Tennessee transfer pitcher Thomas Crabtree has found a home out of the transfer portal. Crabtree committed to Southern Miss Friday night, just hours after officially entering the portal.
Crabtree transferred to Tennessee from Pearl River Community College ahead of the 2025 season but things never clicked for the West Tennessee native in Knoxville. The right-handed pitcher posted a 3.00 ERA and 0.87 WHIP in 15 innings pitched. He struck out 20 batters and walked five.
The 6-foot-4, 202-pound right-handed pitcher spent just one season at Tennessee and never earned a major role. He recorded just one out in SEC play.
A rising junior, Crabtree spent his freshman season at a starting pitcher at Pearl River Community College in Mississippi. The right-handed pitcher posted a 10-2 record with a 2.96 ERA and 1.16 WHIP in 76 innings pitched. He also truck out 105 batters over the course of the season and earned First Team All-MACCC.
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Crabtree is a Collierville, Tennessee native who originally committed to ETSU before ending up Pearl River. Crabtree was the No. 43 overall player and No. 13 right-handed pitcher in the state of Tennessee in the 2023 recruiting cycle according to Perfect Game.
Tennessee has recent history with Southern Miss on the diamond. The Vols knocked off Southern Miss in three games in the Hattiesburg Super Regional in 2023 to advance to the College World Series. In 2024, Tennessee defeated Southern Miss in the Knoxville Regional final on its way to its first national championship in program history.
Crabtree is one of seven players to transfer out of the Tennessee baseball program this offseason along with RHP Bryson Thacker, infielder Robinson Martin, RHP Austin Huntley, OF Colby Backus, LHP Brayden Sharp and 1B Jack Jones.
The Vols have landed four players in the transfer portal to this point in Big South Pitcher of the Year Clay Edmondson, SoCon Pitcher of the Year Brady Frederick, Kennesaw State’s Bo Rhudy and MIT’s Mason Estrada.
