It has been a decade of futility for the Tennessee baseball team.
Tennessee’s last visit to the postseason was in 2005 when the Vols managed to advance to the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska, before exiting college baseball’s biggest stage with losses to Florida and Arizona State.
How long ago was that? The No. 1 song on Billboard at the time was Mariah Carey’s “We Belong Together,” Bruce Pearl had only been Tennessee’s head basketball coach for three months, and current Tennessee pitcher Andy Cox was 11 years old.
However, coach Dave Serrano did not seem perturbed at Tennessee’s long postseason drought in his interview on Thursday.
Instead, Serrano looked to be in high spirits as he strolled over to the contingent of reporters and news cameras and opened the interview with a topical joke
“I am only here because I don’t want to get fined,” Serrano quipped in reference to Seattle Seahawks’ tailback Marshawn Lynch’s infamous Super Bowl media day interview on Tuesday.
Serrano’s early jape hinted at a certain confidence he displayed throughout the interview: confidence in his team and in the upcoming season.
“I like this team,” Serrano said. “You know, but I like every team at the start of the season. But this team, for me and this coaching staff, we have gone through the rigors, we have guys we brought in with our very first recruiting class that have developed, and have gone through the tough times in the SEC.”
Serrano, who is in his fourth season at Tennessee, has reason to like this team. He no longer has to rely on younger players to immediately perform at a high level. Instead, he returns five players who were ranked in the Top 100 in their respective classes and Christian Stewart, who was voted Preseason First-Team All-American by two media outlets.
Perhaps most importantly, Serrano believes that for the first time in his tenure at Tennessee he has a pitching staff capable of carrying the Vols through the gauntlet of SEC play.
“I feel our depth on the pitching staff with quality is the best it has been,” Serrano said. “And that is what gives me so much confidence about where we are at as a program.”
People outside the program are also taking notice of the Vols. D1Baseball.com’s preseason poll ranks Tennessee at No. 25 in the nation and the Perfect Game lists Tennessee as the No. 27 team in college baseball.
“I am most happy for the players,” Serrano said when asked about the preseason accolades. “I think they are deserving of that. They have worked hard to get this program where it’s at. I know they wear the uniform with pride and I think for them going into the season, I think it’s a little boost of confidence that other people, outside of this coaching staff and themselves, think highly of them.”
Serrano’s confidence, the preseason expectations, the return of experienced players, and the improved pitching staff all amount to one goal.
That goal is return to the College World Series for the first time since 2005.
“We have talked more about getting to Omaha more than we ever have in our four years,” Serrano said. “Part of that is due because I didn’t want to set other teams up for failure. I believe that this team, that should be our goal now. Our goal in this program is to go to Omaha every year. I thought it would be unfair to say that in our first three years because we didn’t have the pieces together yet. That was not an excuse, it was reality.
“We have the pieces in place now, now it’s a matter of doing it.”
Before the Vols can achieve Serrano’s lofty goals, they still must answer several questions. Serrano admitted the most daunting question for the team is how the coaching staff will handle the pitching situation, claiming his team may have 10 pitchers who are capable of starting.
Yet, there are only four starting spots available in a typical week during the baseball season.
The coaching staff will have to decide which pitchers will start, which pitchers will close, and which pitchers will relieve starting pitchers.
Serrano will also have to define the role for junior left-handed pitcher Cox. The Arlington, Tennessee, native played a major role last season for the Vols as he appeared in 27 games, started in 6 games and led the team in strikeouts at 70.
Cox’s role might have been too big last season as the pitcher mentioned he experienced arm stiffness during the fall. Regardless of the role Cox might serve for the team, Serrano probably wishes to reduce the volume of pitches for Cox for the 2015 season.
Cox himself is unsure of the role he will play for his team, but just wants to help his team win.
“Honestly, I will be happy wherever I pitch,” Cox said. “(My role is) Just helping out the team win, it doesn’t really matter to me.”
While Serrano still has issues he needs to resolve before the season starts, he has confidence that this team could be the first in a line of future great Tennessee baseball teams.
“I believe this team could really set the bar for what this program is going to about for years to come,” Serrano said.
Tennessee starts the season with a road trip to play Florida International on Feb. 13.
