Tennessee Vols baseball received some news they didn’t want to receive
The Tennessee Volunteers baseball program was on the wrong side of some transfer news on Tuesday Afternoon.
Josh Elander and the Tennessee Vols were on the wrong side of some transfer news on Tuesday afternoon.
The Vols were one of programs in the mix for Samford transfer outfielder Jake Souders.
Souders, 6-foot-2/210 pounds from Birmingham, AL, batted .356 with 11 home runs, 46 RBI, and 17 stolen bases at Samford last season. He’s one of the most coveted players in the portal, and Tennessee was one of the frontrunners to land him.
But unfortunately for the Vols, Souders committed to the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Tuesday.
Souders was also considering Alabama and Ole Miss, among others.
“I am blessed for what is ahead and can’t wait for this next chapter in Starkville,” wrote Souders in a tweet. “God is good and faithful.”
“A source told On3 at the time that the Bulldogs did ‘super well’ during the visit with Souders, who was widely viewed as one of the top players available,” reported On3’s Steve Samra. “Tennessee, Ole Miss, Alabama, LSU, Texas A&M and Georgia Tech were all involved in the recruitment. Souders had additional visits scheduled before ultimately deciding on Mississippi State.”
You can’t win every transfer battle. Souders simply felt Mississippi State was the best fit for him. Elander and the Vols will continue to get after it in the transfer portal as they look to build a championship contender for the 2027 season.