On Deck: Looking ahead to Tennessee's 2022 infield
Tennessee’s historic 2021 season has come to an end.
The Vols won 50 games for just the third time in the program's history and for the first time since 1995 on their way to their first College World Series appearance since 2005.
Tennessee won its most regular-season games (42) and conference games (20) since 1995. The Volunteers also played in the SEC Tournament title game for the first time since 1984 as they earned the No. 3 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Tony Vitello will have to replace quite a bit from this year’s squad. We've detailed how much could be returning from Tennessee's outfield, and now we take a look at Vitello's tall task of replacing possibly his entire infield.
Here’s a look at who is moving on, who is expected to return in 2022 and what additions are being made to the group.
Who is moving on?
Tennessee's infield is going to look completely different in 2022. In fact, as of right now, not a single piece of UT's starting infield is slated to return.
Let's start with who appears to be definitely gone: Jake Rucker, Max Ferguson, Liam Spence and Connor Pavolony.
Spence is the lone senior of those who appear to be definitely leaving, but technically he could return because of the free year of eligibility the NCAA granted following the cancellation of the 2020 season. The shortstop saw his stock skyrocket this season, however, and appears to be on the verge of being drafted fairly high in next week's MLB Draft.
Then there's Rucker, Ferguson and Pavolony. Tennessee's starting third baseman, second baseman and catcher, respectively, who are also expected to be early draft picks, particularly Rucker and Ferguson. That's four of the five starting infielders headed out the door.
Starting first baseman Luc Lipcius could make it five-for-five. The fifth-year payer may elect to take advantage of the free year of eligibility, but at this point, he may be ready to move on from college.
Lipcius has battled injuries throughout his career and this is the first year he was able to play a complete season. He had not played more than 33 games prior, and in 67 games this year, he hit .240 and tied for a team-high 15 home runs. Lipcius also led the team in hard-contact rating, which in today's era of analytics could lead to him sneaking into the end of the draft or signing a free agent deal.
So, if all five starting infielders are leaving, who is going to fill out next year's infield?
The Hot Corner
Let's start with third base, where replacing Rucker will be a tall task for Vitello. Rucker hit .330 this season with a team-high 21 doubles, nine home runs and 55 RBIs. As UT's three-hole hitter, he led the team with 90 hits.
Trey Lipscomb is first in line. He'll be entering his fourth season with the program, but doesn't haven many at-bats under his belt. Lipscomb is a career .246 hitter in just 69 at-bats.
The coaching staff has always been high on Lipscomb's natural ability, but he's been stuck behind Rucker. This offseason is critical in his pursuit of the third base job.
Up the Middle
The middle of Tennessee's infield is completely up in the air. The MLB Draft will likely determine who plays where as it will really come down to who makes it to campus and who doesn't.
At shortstop, signee Brady House would take over as the starting shortstop. Even as a true freshman. But House, the No. 1 overall player in the country according to Perfect Game, is on the verge of being a top 10 pick and won't ever make it to campus.
Vitello will still have to sweat out the MLB Draft. Signees Ryan Spikes, Seth Stephenson and Dayton Dooney could potentially start at shortstop, or elsewhere in the infield, but they could also never make it to campus.
Spikes is ranked as the No. 196 overall prospect according to MLB.com, while Stephenson comes in at No. 199 and Dooney is ranked No. 223, respectively. All three have seen their draft stock rise quite a bit over the last couple of weeks.
Another signee who has seen their stock rise recently is Christian Moore of Brooklynn, New York. Moore is an athletic shortstop who the coaching staff adores, along with Spikes, that could compete for a job up the middle even as a freshman.
Junior college signee Logan Chambers is likely to start on the right side of the infield. He could start at second or first for the Vols, which will be determined by which of his fellow signees make it to campus.
Chambers would likely start at first if Dooney does indeed make it to campus, as Dooney is more of a natural second baseman.
What the Vols already have
Jorel Ortega, Logan Steenstra, Ethan Payne, Cortland Lawson, Austin Jaslove and Brock Lucas are the infielders expected to return from this year's team, in addition to Lipscomb.
Steenstra played the most of that bunch, hitting .292 in 48 at-bats. Ortega recorded four hits in 27 at-bats coming off of Tommy John surgery, while Lawson received 14 at-bats, and Payne recorded 11, respectively. Jaslove and Lucas did not make an appearance at the plate.
Who's on first?
With a slim chance of Lipcius returning, first base is very much up in the air and Chambers and Steenstra are the most likely candidates for the job.
Chambers was a Junior College All-American at Crowder College this season. The Arkansas native hit .404 in 63 games to go along with 16 home runs and 76 RBIs. He scored 90 runs and stole 14 bases.
Tennessee will need to figure out what it wants to do with Steenstra. He showed this season as a sophomore that he can hit, but struggled in the field at shortstop at times. Steenstra has the length and athleticism to be a good defensive shortstop, but the Vols could choose to move him over to first on a permanent basis depending on who shows up to campus.
The lone high school signee UT is bringing in at first is Blake Burke from De La Salle High School in California. Burke hit .554 (41-for-74) as a senior with a .637 on-base percentage to go along with six home runs and 32 RBIs. At 6-foot-3, 235 lbs., his powerful swing should translate well to Lindsey Nelson Stadium from the left side of the plate.
Behind the dish
Don't let the fact that we're talking about the catchers position at the bottom of this piece fool you. It's the most important defensive position on the field and not only must UT replace Pavolony, it also has to replace backup catcher Jackson Greer.
Tennessee will miss Pavolony's defense the most. He hit .260 with seven homers this season in the midst of dealing with a hand/wrist injury, but it's his defense that's going to get him drafted fairly early. Pavolony is one of the best defensive catchers in the country and the Vols will miss him greatly.
The lone option currently is Charlie Taylor who the staff was high on as a true freshman. Taylor may prove to be a reliable starting catcher for the Vols, but he's yet to make a plate appearance or catch a single pitch.
I expect Tennessee to turn to the transfer market in order to bring in a veteran catcher to accompany Taylor in 2022. Kentucky transfer Coltyn Kessler could prove to be the answer. Kessler, who was a semifinalist for the Buster Posey Catcher of the Year, has ties to Tony Vitello having grown up in the St. Louis area.
The Vols signed three catchers in Andrew Kribbs of Knoxville, Ryan Miller of Dublin, Ohio and Nathan Smith of Buford, Georgia.
High School Signees:
- SS, Brady House (Winder, Georgia)
- SS, Ryan Spikes (Lilburn, Georgia)
- SS, Christian Moore (Brooklyn, New York)
- 1B, Blake Burke (Brentwood, California)
- C, Andrew Kribbs (Knoxville, Tennessee)
- C, Ryan Miller (Dublin, Ohio)
- SS, Angus Pence (Farragut, Tennessee)
- C, Nathan Smith (Buford, Georgia)
- SS, Noah Connelly (Ketchikan, Arkansas)