'What he said choked me up like no other' - Tony Vitello drops quote about Liam Doyle that will have Tennessee fans tearing up

Tennessee Vols LHP Liam Doyle spent less than a year in Knoxville, but that was enough time to become a fan favorite on Rocky Top. 

It was also enough time for Doyle, who started his college career at Coastal Carolina and Ole Miss, to decide that Tennessee is "home". 

Vols head baseball coach Tony Vitello joined The Tony Basilio Show on Wednesday, just a few days after Tennessee's season ended with a loss to Arkansas in the Fayetteville Super Regional, and he dropped a quote about Doyle that will have Tennessee fans in their feelings. 

"We had an exit meeting with [Doyle], and what he said choked me up like no other," said Vitello. "He went to Coastal Carolina, he went to Mississippi, and then he came to us. And he said the one thing he got out of coming here, he said he loved every minute, and obviously Frank (Anderson) got him better, and he's going to make a lot of money, but he said, 'What I had been searching for this whole time is a place I can call home, and this is a place that I can call home'. And so that's something to me that should elevate that legendary status with the fan base or the community, because he's been in some good spots. I mean, Coastal is an Omaha national championship team. So is Mississippi. They're both great places.

"For whatever reason, this (Tennessee) clicked for him. And what he was willing to do with his arm, instead of sitting out and saying, 'I'm going to get drafted in the first round, I don't need to be doing this stupid stuff', he was wanting to do more than we would let him do."

"To only do that for 9 or 10 months with that kid is depressing," added Vitello of Doyle. "So who knows, maybe we raise a glass sometime down the road or go see one of his outings. But he's special. And anyone who badmouths him at any point because he gets fired up -- and I'm sure social media posts stuff -- if they met him for two seconds, they would love him as a kid. And then we'd all kill to have him on our team no matter what the sport is."

Doyle is undoubtedly a Tennessee baseball player that will be remembered forever by the UT fan base. He'll go down as a legend for his fiery competitiveness, his willingness to put the team above himself, and the love he showed the crowd at Lindsey Nelson Stadium after his memorable appearance (on two days rest) to close out the Knoxville Regional final against Wake Forest. 

It's a shame that Vols fans only got to see Doyle in a UT uniform for one season, but that one season was certainly one for the books.