College baseball transfer that Tennessee Vols should pursue
The Tennessee Vols baseball team has had one of the most memorable seasons of all time in 2022. Tennessee won their first SEC Tournament since 1995 while winning 53 games and going 25-5 in SEC play. The downside of the memorable season, though, is that Tennessee will be losing a considerable amount of talent to […]
The Tennessee Vols baseball team has had one of the most memorable seasons of all time in 2022.
Tennessee won their first SEC Tournament since 1995 while winning 53 games and going 25-5 in SEC play.
The downside of the memorable season, though, is that Tennessee will be losing a considerable amount of talent to the MLB draft in July.
Guys like Drew Gilbert, Jordan Beck, Ben Joyce, and Trey Lipscomb, among others, will almost certainly be drafted.
The good news for the Vols is that Tennessee should be an attractive destination for players in the transfer portal.
And there's one player who hit the portal on Thursday that Tony Vitello and his staff should seriously pursue.
NC State's Tommy White, the new single-season record-holder for home runs by a freshman (his 27 home runs as a freshman this past season were also an NC State record), has entered the portal according to D1's Kendall Rogers.
White, who hit .362 with 74 RBIs in 55 games this past season, is reportedly entering the portal due to a lack of playing time at third base and a lack of NIL opportunities.
From Sports Illustrated's All Wolfpack:
Sources close to the situation say playing time in the field, particularly third base, along with NIL opportunities are playing a factor in his decision to leave NC State. Early frontrunners for his services include Florida State and Texas A&M, among other SEC schools.
We know Tennessee can offer some great NIL options for White, a player who is already highly marketable. If he transfers to UT, his popularity (and NIL opportunities) could hit another level.
As far as playing in the field, it's a little less clear what kind of opportunity White would have at Tennessee. The Vols have Logan Chambers who can hold down third base in 2023. But bats like White's don't come around often. His presence in Tennessee's lineup would instantly change the way pitchers approach the Vols' hitters next season.
Vitello and the Vols should take a swing here and see if White's interested. There's not a hotter college baseball program on the planet right now than Tennessee, so I'm sure White will pick up the phone if Vitello rings.
Featured image via Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK
