Tony Vitello after Tennessee's loss to Virginia: Vols fans deserve better
Tennessee fans showed up strong in Omaha for the 2021 College World Series. Volunteers skipper Tony Vitello said they deserved better after a 6-0 loss to Virginia on Sunday.
“Clearly, we got beat today in a few different facets,” Vitello told reporters after the game. “(Virginia pitcher) Andrew Abbott was outstanding. I thought there were some moments where we lacked conviction… We kind of uncharacteristically lost our edge a little bit, which has been so beneficial to us. Vol fans deserve better.”
Vols fans know that four-straight elimination games is an unenviable position but UT was in that position in Hoover, winning four in a row to make the SEC Tournament championship game. If Tennessee manages to win four in a row again, the CWS series will reset to a best-of-three.
Vitello pointed to the Hoover run for how Vols need to approach being in the losers’ bracket, saying his team is built for the challenge.
“It’s nice when things go the way they did in the Super Regional, but our brand name is to bounce back,” Vitello told reporters. “The teams here are pretty special, but the teams in our league are downright good, too.”
It all starts with an elimination game Tuesday against either Texas or Mississippi State.
