HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. β Tennessee baseball sent a gift to Northern Kentucky manager Ryan Mavriplis β banners from the Knoxville Regional to commemorate the Norse's first-ever NCAA Tournament trip.
NKU Director of Baseball Operations Bob Runyan posted on Facebook a picture of Mavriplis, also known as "Mav," holding an NCAA Baseball banner from the tournament.
"A few days ago, I received a text from one of my University of Tennessee contacts from the regional tournament asking for a shipping address. Apparently, Ryan Mavriplis made some type of impact on Coach Vitello at the University of Tennessee," Runyan said in the post. "No one knows how or why. They never spoke alone and only met each other during the lineup exchange prior to the game. Maybe it was Ryan's pregame batting practice that impressed him, or his run around the bases."
Mavriplis' personality was on display throughout the Knoxville Regional, and the team's mic'd-up video of the manager is a must-watch for anyone who hasn't seen it. Vitello said he just wanted to send Mavriplis something to remember the team's first-ever trip to the big dance.
"It was a magical run for those guys, making absolutely the most of their resources. No one was more heartbroken than him. We just wanted to make sure he had a good keepsake," Vitello said. "I know it won't be his last, but I know it was his first. Hopefully, it is a good keepsake."
Tennessee defeated NKU in the first game of the Knoxville Regional, and Runyan said the gifts of two banners, one on the smaller side and one "a good 20 feet long," will help Tennessee get back on the team's good side.
"Now that the Norse are out of the tournament, and if you need someone to root for, hearing Rocky Top won't sting as much as I pull for Coach Vitello and the Volunteers this year," Runyan said. "Sports are good."