Tennessee baseball has landed its first addition out of the transfer portal.
Right-handed Kennesaw State pitcher Tanner Franklin has picked the Vols.
He brings two seasons of eligibility to Knoxville.
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Franklin is from the Knoxville area playing at Jefferson County High School. He was an all-state, all-region and all-district player while earning MVP pitcher as a senior.
In two seasons with the Owls, Franklin worked his way into a reliable reliever role. As a sophomore, he posted an ERA of 5.60 and 4-1 record with five saves. This came in 21 appearances and 27.1 innings pitched.
Opponents hit just .212 against him on the season and just one of the 132 batters he faced took him deep for a home run.
What makes Franklin an intriguing portal addition is his fastball. It sits just below triple digits and mixes well with his off-speed.
Previously, Tony Vitello and Frank Anderson have brought in the likes of Ben Joyce and Nate Snead who had similar upsides with electric fastballs. Both enjoyed positive careers with Joyce already at the MLB level and Snead being a pivotal piece on the national title squad.
Tennessee has lost a couple pitchers this offseason including Matthew Dallas and Derek Schaefer. Infielders Bradke Lohry and Robin Villeneuve make up the other impactful transfers.
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