There’s a unique pipeline developing this summer from Tennessee baseball to Jacksonville State. Eighteen Vols entered the portal last month and four have committed to Jacksonville State ahead of the 2027 college baseball season.
Utility man Hunter High, outfielder Hutson Chance, infielder Finley Bates and right-handed pitcher Ari Bethea have all committed to the Gamecocks in recent weeks.
There’s a solid reason for the pipeline to northeast Alabama. Tennessee support staffer Ethan Payne left the Volunteer program to be an assistant coach at Jacksonville State last month. Payne previously played at Tennessee and spent the previous two years as the Vols’ “camp coordinator.”
The group of Vols are joining a program in transition as Travis Creel takes over as head coach. Jacksonville State made the NCAA Tournament a season ago before then-head coach Steve Beeler bolted to become the head coach at Grand Canyon. Creel spent the previous seven years as the pitching coach at Southern Miss.
High spent the first three years of his college career at Tennessee, starting one game and playing in 40 as a program glue guy. He hit .343 with two home runs, three doubles and 10 RBIs in 35 career at-bats.
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Bates transferred to Tennessee from San Diego State last offseason before hitting .333 in 12 at-bats during his lone season in Knoxville. Both Chance and Bethea did not play while redshirting their freshman seasons at Tennessee.
Eighteen Tennessee players have entered the transfer portal this offseason including High, Bates, Chance, Bethea, right-handed pitcher DJ McDowell, right-handed pitcher Jax Bishop, infielder Ethan Moore, first baseman Evan Hankins, right-handed pitcher Nic Abraham, outfielder Nate Eisfelder, shortstop Manny Marin, utility man Jay Abernathy, catcher Cash Williams, shortstop Ariel Antigua, utility man Chris Newstrom, right-handed pitcher Brayden Krenzel, two-way Taylor Tracey and right-handed pitcher Sawyer Deering.
Nine players have committed to Tennessee out of the transfer portal including Cal Baptist shortstop Chris Ramirez, Baylor infielder Travis Sanders, Air Force infielder Wyatt Hanoian. Louisville right-handed pitcher Parker Detmers, South Carolina left-handed pitcher Jake McCoy, Northwestern State left-handed pitcher Brody Trosclair, UC Irvine left-handed pitcher Ricky Ojeda and Mercer two-way Braydon Kersey.
A number of Tennessee players have announced intentions to return for next season including outfielder Blaine Brown, RHP Landon Mack, LHP Cam Appenzeller, first baseman Levi Clark, catcher Trent Grindlinger, catcher Stone Lawless, utility man Blake Grimmer. and LHP Will Haas.
