USA Today Coaches Poll nets Vols as preseason No. 2
The sixth and final national preseason poll was released Thursday afternoon and the Tennessee Vols received another No. 2 ranking entering the new season – this time by the USA Today Coaches Poll.
Receiving six first-place votes, Tennessee finished second behind Southeastern Conference foe LSU, who picked up 23 first-place votes. Reigning national champion Ole Miss was the only other team to receive first-place votes as the Rebels garnered two with their seventh-ranking.
Coming in behind Tennessee was Sandford in third, followed by Texas A&M and Florida in the top-five. Arkansas, Mississippi, Oklahoma State, Vanderbilt and Wake Forest rounded out the top-10. The Tigers, Vols, Aggies, Gators, Razorbacks, Rebels and Commodores – who all placed inside the top-10, were the only teams from the SEC recognized on the inaugural poll.
Auburn, Alabama, South Carolina, Georgia and Mississippi State received votes.
The USA TODAY Sports baseball coaches poll is conducted weekly throughout the regular season using a panel of 31 head coaches at Division I schools. Each coach submits a Top 25 with a first-place vote worth 25 points, second place 24, and so on down to one point for 25th.
Earlier in the week, the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association tabbed the Vols at No. 2 while Baseball American and D1 Baseball’s preseason All-American teams were littered with Volunteers.
The Vols are coming off a 57-9 campaign, going 25-5 in SEC play. Tennessee led the nation in team ERA last spring, bolstered by reigning SEC Pitcher of the Year Chase Dollander, SEC Freshman of the Year Drew Beam and Freshman All-American Chase Burns. The Vols, who earned the No. 1 ranking in the NCAA Tournament, fell to Notre Dame in the Super Regional final in Knoxville.
In five seasons under head coach Tony Vitello, Tennessee baseball has accumulated a 191-77 overall record with a 71-49 mark inside conference play. The Vols have made postseason play three times (and could have in 2020 if not for the season cut short) and made a trip to Omaha for the College World Series in 2021.
Tennessee won the SEC regular-season and tournament titles for the first time since 1995 and reached its No. 1 ranking ever, spending 12 weeks atop the polls.
Vitello was named national Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season by Perfect Game and picked up his first SEC Coach of the Year honor following the program record 57-win campaign.
Tennessee is set to begin the 2023 season in Arizona at the MLB Desert Invitational on the weekend of February 16-18. The Vols will open with Arizona on that Friday night and then play Grand Canyon and UC San Diego on Saturday and Sunday before returning to East Tennessee for the home-opener on February 21 against Alabama A&M.
Tennessee Baseball Preseason Rankings
D1 Baseball – No. 2
USA Today – No. 2
NCBWA – No. 2
Perfect Game – No. 2
Baseball American – No. 2
Collegiate Baseball – No. 5
