No. 3 Tennessee suspends baseball coach Vitello

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee suspended baseball coach Tony Vitello on Friday for the Volunteers’ weekend series with Dayton while university officials, Vitello and the NCAA handle a violation in the program.

Officials announced the suspension right before the third-ranked Volunteers opened a three-game set with Dayton. Josh Elander is replacing Vitello as acting head coach. The university said an update will be provided Monday.

“Coach Vitello has acknowledged his mistake and accepted full responsibility,” Tennessee said in a statement. “We appreciate his cooperation in the process and his dedication to do right by the student-athletes in the Tennessee baseball program.”

Tennessee cited NCAA bylaws for preventing any further details being released. But shortstop Maui Ahuna has yet to be cleared to play for Tennessee after transferring to the school last June.

Ahuna was an All-Big 12 player at Kansas who batted .396 with eight homers and 48 RBIs. The Vols were the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament last year, only to lose to Notre Dame in the super regionals.

Vitello was suspended for four games last season by the NCAA for chest-bumping umpire Jeffrey Macias during a confrontation in a game against Alabama. Vitello teamed up with a fraternity to raise money for the Wounded Warriors Project with a chest bump for a $2 donation.