Well, we always knew there were going to be some players leaving, and this was one of them. Former Tennessee outfielder Jay Abernathy is intending to enter the transfer portal. While he was never a superstar, he was a reliable player during his two years in Knoxville.
Tracking every player Tennessee baseball loses and gains from the Transfer Portal
One of the key losses for Tennessee is a strong plate discipline presence. In 106 games across two seasons, Abernathy drew 44 walks against 58 strikeouts, showing a very good eye at the plate. However, his overall production was modest, finishing with a .255 batting average and a .739 OPS. Josh Elander will have to rebound here, as Abernathy was a two-year starter who showed promise.
Jay Abernathy is entering the transfer portal after two years at Tennessee, @ByMikeWilson first reported.
— Ryan Schumpert (@ryanschumpert00) June 2, 2026
Abernathy started 29 games in centerfield and 10 games at second base last season. Slashed .236/.352/.379 while stealing nine bases.https://t.co/KKwt83q9Jg
Tennessee baseball loses OF Jay Abernathy to the portal
Of all the departures so far, this is easily the biggest loss to date. It’s understandable that some depth players are choosing to move on, but losing a player like Abernathy still hurts, even if the overall production wasn’t elite. He now joins a growing list of Tennessee players in the portal, including INF Ethan Moore, INF/OF Chris Newstrom, INF Finley Bates, INF Ariel Antigua, RHP Brayden Krenzel, C Cash Williams, and INF/OF Hunter High.
Coming out of high school, Abernathy was a major prospect, ranked by Perfect Game as the No. 3 player in Georgia. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him stay in the SEC or end up at another big conference program like the ACC or Sun Belt. He still has plenty of upside.
The good news for Tennessee is that Samford outfielder Jake Souders is set to visit Knoxville. The First Team All-SoCon outfielder was a major offensive force last season, hitting .356 with a 1.006 OPS. He also hit 11 home runs and drove in 46 RBIs as a sophomore. If Elander can land him, it would be a huge portal pickup and a strong replacement for Abernathy.
Josh Elander really needs a strong offseason to win back some trust from the fanbase that still isn’t fully sold on him. He took over a pretty average roster from what Tony Vitello left behind and did a solid job with it, but now it’s his opportunity to build things the way he wants.
Tennessee will host Samford outfielder Jake Souders on a visit Thursday, his agent @Pchap_Kares confirms to @GoVols247.@PeteNakos first reported Souders' visit with Tennessee.https://t.co/qdLCNLUzrN
— Ben McKee (@benmckee14) June 2, 2026
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