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Tony Vitello is the fastest coach to reach the 300-win mark in Tennessee baseball history

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Tony Vitello is the fastest coach to reach the 300-win mark in Tennessee baseball history


Tony Vitello is the fastest coach in Tennessee baseball history to reach the 300-win mark.

The Vols coach recorded his 300th win Friday in Tennessee’s 5-1 victory against Samford. He reached the mark in 412 games, topping coach Rod Delmonico’s mark of 300 wins in 501 games. Vitello reached the 300-win mark less than two years after he reached the 200-win mark. He got win No. 200 against Gonzaga on March 4, 2023.

No. 2 Tennessee is 5-0 to start the season after Vitello entered the season with 295 wins.

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Vitello is in his eighth season as the Vols coach, his first head coaching job. He was hired in June 2017 after serving as the Arkansas hitting coach.

The St. Louis native led Tennessee to its first national title in 2024. The Vols became the first team in SEC history to win 60 games when it topped Texas A&M in the three-game College World Series finals.

The Vols have three 50-win seasons under Vitello. They went 57-9 in the 2022 season after going 50-18 in the 2021 season.

Vitello was 29-27 in his first season in 2018. The Vols broke through in 2019 to go 40-21 and reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2005. They started the 2020 season 15-2 before the season was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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They have been to the College World Series in three of the four seasons since. Tennessee reached Omaha in 2021 for its first trip under Vitello. It went back in 2023, when it was 44-22 and won a game in the CWS for the first time since 2001.

UT was the No. 1 overall seed in the 2024 NCAA Tournament. It rolled through the Knoxville Regional in three games and beat Evansville in a three-game Knoxville Super Regional to go back to Omaha. The Vols went 3-0 in the first portion of the CWS before facing Texas A&M in the finals. They lost the first game before winning the second two in the best-of-three finals to win the national title.

Tennessee also won the SEC regular-season title and the SEC Tournament title in 2024, sweeping the crowns for the second time in three seasons. It achieved the feat in 2022.

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The Vols have the most wins in the country in the past five seasons with 226. They have the a national-leading .779 winning percentage in that five-year span.

Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on X @ByMikeWilson or Bluesky @bymikewilson.bsky.social. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.





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Is Taco Bell open on Easter? What’s open and closed in Tennessee

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Is Taco Bell open on Easter? What’s open and closed in Tennessee


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  • Many national chain restaurants and fast-food spots will be open on Easter Sunday for those seeking a convenient holiday meal.
  • It is recommended to call local restaurants or smaller chains to confirm their holiday operating hours.

If Easter Sunday snuck up on you and your fridge is empty, you’re not alone, and many restaurants will be open, providing convenient options for a holiday meal without the stress.

Amidst egg hunts, church services, and family visits, preparing a full Easter meal isn’t always feasible. However, this doesn’t mean the day has to be dull.

Most restaurants choose to stay open on Easter Sunday, but several choose to close instead and let employees enjoy the day. There are also restaurants closed every Sunday, so don’t expect any fresh chicken minis from Chick-fil-A in any Easter baskets.

Here are the restaurants that will be open and closed on Easter Sunday in Tennessee.

When is Easter 2026?

Easter Sunday will fall on April 5 in 2026.

The earliest date Easter can be is March 22, so while it may feel early this year compared to last year’s April 20, the holiday is right on time.

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What restaurants are open for Easter 2026?

Most national chain restaurants will remain open throughout the state. For smaller chain eateries or popular local spots, it is advisable to call in advance to verify their Sunday operating hours.

What fast-food restaurants are open on Easter 2026?

Most national chains will still be open across Tennessee for the holiday. As for smaller chains or local hot spots, it is recommended to call ahead to confirm their hours on Sunday.

Are any restaurants closed on Easter?

While not many chain restaurants and fast food spots close on Easter Sunday, there are still a few you won’t be able to dine at:

Jordan Green covers trending news for The Commercial Appeal and Tennessee. She can be reached at jordan.green@commercialappeal.com.

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Watch Reese Chapman’s unbelievable catch for Tennessee baseball vs LSU

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Watch Reese Chapman’s unbelievable catch for Tennessee baseball vs LSU


Tennessee baseball right fielder Reese Chapman made one of the most unbelievable catches of the season to rob LSU of a home run.

In the top of the fifth inning, LSU’s Steven Milam smoked a 1-1 pitch from Landon Mack to deep right field. Chapman sprinted toward the wall.

