After a standout freshman season with Tennessee baseball, catcher Trent Grindlinger is staying hot in the summer. He is playing for the Harwich Mariners in the Cape Cod league, and making the most of it so far.
On Thursday, in his first game with Harwich, Grindlinger mashed a grand slam in the top of the eighth. The score was already out of hand in favor of the Mariners, but it was the cherry on top for a dominant win.
“Feels good,” Grindlinger said after the game. “I’m happy to be out here. I’ve heard a lot of great things about Harwich, so I’m excited to be out here and keep competing with the guys.”
GRAND SLAM FROM TRENT GRINDLINGER (@Vol_Baseball) 🔱🔥 pic.twitter.com/cd5U0XQbM4
— Harwich Mariners (@HarwichMariners) June 19, 2026
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That’s not the only good news that Grindlinge got this week to start his summer, though. He also earned an invite to the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team training camp. He joins pitcher Cam Appenzeller as Vols slated to be in attendance.
This comes after a season in which Grindlinger was fantastic at the plate. While earning SEC All-Freshman Team honors, Grindlinger hit for a .345 average with eight home runs, two doubles, a triple, 26 runs and 29 RBI. While he’s capable of catching, he spent a good bit of the year as the designated hitter in 43 appearances and 36 starts.
Grindlinger is from Huntington Beach, California. In the class of 2025, Perfect Game ranked him as the No. 30 overall prospect and No. 2 catcher in the class.
Next year, Grindlinger should play a big role in the lineup. Whether it’s as a catcher or designated hitter, his continued production across SEC play is enough to pencil him in as a starter in 2027 for year two under Josh Elander.
