Tennessee baseball coach Tony Vitello suspended

Tennessee baseball coach Tony Vitello suspended

Tennessee baseball coach Tony Vitello has been suspended for this weekend’s series with Dayton for what the school termed “a violation in the program” regarding NCAA rules.

Assistant coach Josh Elander will coach the 5th-ranked Volunteers (3-2) this weekend. According to a release issued by the university, Vitello has “acknowledged his mistake and accepted full responsibility.”

The exact nature of Vitello’s violation was not disclosed, though Outkick.com reported that the suspension stems from tampering accusations regarding Kansas transfer Maui Ahuna. Ahuna, expected to be the Volunteers’ starting shortstop this season, has not played in the team’s first five games.

Here’s the complete statement from Tennessee:

Tennessee went 57-9 and won the SEC championship last season. However, the top-ranked Volunteers lost to Notre Dame in a best-of-3 NCAA Super Regional, failing to make the College World Series.