Link to my full rankings: 2026 Preseason Top 25

#6) Tennessee

D1Baseball Ranking: 14

Baseball America Ranking: 13

Perfect Game Ranking: 3

2026 will mark a new era of Tennessee baseball after Tony Vitello accepted the head coaching job with the San Francisco Giants. Josh Elander will take over the reigns with one of the most talented rosters in the country. Elander is widely respected, but replacing Tony Vitello and Frank Anderson will be no easy task. Anderson was regarded as one of the top pitching coaches at the college level. Florida assistant coach, Chuck Jeroloman joined the staff and will be a nice addition. A learning curve in the dugout is expected, but this roster is as talented as anyone. After a 2025 season that saw the Vols finish in the Super Regionals, the standard in Knoxville remains a trip to Omaha.

Offensive Returners:

This lineup returns a good amount of talent, but will need guys to make the jump. Andrew Fischer, Gavin Kilen, Dean Curley, Hunter Ensley, and Dalton Bargo were the only hitters to have a wRC+ above 100.

• Levi Clark: Middle of the order bat that hit .289 with 10 HRs last season. I expect him to have a large jump in production.
• Reese Chapman: Ranked #4 on Perfect Game’s top Seniors. Chapman has upside, but needs to have a better year at the plate. He posted a .273 average with 13 HRs last season, but struck out at a 29.2% rate.
• Jay Abernathy: Another player that I am expecting to have a break out this season. Abernathy was a top recruit in 2024 and has the tools to take the next step.
• Chris Newstrom: Hit .351 with 5 HRs in only 57 plate appearances last season.
• Stone Lawless (C), Ariel Antigua (IF), Manny Marin (IF): Returners with SEC experience that should

Impact Transfers & Freshmen

• Henry Ford (Virginia): Golden Spikes candidate that will be the centerpiece of this lineup. A premier power threat that bypassed last year’s draft for a season in Knoxville. First round talent.
• Garrett Wright (Bowling Green): Posted a .406/.513/.663 line at Bowling Green last season. He can play the OF and add depth at Catcher.
• Blaine Brown (Rice): Two-way player that will likely be a very early pick in the 2027 MLB Draft. He hits the ball hard and has plus speed. LHP on the mound.
• Evan Blanco (Virginia): Experienced starter that ranked #8 on PG’s top Seniors. Struggled and battled an injury last season. Prior to that, he was a preseason All-American and played a huge part in Virginia’s 2024 trip to Omaha.
• Brady Frederick (ETSU): 2025 SoCon Pitcher of the Year and 2026 PG Third-team preseason All-American. Submarine arm slot
• Bo Rhudy (Kennesaw State): Talented arm that posted 3.16 ERA and one of the country’s best K/BB ratio. He had a great fall.
• Landon Mack (Rutgers): Logged over 80 innings as Rutger’s Friday starter last season.
• Cameron Appenzeller (Freshman): A top recruit that turned down the draft. #3 on PG’s top 10” freshmen.
• Ethan Moore (Freshman): Ranked #24 on PG’s top 100 freshmen

Returning Pitchers:

• Tegan Kuhns: A big time recruit that gained experience as a Freshman. Features a mid 90s fastball and had a great summer in the Cape. Expect MLB.com’s 43rd ranked 2026 prospect to make a big time jump.
• Brandon Arvidson: Southpaw that recorded a whopping 42.2 K% last season in a high leverage role. He started in Game 1 of the fall Orange vs White World Series and is poised for a breakout year.

This roster has a ton of talent and experience, which could make Josh Elander’s job in the first year easier. However last year, Texas A&M featured a loaded roster and first year HC that failed to live up to expectations. The SEC is a bloodbath where one wrong decision can cost you the series. I am higher on this team than the consensus, but the dugout experience remains a question mark. I can’t wait to watch Tennessee vs UCLA in person at the Amergy Bank College World Series in late February. The Vols will have a difficult SEC schedule, but everyone in that conference does.