Former Tennessee baseball starter heading to one of the Vols’ biggest nemeses in the transfer portal
The Vols could face off against one of their key contributors from 2025 next season.
The college baseball transfer portal is open, and that means that Josh Elander and the Tennessee Vols are working to build the best version of themselves for a return to the College World Series in 2027.
But it also means seeing key pieces from last season depart for new baseball homes. Such is the world we live in in the transfer portal and NIL era.
One player who departed is 2026 starting shortstop Manny Marin. The ex-Vol was an important player for Tennessee last season. Now, the Vols very well could end up facing off against him in 2027, and in a heated SEC rivalry matchup to boot.
Marin announced on his Instagram account that he has committed to the Arkansas Razorbacks.
Tennessee INF Manny Marin transferring to Arkansas
Marin, who hails from Hialeah, Florida, played for Tennessee in 2025 and 2026. He appeared in 1153 games with 97 starts. In two seasons, he batted .287 with 12 home runs, 66 RBIs, and posted a .794 OPS. He had a career .967 fielding percentage, with 10 errors in two years.
He becomes the second player that Tennessee has lost in the portal to the Razorbacks. Relief pitcher Brayden Krenzel also picked the Hogs out of the portal earlier this month. Krenzel struggled in 2026 for the Vols out of the bullpen, posting a 9.35 ERA in 20 appearances for the season.
We’ll find out later this year if the Hogs and Vols will renew their rivalry on the diamond, but not having faced off last season during the regular season (Arkansas defeated Tennessee 8-4 in the SEC Tournament), it’s a distinct possibility the two rivals could be reunited in 2027 for a weekend series.