2022, 2023, & 2024 Baseball Commitments (Merged with the 2018+ Thread)

[NighthawkVol]

I will update this thread consistently as a good list is hard to find.

Format: Position,Name,Date of Commit, Perfect Game rating, national rank

2018

Infield

Tx C Landon Gray (Juco)
Pa C Connor Pavolony
Ky C Matthew Ellis
Tx C Michael Hoehner (Juco)

Tn 1B Bass Cooper
Tn SS Skyler Luna
FL SS Austin Knight
IL SS Johnathan Ornelas
MD SS Trey Limpscomb
WI SS Tanner Kohlhepp
TN SS Jake Rucker
TN 3B Paul Komistek
TN 3B Jacob Pennington
TN 3B Shawn Wallwork
PA SS/3B Sean Guilbe
CA INF Aledrick Soulaire

Outfield

TN OF Dalton Reece
FL OF Max Ferguson
MI OF William English ( 8.5 )

Pitchers

NM RHP Chase Silseth
TN RHP Caleb Pearson
TN RHP Camden Sewell
TN RHP Elijah Pleasants
KY RHP Hunter Dreves (9)
AR RHP/SS Bennett Shoptaw (8.5)
MO LHP Aaron Ashby (Juco)
TN RHP Zachery Avey (Juco)

2019

Infield

TN C Noah Webb
VA SS Cortland Lawson
FL SS Jorel Ortega
TN 3B Ethan Payne
TX SS Tyler Wade
GA INF Ethan Anderson (10)
GA 3B Brandon Smith

Outfield

TN OF Zane Keener
GA OF Ga'Von Wray

Pitching

TN RHP Christian Delaschmidt
MO LHP Kirby Connell
FL LHP Brandon Gielow
MO LHP Hunter Gray
IN RHP Sam Fulton
GA RHP Mark McLaughlin
FL RHP Sean Goodwin
CA RHP Tommy Wilcox

2020

Infield

Outfield

TN OF Hunter Ensley
TN OF Luke Bradshaw
MS OF Kyle Booker
TN OF Jared Dickey
TN OF Grayson Cole

Pitching

TN LHP Cade Elliot
FL RHP Ryan McCauley
TN RHP Blade Tidwell
MA RHP Colin Ahearn

2021

GA SS/RHP Brady House
AR 3B/OF/SS/RHP Gerald Jumper
NY RHP Christian Moore ( 8th ovr in the nation )
KY RHP Kruise Newman (9)
MI LHP Gavin Brasosky

Updated on 7/11

Burger...can you update the original post to include the JUCOs for 2019, as well as any high schoolers that need to be added like Jordan Beck?

 

[matts42012]

Does anyone know if UT released the signing class yet? I searched and couldnt find anything

 

[BruinVol]

Does anyone know if UT released the signing class yet? I searched and couldnt find anything

A lot of schools don’t release their class until they get to campus. Especially programs that sign as many guys as we do

 

[preacherman20]

12 of the 20 top 20 recruiting classes have 17-20 recruits like UT. So we are in the norm not the exception. Nobody has less than 14 so everybody is doing the same thing. And one of the ones who does not have 17 or more in 2019 already has 19 for 2020 and 17 for 2021. It has become the norm for all P5 programs to bring in 17-20 in each recruiting class plus juco's. Coach V understands the recruiting process very well.

 

[BruinVol]

12 of the 20 top 20 recruiting classes have 17-20 recruits like UT. So we are in the norm not the exception. Nobody has less than 14 so everybody is doing the same thing. And one of the ones who does not have 17 or more in 2019 already has 19 for 2020 and 17 for 2021. It has become the norm for all P5 programs to bring in 17-20 in each recruiting class plus juco's. Coach V understands the recruiting process very well.

