Players To Watch For Tennessee Baseball In 2026
Players To Watch For Tennessee Baseball In 2026
We’re a day away from Tennessee baseball 2026. Who is going to lead the Vols into the new campaign? See all the details now.
You can’t talk about the history of Tennessee without using words like patriotism, bravery, spirit and tenacity, and those values helped build the foundation for athletics at the University of Tennessee.
From the tailgates to the bleachers to the locker rooms to the fields, a proud and unified front of orange and white has kept the Tennessee Volunteers in the top tier of college sports for more than 130 years.
Now, it’s time for the UT baseball to go to back into battle under the leadership of a new head coach, who will be looking to add to a legacy that finally includes a baseball national championship.
Alongside Josh Elander in the quest will be a roster filled with experienced players from the team’s 2024 title-winning team, a few key transfers and up-and-coming talent looking to help bring the next championship to Knoxville.
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The Volunteers, at No. 14, enter the 2026 season as one of a best-in-the-country 11 Southeastern Conference teams in the 2026 D1Baseball Preseason Top 25 Rankings.
Since the start of the 2020 season, no team in college baseball has won more games or posted a higher winning percentage than Tennessee. The Vols have picked up 272 victories on the way to a .776 winning percentage.
Including end-of-season rankings, Tennessee has been ranked in at least one poll for 97 consecutive weeks and earned preseason top-25 rankings each of the past six seasons after going 13 consecutive years without being ranked in the preseason polls.
This season, Tennessee is looking to return to the Men’s College World Series for the fourth time in six years and eighth time overall. At the MCWS, the Vols own a 14-13 record. Their last appearance came in 2024 and ended with the team’s first national title.
UT defeated Texas A&M in the championship series. The title run set multiple records, continued the recent baseball dominance of the SEC and ended a 15-year national-championship drought for the university.
The Volunteers finished their 2025 campaign shy of a repeat, but the season was successful overall, ending in the Super Regional round of the 2025 NCAA Division I Baseball Championship and with a 46-19 record.
The 2026 campaign, and the Elander era, will start with an eight-game homestand, beginning Feb. 13, before the team heads to Arlington, Texas, for the final weekend of the 2026 College Baseball Series, which will run from Feb. 27-March 1.
Tennessee has participated in the event multiple times, but did not appear in 2025.
This year’s three games – against UCLA, Arizona State and Virginia Tech – will be broadcast live on FloCollege and the FloSports app as part of the wire-to-wire coverage of the 2026 College Baseball Series.
The CBS again will be held at Globe Life Field, home of the 2023 World Series-winning Texas Rangers, and the three weekends of action from Feb. 13 through March 1 will include 18 teams.
Tennessee will be one of the six programs in town for the final weekend and will be joined by Arizona State, Mississippi State, Texas A&M, UCLA and Virginia Tech.
With the next chapter of Vols baseball only 24 hours away, let’s take a look at the players who are expected to lead the way for UT in 2026:
Tennessee Baseball In The 2026 SEC Preseason Polls
First Team
- C – Ryder Helfrick, Arkansas
- 1B – Gavin Grahovac, Texas A&M
- 2B – Chris Rembert, Auburn
- 2B – Camden Kozeal, Arkansas
- 3B – Ace Reese, Mississippi State
- SS – Justin Lebron, Alabama
- SS – Tyler Bell, Kentucky
- OF – Derek Curiel, LSU
- OF – Caden Sorrell, Texas A&M
- OF – Henry Ford, Tennessee
- DH/Utility – Noah Sullivan, Mississippi State
- SP – Hunter Elliott, Ole Miss
- SP – Casan Evans, LSU
- SP – Liam Peterson, Florida
- SP – Dylan Volantis, Texas
- RP – Zac Cowan, LSU
- RP – Brandon Arvidson, Tennessee
- RP – Luke McNeillie, Florida
Second Team
- C — Chase Fralick, Auburn
- C — Carson Tinney, Texas
- 1B — Levi Clark, Tennessee
- 1B — Will Furniss, Ole Miss
- 2B — Ethan Mendoza, Texas
- 3B — Brendan Lawson, Florida
- SS — Steven Milam, LSU
- OF — Kuhio Aloy, Arkansas
- OF — Bub Terrell, Auburn
- OF — Jake Brown, LSU
- DH/Utility — Braden Holcomb, Vanderbilt
- SP — Gabe Gaeckle, Arkansas
- SP — Connor Fennell, Vanderbilt
- SP — Ben Cleaver, Kentucky
Tennessee Selections For 2026 Perfect Game Preseason All-America Teams
First-Team Hitters
- 1B – Henry Ford, Jr. (transfer)
Third-Team Pitchers
- RHP – Brady Frederick, Jr. (transfer)
Follow this link to see all of the Perfect Game All-America selections.
