KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee baseball head coach Tony Vitello has completed his three-game suspension, and the Vols' prized shortstop transfer Maui Ahuna will finally be ready to make his Vol debut, Tennessee Athletics confirmed on Monday.
Vitello was suspended by Tennessee for the team's three-game series against Dayton this past weekend while UT worked with the NCAA to address a program violation. Tennessee did not specify what the violation was.
The Vols' head coach will be back in the Tennessee dugout for the Vols' game against Charleston Southern on Tuesday at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
Ahuna had to sit out the team's first eight games of the season as the program awaited his eligibility clearance following his transfer from Kansas. Ahuna indicated his clearance in a tweet on Monday afternoon prior to Tennessee's official announcement.
The Hawaii native transferred to Tennessee from Kansas in June 2022 after playing two seasons with the Jayhawks. D1 Baseball has the junior ranked as a top prospect in the 2023 MLB Draft class.
Ahuna has garnered several preseason accolades, including multiple Preseason All-America selections and a spot on the 2023 Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List.
Last season, Ahuna had a batting average of .396, 48 RBIs, eight home runs, an on-base percentage of .479, and a slugging percentage of .634.