Georgia Southern transfer pitcher Chase Dollander committed to Tennessee over Arkansas and Texas Tech on Tuesday afternoon, he announced on his Instagram page.
Dollander is the second transfer pitcher to commit to the Vols this offseason. He joins Missouri transfer Seth Halvorsen as the new transfer additions to Frank Anderson's pitching staff.
“It just felt like home when I was there," Dollander told Volquest about his decision. "When I went on my visit I loved all of the coaches and everything they had to offer. It just felt like the place to be and that was what my gut was telling me the entire time.”
Dollander visited Texas Tech and Tennessee prior to visiting Arkansas this past weekend before coming to a decision.
It was the relationships the right-hander formed with Anderson and Vols head coach Tony Vitello that helped Tennessee feel like home on his visit to Rocky Top. Dollander even had current Vols reach out to him and express how great of a coach that Vitello is to play for.
“I love Coach Vitello," Dollander said. "He’s such a good guy. I’m excited to go there and work under them. I’m going to give them all that I have.”
Along with Vitello, Dollander's relationship that he's built with Anderson helped push the Vols over the top.
“We have a pretty big relationship," Dollander said of Anderson. "We got to talk a lot about his plans for me and how he’s going to make me the best pitcher I can be.
“It’s very exciting. I heard about Coach Anderson, but I never really knew exactly what he had done in his career, but I went through and looked it up and thought it was insane how many pitchers he’s developed. I’m really excited to work with him.”
Dollander was a First Team All-American according to Perfect Game this past 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.
“They like the competitiveness that I bring," Dollander said. "I got pretty fired up when I played against them at Southern.
"They like the velocity that I bring. One thing they said they’re going to help me do is tighten up my breaking ball. Make it harder, make them sharper and to help me throw even more strikes than I have been. That’s all I can really ask for.”
Dollander's commitment comes on the heels of Tennessee losing three key arms this offseason. In addition to Will Heflin graduating, Chad Dallas was selected in the fourth round of the 2021 MLB Draft by the Toronto Blue Jays, while Sean Hunley was selected by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 19th round, respectively.
"I’m going to have to go in and do what I do best and that’s solidify myself somewhere in the weekend rotation," Dollander said. "That’s what I’m going to do and hope to do.”
