The University of Tennessee was widely heralded as the best college baseball team in a generation. But like so many other top seeds through the years, the Volunteers couldn’t navigate the N.C.A.A baseball playoffs and were eliminated without even making it to the eight-team College World Series.
The playoffs started fine for Tennessee. After a 53-7 regular season and a Southeastern Conference title and No. 1 ranking, Tennessee swept by some lesser competition in the opening rounds.
But it met surprising opposition from Notre Dame in the super regional, the round of 16 stage.
Notre Dame was one of the best unseeded teams in the tournament, but still was hardly expected to beat a Tennessee team that had a host of home run hitters and the best E.