Virginia transfer pitcher Evan Blanco committed to Tennessee baseball out of the transfer portal Wednesday night after visiting the Vols late last week.
The left-handed pitcher posted a 3-5 record, 6.23 ERA and 1.72 WHIP in 39 innings pitched while dealing with an injury during his junior season at Virginia. Blanco was much more effective during his sophomore season when he posted an 8-3 record, 3.62 ERA and 1.29 WHIP in 99.1 innings pitched.
Blanco was a weekend started for Virginia during his sophomore season and ended the year as the Cavaliers’ ace as Virginia made it to the College World Series in Omaha. He is eligible for the 2025 MLB Draft but is only a minor draft risk.
The Woburn, Massachusetts native posted a 4.8% walk rate and 19.3% strikeout rate in 2025 while boasting a 6.9% career walk rate and 23.4% career strikeout rate.
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Blanco is the second Virginia transfer that Tennessee has landed this offseason along with star outfielder Henry Ford. Virginia head coach Brian O’Connor left to become Mississippi State’s head coach earlier this offseason.
Landing a left-handed pitcher is crucial for a Tennessee baseball staff that currently has just one southpaw in Rice transfer Blaine Brown. The rising sophomore Brown is a two-way who was much more effective at the plate then on the mound last season.
With his starting experience, Blanco most likely projects as a weekend starting pitcher in his senior season at Tennessee but could also serve as a bullpen arm. The Vols’ projected starting rotation for the 2026 season includes Rutgers transfer Landon Mack and rising sophomore Tegan Kuhns. Fellow rising sophomore Brayden Krenzel could also push for a weekend starting spot.
Blanco is the Vols’ 10th transfer portal commit of the offseason, joining Ford, Mack, Bowling Green two-way DJ Newman, Rice two-way Blaine Brown, ESTU RHP Brady Frederick, UNC Asheville RHP Clay Edmondson, Kennesaw State RHP Bo Rhudy, MIT RHP Mason Estrada, and Bowling Green utility man Garrett Wright.
Blanco, Ford, Newman, Edmondson and Estrada are all draft eligible and varying degrees of draft risks.
