Tennessee remained highly competitive in 2025. The Vols didn’t lose a game until March 18, over a month after the start of the season, and overpowered teams both offensively and defensively to get back to the Supers. Unfortunately for Tennessee, Arkansas ended its season. Now, the Volunteers will look towards 2026 with a different group.
The Returnees
The 2026 Tennessee Volunteers will look considerably different, which is par for the course across the SEC. Last year, Tennessee scored big with transfers Andrew Fischer, Liam Doyle, and Gavin Kilen, all of whom fit in very well in Knoxville. All three were first-round picks this past July.
Tennessee returns some notables who logged regular time last season. Levi Clark, who played behind the plate, as well as the outfield & first base in 2025, hit .289 with 10 home runs as a freshman. He’ll return after a strong run in the Cape, one that saw him hit .333 with four home runs across 20 games.
Sophomore outfielder Jay Abernathy, who hit .282 as a freshman, returns. As does power-hitting senior outfielder Reese Chapman. Chapman struck out a lot, which led to a lower .273 average last season. On the other hand, he cracked 20 home runs across the Volunteers’ last two seasons.
Tennessee also returns infielder Manny Marin, a draft-eligible sophomore for 2026. The 6’1” infielder started 45 games as a freshman.
Additionally, redshirt sophomore Blake Grimmer and sophomore Chris Newstrom, who hit .351 with nine extra-base hits in limited time last year, are back.
The Volunteers’ pitching staff will look very different this season. Nic Abraham and Tegan Kuhns, the latter of whom worked both as a starter and reliever in 2025, return for 2026.
It’s worth noting that the Volunteers only have three freshmen on their roster, all of whom are redshirt freshmen on last year’s roster. Anson Seibert, a high-end recruit and 16th-round pick by Detroit in 2024, returned alongside outfielder former Perfect Game All-American Jaxon Walker and Brennon Seigler.
Walker posted a .803 OPS in the Appalachian League this past summer for Bristol. Seigler slashed .304/.390/.444 in the Prospect League.
The Newcomers
As noted earlier, the Volunteers lost a lot of talent. Aside from the three first-rounders noted earlier, A.J. Russell and Marcus Phillips are gone from their pitching staff. Dean Curley & Cannon Peebles (Guardians), Hunter Ensley (Royals), and Dalton Bargo (NC State) are also gone.
That leaves just four hitters who played 50+ games for Tennessee last season left on the roster.
Tennessee took advantage of the exodus in Virginia after a coaching change, as the Vols landed Henry Ford. Ford was draft-eligible last July and likely could have gone high. Across two seasons at UVA, Ford slashed .348/.414/.587 (1.001 OPS) with 28 home runs across 111 games. With that home run power, it could be a lot of fun to see how he fits in down in Knoxville.
He wasn’t the only former Cavalier to join the Tennessee program. Evan Blanco, who had a down 2025 season, will look to raise his stock after three years in the ACC.
As for other pickups, the Volunteers landed Landon Mack, who threw 80.1 IP as a freshman for Rutgers in 2025. Mack struck out 70 for the Scarlet Knights. Finley Bates, an infielder from San Diego State, hit .300 for the Aztecs last season. He had just four home runs across two seasons with SDSU.
Former Duke left-hander reliever Mark Hindy joined the program as a grad student transfer.
Summary
The Volunteers re-loaded well, adding an experienced arm in Blanco, and Mack, who could won’t be draft-eligible until 2027. Between those two, and adding a big bat in Ford, the Tennessee Volunteers should remain highly competitive in a tough SEC conference.
Check out more of our college baseball coverage, including a look at Wake Forest and Texas heading into 2026.
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