Vols Baseball Roster: Who’s Who for the 2021 Season

Check out the Vols baseball roster for the 2021 season. Get to know the players, their stats, and what they bring to the team.

Introduction

The following is a list of the players on the University of Tennessee’s 2021 baseball roster along with a brief description of each player.

Pitchers:

-Jeremy Randolph: A junior from Nashville, TN, Randolph is a right-handed pitcher who began his career as a starter before moving to the bullpen. He has a fastball that reaches up to 95 miles per hour and he also throws a slider and a changeup.

-Will Neely: A senior from Knoxville, TN, Neely is a left-handed pitcher who primarily works as a reliever. He has a deceptive delivery and mixes his pitches well, including a fastball, curveball, and changeup.

-Brady Webb: A junior from Murfreesboro, TN, Webb is a right-handed pitcher who is one of the team’s top starters. He has a powerful fastball that reaches up to 97 miles per hour as well as an effective slider and changeup.

Infielders:

-Connor Pavolony: A senior from Franklin, TN, Pavolony is the team’s starting first baseman. He’s a left-handed hitter with power potential, and he also has good speed for his size.

-Landon Boyd: A sophomore from Cookeville, TN, Boyd is the team’s starting second baseman. He’s an athletic infielder with good range and a strong arm. At the plate, he’s tough to strike out and uses all fields well.

-Blake Woodall: A junior from Cookeville, TN Woodall is the team’s starting shortstop. He’s an excellent fielder with good range and quick feet. Offensively, he hits for average and has some gap power.

Outfielders: Catchers:
-Zach Daniels: A senior from Germantown -Ethan Bennett: A sophomore from Johnson City,-Jake Rucker A freshman from Bristol,-Drew Gilbert :A junior from Collierville,-Andrew Eller :A redshirt senior from Chattanooga City,- Brody Wofford :A freshman from HendersonvillepitcherTN Bennett is the team’s primary catcher.he has good pop time On defenseHe has good athleticism behindthe plateand threw out 18 runners last season .He also ownsShea Langeliers :A junior college transfer who was drafted in 2019 but didn’t sign with the Houston Astros . At 6’4″, 230 pounds ,Langeliershas plus raw powerfromthe left sideof catchers in college baseball . switch hitter who projects to hit for averagewith some gap power .An excellent defenderin center field ,Hickshas good speedand range .projected to be one of UT’s top hitters .an above average arm in center field

Pitching Staff

The Vols Baseball pitching staff for the 2021 season is full of experienced and talented players. The rotation will be anchored by junior right-hander Garrett Crochet, who was named a preseason All-American by multiple outlets. Crochet is coming off a 2020 season in which he posted a 1.70 ERA and struck out 45 batters in 26.1 innings pitched He’ll be joined in the rotation by fellow junior right-hander Sean Hunley, who had a 3.38 ERA in 15 appearances (three starts) last season, and sophomore right-hander Jack Rucker, who made 10 starts as a freshman in 2020 and posted a 4.50 ERA.

The bullpen will be led by senior right-hander Will Neely, who appeared in a team-high 23 games last season and posted a 2.59 ERA. He’ll be joined by junior right-handers Cam Sanders and Cole Krzus, who each made 20+ appearances last season, sophomore right-hander Andrew Schultz, who had a 1.93 ERA in 19 relief appearances as a freshman, and senior left-hander Zach Reid, who appeared in 18 games out of the bullpen last season.

Infielders

The Vols baseball team will have a new look in 2021, with several Key Players from last year’s squad having graduated or gone pro. Here’s a look at who will be manning the infield for the Vols this season:

First base: Junior Trey Lipscomb will be the primary first baseman for the Vols this season. A former walk-on, Lipscomb has worked his way into a starting role and is a solid defender with good power at the plate.

Second base: Senior Zack Thompson is the returning starter at second base for the Vols. A two-time All-SEC selection, Thompson is one of the leaders of this team and will be counted on to provide some pop in the middle of the lineup.

Shortstop: Freshman Byron Campbell will be taking over as the starting shortstop for the Vols this season. A highly-touted recruit, Campbell is an excellent defender with good speed and a strong arm. He’ll be learning on the job at one of college baseball’s most important positions.

Third base: Senior Lucas Erceg returns as the starter at third base for Tennessee. A two-time All-SEC selection, Erceg is a dangerous hitter who can also provide some power from the hot corner. He’ll be looked to as one of the leaders of this team in 2021.

Outfielders

The Tennessee Volunteers Baseball Team will have a strong outfield for the 2021 season, led by projected starters Jaylen Lewis, Liam Spence and Brody Colvin.

Jaylen Lewis is a junior from Murfreesboro, TN who was a key player for the team last season. He is a center fielder with a .333 batting average and 2 home runs

Liam Spence is a sophomore from Franklin, TN. He bats left-handed and can play both left and right field. He hit .361 last season with 1 home run

Brody Colvin is a junior from Knoxville, TN. He is a right-handed hitter who can play all three field positions He led the team in batting average last season (.390) and also hit 4 home runs

Catchers

The Catchers for the University of Tennessee’s Volunteer’s baseball team for the 2021 season are as follows:

-AJ Dodson
-Benito Santiago
-Blaze Alexander
-Brady Puckett
-Cole Houston

Designated Hitters

In baseball, the designated hitter (DH) is a player who hits in place of the pitcher. The position is authorized by Major League Baseball Rule 5.11, and was adopted by the American League in 1973. Since then, almost all amateur, collegiate, and professional leagues have adopted the rule or some variant with the notable exception of NCAA’s Division I.

