FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Considered as one of the top recruiters in the nation each year, assistant baseball coach Tony Vitello continues to bring in some of the top high school and junior college talent to don the Razorback red each season. Now entering his fourth year on head coach Dave Van Horn’s staff, Vitello received some much deserved recognition for his hard work shortly after signing 19 players during the early signing period.
D1Baseball.com, a nationally recognized college baseball publication, released its survey asking college coaches who they thought were the best recruiters in the country. Vitello ranked as the best in the SEC and second overall among all recruiting coordinators.
Proof that @VanHornHogs has the best staff in the nation.
Tony Vitello named best recruiter in the SEC.->>https://t.co/VnVPka2vLy pic.twitter.com/JEEyUEisXA
— Razorback Baseball (@RazorbackBSB) November 21, 2016
It’s no secret that Vitello is one of the best recruiters in college baseball, just look at his resume. With 14 years of coaching now under his belt, Vitello has mentored a National Hitter of the Year in Arkansas’ Andrew Benintendi and a National Pitcher of the Year in Missouri’s Aaron Crow.
Throughout his career, Vitello has signed eight top 15 recruiting classes, developed six first round draft picks and 12 MLB players, including standouts like Benintendi, Max Scherzer, Ian Kinsler, Kyle Gibson, Crow and Brandon Finnegan.
Just recently, Vitello signed a new crop of 19 players to become Razorbacks for the 2018 season, four are considered the best in the state of Arkansas and eight are coming from nearby Texas.
Complementing the 18 players from the high school ranks, Vitello helped bring in one of the top arms in the junior college ranks in left-hander Dan Tillo.
Tillo, a 39th-round selection in 2015 MLB Draft by the Minnesota Twins, spent his freshman season at Kentucky last year before transferring to Iowa Western Community College for the 2017 season.
“Dan Tillo is as strong as a for-sure immediate impact player that the Razorbacks can sign,” Vitello said. “His stuff alone could be competitive in the SEC right now, but he has a bevy of positives that complement his big-time arm.”
Tillo was 11-1 over his final two years of high school with a combined 2.03 ERA and was also named Iowa’s Mr. Basketball in 2015. He also pitched 7.1 innings as a freshman at Kentucky.
“He is an athletic kid that achieved great things on the basketball court,” Vitello said. “He's also extremely physical and durable for his age. By the time he arrives in Fayetteville, he will a special combination of a year learning what our league is all about and playing at one of the best two-year schools in the country in Iowa Western.”
The 2017 Razorback baseball team will begin its season against Miami (Ohio) with a three-game series on Feb. 17. Friday and Saturday SEC Partial plan deposits, season tickets, and group experience deposits are also currently available. To renew or order tickets, log on to ArkansasRazorbacks.com or call the Razorback Ticket Center at 800-982-HOGS (4647) or 479-575-5151.
For more information on Razorback Baseball, follow @RazorbackBSB on Twitter.
FINAL RAZORBACK BASEBALL SIGNEES FROM EARLY PERIOD (6)