NighthawkVol
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When I was a kid, we had a family friend who loved to talk Tennessee Vol sports with me. He was knowledgeable about every sport, it seemed, including the ones that were never shown on TV. Like baseball. He gave me a schedule poster, with dates and times on it, so I'd take my radio into the backyard to listen to baseball games on the Vol Network. The Vols were led in those days by base-stealing Mike Basse and a power hitting 1B named Doug Hecker. When Hecker left after being drafted by the Red Sox, I wondered who would replace him. Turned out, some guy named Todd Helton did just fine.
In the few years following, I listened on the radio as the Vols won a couple of SEC titles and finally went to the College World Series in 1995. In those days, even CWS games weren't on TV, but I had a friend whose grandmother had a satellite, and I convinced him to invite me over to watch at her house. We watched Helton pitch a complete game win over Clemson.
In the 30 years since, college baseball has exploded in popularity. Now we can watch every game on TV. And for much of that time, Tennessee baseball wallowed in mediocrity under Todd Raleigh and Dave Serrano. I was jealous of people who were fans of the LSUs and Vanderbilts and Floridas of the world. When Tennessee hired Tony Vitello, I was hopeful, given his recruiting reputation, that Tennessee would become a middle of the pack SEC program.
In 7 years since being hired, Vitello has led Tennessee to 2 SEC regular season championships, 2 SEC Tournament championships, 4 Super Regionals, 3 College World Series appearances, and now a 60-win National Championship season with a team that is among the greatest of all-time. Hardly seems real.
On this day after Tennessee finally won that first National Championship, I can't help but think about being that kid who so loved everything Big Orange, whether anyone else was even aware they played baseball or not, that he'd sit out in the backyard with a portable radio, listening to the Baseball Vols and wondering how in the world the program would go on without Doug Hecker.
In the few years following, I listened on the radio as the Vols won a couple of SEC titles and finally went to the College World Series in 1995. In those days, even CWS games weren't on TV, but I had a friend whose grandmother had a satellite, and I convinced him to invite me over to watch at her house. We watched Helton pitch a complete game win over Clemson.
In the 30 years since, college baseball has exploded in popularity. Now we can watch every game on TV. And for much of that time, Tennessee baseball wallowed in mediocrity under Todd Raleigh and Dave Serrano. I was jealous of people who were fans of the LSUs and Vanderbilts and Floridas of the world. When Tennessee hired Tony Vitello, I was hopeful, given his recruiting reputation, that Tennessee would become a middle of the pack SEC program.
In 7 years since being hired, Vitello has led Tennessee to 2 SEC regular season championships, 2 SEC Tournament championships, 4 Super Regionals, 3 College World Series appearances, and now a 60-win National Championship season with a team that is among the greatest of all-time. Hardly seems real.
On this day after Tennessee finally won that first National Championship, I can't help but think about being that kid who so loved everything Big Orange, whether anyone else was even aware they played baseball or not, that he'd sit out in the backyard with a portable radio, listening to the Baseball Vols and wondering how in the world the program would go on without Doug Hecker.
