LOOK: Top baseball commit says he’s recruiting other players to Tennessee
Sadly, it’s already the offseason for Tennessee baseball. The Vols got bounced from the NCAA Tournament over the weekend, but perhaps good news is coming soon for the Diamond Vols to help ease the pain of the loss. Prior to the Vols’ untimely demise at the hands of Notre Dame, Kansas baseball transfer Maui Ahuna […]
Sadly, it’s already the offseason for Tennessee baseball. The Vols got bounced from the NCAA Tournament over the weekend, but perhaps good news is coming soon for the Diamond Vols to help ease the pain of the loss.
Prior to the Vols’ untimely demise at the hands of Notre Dame, Kansas baseball transfer Maui Ahuna committed to UT, which is great news in itself. Ahuna, a shortstop, is one of the top transfers in America and he will bring a .396 batting average and top-notch fielding talent to Knoxville. But he could also be bringing other transfer players with him too.
During an interview with Ben McKee of VolQuest this week, Ahuna stated that he’s been actively recruiting other players to join him in his move to the Big Orange. Here's what he had to say…
"A lot of schools showed me interest in the portal, but (Tennessee head coach Tony Vitello) and his guys did it the right way. … I’m going to bring everything I've got. … I’ve already started texting some guys asking them if we're going to be teammates. Hopefully, they make good decisions and come to Tennessee with me.”
Ahuna didn’t specify which players he might have been talking to but there is plenty of high-level college baseball talent in the transfer portal that it could be. Primary among those in the portal is NC State transfer Tommy White (aka Tommy Tanks), who hit 27 home runs and 74 RBIs in 2022 on his way to winning ACC Freshman of the Year. Rumors have swirled that Tennessee could be in the mix as a transfer destination for White. So, could Ahuna be in contact with him? Your guess is as good as mine.
But let’s hope that Ahuna’s pitch works on whomever he may be texting because the Vols will have a fair amount of production to replace in 2023. Players like Jordan Beck, Drew Gilbert, and Luc Lipcius will be moving on to the pros and plenty of opportunities will be available on Tennessee’s roster. We’ll see in the coming weeks and months how those vacancies are filled and hopefully, the Vols can keep the magic of the 2022 season alive for another year.
