Vitello Completes Coaching Staff with Addition of Ross Kivett

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee baseball head coach Tony Vitello announced on Tuesday the addition of Ross Kivett as the Vols' new volunteer assistant coach for the 2017-18 season.

Kivett, an Ohio native, joins Vitello's staff following four seasons in the Detroit Tigers' minor league system. His main responsibilities will be coaching the team's infielders while assisting with baserunning and hitting on top of serving as Tennessee's camp coordinator.

"Coach Kivett brings an elevated amount of intensity, energy, and experience to Tennessee Baseball," Vitello said. "He is without question one of the most intense individuals I've ever seen on a baseball field.

"Our patience with this position paid off when Ross unexpectedly became an option. The end of his pro career was unfortunate, but an extreme blessing for the Vols."

Kivett was an All-American and Big 12 Player of the Year for Kansas State in 2013 before being drafted by the Tigers in the sixth round of the 2014 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. He went on to play 47 games with the Single A Connecticut Tigers in 2014, tallying 55 hits and 26 RBIs, before being assigned to the West Michigan Whitecaps where he collected 154 hits, 78 runs scored, 30 doubles and 57 RBI over two seasons (2014, 2015).

In 2016, Kivett played in 118 games for the Single A - Advanced Lakeland Flying Tigers. He recorded 93 hits, including 24 doubles, while being walked 70 times for a .328 on-base percentage. Kivett started 2017 with Lakeland, playing in 41 games, before being assigned to the Erie Seawolves in May. He went on to play in 25 games, notching 17 hits, 12 runs scored and four stolen bases. During his professional career, Kivett totaled 362 hits, 77 doubles, 147 RBI and 61 stolen bases.

While with the Tigers' organization, he played with former Vol Will Maddox in West Michigan and VFLs AJ Simcox and Christin Stewart in Erie.

Prior to the 2014 draft, Kivett saw time at five different positions for the Kansas State Wildcats.

During a breakout junior campaign, he led the Big 12 in hits (94) and runs (57) and finished second in stolen bases (26) and total bases (126). Following the 2013 season, Kivett was tabbed an All-American by three different outlets, earned Big 12 Player of the Year accolades, ABCA Midwest All-Region First Team honors and MVP of the NCAA Manhattan Regional. Kivett decided against turning pro after being drafted by the Cleveland Indians in 2013, and instead returned to Kansas State to play his final season of college baseball as well as earn his degree.

The All-American continued his stellar performance as a senior in 2014, becoming the first K-State player in nearly 17 years (the third in program history) to hit for the cycle when he achieved the feat on March 26 against Nebraska. Kivett cycled in reverse order, hitting a home run in the first, a triple in the second, a double in the third and a single in the sixth. He was named Big 12 Player of the Week following the series for the second time that season. Kivett capped off his career with ABCA Midwest All-Region and All-Big 12 Second Team honors. He also earned CoSIDA Academic All-District 7 Team recognition.

Kivett finished ranked among the Wildcats' top-10 in multiple categories, including first in stolen bases (80), second in games played (225) and games started (215), tied for second in runs scored (181), third in hits (277), fifth in hit by pitch (31), tied for fifth in walks (108) and tied for seventh in triples (11). He also started in 207 consecutive games, the longest such streak in Kansas State history.

A 2014 graduate of Kansas State with a degree in communication studies, Kivett is the son of Mike and Mary Kivett and has two siblings, Juliana and Jake.

University of Tennessee Athletics

Vitello Completes Coaching Staff with Addition of Ross Kivett

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