Fall Prospect Notes: Tennessee
December 15, 2021
After losing lefty Garrett Crochet (1st round- White Sox) and hitting star Alerick Soulaire (2nd round- Twins) to the professional ranks following the 2020 covid-cancelled season, the Volunteers won the SEC East in 2021 and returned to the College World Series for the first time since 2005. Following that recent run to Omaha, Tennessee entered this fall with more significant losses, including bulldog Chad Dallas (4th round- Blue Jays), its top three hitters; Pete Derkay, Liam Spence (5th round- Cubs), Jake Rucker (7th round- Twins), and other high round picks Max Ferguson (5th round- Padres) and Connor Pavolony (7th round- Orioles).
However, these days in Knoxville the Vols don’t rebuild, they reload. Plenty of firepower returns with potential 1st rounders Blade Tidwell and Jordan Beck, along with another potential top three round prospect Drew Gilbert. They’ve also added a highly touted prep recruit in Chase Burns, the healthy return of arm cannon Ben Joyce, a couple of impact JUCO position players in Logan Chambers and Seth Stephenson and four-year transfers Chase Dollander and Seth Halvorsen. In short, there is no supply chain backup with this club...