Tony Vitello Is Sick And Tired Of His Team Mercy Ruling So Many Opponents

When freshman third baseman Manny Marin launched a grand slam to give Tennessee the walk-off win against St. Bonaventure on Saturday, everyone at Lindsey Nelson Stadium went wild — well, everyone except Vols head coach Tony Vitello.

Marin's blast lifted Tennessee to an 11-1 lead over the Bonnies in the seventh inning. Per the SEC's run rule (or "mercy rule," as it's sometimes called), the game was called early as Tennessee led by 10 runs or more. While the Volunteer dugout cheered and celebrated, Vitello looked visibly annoyed.

Watch for the skipper's reaction around the 7- to 11-second mark:

Most coaches would be thrilled at such an ending. But Tony Vitello is not most coaches.

Vitello has spoken multiple times about his disdain for the mercy rule. He doesn't believe 10 runs is impossible for a team to overcome. Plus, when the game ends early, his players get fewer reps — and reps are vitally important in the weeks leading up to conference play.

This isn't the first time Tennessee has mercy ruled a team this season. During their dominant 16-0 start, the defending National Champions won HALF of those games by run rule. So while Vitello might be frustrated, it's a pretty good problem to have.

The Vols' offense has been unstoppable thus far in 2025. Heading into the weekend series against St. Bonaventure, Tennessee led college baseball in home runs (38) and slugging percentage (.691) and ranked second in on-base percentage (.495). Those numbers have since increased during the series sweep.

The Vols have also tallied eight grand slams in 16 games, just six shy of the NCAA season record (14).

Tony Vitello just wants his team to play a full nine innings.

(Photo by Aaron M. Sprecher/Getty Images)

Of course, competition gets steeper once SEC play begins on Friday.

If the Vols hit a walk-off, run rule grand slam against Florida, something tells me we'll see a lot more enthusiasm out of Vitello.