Tennessee baseball earns the commitment from elite in-state pitching prospect

Tennessee baseball adds another pitcher to its commitment list, with Class of 2026 RHP Cade Allen announcing his commitment to the Vols. He's the No. 3 player in the state and No. 2 pitcher in Tennessee according to Prep Baseball.

The 5-11, 187-pound pitcher from Humboldt, Tennessee, is the state's No. 1 pitcher, and Tony Vitello is keeping him in the Volunteer State for the foreseeable future. Allen announced his intention to play for Tennessee on Tuesday.

"I want to thank my parents and sisters for pushing me to become a better person as well as a better baseball player," Allen wrote on X. "Thank you to the UT coaching staff for this opportunity to represent my community and my state!"

Allen went 8-3 with a 1.19 ERA in his Sophomore season. The South Gibson County High School pitcher also recorded 85 strikeouts in his 59.1 innings pitched last season. He has a career record of 13-4 with 166 career strikeouts in his two high school seasons. 

He has also pitched for USA Baseball on the 15U National Team, where he started against the Dominican Republic and in the championship game against Puerto Rico. In both appearances, he pitched 6.1 innings, allowed two combined runs, and recorded ten strikeouts. 

Allen is a multi-sport athlete who previously served as his high school's quarterback, starting most of his sophomore season. 

He comes from a line of pitchers. His dad was drafted by the Cleveland Indians out of college. He spent time in the Indians and Houston Astros system before retiring after the 2007 season. 

This is the second pitcher of the week Vitello has added to his 2026 recruiting class, with Tyler Putnam also announcing his commitment earlier this week.