UT Baseball’s Culture of Excellence Emblematic of the Volunteer Spirit
Following the University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s first baseball national championship, Chancellor Donde Plowman shared her thoughts on the school’s athletic excellence in an op-ed that ran in a special section of the Knoxville News Sentinel.
Plowman congratulated the coaches, players, and staff for their historic win while commending them for the passion and dedication they displayed for their team, their sport, and their university.
“They are not just a collection of some of the country’s most skilled ball players. They are Volunteers. A team of selfless champions, who play for the guy next to them and the name across their chest,” she wrote.
She went on to describe how she has watched Head Coach Tony Vitello build a successful baseball program over the the past five seasons while Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Danny White has been busy “building the best athletics program in the country.” in recent years.
In the 2023–24 academic year alone, 11 UT teams finished their seasons in the top 10, winning 12 Southeastern Conference titles along the way. Plowman noted how these successes are part of an overall trend as the university continues to break records in student success, enrollment, fundraising, research funding, and other areas.
Read the full op-ed.