KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — In 1951, four seasons after the College World Series was established, the Tennessee baseball team made its maiden trip to Omaha. They dropped their very first game, 7 to 1, to Utah.
Relegated to the lower bracket, Tennessee went on a tear, winning their next four games over Princeton, Springfield, Utah and Southern California to find themselves in the 1951 College World Series finals.
The Volunteers lost to the Oklahoma Sooners 3-2, and over the next four decades, were unable to make it to World Series tournament play.
1995 marked the first time in 44 years that the Vols would compete again in the College World Series.
Led by national player of the year, Todd Helton, the 5th-seeded Vols made it through Clemson before being bested 11 to 1 by top-seeded Cal State Fullerton.
Tennessee would bounce back by overcoming Stanford 6-2, but Cal State had the Vols’ number as they once again put double digits on the board beating the Vols 11 to 0 in the semi-finals.
Six years passed until the Vols made it back to the World Series. They advanced to the semifinals before being ousted by eventual winner Miami.
In 2005, Tennessee wasn’t able to make it out of the first round.
With the 2017 hiring of Tony Vitello, the Tennessee baseball program has once again risen to prominence, making it to the College World Series three out of the last four seasons.
It’s been 73 years since the Vols last played in the College World Series finals.
Will 2024 be the year they finally bring the title to Rocky Top?