Again if you aren’t including juco guys in that you are making a statement that doesn’t hold water

 

[preacherman20]

A great article on JUCO's that come in each year. Gamecocks gambling on JUCO baseball prospects for next season
The average P5 brings in four productive JUCO players each year. Some, like USC, go as high as 8-10 but that is the extreme. Again, UT is no different than the other P5 schools, especially other SEC schools. Look at the rosters of the other SEC schools and see how many JUCO players are on there. Two of the four SEC schools at Omaha have 4 starters that are JUCO transfers. The only catch with most JUCO players is you only have them 1 year normally because they are drafted.
It seems that you are complaining that UT is out of the norm because of the number of players they are bringing in but it is norm for college P5 baseball, especially SEC baseball today. Yes there will be some that will not be on the roster in the spring, but they should know that when they commit to an SEC school. There will be some who will redshirt because they are just not ready for SEC ball right now, some will transfer to juco, some will be told you didn't progress at the level we thought you would when we recruited you three years ago. That is college P5 baseball today. I might be one complaining in December but my son and his fellow freshmen coming in know they have to fight to earn a spot and work hard to get there quickly. That is why many of them will start in three weeks with summer school and summer workouts.

 

[BruinVol]

A great article on JUCO's that come in each year. Gamecocks gambling on JUCO baseball prospects for next season
The average P5 brings in four productive JUCO players each year. Some, like USC, go as high as 8-10 but that is the extreme. Again, UT is no different than the other P5 schools, especially other SEC schools. Look at the rosters of the other SEC schools and see how many JUCO players are on there. Two of the four SEC schools at Omaha have 4 starters that are JUCO transfers. The only catch with most JUCO players is you only have them 1 year normally because they are drafted.
It seems that you are complaining that UT is out of the norm because of the number of players they are bringing in but it is norm for college P5 baseball, especially SEC baseball today. Yes there will be some that will not be on the roster in the spring, but they should know that when they commit to an SEC school. There will be some who will redshirt because they are just not ready for SEC ball right now, some will transfer to juco, some will be told you didn't progress at the level we thought you would when we recruited you three years ago. That is college P5 baseball today. I might be one complaining in December but my son and his fellow freshmen coming in know they have to fight to earn a spot and work hard to get there quickly. That is why many of them will start in three weeks with summer school and summer workouts.

If you want to argue all sec schools over sign you are correct. No one is saying differently that I can tell.

It’s the degree that tenn is oversigning that isn’t the norm. Sure they are others like Arkansas that do the same but make no mistake Tenn is at the very top of the list for oversigning the most players.

And using South Carolina furthers my point. They only signed 10 hs kids in this class. They went juco for a quick fix. Tenn went both hs and juco because the oversigning is at the top of the list

 

[zachpack]

I might be one complaining in December but my son and his fellow freshmen coming in know they have to fight to earn a spot and work hard to get there quickly. That is why many of them will start in three weeks with summer school and summer workouts.

All of them will be starting summer school/ workouts. If not, don’t bother showing up.

 

[Volsbaseballfan1]

Nothing and we are in the middle of the 10th with Rackers. Any update ? Does staff feel good?

So here is an update. Extremely pleased and lucky with the draft. Rackers, Jackson Leath, and Chad Dallas could have been top 5 round guys and were all demanding 500 K. All 3 will be on campus. Beck and Housley will be on campus as well. As talked about before Haynes is going to sign.

 

[matts42012]

So here is an update. Extremely pleased and lucky with the draft. Rackers, Jackson Leath, and Chad Dallas could have been top 5 round guys and were all demanding 500 K. All 3 will be on campus. Beck and Housley will be on campus as well. As talked about before Haynes is going to sign.

BOOM!!!!!

 

[RollerVol]

So here is an update. Extremely pleased and lucky with the draft. Rackers, Jackson Leath, and Chad Dallas could have been top 5 round guys and were all demanding 500 K. All 3 will be on campus. Beck and Housley will be on campus as well. As talked about before Haynes is going to sign.

thanks Vbbf1...hope this isn't a bad joke being played on me...

GO BIG ORANGE!

 

[PeachCobler]

If you want to argue all sec schools over sign you are correct. No one is saying differently that I can tell.

It’s the degree that tenn is oversigning that isn’t the norm. Sure they are others like Arkansas that do the same but make no mistake Tenn is at the very top of the list for oversigning the most players.

And using South Carolina furthers my point. They only signed 10 hs kids in this class. They went juco for a quick fix. Tenn went both hs and juco because the oversigning is at the top of the list

Do you know who else notoriously oversigned (although in a different sport)???

