With Tennessee baseball’s season ending at the College World Series Tuesday night, it’s time to turn to the offseason as Tony Vitello in his staff work to build a roster that can return to Omaha again next season.
The transfer portal is a major part of the college baseball offseason as it is in football and basketball. Tennessee has been active adding key contributors from the portal in recent seasons.
Tennessee landed Chase Dollander and Seth Halvorsen in the transfer portal after the 2021 season and Andrew Lindsey, Maui Ahuna, Griffin Merritt and Zane Denton in the transfer portal after the 2022 season.
This article will serve as a running tab of Tennessee players that have entered the transfer portal and players the Vols have added from the transfer portal this offseason.
Let’s dig in.
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Incoming Transfers
*Updated as of July 31
Jacksonville State RHP AJ Causey
Causey committed to Tennessee baseball after his sophomore season at Jacksonville State. The RHP posted a 5-2 record and 5.07 ERA in 76.1 innings pitched as a weekend starter for the Gamecocks.
Causey has two years of eligibility remaining but will be eligible for the MLB Draft after his first season in Knoxville.
North Carolina State Catcher Cannon Peebles
The Ashland, Virginia native entered the transfer portal after a fantastic freshman season at North Carolina State. Peebles led the Wolfpack in batting average (.352) and RBIs (50) while finishing second on the team in home runs (12).
The Freshman All-American chose the Vols over Vanderbilt and Virginia despite not taking a visit to Knoxville after entering the portal.
Wichita State RHP Nate Snead
Snead marked another major recruiting win for Tennessee baseball in the transfer portal. Nearly everybody in the portal was after Snead and the talented right-hander chose the Vols over a top group which included Arkansas and LSU.
Snead entered the transfer portal after just one season at Wichita State and still has two years to play before he’ll be draft eligible. The highly touted transfer boasts a high-90s fastball and plus-curveball. Snead posted a 1-2 record, 3.16 ERA and 1.27 WHIP in 42.2 innings pitched.
Wofford Infielder Ryan Galanie
One of Tennessee baseball’s first targets in the transfer portal this offseason, Galanie committed to the Vols over a top group which included LSU and Texas.
Galanie has just one year of eligibility as a grad transfer and earned SoCon Player of the Year honors in 2023 by hitting 383 with 17 home runs, 15 doubles and 66 RBIs. The Ohio native played first base and third base at Wofford and also possesses the ability to play the corner outfield spot.
Clemson Infielder Billy Amick
This is a massive acquisition for Tennessee baseball and Tony Vitello from the portal. The rising junior hit .413 with 13 home runs and 63 RBIs during an All-ACC season this past year. Amick played first base and was a designated hitter for the Tigers but can also play third base and even played catcher during times of need last year. Amick gives Tennessee a quality infielder and a strong bat heading into the 2024 season.
Tennessee beat out a slew of SEC contenders for Amick’s commitment from the portal including Florida, Texas A&M, South Carolina, and even North Carolina.
Missouri Utility Man Dalton Bargo
Bargo transfers to Tennessee after spending one season at Missouri while having three years of eligibility remaining and two years remaining until he’ll be MLB Draft eligible. The Omaha native hit .279 with five home runs and 23 RBIs as a freshman.
Bargo caught in his freshman season in Columbia and while he’ll provide depth behind the plate, Tennessee wanted the Missouri transfer because of his bat and versatility. The rising sophomore won’t start over Cannon Peebles at catcher but will compete for a starting job at the corner outfield and infield spots.
Outgoing transfers
*Updated as of July 31
RHP Chase Burns
Burns has been a major member of the Tennessee baseball team since arriving on campus ahead of the 2022 season. The Gallatin, Tennessee native was effective as the Vols’ Friday night starter as a freshman, earning All-SEC honors.
Burns scuffled as Tennessee’s Saturday starter as a sophomore and after four poor starts in SEC play, Tony Vitello moved Burns to the bullpen. The move paid dividends for Tennessee and Burns. The flamethrowing right-hander was dominant for Tennessee in the NCAA Tournament, allowing just one earned run in 16 innings pitched.
New school: Wake Forest
SS Jake Kendro
After one season with the Vols, shortstop Jake Kendro entered the transfer portal on the final day to do so. Kendro is a fairly big loss for Tennessee given their lack of depth at shortstop. In 2024, Tennessee will have to turn to a freshman or pick up a SS in the portal, barring a Christian Moore position change.
Kendro was very solid defensively and adequate at the plate. He hit .219 in 2023 across 24 appearances and seven starts.
