Tony Vitello says Southern Miss covers up any glaring issues

Tennessee is gearing up for this weekend’s Super Regional series on the road against Southern Miss, and Vols head coach Tony Vitello was complimentary of the Golden Eagles’ skills in every facet ahead of the weekend.

Whether it’s the pitching staff or the bats boasting seven of its regular batters batting over .250, Southern Miss has been dangerous all season long and they have 45 wins and a Sun Belt Championship to show for it.

“Coach (Scott) Berry covers those up. It’s why he is who he is. That program has been very well-known in the baseball community for quite a while,” Vitello said ahead of the Golden Eagles. “The park tends to play a little offensive, so they’ve always had good offenses.

“If you watch the way they’ve done things since he’s been there, there’s a well-rounded offense. It all stems from guys being competitive. You have a group of guys – and when you get to this time of the year, you can say it about anybody – there are older guys that have experience before and they are hungry to get to whatever the next thing is in the playoffs. That’s what is going on there.”

Even with an park that benefits offenses, Vitello praised the Golden Eagles’ pitching staff for being equally as dominant all year long. Tanner Hall has been Berry’s ace for the past two years, while Justin Storm has been stellar with eight saves on the season — both could see themselves on the mound against the Vols during Game 1.

On the offensive side of the plate, shortstop Dustin Dickerson is batting a team-high .328 with 33 extra-base hits (10 home runs) on 84 total runs. He is followed by center fielder Matthew Etzel, who has 51 RBIs on the season on 86 hits — the most on the team. Both bat one and two in the Golden Eagles’ lineup, so Tennessee will see the duo early and often in Hattiesburg.

“[They’re a] pretty good club,” Vitello said. “If we weren’t fortunate enough to play this weekend, which we are — you could rattle off any of the teams that are still alive and it’s going to be the case for all of them.”

Game 1 of the 2023 NCAA Hattiesburg Super Regional is set for 2 p.m. ET live inside Pete Taylor Park. ESPNU will carry the national broadcast. Tennessee heads into the matchup as the favorite (-145), and the over/under run total is set at 10, per Caesars Sportsbook.

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