The Tennessee Volunteers’ baseball team brought home the hardware last season, sweeping Texas A&M for its first College World Series championship in program history.
With such a feat, it’s understood that many marquee players would head for the MLB draft — and they did. The Vols lost eight players from the national title team, including second baseman Christian Moore, who was selected No. 8 in the 2024 draft by the Los Angeles Angels.
Even with that kind of turnover, coach Tony Vitello’s team is once again having another stellar season as it eyes a fourth CWS berth in the last five seasons.
But what do the oddsmakers think about the Vols’ chances to repeat?
The story so far
In spite of the roster attrition, the Volunteers have shown no signs of slowing down in 2025.
They sit fourth in the SEC standings at 12-6 in the conference and boast an overall record of 33-8, which is good enough to rank sixth in the current D1Baseball.com poll.
Tennessee started the season on a torrid pace, ripping off 16 straight wins to set a program record, while hitting grand slams in 12 games. The offensive output has not seen a drop-off from its national title-winning squad, and with the 2025 CWS a bit over a month away, the Vols look every bit the contender to notch back-to-back championships.
Lefty Liam Doyle, considered one of the top pitching prospects in the upcoming MLB Draft, has set the tone for the Volunteers this season. Through his 10 starts, Doyle holds an ERA of 2.48 and a microscopic .83 WHIP. He has fanned 104 batters in 58 innings pitched.
The offensive power is the real story, however.
The Vols boast four players who have reached double-digits in home runs, with infielder Andrew Fischer leading the team with 16. Fischer is generating first-round buzz in the upcoming draft as well.
What the sportsbooks are saying
Both DraftKings and FanDuel Sportsbooks — two of the nation’s top sports betting sites — have the Tennessee as odds-on favorites to win the 2025 NCAA College World Series.
The Vols sat at +450 as of Thursday, and are followed by a trio of SEC rivals: Arkansas (+500 DK, +550 FD), LSU (+800 DK, +650 FD) and Georgia (+1000 at both) — all with 10-1 or better odds.
Despite the Vols trailing No. 1-ranked Texas in the SEC standings and national rankings, still is favored to repeat as champs. The Longhorns have dominated SEC competition, going 16-2 in the conference so far, and owns the fifth-best national title odds (+1100 DK, +1000 FD).
Should Tennessee prove the oddsmakers right and secure the national title in June, they would be the first team to accomplish the feat since South Carolina went back-to-back in the 2010-2011 seasons.
Looking ahead
Sportsbooks are bullish on Tennessee’s chances of securing the second national title in program history.
With a dominant top of the rotation and an offense that ranks No. 4 in the NCAA in slugging percentage at .590, the Vols are a well-rounded, dangerous team with an eye on making more history.
Tennessee has several marquee series on deck, with the Vols heading to LSU to take on the Tigers this weekend and rival Vanderbilt visiting Rocky Top the following weekend. UT travels to Arkansas for a three-game set May 15-17, just prior to the SEC tournament, slated May 20-25 in Hoover, Ala.
Tennessee will need to do some damage against the conference’s top teams to continue to make its case as a championship contender in the eyes of fans and oddsmakers.