A DH may enter defensive play as a pinch hitter for the pitcher(s), but not for any other position player(s). If a DH Substitutes for another player on defense, he is not eligible to continue as DH in subsequent innings even if his Pinch Hitting appearance did not result in an at bat.

The following lists the 2021 Vols Baseball roster broken down by position including who their respective designated hitters are.

Pitchers:
Cole Aker
Zach White
Jackson Greer
Will Heflin
Position players
Catch – Liam Spence
Infield – Drew Gilbert
Infield – Levi Hoskins
Infield- Jordan Beck
Outfield- Jake Rucker

Utility Players

The utility player is a vital part of any baseball team They are the players who can fill in wherever needed and provide valuable support to the starting lineup The 2021 Vols baseball team has several talented utility players who will be key to the team’s success this season.

One player to watch is junior Jack Griggs. Griggs can play both infield and outfield, and he is a strong hitter with a good arm. Another player to watch is sophomore Brody Westmoreland. Westmoreland can play both first base and catcher, and he is an excellent hitter with power.

Other key utility players on the 2021 Vols baseball team include junior Jonathan Perkins, sophomore Zach Lee, and freshman Eli Jones. Each of these players brings something different to the table and will be important contributors to the team this season.

Coaching Staff

Pat McMahon enters his 11th season as the Head Coach of the Vols baseball program in 2021. He has a career record of 509-463 (.523) at Tennessee, including guiding the Vols to back-to-back NCAA regional appearances in 2019 and 2020. Prior to Tennessee, McMahon served as the head coach at The Citadel (1993-96) and Mississippi State (1997-2002).

Andy Cox enters his 11th season as an Assistant Coach with the Vols baseball program in 2021. Cox has been a part of Pat McMahon’s staff since he was hired in 2011 and works with the Volunteer hitters and infielders. Prior to coming to Tennessee, Cox served as an assistant at Kansas State (2005-07), his alma mater Mississippi State (2008-10) and Nova Southeastern (2010).

Frank Anderson enters his first season as an assistant coach for the Vols baseball team in 2021. Anderson comes to Rocky Top after spending three seasons as an assistant at Long Beach State Prior to that, he was an assistant at his alma mater, USC, from 2014-17. Anderson also served as Head Coach at St. Mary’s High School in Stockton, California from 2010-13 where he compiled a record of 109-62 (.636).

Farm System

The Vols Baseball roster is full of young, up-and-coming talent that fans are eager to see take the field. The team is loaded with potential, but there are a few players who stand out above the rest. Here’s a look at who’s who on the 2021 roster.

Pitchers
-Dustin May: The ace of the pitching staff, May is a hard-throwing right-hander with a devastating slider. He’s one of the best pitching prospects in baseball and should be a mainstay in the rotation for years to come.
-Walker Buehler: Another right-hander, Buehler is coming off a strong rookie season in which he posted a 3.35 ERA in 23 starts. He has electric stuff and should be another key piece of the rotation.
-Julio Urias: A left-hander, Urias is one of the most talented young pitchers in baseball. He had a disappointing 2020 season, but he’s still just 23 years old and has plenty of time to develop into a top-of-the-line starter.

Catchers
-Will Smith: The primary catcher for the Vols, Smith is a solid all-around player with good power at the plate. He’s also an excellent defender and should be a mainstay behind the plate for years to come.
-Keibert Ruiz: Ruiz is one of the top catching prospects in baseball and will serve as Smith’s backup this season. He doesn’t have quite as much power as Smith, but he’s an outstanding hitter and his defense is already Major League ready.

Infielders
-Corey Seager: One of the best young shortstops in baseball, Seager is coming off a monster 2020 season in which he hit .307 with 19 home runs and 63 RBIs. He’s an elite hitter with tremendous power and should be a force in the middle of the lineup for years to come.
--Max Muncy A versatile infielder who can play both first base and third base, Muncy is coming off a down 2020 season but remains one of the best power hitters in baseball. He hit 35 Home Runs in 2019 and should return to that level this year.
--Justin Turner Turner was limited to just 24 games last season due to injury, but he’s still one of the best third basemen in baseball when healthy. He’s an excellent hitter with good power and solid defense at third base.

Outfielders
– Cody Bellinger One of the best all-around players in baseball Bellinger is coming off an MVP season in which he hit .305 with 47 home runs and 115 RBIs. He’s an elite hitter with tremendous power and speed, and he plays solid defense in center field. He should be a leading contender for MVP again this year. – Mookie Betts Betts was acquired from Boston this offseason in a Blockbuster Trade and he instantly became one of the best fielders in baseball A five-tool player, Betts is an elite hitter with fantastic power and speed, and he plays excellent defense in right field

Conclusion

Thank you for reading our Vols Baseball roster guide! We hope this helped you learn a little more about the team and who to look out for this season. As always, Go Vols!