Josh Elander, Tennessee assistant, reacts to Tony Vitello's suspension and Vols' outlook
Josh Elander is stepping into a larger role on the Tennessee coaching staff during Tony Vitello’s 4-game suspension, and the third base coach on Sunday spoke about those developments.
“I mean it’s not good. He’s one of the best coaches in college baseball,” said Elander, Tennessee’s third base coach, per Ben McKee of Volquest. “But he’ll still find a way to have our team prepared and in a position to win.”
The Vols knocked off Alabama 15-4 on Sunday to win 2 out of 3 games of the weekend series in Knoxville. Asked about how the Vols could overcome the circumstances of the weekend, Elander simply said it’s next man up, and they must find a way to get it done.
“Get our work in, prep and go compete. Our guys did that again today,” he said.
Tennessee (33-3, 14-1 SEC) on Sunday got offensive power from senior Trey Lipscomb and redshirt sophomore Jorel Ortega. They combined for 7 hits, including 3 home runs, 9 RBIs and 5 runs scored on the day.
The Vols had 15 hits and drew 8 walks in the slugfest. With 15 runs in the game, the Volunteers have now driven in double-digit runs in 17 games this year, including 5 times in conference play. UT is a perfect 17-0 when scoring at least 10 runs.