Baseball America continues its series of fall baseball updates with a look at Tennessee after a chaotic fall that brought historic coaching changes and Missouri, which needs to show tangible progress following renewed investment into its program.
BA subscribers can read more of our recent fall ball intel here and here.
Tennessee Maintains High Expectations Through Coaching Chaos
It would have been easy for Tennessee’s momentum to evaporate this offseason. The program had just watched Tony Vitello make the stunning leap from college head coach to Giants manager, making him the first coach to jump directly from an NCAA dugout to the majors with no professional experience. Vitello was the engine of the Volunteers’ rise from SEC afterthought to national power, guiding them to the 2024 national title and College World Series appearances in 2021 and 2023.
But instead of spiraling, Tennessee stabilized. Athletic director Danny White promoted associate head coach and recruiting coordinator Josh Elander to replace Vitello, preserving continuity in the clubhouse and on the recruiting trail. The Volunteers signed the No. 3 recruiting class in the 2026 cycle and return one of the deepest, most talented rosters in the nation.
“When we tell kids that this is a family at Tennessee baseball, we really mean it,” Elander told Baseball America. “I think we proved that over the last month. The professionalism and maturity on this team is nothing short of amazing.”
Tennessee has leaned into that cohesion, producing a productive fall rather than slipping into transition-driven turbulence. The arm talent remains abundant. Its potential lineup is brimming with projected standouts.
The Volunteers have produced at least three drafted pitchers in each of the past four seasons, including five in 2025, and this staff again profiles among the SEC’s most explosive.
The headliner is righthander Tegan Kuhns, ranked No. 40 on Baseball America’s 2026 draft board. Elander described Kuhns’ arsenal as “premium.” He ran his fastball to 98 mph this fall and paired it with a low-80s slider that remains a consistent bat-missing weapon. Tennessee expects more physical growth as he continues to add strength.
Righty Brayden Krenzel has been productive with a fastball featuring 20-22 inches of run. Rutgers transfer Landon Mack has impressed physically with a mid-to-high-90s fastball, two sharp breaking pitches (a top-down curveball and slider) and what Elander called “elite game feel and competitive fire,” which surfaced in his best outing during the club’s fall world series.
Righthander Bo Rhudy was the best reliever on the roster throughout fall camp. He possesses one of the most unusual fastballs in college baseball and pairs it with a 6-foot-4, 225-pound frame that prompted Elander to joke that the Kennesaw State transfer could “also play fullback for the Volunteers.”
Another intriguing addition is East Tennessee State transfer Brady Frederick, a rare low-release righthander whose release height checks in roughly two feet off the ground. Elander said Frederick’s fastball can show cut-ride one day and heavy sink the next, making him a difficult matchup to prepare for.
From the left side, Tennessee returns Brandon Arvidson, who carried significant draft interest last year but opted to return. At peak form, he sits 92-95 mph with unusually high release traits that give his breaking balls strong shape.
Virginia transfer lefty Evan Blanco delivered “the best fall of anyone on campus” despite sitting 88-90 and topping around 92 mph. His veteran presence and consistency project him firmly into the weekend rotation.
Duke transfer lefthander Mark Hindy performed well with a strong cutter-slider combination that fits in the bullpen. Rice transfer Blaine Brown, meanwhile, showed legitimate two-way potential, sitting 96-97 and touching 99 while producing middle-of-the-order power at the plate.
Freshman righthander Cameron Appenzeller, who drew early round draft interest this summer, looked the part this fall with a sub-2.00 ERA while sitting 88-91. Elander believes he will soon settle in the low-to-mid 90s with premium stuff. Another freshman, Taylor Tracey, pitched well in the same velocity band and homered multiple times throughout the fall, showing two-way capability.
Tennessee is unusually deep behind the plate. Elander said the position group has as much ready-to-contribute talent as he’s seen since joining Tennessee’s staff nearly a decade ago. Stone Lawless returns with “premium receiving,” and Elander noted his unique ability to steal strikes at the top of the zone. Lawless consistently recorded low-80s velocity on throws to second base with strong accuracy.
Sophomore Levi Clark, who hit double-digit home runs with a 1.053 OPS last season, brings plus raw power and will catch as well as play first base and possibly a corner outfield spot. Freshman Trent Grindlinger had one of the best falls on the roster and made significant defensive strides that could push him into early playing time. Bowling Green transfer Garrett Wright is a rare athlete for a catcher with the athleticism to play center field and elite arm strength that helps him in either role. His accuracy wavered at times from behind the dish, but he projects as a productive option with continued refinement.
