Vitello leaves lasting impact on Razorbacks, heads to Tennessee

FAYETTEVILLE - Tony Vitello may impact the Arkansas Razorbacks baseball team he won’t help coach in 2018 almost as much the Tennessee Volunteers team he will coach.

Vitello, the hitting coach and recruiting coordinator for Coach Dave Van Horn’s Razorbacks from 2013 through Arkansas’ runner-up Fayetteville Regional final completing a 45-19 season, last week was named the head coach at Tennessee.

Obviously he’ll influence the Vols team he inherits but just as obviously his Arkansas impact remains with his legacy of recruits left behind.

The legacy of the 2016 November early signed/2017 spring recruits of course is a blank page not only because none can play for Van Horn until 2018 and some may never come to Fayetteville pending their possible drafted out of high school and junior college options in this week’s major league draft.

But there’s no doubting the Vitello influence with the gist of the 2018 Razorbacks he helped recruit returning from 2017 sophomore AllSEC catcher Grant Koch, 2017 sophomore transfer second-team All-SEC shortstop Jax Biggers and 2017 All-SEC Freshman team center fielder Dominic Fletcher plus 2017 sophomore switch-hitting leadoff batting right fielder Eric Cole, and, should he return despite being a draft eligible 21-year-old sophomore, ace starting right-handed pitcher Blaine Knight of Bryant.

Van Horn expects draft eligible juniors pitcher Trevor Stephan, slugging first baseman Chad Spanberger, second baseman Carson Shaddy and outfielder Luke Bonfield to be drafted and sign and hopes departing senior outfielder Jake Arledge also gets a pro ball opportunity.

While perhaps not yet stars, Arkansas’ 2017 orbit abounds with potential to shine in 2018.

Jared Gates, the 2017 sophomore transfer first baseman/third baseman, 2017 freshman reserve first baseman Jordan McFarland and 2017 freshman reserve/ occasionally starting infielders Jack Kenley, Jaxon Williams and Matt Burch all had their moments that Van Horn cited.

On the mound, sophomore lefty Kacey Murphy of Rogers became the late season third starter pitching magnificently in the Fayetteville Regional championship game off no rest. Sophomore lefty Weston Rogers of Springdale HarBer pitched key Regional innings as did freshman lefty Matt Cronin, freshman right-hander Kevin Kopps and sophomore right-hander Jake Reindl with hopes that 2017 injury hardshipped junior Isaiah Campbell can return with the form that had him originally projected to be the ace of the 2017 staff.

Evan Lee, the 2017 freshman from Bryant could intrigue most of all.

For in the Razorbacks pitcher-hitter tradition of Tim Lollar, Arkansas first All-American as a 1978 designated hitter/staff ace pitcher for Coach Norm DeBriyn become Major League pitcher, and Brett Eibner, pitching and playing the outfield for Van Horn and now likewise doing some hitting and getting checked out as a pitcher, too for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Lee could be filling expanded dual roles in 2018.

Lee, 17 strikeouts in 15 innings, joined Cronin as key relievers for lefties vs lefties situations while as a hitter, often pinch-hitting, with three doubles hit .333, 14 for 42, with eight RBI.

“Evan Lee out of all the guys on the team, he's the one I should have played more,” Van Horn said. “But he's a pitcher and an outfielder and we had outfielders that were doing pretty well. But he's a good hitter and he's a good pitcher. Sometimes we just had to save him to pitch. I think next year he'll be in the lineup every day. He's a pretty good hand there. He's pretty electric hustling and getting big hits, pinch hits. Very mature for his age, very intense.”

And still a pitcher, too, like Eibner was.

“You throw him in the mix, too, with the five other guys that are starters or coming back,” Van Horn said.

Gates, Kenley, Burch and a host of recruits will compete for third base, the most unsettled position on the 2017 team, that will welcome back Hunter Wilson, the Spiro, Okla. native and junior transfer who was hitting .310 when a crippling leg bone bruise ended his season at 14 games.

“That leg, he probably would have been better off if it was broken, honestly,” Van Horn said. “They could have set it and let it heal. It’s been really a tough deal. He’s getting better. He’s just now getting to the point where they’re letting him put pressure and jog on it a little bit. He has been lifting and doing that. He’s put on like 10-15 pounds in strength, which he needs. He should be 100 percent by fall ball. There’s another guy who brought a lot of energy to the team and was playing pretty good when he got hurt.”

Van Horn said a hardship appeal will be lodged to restore Wilson’s junior eligibility for 2018.

(Nate Allen covers the Razorbacks for the NewsTimes.)