Tennessee Baseball: Key players to lookout for this season

Tennessee baseball is right around the corner, and the hype behind the Vols continues to build. In just 8 short days, the Vols will be traveling to Arizona to kick off their season. 

Tennessee baseball is ranked No. 2 in the preseason top 25 polls for the 2023 season coming off a historic campaign last year finishing 57-9. Tennessee will have multiple incoming transfers on the roster: shortstop Maui Ahuna (Kansas), right fielder Colby Backus (Walters State), third baseman Zane Denton (Alabama), and catcher Jack Alexander (Austin Peay and Notre Dame).

The big returner from last year’s team is center fielder Seth Stephenson. Seth was a dominant player for the Volunteers last season and posted a .339 batting average while driving in 46 runs.

Tennessee Baseball Key Players to Lookout for

In a recent interview with head coach Tony Vitello, he stated that this year’s pitching staff is the “deepest” in his time at Tennessee and “arguably the most talented.”

The Vols will have an incredible weekend pitching rotation, and all three of these pitcher’s teams will fear when they step up to the plate

First Team All-American Chase Dollander

Dollander holds a 2.39 ERA and is one of the best pitchers in all of NCAA baseball. Dollander is a ridiculous pitcher and strikes out everyone. In his freshman year, Burns recorded a career-high 13 strikeouts in six shutout innings to earn a win vs. Appalachian State. Now as a Junior, he is even more dominant and stronger. Look for Dollander to continue his success into this season as the Vols ace.

First Team All-American Chase Burns

Burns holds a 2.91 ERA and is a dynamic righty that can strikeout any batter that faces him. Last year, Burns set a career-high with seven innings pitched, along with a career-best 11 strikeouts in his first SEC road win over Ole Miss. Burns

Third Team All-American Drew Beam

Beam is another young Sophomore with incredible arm strength. He holds a 2.72 ERA and is extremely hard to get hits against. He finds ways to keep batters guessing and should be a huge part of the Volunteers’ success this season. Last year, Burns tossed 6.2 innings and recorded a career-high 10 strikeouts in a series-clinching win over Alabama.