The infield is similarly deep. Manny Marin and Ariel Antigua return as slick, sure-handed defenders who each got stronger and made offensive strides. Meanwhile, Blake Grimmer, Chris Newstrom, Jay Abernathy and Virginia transfer Henry Ford all looked like contributors this fall. Grimmer may have the best strike-zone feel on the team and can play both infield and outfield. Abernathy and Newstrom are the best athletes on the roster according to Elander, and Ford carries a strong arm for third base with a productive bat.
Walters State transfer Tyler Myatt impressed in his first exposure to SEC competition, and outfielder Reece Chapman returned despite draft eligibility, providing needed stability amid staff transitions.
Despite a new head coach, new pitching coach and new associate head coach, Tennessee’s roster strength, internal continuity and player development trajectory place the program firmly in the national title conversation once again.
Missouri Gearing Up For Critical Season
Missouri’s climb back toward relevance has been slow and uneven, shaped by years of limited investment, a brutal conference landscape, a decade-long absence from .500 SEC play and an even longer disappearance from the NCAA Tournament.
The Tigers have not posted a winning conference record since joining the SEC and last reached the postseason in 2012, their final year in the Big 12. It is the kind of prolonged struggle that often leads to coaching turnover and resets that only restart the same cycle.
When Kerrick Jackson took over as head coach after the 2023 season, it appeared Missouri might face that familiar fate again. Injuries, depth issues and the rigors of the SEC left the Tigers at 16-39 overall and 3-27 in league play in 2025. But instead of rebooting the program, athletic director Laird Veatch confronted the root problem.
“We have not necessarily invested to the level that we need to, candidly,” Veatch said in May.
It was an admission that matters in today’s SEC, where competitive success depends heavily on NIL resources and modern facilities—two areas where Missouri baseball has fallen behind.
This offseason, according to Jackson, brought a meaningful shift. He hired former Virginia pitching coach Drew Dickinson, who helped the Cavaliers reach three College World Series. Missouri also completed a full turf conversion of its playing surface—replacing the previous split between turf and grass—and a broader conversation about facility upgrades has begun.
“The build is never pretty,” Jackson said. “But I feel like we saw some real signs, like hiring Drew and the completion of our playing surface, that we’re headed in the right direction.”
Jackson believes his roster reflects that same upward movement. Catcher Mateo Serna returns after hitting nine home runs last season, giving Missouri a source of power behind the plate. Center fielder Kaden Peer broke out in 2025 with a .299 average and a career-high 13 steals, and he enters 2026 as a key table setter. Corner outfielder Pierre Seals also returns thanks to the NCAA ruling granting former junior college players an extra year of eligibility. After hitting just under .300 last spring, Seals worked with a visual therapist at Jackson’s urging and created a routine to improve eye tracking. Jackson said the changes led to a 20% reduction in in-zone swing-and-miss.
Wichita State transfer shortstop Kam Durnin is coming off an outstanding Appalachian League summer in which he hit .407/.519/.662 with six home runs, 15 doubles, 10 stolen bases and 29 walks to 25 strikeouts in 40 games. Jackson said he continued to swing the bat well in the fall and showed a “high-level” glove. Texas A&M transfer Jamal George adds super-utility versatility.
For Missouri to show measurable improvement, it must take a significant step forward on the mound. That effort could begin with lefthander Javyn Pimental, who looked like a potential ace in 2024 when he posted a 3.61 ERA with 46 strikeouts and 15 walks in 42.1 innings. Tommy John surgery sidelined him for the entire 2025 season, but he has returned to his throwing progression, and his availability would be crucial to the Tigers’ hopes.
Jackson said Georgia Tech transfer lefthander Jackson Sobel looked like a potential weekend starter this fall. Former FIU lefthander Juan Villarreal, Missouri’s most prominent transfer addition, missed the fall with a hamstring injury but has the potential to pitch high-leverage innings or compete for a rotation role once healthy.
Missouri has begun investing in ways it had not in recent years. The roster is stronger, the infrastructure is improving and the staff has added proven coaching pedigree. Jackson still needs to produce tangible progress after a three-win SEC season, but for the first time in years, he has the support necessary to pursue a true turnaround.
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