The ball was headed out of the ballpark when Chapman leaped, caught the ball and slammed into the wall. He held on to end the inning, triggering a wild celebration by Mack and the UT dugout.

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It was a critical play for the Vols midway through Game 1 of their LSU series on April 3 at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.

“I don’t know if we’re going to see a better one than that, boys,” said ESPN analyst Chris Burke, a former Tennessee baseball player. “It’s not just the play that he made.. It’s the complete disregard for your own body.”

Chapman almost single-handedly put Tennessee in the driver’s seat. He not only robbed LSU of a home run in the fifth, he also hit a home run to put the Vols ahead.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, Blake Grimmer blooped a single to left-center. Then Chapman pulled a 0-1 pitch over the right-field wall for a two-run homer. It was his third home run of the season, putting Tennessee ahead 3-1.

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Adam Sparks is the Tennessee beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.

Get the latest news and insight on SEC football by subscribing to the SEC Unfiltered newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.





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Americans would be ‘up at night worrying’ if they knew the truth about alien life, Tennessee Rep. Tim Burchett says

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Americans would be ‘up at night worrying’ if they knew the truth about alien life, Tennessee Rep. Tim Burchett says


Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) said the American people would be “up at night worrying” if they knew what he’s been briefed on about extraterrestrial life.

“I’ve been briefed by just about every alphabet agency there is. And, I’ll just say this, if they were to release the things that I’ve seen, you’d be up at night, worrying about, thinking about this stuff,” Burchett told Newsmax host Rob Finnerty on Wednesday.

Burchett — a member of the House Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets — recalled that he was briefed two weeks ago “on an issue” about extraterrestrial life that “would have set the Earth” on fire and “unglued” the country if released.

Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) revealed that the American people would be “up at night” if they knew what he’s been briefed on about extraterrestrial life. Anadolu via Getty Images

“They would demand answers,” Burchett said without going into further detail.

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When Finnerty played a clip of former Rep. Matt Gaetz alleging knowledge of alien-human hybrid breeding programs, Burchett stopped short of directly addressing the explosive claims.

“I’m still a member of Congress, so I can’t really comment too much on what Matt said,” Burchett told Finnerty.

“Wait, seriously?” Finnerty slightly pushed back.

“I’m being 100% serious,” Burchett replied.

A video screenshot shows an unexplained aerial object observed by US military personnel. AP

Burchett said that he has advocated for “full disclosure” despite the potential impact the truth could have on the public.

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“The public has a right to know, dadgummit, it’s your tax dollars. Let’s get it out there,” he said.

Burchett also said that the people handling these sensitive matters are at the heart of the issue.

“When I’m in a meeting, in a closed-door meeting, and I ask about the president’s points on these. And then I’m told by some arrogant, unelected bureaucrat that the president is on a need-to-know basis. I think that says everything it needs to be said about what’s going on,” he told Finnerty.

The Pentagon released a video of a UFO flying over an active conflict zone in the Middle East in 2022. FOX News
A formation of “flying objects” photographed by a US Coast Guard cameraman at Salem, Massachusetts, in July 1952. Bettmann Archive

The congressman said he’s described the handling of sensitive information to President Trump as “layers of the onion,” with each peeled away revealing “another one underneath.”

“When I sit in a meeting, and some little punk with a man bun is sort of running the show, and you have decorated officer military officers in the meeting there that are basically unallowed to say anything, and you can read their faces,” he shared.

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Burchett also weighed in on the alarming string of disappearances and deaths among the country’s top researchers in the field — including the mysterious disappearance of retired Air Force Gen. William McCasland in February and his former colleague, rocket scientist Monica Reza, eight months earlier.

Burchett speaks at an Organization of Iranian American Communities meeting on Capitol Hill on March 26, 2026, in Washington, DC. Getty Images

“There are no coincidences in this town. These folks have disappeared or died mysteriously,” he said. “I think overall, I think there is a connection there. People just do not disappear … not in this day and age.”

“For the record, I’m not suicidal, and I don’t take risks,” he added.

Burchett’s remarks follow President Trump’s vow in February to direct the Pentagon and other agencies to release files on UFOs and “alien and extraterrestrial life” to the public.

“Based on the tremendous interest shown,” the president wrote, “I will be directing the Secretary of War, and other relevant Departments and Agencies, to begin the process of identifying and releasing Government files related to alien and extraterrestrial life, unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), and unidentified flying objects (UFOs), and any and all other information connected to these highly complex, but extremely interesting and important, matters.”

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Since the president’s statement, the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has registered the domains aliens.gov and alien.gov, according to People.



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