The Tennessee Volunteers baseball team represents the University of Tennessee in NCAA Division Icollege baseball. Along with most other Tennessee athletic teams, the baseball team participates in the Eastern division of the Southeastern Conference. The Volunteers play all on-campus home games at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. The Volunteers are currently coached by three-time National Coach of the Year and one-time Southeastern Conference Baseball Coach of the Year, Tony Vitello. During Vitello's tenure, Tennessee has quickly become one of the premier programs in all of college baseball. From 2021 to 2024, Tennessee amassed the most overall wins, the most NCAA tournament wins, the most home runs, as well as the highest winning percentage in the country.[2] The Vols won their first College World Series in 2024, becoming just the second team to win the title as the #1 overall seed and the first to do it since 1999.[3] They also became the SEC's first team with 60 wins and the fourth to win the regular season title, the SEC tournament title, and the national championship in the same season.[4]
Stadium
Lindsey Nelson Stadium was constructed between the 1992 and 1993 seasons, on the site of the stadium, which was called Lower Hudson Field. In the past, the program had played at various locations including Lower Hudson Field and Shields–Watkins Field.[5]
The playing field was named for Maryville, Tennessee native Robert M. Lindsay in 2007 after a $2 million athletic department contribution by Mr. Lindsay. Mr. Lindsay's father Rus Lindsay played baseball at the University of Tennessee from 1913 to 1916.[7]
Lindsey Nelson Stadium is currently in the midst of a $98 million, multi-year renovation project with the most recent additions bringing the current official capacity to 5,548. Once the renovations are complete, a new mezzanine section of premium seating and other additions will bring the capacity up to approximately 7,750 people.[8]
The record attendance at Lindsey Nelson stadium is 6,396, during an NCAA regional championship game against Northern Kentucky on May 31, 2024.[9]
Head coaches
After a six-year tenure, coach Dave Serrano resigned following a 101-110 overall record and no post-season trips. On June 7, 2017, Tony Vitello accepted the position as head coach, and in his first year compiled a 29-27 record, the most wins by a first-year head coach in program history. In Vitello's second season at Tennessee, he led the Vols to 40 wins and their first NCAA tournament appearance since 2005.[10] In 2024, Vitello led the Vols to their first national championship in program history.
^"The University of Tennessee, Knoxville | History Filter". The University of Tennessee, Knoxville. 1921: Shields-Watkins Football Field Completed. Retrieved July 14, 2021. Shields-Watkins Field, which originally included the track and space for baseball games...{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
