After a storied five year career, Hunter Ensley posted his farewell message to Tennessee baseball earlier this week on Instagram.
“What an honor to be able to wear Tennessee across my chest for the past 5 years!” Ensley wrote. “Forever grateful for all the memories and relationships Knoxville has brought me! Vol Nation, 🫶🏽!”
The 19 photo post included some of the top moments from Ensley’s career start to finish including his spectacular leaping catch against Vanderbilt this past season, his catch at the wall in the College World Series and moments celebrating the national championship.
Ensley played with dozens of players during his five-year college career and the post represented that well including pictures of Ensley with 18 other Tennessee players from his college career.
The centerfielder redshirted his freshman season in 2021 before playing sparingly, totaling just 16 at-bats during the 2022 season.
Ensley was not a favorite to start in 2023 entering the season but eventually won the Vols’ open starting job in centerfield. Once he won the job, he never looked back. Ensley was an effective contact hitter and finished the season hitting .280 with seven home runs and 31 RBIs.
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After an up-and-down first half of the 2024 season, Ensley got on an absolute tear for the final six weeks of the season. Ensley delivered in a multitude of big moments on the Vols’ way to the first national championship in program history including his iconic slide to score what proved to be the deciding run in game three of the College World Series finals.
Confirmed: Hunter Ensley was a problem at recesspic.twitter.com/pYK6gMV8o9
— Stephen Schoch (@bigdonkey47) June 25, 2024
Ensley finished the 2024 season hitting .296 with 12 home runs, 15 doubles and 48 RBIs. The Huntington, Tennessee native kept it going entering 2025 where Ensley hit .336 with 10 home runs, 17 doubles and 62 RBIs.
The offensive production all came in tandem with Ensley playing elite defense in centerfield and being one of the top leaders in Tennessee’s program.
In a sport where most good players don’t stay for their senior season and in an era where so many players transfer, Ensley had a rare and legendary career at Tennessee.
