“They’re celebrating all summer long” - Pat McAfee reacts to Tony Vitello's Tennessee’s first CWS national championship in program history
Tony Vitello's Tennessee made history on Monday by winning the first College World Series title in program history. The Vols beat Texas A&M 6-5 in the deciding Game 3 of the series to clinch their maiden national championship. Analyst Pat McAfee believes Tennessee's celebrations won't be stopping anytime soon.
After summarizing the key moments of the Tennessee vs. Texas A&M finale on ESPN, an energized McAfee described the feelings in the Vols camp, saying:
"This game would inevitably end 6-5. Tennessee Volunteers beat Texas A&M in a late thriller in Omaha. And we have a brand new national champion. The Volunteers win the College World Series for the first time in program history." (2:12 onwards)
"And it got tight late. And a lot of people were thinking, 'Is Tennessee gonna blow this?' And instead, a nasty pitch to end this. And back in Rocky Top, they're celebrating all summer long," McAfee added.
The Vols didn't get off to a great start in the CWS final and suffered a 9-5 defeat against Texas A&M in Game 1. However, Tennessee showed resistance to fight back and beat the Aggies 4-2 in Game 2 to force a Game 3 on Monday.
The Vols took a 6-1 lead in Game 3, but the Aggies came close to pulling off a remarkable comeback. Eventually, Tennessee held on to win the game 6-5 and hoist the national title.
Tony Vitello addresses rumors of leaving Tennessee
Soon after winning the CWS title with Tennessee, coach Tony Vitello was asked about his future with the team and whether he was considering leaving the program for a different challenge. Instead, the Vols coach shut down any rumors of leaving Tennessee.
"But Tennessee came calling, and I knew a little bit about it. I knew it had those ingredients. But I've been blown away by how friendly everybody is, how involved everybody is," Vitello said (per Rocky Top Talk).
"Loyalty is very important to me, probably because I’m Italian. But this community, the fans, school, have all been loyal. Look at those fans out there," Vitello added.
Vitello took charge of Tennessee in 2017. Besides leading the Vols to their first national title, he has won two SEC regular season titles, two SEC Tournament titles, four regional championships and three super regional championships.