SEC coaches just did Tennessee Vols a big favor with the 2026 season about to start
A little bit of preseason motivation never hurt anyone.
The Tennessee Volunteers are set to get their season started in a week against Nicholls State on February 13. And in case the players and coaching staff needed any additional motivation, they can thank the coaches around the SEC for a little bit of late bulletin board material.
The SEC preseason baseball rankings were released on Thursday, and the Vols came in sixth among the conference’s 16 teams.
Tennessee picked sixth in SEC baseball preseason coaches poll
One on hand, it’s not too hard to understand why some coaches may be a bit less bullish on the Vols entering 2026 than in any season in the last six years. Tony Vitello is now in San Francisco with the Giants, and while the players are big fans of Elander, he’s an unproven commodity as a college head coach.
Tennessee also had a second straight year with an exodus of talent to the MLB Draft. The Vols’ top two starters in Liam Doyle and Marcus Phillips were first-round draft picks last July, with infielders Gavin Kilen and Andrew Fischer also going in the first round. Tennessee had seven players go in the first two rounds, and bullpen stalwart Nate Snead was tabbed in the third round. A lot of talent to replace, to be certain.
But Tennessee made out well in the transfer portal, landing potential impact lineup bats in Henry Ford (Virginia), Tyler Myatt (Walters State), and Blaine Brown (Rice) along with a slew of talented rotation and bullpen options.
It never hurts to have a little bit of an added edge, and Tennessee now has something they can pin up on the bulletin board going into what Vol fans hope is a pleasant surprise of a season in 2026.
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