Well, in light of Tennessee baseball losing in the NCAA Super Regional to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish despite being the top overall seed, we should look at those. Let’s see where that ranks among the Vols’ all-time choke jobs in history.

2007; Knoxville, TN, USA; Monica Abbott, top left, and the Lady Vols celebrate in a huddle between innings during their 8-0 victory over the Furman Lady Paladins in the 2007 NCAA Regionals Friday night at Tyson Park. Mandatory Credit: Michael Patrick/News Sentinel via USA TODAY NETWORK
2007; Knoxville, TN, USA; Monica Abbott, top left, and the Lady Vols celebrate in a huddle between innings during their 8-0 victory over the Furman Lady Paladins in the 2007 NCAA Regionals Friday night at Tyson Park. Mandatory Credit: Michael Patrick/News Sentinel via USA TODAY NETWORK /

10. 2007 Tennessee softball

Yes, the first choke job is on the diamond, but it doesn’t involve Tennessee baseball. In 2007, Tennessee softball cost itself a great chance at a national championship. This is actually the one choke job on here that doesn’t involve Rocky Top losing to a lower-seeded or lower-ranked team. That’s why it’s down here at No. 10.

Monica Abbott was in the midst of a historic season for the No. 5 seed Lady Vols. She pitched perfect games all the way through the College World Series as UT got set to face the No. 1 seed Arizona Wildcats in a best of three for the national title, and she pitched another perfect game en route to a Game One win.

All the Lady Vols needed was one run in Game Two, and they would have one a national title. However, they couldn’t manufacture it in nine innings. Abbott finally gave up a run in the 10th inning, and the team lost 1-0. They lost 5-0 the next day, but the Game Two choke puts this here.

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