The Tennessee Vols baseball team has had an up-and-down season, but they are back in the Baseball America top 25 after a big weekend series win over Alabama. And despite the rollercoaster season, Josh Elander has already made history in his first year leading the program.
Tennessee’s pitching pipeline shines as Chase Dollander becomes MLB breakout star
Coach Elander picked up his 30th win of the season after a 13-0 win over West Georgia on Tuesday night. The Vols are now 30-15 overall and 8-10 in SEC play. Even with the losing conference record, Tennessee is only two games out of fifth in a crowded SEC standings race. This is the seventh straight season that the Vols have reached 30 wins, and Elander doing it in year one is impressive.
Win No. 30 for Josh Elander tonight.
— Ben McKee (@benmckee14) April 29, 2026
It's the most wins in program history for a first-year head coach.
Josh Elander makes history in year one
Many fans have been critical of Josh Elander, as the Tennessee baseball program hasn’t lived up to preseason expectations, with the team’s hitting sitting near the bottom of the conference at No. 10. Despite that, Tennessee is trending upward, having won five of its last six games. The Vols also have a winnable series coming up against Kentucky this weekend, as the Wildcats have one of the worst pitching staffs in the conference and have lost five of their last six games, including a series loss to South Carolina.
I get why fans are frustrated with Elander, but his era is off to the best start ever. Vitello only had 29 wins in his first year, and with 11 games left, Elanmder has smashed that record. Give him some time to adjust to being the manager, and he will prove to do big things. The Vols have been recruiting at an elite level, and while their on-field product hasn't been perfect, the Vols are on a positive trend.
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