Tennessee Selections For 2026 D1Baseball.com Preseason All-America Teams
Third Team
- DH – Henry Ford, Jr. (transfer)
- RHP – Brady Frederick, Jr. (transfer)
Find all of the D1Baseball.com Preseason All-Americans here.
Tennessee Selections For 2026 Baseball America Preseason College Baseball All-America Teams
Second Team
- SP – Tegan Kuhns
- TWP – Blaine Brown
Best Athlete (Pitcher)
- Kenny Ishikawa, Georgia
- Jackson Flora, UC Santa Barbara
- Tegan Kuhns, Tennessee
To see all of the players who were recognized by Baseball America, click here.
Tennessee Selections For NCBWA Division I Preseason All-America Teams
Second Team
- RHP – Brady Frederick, Jr. (transfer)
Third Team
- C – Garrett Wright, Jr. (transfer)
- OF – Henry Ford, Jr. (transfer)
Visit this page to see all of the NCBWA Division I Preseason All-Americans.
NCBWA Stopper of the Year Watch List
- LHP – Brandon Arvidson, RS-Jr.
- RHP – Brady Frederick, Jr.
- RHP – Bo Rhudy, Jr.
To see the complete watch list for NCBWA Stopper of the Year, visit this page.
A Look At Each Tennessee Preseason Standout
Learn more about each UT standout:
Cam Appenzeller, Fr., LHP
The highly recruited left-hander was named to the Baseball All-America Freshman of the Year Watch List.
Along with his collegiate potential, the Seattle Mariners also saw something in Appenzeller and picked him in the 2025 MLB Draft, though he decided to enroll at Tennessee for now.
Brandon Arvidson, RS-Jr., LHP
Arvidson’s move to Tennessee marked the third college program of his career (Texas A&M, San Jacinto College), but that also means he’s been seen by a lot of eyes.
Perhaps that helped the southpaw land a spot on the 2026 Preseason All-SEC first team. Or, maybe it was the success he enjoyed in 30 appearances last year for the Volunteers.
Arvidson was second on the team in appearance and innings pitched (38 2/3) among the relievers. He compiled a 2-0 record, plus one save. He struck out 70, posted a 4.19 ERA and held his opponents to a .196 batting average.
And he was one of the five UT pitchers who combined for a no-hitter last season. It was the ninth no-hitter in program history and first since 2002. The performance came in a 12-0 win over St. Bonaventure in early March.
Finally, Arvidson landed on the 2026 NCBWA Stopper of the Year Preseason Watch List.
Blaine Brown, Soph., OF/LHP
Brown also is a transfer for the Volunteers after being an all-conference selection in the American Conference and a member of the league’s All-Freshman team.
The two-way player led Rice in multiple offensive categories in 2025, including batting average (.292), slugging percentage (.493), total bases (103), hits (61), RBIs (38), multi-hit games (18), doubles (12) and home runs (10).
Brown did make four appearances on the mound for the Owls and is expected to pitch for the Vols in 2026.
Levi Clark, Soph., UTL
The sophomore utility man is coming off a successful freshman campaign that ended with a 2025 Perfect Game Freshman All-America first-team selection and a nod as a 2025 Midseason Freshman All-American by D1Baseball (first team).
Statistically, the right-hander batted .289 to start his career with Tennessee, which included 37 total hits, 10 home runs, nine doubles, 34 RBIs and 30 runs scored. He played in 51 games, starting 38.
Henry Ford, Jr., 1B/OF
A 2024 Freshman All-American, Ford arrives in Knoxville after two solid years at Virginia, where he started 111 games, batted .348 and collected 115 RBIs, 102 runs, 28 home runs and 22 doubles.
He’s also versatile in the field and has seen time at first base, third base and across the outfield.
Additionally, Ford was named to the inaugural edition of the Baseball America College Player of the Year Watch List and is one of 55 players on the preseason watch list for the 2026 Golden Spikes Award, given annually to the best amateur baseball player in the United States.
Brady Frederick, Jr., RHP
Another transfer who is expected to contribute immediately for the Volunteers, Frederick made the move from East Tennessee State University, where he helped the Bucs to the 2025 Southern Conference regular-season championship, SoCon Baseball Championship title, a spot in the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship and the second-most wins in program history (41).
Finally, Frederick landed on the 2026 NCBWA Stopper of the Year Preseason Watch List.
Tegan Kuhns, Soph., RHP
The starting pitcher wasn’t satisfied with a successful freshman season, he also wanted to up his stock by participating in the famed Cape Cod League over the summer.
Kuhns, a right-hander, was third for Tennessee last year with 10 starts. He had 40 strikeouts and a 5.40 ERA in 36 2/3 innings.