Bear Bryant and General Neyland

You have made like a hundred posts on this subject, chastising our program for doing what pretty much every other big time program does

If a bunch of guys on a message board know it’s what they do, then I can guarantee you these recruits do too. It’s not like they’re lying to them

Either let it go or please start your own thread about it so we don’t all have to read you posting the same thing over and over again

 

[UTKARMA]

Do you know who else notoriously oversigned (although in a different sport)???

Bear Bryant and General Neyland

You have made like a hundred posts on this subject, chastising our program for doing what pretty much every other big time program does

If a bunch of guys on a message board know it’s what they do, then I can guarantee you these recruits do too. It’s not like they’re lying to them

Either let it go or please start your own thread about it so we don’t all have to read you posting the same thing over and over again

Those teams can “oversign” because THEY’RE GOOD! UT is better but not “good” yet. Odds are probably worse for them to make both SEC tournament and especially the NCAA’s. CTV learned from the best, Arkansas, on how to over-recruit. He’s walking a fine line because UT isn’t at that level to be that kind of program. You’re gonna piss people off and start losing recruits. Baseball is a small circle and it’s already out there on what UT is doing. Scouts even are asking why are kids going there? Don’t have to believe me but where there’s smoke, there’s fire. More to come on this issue.

 

[BruinVol]

Do you know who else notoriously oversigned (although in a different sport)???

Bear Bryant and General Neyland

Yep and the ncaa changed rules because of it. It needs to happen in baseball

 

[PeachCobler]

Those teams can “oversign” because THEY’RE GOOD! UT is better but not “good” yet. Odds are probably worse for them to make both SEC tournament and especially the NCAA’s. CTV learned from the best, Arkansas, on how to over-recruit. He’s walking a fine line because UT isn’t at that level to be that kind of program. You’re gonna piss people off and start losing recruits. Baseball is a small circle and it’s already out there on what UT is doing. Scouts even are asking why are kids going there? Don’t have to believe me but where there’s smoke, there’s fire. More to come on this issue.

Um, in year 2 of his tenure we just had the best season in 15 years here. Whatever he’s done is working, just like it has worked for all the other SEC teams that have done the same exact thing

Only at Tennessee could we be coming off the best season in a decade and a half, and have fans complaining about our coach doing the same exact thing the rest of the coaches in the league are doing

Baffling to me

 

[PeachCobler]

Yep and the ncaa changed rules because of it. It needs to happen in baseball

Ok..... but it hasn’t

If that’s your argument, fine. Make that argument.

But stop continuously complaining about our coach doing the same exact thing that everyone else is

 

[BruinVol]

Ok..... but it hasn’t

If that’s your argument, fine. Make that argument.

But stop continuously complaining about our coach doing the same exact thing that everyone else is

You haven’t followed my post dude. Settle down. I’ve said many times I don’t blame TV for doing this. In fact I’ve said it’s the only way to win here BUT that doesn’t mean I have to support it. It’s exactly why college baseball has a black eye right now for many fans like myself and why I won’t support this program like I once did.

And to your op, it hasn’t worked everywhere it’s been done. It’s taken Georgia a long time to recover from the rep it got under its previous coach because of this.
The baseball community in that area grew to hate that program because of this.

 

[UTKARMA]

Um, in year 2 of his tenure we just had the best season in 15 years here. Whatever he’s done is working, just like it has worked for all the other SEC teams that have done the same exact thing

Only at Tennessee could we be coming off the best season in a decade and a half, and have fans complaining about our coach doing the same exact thing the rest of the coaches in the league are doing

Baffling to me

A. Best season with mostly Serrano’s kids.
B. Doesn’t work for all SEC teams.
C. Who’s complaining? Just stating what’s out there. Said it’s basically a slippery slope and it could backfire significantly because there’s no foundation to recruit like that “yet” IMO. What I said before is out there in the baseball world. Believe it or don’t.

 

[BruinVol]

A. Best season with mostly Serrano’s kids.
B. Doesn’t work for all SEC teams.
C. Who’s complaining? Just stating what’s out there. Said it’s basically a slippery slope and it could backfire significantly because there’s no foundation to recruit like that “yet” IMO. What I said before is out there in the baseball world. Believe it or don’t.

