Tennessee baseball concluded its fall practice on Sunday afternoon with a decisive game three of its Orange-and-White Fall World Series at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
It was a tumultuous fall with Tony Vitello leaving for Major League Baseball and Josh Elander taking over as head coach. But there was also plenty to track on the field for a new look Tennessee team with a ton of new faces and questions ahead of the 2026 season.
I watched 11 different Tennessee baseball intrasquad scrimmages over the course of the six week fall practice. Here are eight players that impressed me.
More From RTI: Four Tennessee Baseball Fall Practice Takeaways
*List is not in order
LHP Brandon Arvidson
This is a bit of an obvious one. Tennessee’s top returning pitcher looked the part of a weekend starter and a potential Friday night ace.
While I was there, Arvidson’s strikeout numbers were not as ridiculously high as they were to end last season. But his walk numbers were much closer to that low rate to end the season then they were when he struggled earlier in the year.
UTL Henry Ford
Another obvious one, Ford was the crown jewel of Tennessee’s transfer class. The Virginia transfer looked every part of a middle of the order SEC bat that Tennessee needs. He twice left the yard when I was in attendance this fall and just consistently hit the ball hard and got on base at a high clip.
His versatility was something I did not see coming. He spent a good bit of time at third base, centerfield and right field this fall. It will be interesting to see where he settles during the season.
LHP Evan Blanco
There was no pitcher I watched more this fall than Virginia transfer Evan Blanco. The left-handed pitcher was shaky in his first few outings but was stellar after that. I nicknamed Blanco “the little bulldog” while watching him. He’s not going to overwhelm many with his stuff but he lived in the strike zone and was a fierce competitor. A left-handed Chad Dallas felt like a good comparison watching him this fall.
Blanco was a weekend starter the last two years at Virginia but had much more success in the role in 2024 then 2025. I leave fall practice believing he will be a weekend starter for Tennessee this season.
1B/C Levi Clark
Clark is looking to take another step in his sophomore season after starting at designated hitter down the stretch as a true freshman. This fall, Clark looked poised for a big jump hitting two home runs and a number of extra-base hits.
A high school catcher, Clark spent some time there this fall but got most his work at first base. That seems like the most likely spot that he’ll factor this season.
RHP Bo Rhudy
The Kennesaw State transfer does not have elite velocity on his fastball but the rise makes it extremely difficult to hit. Rhudy gave Tennessee batters fits this fall and projects as a trusted bullpen arm for Frank Anderson’s unit.
OF/LHP Blaine Brown
A Rice transfer, Brown’s bat was one of Tennessee’s best this fall. He mostly worked at corner outfield spots and as a designated hitter while in the field. On the mound, Brown was a bit erratic and inconsistent but could still help Tennessee in short spurts due to his high velocity fastball from the left side.
But it’s at the plate where Brown will certainly help Tennessee this season.
UTL Blake Grimmer
Grimmer’s bat has frequently impressed over the last year and it continued this fall. His left-handed bat looks like it will factor for the Vols this season.
Defense has always been a weakness and question for Grimmer. But he was solid in the field this fall working both at third base and left field. He made a spectacular diving catch in left field during the Fall World Series over the weekend. That defensive success is just as important as his success at the plate.
SS Ariel Antigua
Antigua was not suddenly amazing at the plate this fall but he did have his flashes and a bit more consistency then we’ve seen from him in the past. Consistency was also the key word for him defensively. Errors plagued the highly skilled defender a season ago. Those were few and far between this fall. That has to be the case if Antigua is going to earn the starting shortstop job.
