KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee fans more than 900 miles away from their team's ball game are cheering hard, hoping their team spirit helps carry the players to more wins.
On Monday, Tennessee beat Stanford 6-4 in Omaha, during the College World Series, staving off elimination from the competition. They came back after trailing behind for much of the match.
It was their first College World Series game win since 2001, and they will play LSU on Tuesday at 7 p.m. for a chance at the College World Series semifinals.
"It's electric. This team is never out of anything. Every time we watch a UT baseball game, once get to the fourth inning, we know we can come back anytime," said Michael Cockrell, who watched the game at a Knoxville bar. "It's awesome seeing it again."
He was joined by many other fans, who went to celebrate with others despite rain showers on Monday. They went to celebrate Tennessee's work to make it to the College World Series and to celebrate national prominence over the last four years.
They said over the last four years, Tennessee has appeared in NCAA Regionals, back-to-back NCAA Super Regionals and the College World Series in 2021.
"This year, they are different because last year we had a really good program. They've been together for a really long time, and I think people kind of doubted them going into this year," said Machaela Rausch, a Tennessee Baseball fan.
The Vols will need to win the next three games to qualify for the finals in the College World Series.