Tennessee baseball is currently in the thick of SEC play as they look to make another deep run in the NCAA Tournament beginning next month. But that didn’t stop Tony Vitello and his staff from making a move to bolster its roster for the 2026 season on Thursday.
UNC Asheville right-handed pitcher Clay Edmondson announced his commitment to Tennessee baseball on his Instagram Thursday afternoon. Edmondson visited Tennessee earlier this week before announcing his commitment.
Edmondson is in the midst of a highly effective junior season at UNC Asheville. A submarine pitcher, Edmondson is a weekend starter for the Bulldogs and has posted a 5-1 record and 2.01 ERA in 10 starts this season. The Greensboro native has consistently gotten deep in games, totaling 65 strikeouts and 21 walks in 62.2 innings pitched this season.
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The right-handed pitcher spent his freshman season at Guilford Technical Community College before transferring to UNC Asheville ahead of his sophomore season. He was a starter for GTCC as a true freshman in 2023, posting a 5-3 record and 5.50 ERA in 72 innings pitched. Edmondson threw just 2.2 innings at UNC Asheville in 2024 before having season-ending surgery.
While Edmondson has already committed to Tennessee baseball for his senior season, he is eligible for the MLB Draft this summer and could forego his final college season to begin his professional career.
It’s hard to project what Tennessee baseball’s pitching staff will look like next season at this point. But ace Liam Doyle will certainly be off to professional baseball and it’s very likely that Marcus Phillips, Nate Snead and Tanner Franklin could follow as well as a few other lesser used arms.
The Vols will for sure have Tegan Kuhns, Dylan Loy and Brayden Krenzel back and will likely return a few other draft eligible junior college transfers who have had lesser roles this season.
