Curious, if you had to choose the better season would it be 2022 or 2023?

#29
#29
2022 team was dominating and hands down the best team in the NCAA that year without question. A couple things didn’t go the 22 teams way near the end of season IIRC the catcher Evan Russell having a mental/anxiety sickness warranted him unavailable to play and was replaced by a red shirt freshman!!(FYI IF YOU HAVE NEVER PLAYED NEXT LEVEL BASEBALL, guess what the most important position on the field is for a team.

Tennessee won the Southeastern Conference East division for the second consecutive season in 2022. The Vols won the SEC regular season title and the SEC Tournament championship in 2022. These Vols were ranked No. 1 in the USA TODAY Sports baseball coaches poll for 10 consecutive weeks (March 28-May 30).

2023 team did not win the sec regular season
Or the tournament. The 23 team started out the season ranked #2 in the nation and finished around #20 and even lower in some polls. yes this team made it to Omaha but they didn’t win the CWS which would have been the only way those team should be put into the same sentence with the 22.
 
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#31
#31
ALock4UT said:
Depends on what you choose as your deciding factor.

2022 was more fun, but I am more proud of this 2023 team. I'd watch the '22 season every year of life, if I could, but what the '23 team overcame was inspiring.
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23 was preseason #2 and finished 20 spots lower the 22 team started out I think ranked 19 and ran #1 in the nation for ten plus weeks. I’d say 22 was much more inspiring and overachieving
 
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#33
#33
VolPack22 said:
2022 team was preseason #19 by D1 and predicted to finish 4th in the East. Also no preseason 1st team SEC selections. Only two 2nd team selections. I’d say they far exceeded anyone’s expectations.
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All relative I suppose. Expectations going into postseason play. 2023>2022.
 
#35
#35
Better season ???
Better quality baseball ... probably 2022
Better image ... probably 2023
Better at reaching full potential ... maybe 2023
Better fan experience ... 2022
Better coaching ... 2023
Better achievements ... wow ... CWS appearance and regional and super-regional wins on the road vs amazing record and regional win at home ... in a close one ... 2023
Better overall ... tossup depends entirely on what you are placing value on.

Notes:
1. The best team does not always win ... so, it is tough to measure based on how far a team goes.
2. If LSU beats Wake, then we will have been eliminated from CWS, by either the winner or the runner up.
3. If LSU beats Wake, then all SEC final and that makes our overall season in 2022 look even better.

Real winner ... the future of baseball at Tennessee!!! Looking forward to seeing what 2024 brings, good lord willing.
 
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#36
#36
Volwonder1 said:
23 was preseason #2 and finished 20 spots lower the 22 team started out I think ranked 19 and ran #1 in the nation for ten plus weeks. I’d say 22 was much more inspiring and overachieving
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Preseason rankings are completely meaningless, and putting the Vols 2nd when we turned over about 6/7 of 8/9 starting positions was completely absurd.

'22 team was better and got more regular season press exposure before flaming out out in the Super--which could dog fans for years.
'23 team was not as good, didn't get the regular season press coverage--but they had a good NCAA and got the exposure that comes
with being in the championship series.

Even-Steven!
 
#37
#37
Dissident said:
2022>2023. 2022 was an all-time great team that lost too early. 2023 was a relatively average team that figured it out at the end and gave us a great run. We won hardware in 2022. SEC Championship.
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I’m not sure this team was overachievers. Maybe it just took longer for them to realize their talent level. I am thrilled beyond expectations that our relatively average 2023 team made it to the CWS! I’m not sure how long it would take for most Vol fans to call making it to the CWS as relatively average. But I’m willing to accept it.
 
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#38
#38
Volwonder1 said:
23 was preseason #2 and finished 20 spots lower the 22 team started out I think ranked 19 and ran #1 in the nation for ten plus weeks. I’d say 22 was much more inspiring and overachieving
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You're framing my post entirely around preseason expectations, which are not part of my thinking in answering this question. Midway through the season, this team was trending towards missing the tournament. Getting knocked down repeatedly and then making a run to Omaha is the inspiring part to me.
 
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#39
#39
I think they are totally different and different experiences. Last year was the most complete season, but this year was the best finish, even better than 2021 because they were really not expected to be there. We definitely got hot at the right time this year. As I told Kirby, you cannot see this year as a failure because you were final 6 of 297 teams. Most players never get to go and you got to go twice already. I would guess he is in a small list of players, and maybe the only one in the modern era, who got to coach first in a WS game and got to play in 2 WS games.
He is now second all time career appearances chasing his best friend Redmond.
 
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#41
#41
preacherman20 said:
I think they are totally different and different experiences. Last year was the most complete season, but this year was the best finish, even better than 2021 because they were really not expected to be there. We definitely got hot at the right time this year. As I told Kirby, you cannot see this year as a failure because you were final 6 of 297 teams. Most players never get to go and you got to go twice already. I would guess he is in a small list of players, and maybe the only one in the modern era, who got to coach first in a WS game and got to play in 2 WS games.
He is now second all time career appearances chasing his best friend Redmond.
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Finishing 6 and being eliminated by either the champion or runner up is a huge accomplishment. They’ve gone further than all of but 2 UT baseball teams
 
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#42
#42
I enjoyed the 2022 regular season more and the the 2023 post season more.

1989 Vol football or 1990?
 
#45
#45
preacherman20 said:
I think they are totally different and different experiences. Last year was the most complete season, but this year was the best finish, even better than 2021 because they were really not expected to be there. We definitely got hot at the right time this year. As I told Kirby, you cannot see this year as a failure because you were final 6 of 297 teams. Most players never get to go and you got to go twice already. I would guess he is in a small list of players, and maybe the only one in the modern era, who got to coach first in a WS game and got to play in 2 WS games.
He is now second all time career appearances chasing his best friend Redmond.
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Ecstatic for your family and especially for Kirby!!!
 
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#46
#46
preacherman20 said:
... As I told Kirby, you cannot see this year as a failure because you were final 6 of 297 teams. Most players never get to go and you got to go twice already. ...
He is now second all time career appearances chasing his best friend Redmond.
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Led the pitching staff in appearances this year ... good for him!!!!
I hope that God grants him his dreams ... and I am hoping he can catch Walsh in 2024, if the good lord wills!
Hope (confidence) is a good thing.... -Andy in Shawshank Redemption and echoed in the good book in similar words.
Side note ... from one mustache owner to another ... I love his mustache ... every time he goes to the mound ... this is what I heard in my head ...


Do you think you can pull some strings and we can persuade the press box to play this song when he comes running in from the bullpen and during his warmup pitches???? :^))))))))))))
 
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#50
#50
ALock4UT said:
You're framing my post entirely around preseason expectations, which are not part of my thinking in answering this question. Midway through the season, this team was trending towards missing the tournament. Getting knocked down repeatedly and then making a run to Omaha is the inspiring part to me.
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Both were a ton fun of fun
 
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