Photo via Tennessee Athletics

Happy game week. Tennessee baseball opens up its 2026 season Friday afternoon when it hosts Nicholls for a three-game series in Knoxville. It’s a new era for the Vols with Tony Vitello off to San Fransisco and Josh Elander stepping into the head coach position.

We begin our season previews by looking at Tennessee’s offense and what a potential lineup could look like this season. There’s only a few answers while a lot of questions about not only who will start but how they will all fit together.

Let’s dive in.

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What I Think I Know
This Trio Will Lead The Way

Virginia transfer Henry Ford, Rice transfer Blaine Brown and Levi Clark are the three hitters I have the most confidence in entering the season.

Ford is a given after tearing it up in the ACC the last two seasons. Brown flashed in a serious way as a freshman last season and has as much pop as anyone in Tennessee’s lineup. Clark started his freshman season on a tear, struggled with the transition to begin SEC play but then found his footing again late in the season.

All three impressed during fall practice and early in preseason practice. They could wind up playing multiple spots, but expect them in the top or middle of Tennessee’s lineup.

Stone Lawless Will Be The Top Catcher

When Tennessee added Bowling Green transfer Garrett Wright, it felt like he might be the top guy with Stone Lawless as another option to potentially start a couple games every week. But Lawless has earned this job over the offseason.

Josh Elander has an abundance of confidence in Lawless and believes he can be one of the best backstops in the SEC.

Freshman Trent Grindlinger has had some really strong moments this offseason. Wright could still factor at the spot as could Clark, though I think he spends most his season at first base, but this is Lawless’ job.

Tennessee Will Be Down Two Potential Impact Players To Begin Season

Wright broke the hamate bone in his wrist last month and will miss the first few weeks of the season as he continues to recover. That is also a blow to his ability to carve out a role either behind the plate or in the outfield.

Utility man Blake Grimmer is out the opening weekend of the season as he deals with lower back pain. Grimmer is competing for a starting spot at third base, left field or designated hitter. His left-handed bat could help even up Tennessee’s lineup. We’ll see when he gets on the field and how he factors when he does.

What The Right Side Of The Outfield Will Look Like

Reese Chapman is one of the few returning starters from last season’s team and will slide back into the starting right field spot. Sophomore Jay Abernathy has worked at centerfield and in the middle infield over the offseason, but centerfield makes the most sense for him because of the lack of other options there.

Either of those two could lose their job if their play suffers, but I would be surprised if either begins the season anywhere else.

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Questions Entering The Season
How Does The Middle Infield Works Itself Out?

This is perhaps the biggest x-factor for Tennessee’s lineup. Here’s a list of players who could realistically earn time here: Ariel Antigua, Chris Newstrom, Jay Abernathy, Manny Marin, Tyler Myatt and Finley Bates. So there’s a lot of options. And at least three of those players will at least start somewhere, so this will impact a bunch of other positions.

Everything starts at shortstop. Marin and Antigua are, in my eyes, the two realistic options. Antigua has had an awesome offseason. I think he’s going to get the first crack at this thing and have a chance to lock down the job. Though I wouldn’t rule out Marin starting at shortstop and Antigua at second base.

Marin is going to start somewhere. Is that third base, where he started as a freshman? Or is that second base? Newstrom can also play both of those spots as well as left field. Myatt’s bat could force his way into the lineup and while third base feels like a more likely spot, second base is also a possibility.

There’s a ton of options here that could go in really any number of ways.

Will A Second Sophomore Take A Major Jump?

One of the most important reasons for Tennessee’s success over the last half decade is the year-over-year player development. There’s no shortage of players who have had moderate success one season before exploding into superstars the next year. It’s a list that includes the likes of Dylan Dreiling, Kavares Tears, Drew Gilbert, Trey Lipscomb, Jorel Ortega and more.

This team is ripe with potential options between four true freshman and a redshirt freshman who had differing roles but meaningful playing time a season ago. I’ve already expressed my belief that Clark will be a breakout star. But can a second or third player follow suit?

Abernathy, Newstrom, Marin and Grimmer all have the talent. If one or multiple take that step forward then it could dramatically change the ceiling of this offense.

Is Blaine Brown Good Enough Defensively?

Brown’s bat is going to be really good. What about his glove? Left field appears to be the most likely landing spot for him, but he doesn’t have a ton of experience there and has been a bit shaky at times this offseason.

The Rice transfer is going to be in the lineup somewhere. If his defense confines him to designated hitter then that could really shake things up.

A Projected Lineup

This is hard enough to do just projecting starters. It’s nearly impossible projecting an actual batting order that will change dozens of times this season. Here’s my best guess.

CF Jay Abernathy (L)

3B Henry Ford (R)

DH Blaine Brown (L)

1B Levi Clark (R)

2B Manny Marin (R)

RF Reese Chapman (L)

LF Chris Newstrom (R)

C Stone Lawless (R)

SS Ariel Antigua (R)

First off the bench

1B/3B/LF Blake Grimmer (L)

2B/3B/LF Tyler Myatt (L)

C/OF Garrett Wright (R)