Following his second season at Tennessee, pitcher Chase Burns has entered the transfer portal.

The in-state product committed to the Vols after being ranked as the No. 17 player in the nation by Perfect Game. He was drafted in the 20th round by the Padres but elected to attend Tennessee, instead.

In his freshman year, he earned a spot in the starting rotation while earning SEC All-Freshman Team and All-SEC Second Team honors. He finished the season with a 2.91 ERA and 8-2 record while appearing in 17 games. 14 of his appearances were starts.

However, in 2023, Burns' numbers took a sharp decline. He finished the year with a 4.25 ERA and 5-3 record.

Due to this, the right-handed pitcher was moved to the bullpen where he began to regain confidence and help the team. He earned SEC Co-Pitcher of the Week honors in this role. In the postseason, he dominated out of the bullpen, as well, helping the Vols stay alive in multiple games.

Now, Burns will find a new team with two years of college eligibility remaining.

However, he will be eligible for the MLB Draft following his junior year. Due to his talent and previous success, he will likely be selected after the following season.

Burns joins five other Vols pitchers in the portal. Jacob Bimbi, Shawn Scott, Turner Swistak, Jake Fitzgibbons and Hollis Fanning all decided to transfer, as well.

With Chase Dollander and Andrew Lindsey likely being picked in the upcoming MLB Draft, Tennessee will now have two holes to fill in its starting rotation around Drew Beam.

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