Tennessee baseball won’t enter the Josh Elander era as an SEC favorite — far from it, actually. The Volunteers have been picked to finish sixth in the conference by the coaches around the league, receiving 162 points in the poll. LSU was picked to win the league with 231 points.
Texas, Mississippi State, Arkansas and Auburn rounded out the top five. Tennessee didn’t receive any first place votes in the poll.
Tennessee, which lost star head coach Tony Vitello to the San Fransisco Giants over the offseason, has been ranked as high as the top five in various preseason polls. Following an NCAA Super Regional exit last year, Tennessee has reloaded the roster and held returning pieces together despite the coaching change.
One of those new additions, Henry Ford, was named to the SEC’s first-team by the media today. Ford hit .362 with 11 home runs and 46 RBIs last season for Virginia.
Right-handed pitcher Brandon Arvidson was also named to the SEC’s first-team. Slugger Levi Clark was named to the SEC’s second team.
2026 SEC Baseball Preseason Coaches Poll
Tennessee gets things going next weekend with a three-game weekend series against Nicholls State.