Zero doubt it’s out there

 

[Volsbaseballfan1]

Those teams can “oversign” because THEY’RE GOOD! UT is better but not “good” yet. Odds are probably worse for them to make both SEC tournament and especially the NCAA’s. CTV learned from the best, Arkansas, on how to over-recruit. He’s walking a fine line because UT isn’t at that level to be that kind of program. You’re gonna piss people off and start losing recruits. Baseball is a small circle and it’s already out there on what UT is doing. Scouts even are asking why are kids going there? Don’t have to believe me but where there’s smoke, there’s fire. More to come on this issue.

It isn’t hurting his recruiting whatsoever if anything it’s gaining strength. The 2021 class is currently ranked in the top 5 in the country. He has big time momentum in the 2022 class as well.

 

[BruinVol]

It isn’t hurting his recruiting whatsoever if anything it’s gaining strength. The 2021 class is currently ranked in the top 5 in the country. He has big time momentum in the 2022 class as well.

I don’t think it’s going to hurt all that much as long as he stays National. If he starts trying to stay with in a more concentrated area it will start to hurt. The fact that tenn isn’t a loaded area actually helps with this. Same was true at Arkansas

 

[Volsbaseballfan1]

A. Best season with mostly Serrano’s kids.
B. Doesn’t work for all SEC teams.
C. Who’s complaining? Just stating what’s out there. Said it’s basically a slippery slope and it could backfire significantly because there’s no foundation to recruit like that “yet” IMO. What I said before is out there in the baseball world. Believe it or don’t.

A) Serrano had enough time to win with his players and couldn’t get it done. Soularie, Crochet, Martinez, Ferguson and Rucker played gigantic roles as well and tip of the cap to improving “Serrano’s players”
B) it seems to be working just fine so far
C) there is no proof whatsoever there is backlash, his recruiting is actually improving immensely

 

[PeachCobler]

You haven’t followed my post dude. Settle down. I’ve said many times I don’t blame TV for doing this. In fact I’ve said it’s the only way to win here BUT that doesn’t mean I have to support it. It’s exactly why college baseball has a black eye right now for many fans like myself and why I won’t support this program like I once did.

And to your op, it hasn’t worked everywhere it’s been done. It’s taken Georgia a long time to recover from the rep it got under its previous coach because of this.
The baseball community in that area grew to hate that program because of this.

Yeah I guess I haven’t followed them all if you’ve said you don’t blame him, because most of the posts I’ve seen from you sound like you’re blaming him haha

Once again though, the fact that I disagree with you on is acting like it’s some sort of trick he’s playing or something

Vitello isn’t lying to these kids. They know exactly what’s going on at these SEC schools and any of them that commit know what they’re getting in to

Frankly, Vitello would be putting us at a major disadvantage if he wasn’t doing what everybody else is

 

[PeachCobler]

A. Best season with mostly Serrano’s kids.
B. Doesn’t work for all SEC teams.
C. Who’s complaining? Just stating what’s out there. Said it’s basically a slippery slope and it could backfire significantly because there’s no foundation to recruit like that “yet” IMO. What I said before is out there in the baseball world. Believe it or don’t.

Dave is that you?

“A) mostly Serrano’s kids”?

Lol Soularie, Martinez, Rucker, Russell, Crochet, Pavolony, Ferguson, Sewell, and Hunley disagree with you there

I’ll give you Lipcius and Stallings. Not sure how much Charleston and Ammons helped or hurt the team this year. Maybe some of the relievers, but those guys weren’t doing much of anything until Frank Anderson got ahold of them

 

[Volsbaseballfan1]

I don’t think it’s going to hurt all that much as long as he stays National. If he starts trying to stay with in a more concentrated area it will start to hurt. The fact that tenn isn’t a loaded area actually helps with this. Same was true at Arkansas

Very good point. This staff has so many national connections he will always recruit National as well as trying to fight Vandy for the top instate guys. He is forming the blueprint to Win at Tennessee in his eyes and he’s acclomplishing it. Trust me schools were inquiring and he wants to build a power in Knoxville. If kids are scared to compete for spots because a loaded roster I’m not sure those kids are cut out for SEC play.