RHP Hollis Fanning
After recording six innings of work across his first two years in Knoxville, Fanning found a bullpen role with the Vols in 2023, pitching 14.1 innings across 15 appearances during his junior season. The Tullahoma, Tennessee native struck out 24 batters and allowed two runs during the Vols’ 2023 season.
Fanning posted a career-best 1.26 ERA during his junior season and had one start against Alabama A&M in late February.
New school: North Carolina State
OF Alex Stanwich
Stanwich was one of the highest touted members of Tennessee’s 2022 signing class. The outfielder had a solid spring before taking a leave from the team around Christmas.
At the time, Tennessee expected him to return for his sophomore season. Now he’s in the transfer portal.
New school: Miami (Ohio)
OF Kyle Booker
Kyle Booker entered the portal at the deadline at the same time as Jake Kendro. Booker’s entry into the portal comes as no surprise given his inability to carve out a consistent role with Tennessee. After starting 10 of Tennessee’s first 12 games in 2023, Booker started just two after that.
Booker did not see action in the month of May as his struggles at the plate led to significantly decreased playing time.
Booker appeared in 84 total games during his Tennessee career and made 30 starts.
New school: Oral Roberts
Utility Man Logan Chambers
Chambers entered the transfer portal as a grad transfer after spending two years in Knoxville. A highly touted junior college signing, things never clicked for Chambers in Knoxville.
The Arkansas native recorded 25 at-bats in each of his two seasons in Knoxville combining to hit .220. Chambers can play the corner outfield spots, third and second base.
New school: Missouri State
LHP Jake Fitzgibbons
Fitzgibbons has played a bigger role at Tennessee than any other player currently in the transfer portal. The left-handed pitcher posted 27.2 career innings including 12 innings this season where he posted a 3.75 ERA.
Fitzgibbons always impressed in fall practice but struggled to take the reigns of a real bullpen role in the regular season. The Mount Juliet, Tennessee native had a golden opportunity this season with the Vols’ lack of left-handed pitchers but his command and consistency kept him from becoming a major factor. The lefty ended up signing professionally after being taken in the MLB Draft.
C Ryan Miller
Miller was Tennessee’s third string and bullpen catcher each of his first two years in college and his path to playing time was only shrinking with Cannon Peebles and Dalton Bargo transferring to Tennessee this offseason while Cal Stark and Charlie Taylor returning.
Miller’s bat is his strength and he showed it in his limited opportunities, hitting .455 with three home runs and nine RBIs in 11 at-bats last season.
New school: Ohio State
LHP Jacob Bimbi
Much like Fitzgibbons, Bimbi missed an opportunity to become a consistently used bullpen arm for Tennessee last season. The junior college transfer struggled with his command after impressing in the fall and preseason.
Bimbi as he posted a 5.27 ERA in 13.2 innings pitched in his lone season in Knoxville.
New school: Western Kentucky
SS Austen Jaslove
Jaslove entered the transfer portal on Wednesday, July 12, after three seasons wit the program. Jaslove’s departure hurts Tennessee’s depth at the position, but it would have been a surprise if Jaslove entered the 2024 season as the starting shortstop.
Jake Kendro is the most likely returning option to start in the six-hole as of now.
In 37 at-bats, Jaslove hit .189 with seven hits, eight RBI, two doubles, four walks, eight runs scored and one stolen base. Jaslove did not record a statistic in the 2021 and 2022 seasons.
New school: Arkansas State
RHP Turner Swistak
Turner Swistak transferred to Tennessee from a junior college entering this season but didn’t pitch for the Vols any this season.
Swistak was extremely unlikely to earn a major role out of Tennessee’s bullpen going forward.
New school: Louisiana Tech
LHP Shawn Scott
Left-handed pitcher Shawn Scott was a member of the Tennessee baseball team for a number of seasons but hadn’t pitched for the Vols in a game since posting a 6.75 ERA in 2.2 innings pitched during the 2021 season.
Scott was extremely unlikely to earn a major role out of Tennessee’s bullpen going forward.
New school: Austin Peay
Catcher Payton Ebbing
Ebbing entered the transfer portal after just one year in Knoxville. The catcher redshirted his freshman season as he was fifth on the Vols’ depth chart.
Ebbing’s path to playing time with narrow after the Vols added Cannon Peebles and Dalton Bargo in the transfer portal.
Third Baseman Tanner Zellem
Zellem entered the transfer portal after just one season at Tennessee. The infielder redshirted his lone season in Knoxville.
After the Vols added infielders Ryan Galanie and Billy Amick in the transfer portal, Zellem leaving was no surprise.
New school: Jacksonville