He also has been named to the 2026 Baseball America Pitcher of the Year Watch List.
Bo Rhudy, Jr., RHP
Rhudy is one of an SEC-best three Tennessee relievers to land on the 2026 NCBWA Stopper of the Year Preseason Watch List.
The junior also is one of the many transfers hoping to contribute to getting UT back to the top of the SEC and potentially make a run at another national title.
Last year for Kennesaw State, Rhudy made 21 appearances and led the team with five saves. He was 2-0 overall with a 3.16 ERA, 44 strikeouts and five walks in 37 innings, while holding opponents to a .212 batting average.
As a freshman in 2024, he was 4-1, added six saves and earned All-ASUN (Atlantic Sun Conference) and ASUN All-Freshman honors.
Garrett Wright, Jr., C/OF
Another transfer expected to contribute immediately, Wright played in 54 of 55 games last season for Bowling Green, and he reached base in 52 of those contests.
His efforts included a program record for doubles (20), a .406 batting average (the only player in the Mid-Atlantic Conference and ranked 22nd in the country), .513 on-base percentage (only player in the MAC and ranked 19th nationally), 82 total hits, 134 total bases, 60 runs, eight home runs, four triples and set a program record after getting hit by 28 pitches.
Wright also shined defensively and was named the 2025 MAC Defensive Player of the Year, All-MAC First Team and All-Mac Defensive Team.
2026 SEC Baseball Preseason Coaches Poll
- LSU (9 first-place votes) — 231 points
- Texas (1) — 214
- Mississippi State (4) — 205
- Arkansas (2) — 203
- Auburn — 175
- Tennessee — 162
- Florida — 156
- Vanderbilt — 151
- Georgia — 133
- Ole Miss — 110
- Kentucky — 99
- Alabama — 87
- Texas A&M — 86
- Oklahoma — 84
- South Carolina — 49
- Missouri — 31
To see all of the individual SEC recognition and preseason honors, check out this compilation from the SEC.
Nationally, a best-in-the-country 11 SEC teams made the 2026 D1Baseball Preseason Top 25 Rankings – LSU (No. 2), Texas (No. 3), Mississippi State (No. 4), Arkansas (No. 7), Auburn (No. 9), Florida (No. 13), Tennessee (No. 14), Georgia (No. 15), Kentucky (No. 18), Vanderbilt (No. 23) and Texas A&M (No. 25).
Tennessee Baseball Schedule 2026
Want to see when the Tennessee Volunteers are in action this year and read more about how they have performed in recent seasons?
Read more: Tennessee Baseball Schedule 2026: Dates, Times And More | 2026 Vols Roster
How Did Tennessee Baseball Do In 2025?
Tennessee wasn’t able to repeat as the national champion, but the 2025 season was a successful one.
The Vols finished conference play with a 16-14 record, which tied them for seventh place in the 16-team SEC and earned them the No. 8 seed for the SEC Tournament. They reached the semifinals, before falling to eventual champion Vanderbilt.
When it was time to run it back in the NCAA Baseball Championship, Tennessee was one of a record 13 SEC programs to make the 64-team bracket.
The squad made a commendable run, reaching the Super Regional round, where the Vols fell to Arkansas with another trip to Omaha on the line.
The campaign ended with a 46-19 overall record, and not long after, the team had to say goodbye to Vitello, who moved on to become the head coach of MLB’s San Francisco Giants.
Vitello was 341-131 during his tenure at Tennessee from 2018-2025. He inherited a Giants team that was 81-81 in 2025.
How To Watch Tennessee Baseball Games In 2026
Three games of the 2026 Tennessee baseball season will be broadcast live on FloCollege and the FloSports app as part of the final event of the 2026 College Baseball Series, the Amegy Bank College Baseball Series – Weekend 3.
Tennessee will have eight of its regular-season games televised live on the ESPN family of networks (ESPN2, ESPNU, SEC Network), while the remainder of the Vols' home contests and conference road games will be streamed digitally on SEC Network+, WatchESPN.com and the ESPN app.
When Does The 2026 College Baseball Season Start?
The 2026 college baseball season is slated to begin Feb. 13 with the Shriners Children’s College Showdown, which gets the NCAA action rolling for the Division I teams.
For Division II and Division III, competition was set to begin Jan. 30 for most programs.
Watch Tennessee At The Amegy Bank College Baseball Series – Weekend 3
All Times Eastern
Friday, Feb. 27
Saturday, Feb. 28
Sunday, March 1
Replays of the games, highlights and more news will be available on both platforms.
