University of Tennessee Athletics
Vol Baseball Countdown: 18 Days
January 26, 2015 | Baseball
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Baseball Time in Tennessee is just 18 days away!
Throughout January and February, UTSports.com will count down the days leading up to the start of the Vols' 2015 campaign (Feb. 13) with a look back at the many players who donned each jersey No. 30 through No. 1.
After opening last season at home, the Vols will travel to Miami, Fla., this year to face Florida International for a three-game series (Feb. 13-15). The team will return home to take on Tennessee Tech on Wednesday, Feb. 18 and Rutgers for four games (Feb. 20-22) during Tennessee's home opener weekend at Lindsey Nelson Stadium, including a doubleheader against the Scarlet Knights on Saturday, Feb. 21. The Orange & White will later host long-time SEC foe Georgia (March 20-22) for the program's first home conference opponent series in March. Additionally, Missouri (April 9-11), South Carolina (April 24-26), Texas A&M (May 1-3) and Mississippi State (May 15-17) will make trips to Rocky Top this year.
On the season, the Volunteers, led by Head Coach Dave Serrano and his staff, are scheduled to play 27 of their 55 regular season games against nine 2014 NCAA postseason participants, including College World Series squads Vanderbilt, UC Irvine and Ole Miss.
Practice has officially begun on Rocky Top. The Diamond Vols are in action throughout the week. All outdoor practices at Lindsey Nelson Stadium are free and open to the public. For more information, visit UTSports.com
In total, 22 Vols have now worn the Orange and White No. 18. The jersey number is one of two Tennessee Baseball retired jerseys. The No. 18 was retired in honor of former Vol and Major League Baseball player and manager, Phil Garner. This season, with special permission from Garner himself, Head Coach Dave Serrano will wear the jersey and reclaim No. 18, the number he's worn for most of his baseball career.

#18 PHIL GARNER
1968-70 | INF | 5-10 | 180 lbs. | R/R | Jefferson City, Tenn.
A native of Jefferson City, Tenn., Phil Garner transferred to Bearden High School in Knoxville for his high school career and earned a scholarship at the University of Tennessee. During his three-year career with the Vols, Garner was a two-time All-Southeastern Conference selection and the 1969 NCAA home run leader with 12.
Primarily a middle infielder, Garner finished his career with a .296 batting average, 17 home runs, 73 RBIs and 91 total hits.
Following the 1970 season, three Vols wound up being selected in the first round of the 1971 January regular and secondary phases of the Major League draft. Pitcher Steve Raines, outfielder Sam Ewing and Garner all signed professional contracts. Garner was selected by the Oakland Athletics with the third overall pick in the draft and went on to make his MLB debut on Sept. 10, 1973. He played 16 seasons for five different teams, including the A's, Pittsburgh Pirates, Houston Astros, Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants. He finished his Major League career with over 1,500 hits and won the World Series with the 1979 Pirates.
Garner began his career as a manager with the Milwaukee Brewers in 1992. He coached the Brew Crew for eight seasons before joining the Detroit Tigers from 2000-02. Garner then managed the Houston Astros from 2004-07, leading the club to a National League Division title and the franchise's first-ever World Series appearance in 2005.
He was inducted into the Tennessee Baseball Hall of Fame in 1995 - a member of the first class - and then later inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame in 2002. Garner returned to Rocky Top in 2009 to have his No. 18 retired and was honored as a member of Tennessee's All-Century Team.
NOTES ON GARNER
- Played in three MLB All-Star Games (1976, 1980 and 1981)
- Led the SEC with 35 RBIs in 1970
- Garner actually wore four different numbers during his time at UT

#18 Dave Serrano
2012-Present | Head Coach | Torrance, Calif.
Head Coach Dave Serrano enters his fourth season at the helm of the Tennessee Volunteers, having led the program to a 31-23 record last season and its first SEC Tournament appearance since 2007. Since his return to Rocky Top in 2011, the Vols has witnessed an improved emphasis on recruitment and development, with the head coach and his staff securing four consecutive Top-20 recruiting classes for Tennessee (2012-15).
This season, with special permission from Garner himself, Head Coach Dave Serrano will wear the jersey and reclaim No. 18, the number he's worn for most of his baseball career.
Having returned to the site of his first Division I job, Serrano served two seasons as an assistant coach at Tennessee from 1995-96, following seven years at Cerritos Junior College. His first taste of Omaha came as a Volunteer as he helped lead a Big Orange squad featuring all-time UT greats Todd Helton and R.A. Dickey to the College World Series for the first time in over four decades in 1995. During Serrano's first stint in Knoxville, Tennessee posted an impressive 97- 36 (.729) record, including a school-record 54 wins in 1995.
A veteran of seven College World Series and one of just 11 coaches to lead two different programs to Omaha, Serrano begins the 2015 season with a career record of 366-223-1 (.621) in ten seasons as a Division I head coach. And with the permission of VFL Phil Garner, Serrano adds his name to the list of 22 Volunteers having donned the jersey No. 18 for the Orange and White.
NOTES ON COACH SERRANO
- Earned All-American honors as a pitcher at Cerritos College in 1985, helping the Falcons to a 39-5 record en route to a state championship title
- His writings were published in 2009-10 when he authored a chapter ("Building a Pitching Staff") for the American Baseball Coaches Association's book entitled "Practice Perfect Baseball"
- He and his wife, Tracy, have three sons: Kyle, Zachary and Parker
- Holds a bachelor's degree from Trinity College and University