It’s officially game week for Tennessee baseball.
The Vols are set to host Georgia Southern this coming weekend for a three-game series to kick off the season. To get you ready for Tony Vitello’s fifth year on Rocky Top, we preview Frank Anderson’s pitching staff.
Here’s a look at Tennessee’s 2022 pitching staff and what you need to know:
Seniors: LHP Redmond Walsh (sixth-year), RHP Camden Sewell, Ethan Smith
Juniors: RHP Seth Halvorsen (redshirt), LHP Kirby Connell, LHP Will Mabrey, LHP Drew Gilbert, RHP Mark McLaughlin, RHP Ben Joyce (redshirt)
Sophomores: RHP Blade Tidwell, Chase Dollander, LHP Jake Fitzgibbons, LHP Zander Sechrist, LHP Shawn Scott, RHP Hollis Fanning, RHP Tommy Wilcox (redshirt)
Freshmen: RHP Chase Burns, LHP Drew Patterson (redshirt), LHP Wyatt Evans, LHP Gavin Brasosky, RHP Grant Cherry, LHP J.D. McCracken, RHP Drew Beam, RHP Andrew Kribbs, LHP Kaleb Meredith
Injury Bug
Tennessee’s pitching staff has already been snakebitten before even throwing a pitch.
Ace of the staff and likely first round draft pick Blade Tidwell will miss the beginning of the season due to shoulder soreness resulting from stiffness while throwing. Tidwell, a Preseason All-American by multiple outlets, is expected to pitch at some point this season, but his absence is a significant one.
It’s not just Tidwell, however. The Vols will also be without Missouri transfer Seth Halvorsen due to a fractured right arm he suffered while throwing in January. Halvorsen is expected to return by mid-April at the latest, but still, it’s another power arm with SEC experience that Anderson must find a way to navigate without.
Projected Weekend Starters
So, who replaces Tidwell and Halvorsen in the meantime? The bullpen will feel the impact of the injuries more than the starting rotation. That’s because of the additions of Chase Burns and Georgia Southern transfer Chase Dollander.
We’ll talk about Burns in a moment, but Dollander should step right into the starting rotation and perform. Tennessee is in a tough spot to start the year having to replace Chad Dallas and Will Heflin from last year’s rotation in addition to dealing with the Tidwell injury. Dollander has impressed, though, and is seen as a potential first round pick in the making.
Dollander was a First Team All-American according to Perfect Game last season as a true freshman. In 11 starts for Georgia Southern, he went 4-3 with an ERA of 4.04. He struck out 64 hitters in 49.0 innings of work.
The hard-throwing righty throws a fastball, a changeup, a slider and a 12-6 curveball.
Prior to the injuries, Tidwell, Dollander and Burns were expected to start with Halvorsen being one of the top arms out of the bullpen. Now it appears senior RHP Camden Sewell will fill the third spot in the rotation.
Sewell isn’t as flashy as his peers with his fastball, but he’s simply Mr. Reliable. The sinker and slider specialist that sits low 90’s with his fastball broke out last season and should have an even better season in 2022.
Impact Freshman
Chase Burns is the definition of an impact freshman. The mid-state signee will follow in the footsteps of what Tidwell did last year and could put together an even better true freshman season. Since stepping foot on campus, Burns has lived up the billing..
It wouldn’t be surprising to see Burns’ fastball that can touch triple-digits get the nod on Opening Day, which tells you all you need to know about the right-hander.
Another name to watch is fellow mid-state signee Drew Beam. The former quarterback has impressed those in the program since his arrival and should see plenty of action early in the season. Beam could earn a prominent role by the end of the year.
LHP Wyatt Evans could also generate some buzz. The Vols stole him away from South Carolina and impressed in the fall with his breaking ball.
Bullpen
The bullpen faces significant questions entering the year. Not only is Halvorsen out to start the season and Sewell likely headed to the starting rotation, it must also replace the production of Sean Hunley from a year ago.
Who fills Hunley’s shoes? It was likely to be Sewell or Halvorsen, but now everybody else’s role in the bullpen becomes more significant.
Redmond Walsh returns for his free year of eligibility and his sixth on Rocky Top. The Alcoa native will be Tennessee’s closer yet again, but Walsh could also be brought in earlier if the Vols need to get out of a jam at any point in the later innings.
Redshirt-junior Ben Joyce is a name to watch as he works his way back from Tommy John surgery. The Knoxville native has hit 103 mph on the radar gun, but must continue to work on his command as he navigates the SEC for the first time. His upside could take UT’s bullpen to a completely different level if it clicks.
Junior Kirby Connell is most likely to fill Hunley’s shoes until Sewell and Halvorsen return to the pen. The crafty lefty only allowed three walks last season and has earned complete trust from the coaching staff. Connell can fill any role in relief and will be called upon quite a bit after allowing just three walks in 42.0 innings last season.
Fellow lefty Will Mabrey will also hear his named called quite a bit. Mabrey was used as a lefty specialist last year, but with an increase in velocity this offseason, his role should expand.
Junior RHP Mark McLaughlin has logged plenty of innings during his time at Tennessee. McLaughlin has made 20 appearances through two seasons and should see his role expand in 2022, whether it be out of the bullpen or as a mid-week starter.
Other names to watch in the bullpen are sophomores LHP Jake Fitzgibbons, RHP Hollis Fanning and LHP Zander Sechrist. Each pitched well in limited action as true freshmen last season and have the potential to earn more significant roles this year.
The X-Factor
Tennessee’s x-factor on the pitching staff is Vanderbilt transfer RHP Ethan Smith. First, the Vols need the NCAA to grant Smith immediate eligibility after transferring between semesters. Tennessee could hear back this week prior to Opening Day.
It would be a huge boost if Smith were ruled eligible given the injury situation. Smith’s role is a question mark after not having much of a role while with the Commodores, but all indications are that regardless of role, Smith will certainly help.
In three years with the Commodores, Smith was 8-0 with a 2.78 ERA in 64.2 innings of work. Last year as a junior, he was 1-0 with a 3.55 ERA in nine appearances.
Editor's note: Smith was granted eligibility by the NCAA late Wednesday night and is available to pitch beginning opening weekend.
