Vols head coach Tony Vitello leaves no doubt how he feels about being at Tennessee ahead of the start of the 2025 season

The Tennessee Vols baseball team -- AKA the defending national champs -- will kick off the 2025 season on February 14 with a three-game series in Knoxville against Hofstra. 

Vols head coach Tony Vitello met with reporters on Wednesday ahead of the start of the season and he quickly made it clear how he feels about Tennessee (though his comments certainly won't come as surprise to UT fans). 

"I love this place," said Vitello. "I love dang near everything about it. I love Mike (Keith) that you're back in God's country here. And I just want to make sure that I'm contributing in a way that I should. And I want to make sure our guys are playing in a way that Vol fans can say 'I'm proud of that product on the field and I want to cheer for them, I got their back regardless of wins or losses'. Because we learned a year -- you can pick out the year, no one's invincible. Especially in this league.

"So, you win, you lose, it's part of the deal that we signed up for, literally when you sign the contract. But I just want to make sure I'm doing my part and therefore the program is doing our part to make Vol fans proud and get to see what they deserve to see." 

(Side note: That was a nice shout-out from Vitello to Mike Keith, the new Voice of the Vols.)