With the 2026 MLB Draft in the rearview mirror, Tennessee baseball’s roster is mostly set for next season. It’s a strong roster, particularly on the position player side where the Vols are incredibly deep with talent.
That depth and the versatility makes projecting a starting lineup difficult. But let’s try our hand at it anyway. Taking a look a what Tennessee baseball’s 2027 staring lineup could look like.
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Position Players
Catcher
- Trent Grindlinger
Other contenders
- Stone Lawless
- Levi Clark
- Sean Dunlap
It says a lot about Tennessee’s culture that three starting level catchers returned this offseason. Then throw in one of the nation’s top prep catchers in Sean Dunlap. For fitting the best nine bats in the lineup, Grindlinger starting makes the most sense. But I anticipate two different catchers starting on the weekend for Tennessee and another getting midweek reps.
First Base
- Levi Clark
Other Contenders
- Braydon Kersey
- Trent Grindlinger
- Blake Grimmer
Clark started at first base a season ago while getting a handful of catching opportunities. Grimmer started at first base when Clark didn’t. Kersey has worked at first base in summer ball and I anticipate Grindlinger spending a good bit of his fall at first base when he’s not behind he plate.
Second Base
- Wyatt Hanoian
Other contenders
- Blake Grimmer
- Mario Trivella
- Travis Sanders
- Tyler Myatt
- Cole Koeninger
- Colton Springall
Hanoian hit .357 as a freshman at Air Force and Tennessee brought him in to start at second base. There’s other options besides him, including Grimmer who started a second base last season, but Hanoian enters the fall as the leading candidate in my eyes.
Shortstop
- Chris Ramirez
Other contenders
- Mario Trivella
- Travis Sanders
- Jaxson Wood
- Jack Duggan
- Cole Koeninger
The WAC Player of the Year, Ramirez hit .389 and slugged .575 as a sophomore at Cal Baptist. But it’s Ramirez glove that makes him a high-level draft prospect. Tennessee has insurance if his bat doesn’t translate, both Trivella and Sanders started a shortstop at their prior school, but this feels like Ramirez’ job until it’s not.
Third Base
- Travis Sanders
Other contenders
- Blake Grimmer
- Mario Trivella
- Michael Teasley
Sanders started at shortstop at Baylor last season where he slashed .368/.459/.586 and earned Second Team All-Big 12 honors. He’s going to start somewhere and third base feels like the most likely spot. Grimmer is also capable of playing third base as is Trivella and the true freshman Teasley.
Left Field
- Blake Grimmer
Other contenders
- Blaine Brown
- Levi Clark
- Braydon Kersey
- Tyler Myatt
Grimmer’s versatility is what makes this exercise so difficult, but, goodness, it’s a great tool for Josh Elander to have at his disposal. He’s going to start somewhere and left field seems like the most likely. A number of other capable bats could play here — including Clark, Kersey and Myatt — if Grimmer ends up in the infield.
Centerfield
- Andrew Duncan
Other contenders
- Blaine Brown
- Jaxson Wood
This one is as obvious as any position. Duncan started in centerfield a Wright State last season where he hit .367 with 25 extra-base hits. The options behind him are a bit uncertain, but I expect Hoover shortstop Jaxson Wood to get fall run in centerfield because of his blazing speed.
Right Field
- Blaine Brown
Other contenders
- Andrew Duncan
- Blake Grimmer
Brown was a bit of an adventure in left field last season, but Tennessee needs him to take a step forward defensively this offseason because there are not a lot of great right field options. The good news is Brown has the arm to play in right field.
Designated Hitter
- Braydon Kersey
Other contenders
- Trent Grindlinger
- Tyler Myatt
- Sean Dunlap
The two-way Kersey has a bat that wreaked havoc on the SoCon last season when he hit .325 with 21 home runs. Serving as a designated hitter would make it easier for him to pitch. But he’s going to have competition. Grindlinger will be in the lineup every day. Myatt has impressed this summer in the Cape Cod League. It’s difficult to see Dunlap catching a ton this season, but I’m not ruling out his bat from making an impact.
Pitching
Weekend Rotation
- LHP Cam Appenzeller
- RHP Landon Mack
- LHP Jake McCoy
Other Contenders
- RHP Parker Detmers
- LHP Brody Trosclair
I feel most confident that Appenzeller and Mack are going to be in weekend starting spots next season if healthy. The best case scenario for Tennessee is that Appenzeller takes a big step this offseason and emerges as a true SEC ace.
The third starting spot seems much more uncertain. McCoy has the talent and starting experience at South Carolina but has not yet turned it into high-level production. Like McCoy, Detmers is coming off an arm injury but that occurred a full season earlier and could give him a longer ramp up this offseason. Trosclair will miss most the offseason due to injury but could earn a starting role by later in the season.
Bullpen Arms
- LHP Ricky Ojeda
- RHP Hayden Simmerson
- LHP Will Haas
- LHP Jackson Estes
- RHP Ethan Baiotto
- RHP Gary Morse
- RHP Shawn Sullivan
- RHP Gannon Grant
- LHP Chandler Day
- RHP Brady Frederick
- RHP Braydon Kersey
Ojeda and Simmerson have college success to lean on while the rest of this group is either looking to emerge in year two or prove to be capable arms while freshmen. The inexperience will make fall practice interesting. The freshman trio of Morse, Sullivan and Grant feel particularly important.
