Josh Elander has been extremely active on the recruiting trail, continuing to strengthen Tennessee’s roster with a series of impactful additions. So far, the Vols have added several elite pitching arms in Ricky Ojeda, Brody Trosclair, Braydon Kersey, and Jake McCoy, significantly bolstering the staff’s depth, which was badly needed.
A familiar Tennessee baseball name is returning to the Major Leagues
Tennessee also improved its lineup with the addition of Air Force freshman Wyatt Hanoian, yet the Vols needed more, and they have gotten it.
The Vols have now added multiple high-level bats to open the weekend, continuing a strong stretch of roster momentum.
Andrew Duncan, Wight State, OF
Duncan was one of the best players in the Horizon League last season, and he is now a Tennessee Vol. Against Tennessee last season in two games for Wright State, Duncan went 4-for-8 with a stolen base.
For the season, he hit .367 with a 1.012 OPS. Power wise, he added six home runs and showed off his speed with 19 stolen bases. Defensively, he posted a 97% fielding percentage, showing he gets it done on both sides of the ball. Plus, he was a First Team All-Horizon League selection.
It’s hard not to be fired up about him, as it’s a big upgrade from Jay Abernathy, who is now at Oklahoma. Duncan can come in right away with one more year of eligibility and be a solid defensive outfielder while also getting it done at the plate. The offensive outlook looks a lot better with Duncan in the fold.
Travis Sanders, Baylor, SS
Once a 14th-round selection by the Boston Red Sox out of high school, Travis Sanders chose the college route, beginning his career at Texas Tech before transferring to Baylor.
In 2026, Sanders emerged as one of the Big 12’s most productive shortstops, earning Second-Team All-Big 12 honors. He put together a standout season at the plate, hitting .369 with a 1.043 OPS while consistently producing against some of the toughest pitching in college baseball.
Overall, Sanders showed a solid presence at the plate, adding 9 home runs, 44 RBIs, and 24 stolen bases, showcasing his power, speed, and defense. Sanders had only 6 errors in 54, further highlighting his solid defensive profile. This is a solid upgrade from last year's shortstop, Manny Marin.
Whats next for Tennessee?
Overall, the roster looks to be mostly filled with pitching, but the Vols could still use a couple more bats. Some of that depends on whether Tennessee targets Trent Grindlinger and Trevor Condon, both of whom are projected first-round picks in the upcoming MLB Draft, so it remains unclear what they will decide.
It has been great to see Josh Elander using the portal to his advantage. It’s clear he will do whatever it takes to win. He replaced Josh Reynolds and upgraded to Austin Knight while also landing one of the best portal classes in the country. The Vols are back on the right track and are looking like a team Omaha-ready.
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