2026 D1Baseball Preseason Top 25 Rankings
- UCLA (48-18)
- LSU (53-15)
- Texas (44-14)
- Mississippi State (36-23)
- Georgia Tech (41-19)
- Coastal Carolina (56-13)
- Arkansas (50-15)
- Louisville (42-24)
- Auburn (41-20)
- TCU (39-20)
- North Carolina (46-15)
- Oregon State (48-16-1)
- Florida (39-22)
- Tennessee (46-19)
- Georgia (43-17)
- Florida State (42-16)
- NC State (35-21)
- Kentucky (31-26)
- Clemson (45-18)
- Southern Miss (47-16)
- Wake Forest (39-22)
- Miami (35-27)
- Vanderbilt (43-18)
- Arizona (44-21)
- Texas A&M (30-26)
Recent NCAA Division I Baseball National Champions
- 2025 – LSU
- 2024 – Tennessee
- 2023 – LSU
- 2022 – Ole Miss
- 2021 – Mississippi State
- 2020 – No Tournament
- 2019 – Vanderbilt
How Long Is The NCAA Division I Baseball Season?
Teams are able to begin their official practices during the final week of January, while mid-February traditionally marks the start of formal competition for Division I baseball teams.
From start to finish, the Division I baseball season means 132 days together for the players and coaches, and teams may play in more than 50 games (56 is the maximum number of contests before the postseason).
By the time they won the Division I national championship in 2025, the LSU Tigers (of the SEC) had played 68 games, compiling a 53-15 record.
What Teams Are Playing In the 2026 College Baseball Series?
Here’s a list of every team headed to Globe Life Field:
Shriners Children’s College Baseball Showdown
- Arkansas
- Oklahoma
- Oklahoma State
- Texas Tech
- TCU
- Vanderbilt
Amegy Bank College Baseball Series – Weekend 2
- Auburn
- Florida State
- Kansas State
- Louisville
- Michigan
- Nebraska
Amegy Bank College Baseball Series – Weekend 3
- Arizona State
- Mississippi State
- Tennessee
- Texas A&M
- UCLA
- Virginia Tech
Midweek Games
- *Arkansas vs. Tarleton State (Feb. 16 at 3 p.m. EST)
- *TCU vs. UT Arlington (Feb. 17 at 8 p.m. EST)
*Will not be broadcast live by FloSports.
How To Watch The 2026 College Baseball Series On FloCollege
Complete 2026 College Baseball Showdown Schedule
Here's when everything will be happening at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas:
Shriners Children’s College Showdown
All Times Eastern
Feb. 13, 2026
Feb. 14, 2026
Feb. 15, 2026
- 11:30 a.m. – Vanderbilt vs. Oklahoma St.
- 3:30 p.m. – Texas Tech vs. Arkansas
- 7:30 p.m. – TCU vs. Oklahoma
Amegy Bank College Baseball Series Weekend 2
Feb. 20, 2026
Feb. 21, 2026
Feb. 22, 2026
- 11:30 a.m. – Auburn vs. Louisville
- 3:30 p.m. – Nebraska vs. Florida St.
- 7:30 p.m. – Michigan vs. Kansas St.
Amegy Bank College Baseball Series Weekend 3
Feb. 27, 2026
- Noon – Arizona St. vs. Mississippi St.
- 4 p.m. – UCLA vs. Tennessee
- 8 p.m.– Virginia Tech vs. Texas A&M
Feb. 28, 2026
- Noon – Tennessee vs. Arizona St.
- 4 p.m. – Mississippi St. vs. Virginia Tech
- 8 p.m. – Texas A&M vs. UCLA
March 1, 2026
- 11:30 a.m. – Virginia Tech vs. Tennessee
- 3:30 p.m. – UCLA vs. Mississippi St.
- 7:30 p.m. – Arizona St vs. Texas A&M
When Does The 2026 NCAA Division I Baseball Championship Start?
The first/regional round of the 2026 NCAA Division I Baseball Championship will be May 29-31, with times and locations TBD.
The NCAA Super Regional action will be held June 5-7, again, with times and locations TBD.
The last eight teams standing will head to the 2026 Men's College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska, from June 12-22 to battle through a combination of double-elimination and best-of-three competition until a champion emerges.
How To Watch More Of The 2026 College Baseball Season On FloCollege
College baseball in 2026 will be streamed on FloCollege and the FloSports app for select Division I preseason tournaments and for much of the Division II and Division III seasons.
When Is The 2026 MLB Draft?
The MLB Draft begins the Sunday of MLB All-Star Week, which is being held in Philadelphia from July 11-14.
Throwback: Former Tennessee Head Coach Tony Vitello Explains Tennessee's Swagger
Under Tony Vitello, Tennessee found quite a bit of success, including a national title.
The Vols exuded confidence and camaraderie in a way few other teams do when he spoke about it in 2021, and the team has been on the rise ever since. Will that continue in 2026?
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