OMAHA, Neb. — Tennessee baseball has advanced to the College World Series Finals for the first time since 1951 and the Vols said it'll be special to bring a title back to Knoxville.
Amidst this season's intense games, the unwavering support of the players' families has been a constant. Many families, like Blake Burke's from California, have traveled for hours every weekend to catch their sons playing in an SEC series. The Dreiling family, too, has been making a 14-hour journey almost every weekend to watch Dylan play.
Outfielder Kavares Tears said it means more to bring home a title for the families who have put in so much effort to support the team.
"For the fans and families who have sacrificed so much to come and watch us," Tears said. "It would definitely be something special for everybody."
Tears also emphasized the importance of winning a national title, not just for the current players, but also for the future of the team. Bringing home the first championship in program history would not only be a personal achievement but also a tribute to the legacy of the former Vols.
"It would be special, especially for the guys who have done so much to help us get to where we are now," he said. "The players who came before us."
For graduate pitcher Kirby Connell, winning with this specific team would mean a great deal.
"It would be awesome," Connell said. "This is something we've talked about, ya know, for my five years is... trying to win a national championship... and we've spent a lot of time together... that's our main goal to win a national championship."
Catcher Cal Stark, a Knoxville native, said it makes him emotional to think about, and bringing home a title for one of the most loyal fan bases in the country would mean everything.
"I'm getting chills just thinking about it," Stark said. "Bringing one back to Knoxville... that place would be rowdy as all get out, so being able to do that for the fans, I think that would just be awesome."
Tennessee will play Texas A&M in the College World Series finals starting Saturday at 7:30 p.m. EST.
