Tennessee baseball dropped two out of three to Texas A&M this weekend thanks to back-to-back poor performances in their Saturday doubleheader.
The Vols won the season opener 10-0 in a run-rule win paired with a no-hitter ending after seven innings. Tennessee looked like the better team after game one, but Saturday's games didn't go as well.
Tennessee lost the first game 9-3 and then was run-ruled 17-6 in an eight-inning game for the series finale. Tony Vitello made it clear that people shouldn't underestimate Texas A&M despite their struggles to start the year.
"They played better than us," Vitello said after the series loss. "We happened to play two games in one day, and it was not a good day for us, and it was a very good day for them. You get tired of hearing, you know, negative things about a good program. And like I told you guys, [Texas A&M has] a good coaching staff and good players."
Vitello also made the harsh reality about Tennessee's roster clear. He mentioned that while the Vols have a great, hardworking roster, it isn't the most talented roster in college baseball.
"Hardworking group in here, but [the media] aren't in the dugout," Vitello mentioned about his team. "And then the other thing is, we got talent, but we damn sure don't have, again, we know the rosters, we don't have the best roster in the country. That's not even close.
"But what we've had this year is a good group of guys — defensively, pitching-wise, hitting, [they] all complement each other a little bit. And we've had a little bit of grit to us and we've had some other intangibles like team chemistry that have helped elevate our play a little bit. But we can't show up and rely on what's on paper."
That can be tough to hear for Vols fans coming off a national championship last year and looking to run it back in Omaha again this year.
While the Vols have the potential to win it all for the second year in a row, it's clear that Vitello is coaching his guys to play with a chip on their shoulders.
They might not be the most talented roster in the country, but if they bring their hardworking mentality, gritty play style, and swagger, they can compete and beat any team in the country.