One of the biggest stories in Tennessee athletics came when Josh Elander took over the baseball program following the departure of Tony Vitello. The former head coach, who led Tennessee to a national title, accepted an MLB job with the San Francisco Giants, becoming one of the first managers to make the jump directly from college to the major leagues.
A viral video surfaced over the weekend showing Tony Vitello playfully sparring with former Vol Drew Gilbert in the dugout. What started as a simple handshake quickly turned into a fun and lighthearted sparring session between the two former Tennessee Vols.
Nothing to see here, just Drew Gilbert and Tony Vitello sparring in the dugout 🤣 pic.twitter.com/qDg79fC12J
— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) April 18, 2026
Gilbert hot, but Vitello has been off to a rough start
Despite the energy in the dugout, San Francisco Giants have gotten off to a mediocre start, sitting at 9–13 and fourth in the NL West. His fiery personality has already led to a few heated moments this season. However, given his pitching background, he seems to be making an impact, especially with former Cy Young winner Robbie Ray, who has posted a 2.86 ERA and 1.09 WHIP over 28.1 innings so far.
Drew Gilbert, on the other hand, has been off to a nice start. The former first-round pick is hitting .313 with an .889 OPS in 16 at-bats this year. It's been a small sample size, but the former Vol outfielder has been off to a perfect start.
Shaky Start to the Elander era in Knoxville
With Tony Vitello gone, the Josh Elander era is off to an okay start. Tennessee is 26–14 overall and 8–10 in SEC play. The Vols swept Mississippi State last weekend, but couldn’t keep it going, losing two of three to the Ole Miss Rebels this past weekend. Tennessee will take on Lipscomb on Tuesday and then will host No.13 Alabama for a three-game series this weekend.
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