Tennessee’s quiet stroll home said plenty
The police motorcade was not normal size. Lifestar helicopter circled overhead in celebration as the Tennessee baseball team returned home to Lindsey Nelson Stadium. With backhoes digging, roads closed and entrances blocked, the escort stopped behind the centerfield wall which houses field equipment. One by one players grabbed their luggage and made for many a final stroll from dead center to the dugout and locker room.
A quick crush of some Chik-Fil-A, a shower and it was off to a parade and a final show.
And while the fanfare of the festivities downtown were electric and it was a great celebration, the lasting images for me the day after Tennessee’s national title win was a subdued Tony Vitello, AirPod in his ears making his way back to his familiar perch. It will be Hunter Ensley limping his way across the turf he roamed with such ease for the last three months. It will be a bus driver carrying the national championship trophy in.
For me, it was a stark reminder of just how taxing the grind is.
Oh sure, there were some sleepy guys after some late night celebrating following Monday night’s win, but the fatigue physically and mentally was obvious to see from my vantage point.
I firmly believe winning play a national title in college baseball is the most difficult of any sport because of the grind.
Tennessee’s season of play was 129 days as they opened the year in Dallas, Texas on February 16th.
In those 129 days, they played 73 games. They played every weekend in that stretch, they didn’t have a rainout thanks to turf. Over the last 34 days, they have played 17 times, which including going 7-0 in elimination games.
Tennessee went 16-6 against teams in Baseball America’s final top-25 poll, making the Vols a true champion and leaving many to wonder if Tennessee is becoming the king of college baseball.
“Ah, sh@#, don’t say that man,” Vitello said when asked that question post game Monday night. “Let’s enjoy this and then understand again we are in the league where sometimes they get you and sometime you get them, but if you compete every day and you work hard you can stay a float.”
“And I don’t think you ever — I guess Coach Saban would argue — but you don’t ever get to a point where you can look down on everybody because the instant you do that, you’re probably going to take an upper cut from one if not multiple places.”
And that’s what makes it such a grind. It never stops. You are always swimming to stay afloat. Tuesday night, coaches and players slept in their own beds. On Wednesday, they woke up to continue that grind.
This morning, Tennessee will hold their first of eight camps over the next 60 days. Some returning players will work those camps. Others will be off to summer league ball. The coaches will be on the road recruiting and evaluating. They will be working the portal for what is going to be a large roster flip next year,
No one will forget Tennessee magical season that ascended them to the top of the college baseball mountain. They won’t forget the hero’s that made it happen.
I will long remember the pacing and looks on their faces as they strolled back into their dugout and clubhouse. A stroll that reminded me of the difficulty of getting to the top and the sudden new challenge of trying to stay there.
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