Freshman hero in Tennessee's comeback victory gives the ultimate recruiting pitch for Tony Vitello and his staff

After the game, in which Tennessee trailed 3-2 in the seventh, Clark was asked why he chose to go to Tennessee in lieu of other professional opportunities.  Clark smiled and gave a nod to the Tennessee coaching staff. 

"Tennessee is the place you want to be right now, you know, in all ways. The coaches here, amazing. They're the ones who take you to the next level and get you prepared."

Clark, who clubbed his first home run for Tennessee last weekend against Hofstra, is a player who drew a lot of interest coming out of high school.  A top 40 recruit nationally and an All-State player for Walton High School in Marietta, Georgia, Clark hit a robust .427 with 38 hits, 30 RBIs and 9 home runs his senior year. 

However, it's hard to argue with the success that Vitello has had over the last four years. Not just getting his players to Omaha three times and not just winning two SEC regular season and tournament titles in that same span.  That's all amazing for the team. 

Rather, Tennessee players have begun to occupy more and more spots on Major League Baseball rosters during Vitello's time in Knoxville.  That was never more evident than during last year's MLB Draft, when Tennessee had five players drafted in the first three rounds and eight players drafted overall.  Christian Moore was the headliner, taken with the eighth overall pick by the Los Angeles Angels. 

So, it's clear that success is beginning to resonate with top high school baseball recruits, which bodes well for sustained success for Vitello and the Vols for years to come.