Tennessee baseball strikes fast by landing stud pitcher in the transfer portal

You think Tony Vitello is at home sulking after the season came to a close for the Tennessee baseball team? Not a chance. Once the campaign ended against Arkansas, Vitello has been on his grind focusing on improving the roster for 2026.

This included wasting zero time in bringing in standout hurler Brady Frederick for an official visit. It hasn't taken long for Frederick to decide that he wants to come home to Knoxville to close out his college career. Per Ben McKee of 247Sports, Frederick has committed to play for Tennessee next campaign. This is an exciting get for Vitello for multiple reasons:

East Tennessee State pitcher Brady Frederick has committed to the Tennessee Vols

Boom! From the moment it was revealed that the hard-throwing righty was going to be taking a visit to meet with Vitello, fans were hopeful that he'd give the Tennessee head man the news he was hoping for. Thankfully, that's exactly what has gone down.

This season, Frederick was a total stud for East Tennessee State, taking home SoCon Pitcher of the Year honors. The hurler went 8-2 with a 2.67 ERA. He pitched 77.2 innings and he was a total headache to deal with for opposing hitters, who hit a lowly .183 off of him.

With Frederick growing up in Knoxville, the sell for him to return to play close to home was obviously an easy one for the Vols. Yes, 2025 didn't go to plan for the team, but it was still a year to remember, highlighted by reaching the Super Regionals for the fifth straight season.

After winning the natty last campaign, everyone was hopeful Tennessee would repeat but things didn't go that way. Still, the future remains bright for this program and the Vols have loads of returning pieces on the way. Bringing in Frederick is only going to make things even more exciting for '26. More big news for Vitello should be on the way soon too.