Daddy hat, fur coat return: Vol baseball gets its swagger back

CALEB JARREAU Staff Writer

Tennessee Baseball became synonymous with massive home runs and bat flips in recent years, followed by a unique celebration.

Since 2021, players have donned a pink hat with “Daddy” embroidered on the front. Thus, the Daddy hat became a hot commodity for Tennessee fans to buy. The 2021 Vols headed to Omaha with the Daddy hat in tow after a successful season.

A new wrinkle was added in 2022, the fur coat. The fur coat and Daddy hat quickly became infamous as the 2022 Vols quickly became the villains of college baseball.

Bat flips and obscene hand gestures to opposing outfielders accompanied the fur coat and Daddy hat to produce the No. 1 seeded Tennessee baseball team. The fur coat would not get a trip to Omaha like the Daddy hat a year before.

“Last year being in the dugout, I was just trying to give as much energy as I could,” redshirt freshman Kavares Tears said. “Now, being on the field, the dugout energy definitely transfers onto the field and helps people in the lineup, the pitcher and the people playing defense. It gives them a lot of energy too.”

After the Vols fell to Notre Dame in the Super Regionals, the magical season was over. 158 home runs later, Tennessee graduated all eight of its defensive starters.

Tony Vitello was tasked with replacing a lot of production in 2023, but also a lot of personalities for the Vols.

“I just think I’ve picked up on some things on how we need to be, and maybe I’m at fault for not knowing some things early in the year, but there’s a lot of new faces,” Vitello said. “I think we made a lineup the other day, and I put down a number for how many years the guys either started or started in Division I baseball was another category, and then started here at Tennessee, and you know what the numbers are.” 2023 brought on a new celebration — a Star Wars Darth Vader helmet and red lightsaber. The Daddy hat and fur coat were left in 2022, as well as Tennessee’s explosive offense.

The Vols struggled to find success to start SEC play. They started the conference slate 5-10 with only a series win over Texas A&M. Their play didn’t resemble the years before, as pitching faltered and errors plagued the team.

Then, the Daddy hat and fur coat made a triumphant comeback in the series against Vanderbilt. With the return of the home run celebration came more home runs.

“It was a team jury who kind of got togeth- er,” redshirt sophomore center fielder Hunter Ensley said. “About five or six people. The Darth Vader Star Wars wasn’t working, so we had to figure something out.”

Tennessee, along with the Daddy hat and fur coat, swept Vanderbilt in a dominant statement over the weekend. The return of the celebrations brought back an offense that resembled 2022.

The Vols scored 31 runs against Vanderbilt, the most in any SEC series so far. The weekend featured nine home runs from Tennessee as well.

“I walked in the dugout and saw (the Daddy hat and fur coat) today,” Kansas transfer Maui Ahuna said after Tennessee run-ruled Vanderbilt. “I was like ‘alright, we are back to this.’ It’s working.”

The Daddy hat and fur coat are back and here to stay for the rest of 2023 it seems. While the antics are back, the Vols have a long road ahead of them before they can say they’re “back.”

But the weekend sweep over Vanderbilt is the start Tennessee needs. It is also indicative of something the 2023 Vols were missing –Tennessee Baseball has its swagger back.

“(The series sweep of Vanderbilt) will define us as a team,” Ahuna said. “It will show everybody that we still got this and we’re Tennessee baseball.”

Maui Ahuna (2) celebrates after hitting a double against Vanderbilt at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. Sunday April 23, 2023. Ericksen Gomez-Villeda / The Daily Beacon