Tennessee baseball officially begins its fall practice Thursday afternoon as the Vols begin six weeks of competition as a new look team attempts to gel and begin answering questions ahead of preseason practice and the start of the season in February.
Here’s a look at four storylines I’ll be tracking as Tony Vitello’s ninth Tennessee squad works through its fall practice.
Second Year Jumps
Vitello’s great teams at Tennessee have all had players who went from fringe starters and top bench contributors to All-SEC level stars. That’s a group that includes the likes of Trey Lipscomb, Jorel Ortega, Dylan Dreiling and Kavares Tears.
Tennessee has a large group of players that fall in that category this season. Levi Clark, Manny Marin, Chris Newstrom and Jay Abernathy all were either off-and-on starters or top bench players as true freshman a season ago. The same is true on the mound with Tegan Kuhns and Brayden Krenzel.
If Tennessee is going to be a national championship contender, a good portion of that group will take a step forward this season. I’m excited to see which have big falls in the right direction.
Middle Infield Competition
There will be competition all over the field this fall but the middle infield is one of the most intriguing for me. After starting at third base a season ago, Marin is a top contender to start at shortstop this season. But Ariel Antigua is also back and will compete to earn that spot.
If Marin ends up securing the starting shortstop spot then all eyes turn to second base where there’s not an obvious top starting candidate. San Diego State transfer Finley Bates and top prep recruit Ethan Moore are top candidates there. Then what about Walters State utility transfer Tyler Myatt. Myatt can rake at the plate. Defensive fit is the question for him. Maybe second base, where he does have some experience, is the landing spot.
With Tennessee’s cross training and versatility, a number of players will get opportunities at the two spots. Who makes a strong case will prove interesting.
Battles For Weekend Starting Pitching Spots
Tennessee lost nearly every pitcher on last season’s team but I enter the fall with high expectations for pitching coach Frank Anderson’s group. And when it comes to weekend starting spot, I believe there’s five legit candidates.
Rutgers transfer Landon Mack and Kuhns, who spent most of last season as a Sunday starter, seem like the two most likely candidates. Former JUCO transfer Brandon Arvidson was a surprise returner after dominating to close the 2024 season in the bullpen. The left-handed Arvidson will be one of Tennessee’s best pitchers this season but could he be more valuable out of the bullpen.
Then there’s Virginia transfer Evan Blanco. The lefty was the ace on a Virginia team that made the College World Series two seasons ago before scuffling while battling injuries last season. The sophomore Krenzel has starting stuff after excelling as a long reliever a season ago. Still, the right hander seems like more of a wild card option.
Tennessee won’t decided its weekend starters in the fall but the competition will be worth following.
Who Emerges As Top Left-Handed Pitching Options
There was a moment this summer where Tennessee’s left-handed pitching options looked really bleak. Tennessee eventually found a pair of portal arms on the later side of things in Duke reliever Mark Hindy and Virginia starter Evan Blanco.
The Vols then survived the draft with elite prep pitcher Cameron Appenzeller and got the major boost a day later when Arvidson announced he was returning for another season. That gives Tennessee four strong left-handed options. All will have chances to earn roles but that pecking order will be interesting to track.
