All that change leads to an interesting first season after the Vitello era. Elander may not be the grandiose figure in the dugout like Vitello, but he’s been an integral piece to the program and has played a consequential role for a long time. He was a part of the 2024 College World Series title, and no one is doubting that he can’t get Tennessee back to Omaha as the lead man.
That first season in charge always comes with a learning curve, though. Thankfully for Elander, he’s got a fantastic roster to work with.
Four everyday Tennessee bats finished with an average above .300 in 2025. Gavin Kilen, Andrew Fischer, Hunter Ensley and Dean Curley are all gone. There are a slew of returnees that’ll attempt to fill those gaps, including multiple breakout sophomore candidates.
In the infield, Levi Clark is set to man first base. He’s one of the many bats that will take advantage of Lindsey Nelson Stadium. Clark hit 10 homers and finished with a 1.053 OPS as a freshman. Next to Clark at second base will be Manny Marin, a slick defender who will be more of an accoutrement than a focal point in the lineup.
Two sophomore outfielders figure to have much larger roles this time around, too. Jay Abernathy is one of the more versatile players on the roster. He made 27 starts as a freshman and finished with a .409 OBP. Chris Newstrom, meanwhile, showed a lot in 13 starts and just 68 plate appearances last season, hitting .351 with four doubles and five home runs.
Elander has plenty of options in the outfield. Senior Reese Chapman will be the veteran presence out in right after making 64 starts a season ago, when he clubbed 13 homers and drove in 53 runs. Redshirt sophomore Blake Grimmer can play all over, and he also impressed in a smaller sample size last season, notching 14 hits and 10 walks in 56 PAs.
On the left side of the infield, junior Virginia transfer Henry Ford was the biggest addition this offseason. Ranking as the No. 6 player in the portal, Ford (.362/.420/.575) is a monster bat who looks to stick at third base. In 108 games for the Cavaliers, the Just Baseball Preseason All-American drove in 112 runs and hit 28 homers. He’ll be one of the toughest outs in the nation this spring.
Junior shortstop Ariel Antigua, like Marin, is a glove-first player who’s looking to take the next step in the box this year. He slashed .192/.302/.205 in 91 PAs last season, so some kind of improvement with the bat will be necessary.