Tony Vitello, Luc Lipcius discuss extending Tennessee’s season for Drew Gilbert’s return
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Tennessee is not going home yet and has a chance to advance to the College World Series with a win Sunday. In the crucial Game 3 vs. Notre Dame, the Vols will also get Drew Gilbert back into the lineup.
During Friday’s loss to the Irish, Gilbert was ejected for arguing balls and strikes. Due to NCAA rules, he was suspended for Saturday’s Game 2.
Now, Tennessee will get Gilbert back with the season once again on the line. After Saturday’s win, head coach Tony Vitello was asked what it means to be able to extend the season for Gilbert.
Though he appreciated the question, Vitello was at a loss for words to explain the feeling:
“I’m just being honest, I can’t put that into words,” said Vitello. “You can come up with something if you want, but I can’t.”
Luc Lipcius – who homered twice in a big 5th inning for the Vols – was also asked about Gilbert’s return. Lipcius admitted the team just wanted to play with him at least one more time and predicted it would be a “berserk” atmosphere on Sunday:
“We just wanted to see him play again,” said Lipcius, “And I think he’s gonna come out with a lot of energy. I think the crowd is going to go absolutely berserk when he gets that first AB.”
Sunday’s decisive Game 3 is set for a first-pitch time of 1 pm ET. That game will be broadcast on ESPN.
Tony Vitello was asked about making sure last night wasn’t Drew Gilbert’s last game at Tennessee. His response shows the genuine love he has for his team. #Vols pic.twitter.com/yryQSDIPZY
— Reece Van Haaften (@Reece_VH) June 11, 2022
“We just wanted to see him play again… The crowd is going to go absolutely berserk when he gets that first AB.”
Luc Lipcius (@LLipcius) explained how important Drew Gilbert (@gillygoobear) is to the #Vols. pic.twitter.com/XcBNa8UtqZ
— Reece Van Haaften (@Reece_VH) June 11, 2022
Paul Harvey lives in Atlanta and covers SEC football.
