Tennessee baseball transfer JJ Garcia has found a home in the transfer portal. The right-handed pitcher committed to Appalachian State earlier this week.
Garcia spent two seasons at Tennessee and was on the Vols’ fall roster before not being on the roster this spring. The Statesville, North Carolina native entered the transfer portal in early June and now returns to his home state 67 miles from his hometown.
In two seasons at Tennessee, Garcia combined to post a 4.50 ERA in 15 appearances and 16 innings pitched. The lanky right hander struck out 25 batters while walking just three. He totaled 11.1 innings during the 2024 season where he posted a 3.97 ERA.
Appalachian State posted a 23-31 (13-17 SunBelt) record last season but has been a solid program under head coach Kermit Smith. The 2026 season will be Smith’s 10th at the helm for the Mountaineers.
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Garcia is a part of what’s been a major roster overhaul this offseason. He’s one of 24 total Tennessee players and 18 pitchers that have entered the transfer portal this offseason.
However, eight of the 18 pitchers didn’t pitch in a game for Tennessee this past season. Rising junior left hander Dylan Loy was a serious loss for the Vols, throwing 20.1 innings in SEC play last season. The 17 other transfer pitchers combined to throw 7.1 innings in conference play.
Tennessee has landed seven players in the transfer portal to this point in Virginia’s Henry Ford, Big South Pitcher of the Year Clay Edmondson (UNC Asheville), SoCon Pitcher of the Year Brady Frederick (ETSU), Kennesaw State’s RHP Bo Rhudy and MIT’s RHP Mason Estrada and Bowling Green utility man Garrett Wright and Bowling Green two-way star DJ Newman.
The Vols will still have to survive the MLB Draft to get Ford, Edmondson, Estrada and Newman to campus. Ford and Edmondson are particularly strong draft risks.
One Response
I thought he went to Texas tech last year?