Tennessee baseball coach Tony Vitello proved an ideal choice as guest analyst for the MLB Network on Sunday night.

His Volunteers dominated the first three rounds of the MLB Draft in Atlanta, as clubs selected a program-record eight UT players during that stretch, including four in the first round: pitcher Liam Doyle (No. 5 overall to St. Louis), shortstop Gavin Kilen (No. 13 to San Francisco), third baseman Andrew Fischer (No. 20 to Milwaukee) and pitcher Marcus Phillips (No. 33 to Boston).

Vols selected in the second round included pitcher AJ Russell of Franklin (No. 52 overall to Texas), infielder Dean Curley (No. 64 to Cleveland) and pitcher Tanner Franklin (No. 72 to St. Louis).

Tennessee pitcher Nate Snead was picked in the third round, going to the Los Angeles Angels with the No. 105 overall pick.

Three Vanderbilt players were drafted in the first three rounds. Pitcher JD Thompson was chosen in the second round (No. 59 overall to Milwaukee). Outfielder RJ Austin was selected in the third round (No. 93 to Baltimore), as was pitcher Cody Bowker (No. 100 to Philadelphia).

Former Brentwood High standout Aaron Walton, an outfielder who played last season at Arizona, was a second-round selection (No. 66 overall) to Cleveland.

Tennessee’s eight selections in the first three rounds were at least double that of any other school in the nation. Arkansas, LSU and Florida State each had four players chosen.

Vanderbilt’s three picks were tied for fifth.

“It’s cause for an extra retreat for our coaching staff to get together and just celebrate,” Vitello told the MLB Network of his UT’s first-round selections. “One thing those kids gotta’ realize is there’s a group of guys that probably helped each other. Whether it’s Liam and Marcus pushing each other, or Tanner Franklin’s playing-catch partner, I think there was a group of competitive and capable guys that all pushed each other a little bit.”

The draft resumes Monday morning at 10:30 a.m. CT (MLB.com, MLB.TV) with rounds 4-20.

Five of UT’s eight selections in the first three rounds were pitchers, which set a school record. The previous high was two, set in 2022 and 2006.

Leading the way was Doyle, a 6-2, 220-pound left-hander who went 10-4 with a 3.20 ERA for the Vols last season, setting a school record with 164 strikeouts over 95-2/3 innings.

Doyle, the SEC pitcher of the year, became the highest drafted player in the Vitello era, which began in June 2017.

“In fairness, we’ve only picked … fifth [overall] once in a long, long time, and so each pick you get further and further away from there, it’s a little harder to find 101 [mph fastballs] with swing and miss [capability],” Cardinals assistant general manager/director of scouting Randy Flores said of Doyle.

“The fact that [Doyle’s] able to miss bats with a couple different pitches and he really gets good separation on his fastball and [split-fingered fastball], I think that bodes well for his long-term chance to start.”

Doyle lost about 20 pounds prior to the 2025 season after transferring from Ole Miss, where he posted a 3-4 record in 2024.

“Being in the weight room and working with [Tennessee’s strength coach and nutritionist] was a huge thing for me, because obviously I needed to lose some weight when I got to Tennessee to make sure I was in shape,” Doyle said.

“I had fun with it when I was in the gym and made it part of my everyday routine. I got in a good routine whether it was a start day or a Tuesday bullpen. It was really beneficial to me, and now it’s something I do to enjoy. It really helped me on the field.”

Like Doyle, Kilen and Fischer each played just one season for Tennessee, after transferring from Louisville and Ole Miss, respectively.

Russell, a Franklin High School alum, was limited in 2025 as he made his return from Tommy John surgery in 2024. He posted a 2-1 record, with a 3.55 ERA and 36 strikeouts in 25-1/3 innings pitched.

In three seasons with the Vols, Russell, a right-hander, went 4-2, with a 2.70 ERA and 104 strikeouts in 70 innings. He held opposing batters to a .179 batting average.

The Vols finished 46-19 last season, reaching an NCAA super regional for a fifth straight season before falling at Arkansas.