“[2022] was kind of like watching a car accident from afar.” UT Baseball’s Director of Sports Performance, Quentin Eberhardt described being away from the program.
Knoxville, Tenn. — The last game of the 2024 college baseball season ended in a confetti-covered Charles Schwab field as Tennessee hoisted the National Championship Trophy for the first time in program history.
On the field celebrating the title, was Tennessee’s Director of Sports Performance Quentin “Q” Eberhardt.
Q spent four seasons with the Vols before leaving for the same position with the Chicago Cubs following the 2021 season.
Twelve months later, he was once again wearing the Orange and White.
“There was a multitude of a lot of things. There are a lot of great people at the Cubs, still in communication with them. I don’t know if it was the right time to leave in the first place,” said Eberhardt.
While with the MLB, the Vols were putting together a season for the record books.
In 2022, UT set a new program record with 57 wins, an SEC Regular Season and Tournament Title. They achieved the program’s first No. 1 national ranking. They also set new marks for home runs (158), runs scored (613), RBIs (574), slugging percentage (.604), ERA (2.51), WHIP (1.00), opponent batting average (.199), strikeouts (695), strikeouts/nine innings (10.5) and walks allowed/nine innings (2.48), among others.
“I missed the true family atmosphere, dynamic, and it was just different. So missing that and the unfinished business and sour taste in your mouth after 2021. Then there was a little FOMO [Fear Of Missing Out] of 2022.”
The unfinished business started in the Knoxville Super Regionals against Notre Dame.
“That was probably one of the hardest things I had to watch from afar.”
Q sits down with Paige Dauer and gives us insight into being a part of the Tennessee baseball family.
Against Link Jarrett’s No. 6 Fighting Irish, mistakes compounded for the Vols.
They not only dropped the first game 8-6 they were handed two ejections.
Their then-starting center fielder and clean-up hitter, Drew Gilbert was ejected in the fifth inning, after arguing a strike call with the home plate umpire. UT’s pitching coach Frank Anderson then came out on the field and was ejected, marking the second time Anderson that season.
“When you’re watching that and you’re seeing things, knowing the intricate components of how we operate internally, seeing how things kind of unraveled that was difficult to watch. That was difficult to watch.”
Tennessee roared back in game two with a 12-4 win. Then in the rubber match, the then-No.1 national seed saw its season end with a 7-3 loss.
“I talked to my wife about it. It was kind of like watching a car accident from afar. And you’re screaming inside your car, “Watch out! Watch out!” and they can’t hear you,” said Eberhardt.
So, Eberhardt had a decision to make.
“It was a great opportunity, some great people there, it just wasn’t the same,” said Eberhardt.
Unfinished business prompted Eberhardt’s return.
Q was overwhelmed with the feeling, that he should’ve been in Tennessee’s dugout during that 2022 season.
“There are some things that you’re watching from afar, that may have happened during that series that you wish wouldn’t have happened. That maybe could’ve changed the outlook, use as examples in the winter and fall when you’re trying to build some wounds up, build some scar tissue so they can learn from their big brother’s mistakes.”
Scar tissue Eberhardt had been building since July 2022, with the goal that when their moment came. They’d be ready.
“We’d been talking about doing something special since the fall with that group.”
Their moment came in the opening round of the College World Series when they took a Link Jarett-led Florida State team.
The same head coach who put an end to Tennessee’s historic 2022 run.
“All respect to him, but he was at Notre Dame. And so it was like, “Alright we’re going to do this one for V, for that 2022 team, for Gilby, for Beck, for those guys. Need to have a little get back.” So those were some internal conversations you have to have to add a little fuel to the fire, maybe take that personal guys so that was part of it too.”
That meeting had flashes of 2022.
But this time, they had scar tissue.
A nine-inning bought came down to Tennessee’s final three outs with the Vols trailing 11-8.
A triple by Kavares Tears sparked life in Tennessee in the ninth. Blake Burke followed with a 2 RBI single to tie the game at 11. Then Dylan Dreiling put the nail in the coffin with a walk-off hit to deliver Tennessee a 12-11 victory.
“Not because we won a natty, but they were my favorite group. So, seeing that group of young men that came together to play for each other and accomplish a goal. So when we won, I was talking with Burke the next day and it felt like, okay we got to get ready for the next weekend game, and the next game and then I was like, “Oh, we’re done.” So it was surreal, an amazing feeling.”
A reflection of the culture the team built since the fall paid off on the biggest stage.
“This was one of the hardest things to do, right, win a national championship. But when you have a group of people pulling the same side of the rope, you have a vision and you have belief, so it was like unfinished business.”
Even a month later, it’s a victory that’s yet to set in.
“Surreal. It still doesn’t even feel real. Amazing. Difficult to put into words, and I don’t usually have a problem with that. The emotions were a rush, family was there, wife and daughter, our baseball family there, coach [Rick] Barnes there, Coach [Josh] Heupel there, all of the fans there, just incredible.”
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