Tennessee's historic season came to a disappointing end over the weekend, but that didn't stop the Vols from beginning to reload for the 2023 season.
Kansas transfer shortstop Maui Ahuna — one of the tops transfers in the portal — committed to the Vols over LSU on Friday, he announced on social media coming off a visit to Knoxville late last week.
"They have a young coaching staff, which I like about them," Ahuna told Volquest about his decision. "The way they've turned around the program the last six years shows a lot about their coaching and how they let the players play. I just want to surround myself around the best coaching."
Tennessee skipper Tony Vitello certainly played a big role in being able to land Ahuna.
Vitello and the Vols showed interest in Ahuna from the moment he entered the portal, and when Ahuna arrived in Knoxville for his visit, he could tell that everything that had been discussed with him was genuine.
"I want to feel comfortable wherever I'm at and (Tony) Vitello made me feel comfortable on my visit," Ahuna said. "I liked the campus, I liked the people, I liked the stadium. I was only there for a day and everybody showed me a lot of love.
"Tony's personality. He's just cool. I can tell he's a very good coach and I know he'll take very good care of me."
The 6-foot-1, 170-pound infielder picked the Vols following a breakout season at Kansas. Ahuna earned First Team All-Big 12 honors as he hit .396 at the plate to go along with eight home runs and 48 RBIs. He hit 16 doubles and four triples.
Ahuna is considered a top prospect for the 2023 MLB Draft following his breakout sophomore season. He’ll play for the Falmouth Commodores in the prestigious Cape Cod League this Summer.
The Vols’ ability to develop players for the next level is something that stood out to Ahuna throughout the process.
"They can really develop their players," Ahuna said. "The program was struggling when they got there and they've been able to recruit and develop those players once they got to campus.
"Me as a player, I want to come into this program and come out even better. I feel like Tony Vitello's crew will do that for me."
Tennessee is certainly an attractive destination for players entering the transfer portal. Not only are the Vols one of the winningest programs in college baseball right now, their most recent transfer additions have had tremendous success on Rocky Top.
Particularly Chase Dollander, who transferred from Georgia Southern last offseason and went on to win SEC Pitcher of the Year.
"A lot of schools showed me interest in the portal, but Vitello and his guys did it the right way," Ahuna said. "I'm going to bring everything I've got. Going to try my best and play my hardest, but mainly I'm going to have fun. I'm ready to show everybody what I've got and hopefully next year I can lead them to Omaha."
Ahuna is the first transfer to pick the Vols this offseason, but won’t be the last. As the Vols look to reload after spending most of this season as the unanimous No. 1 team in the country, Ahuna has already begun recruiting other elite transfers to Knoxville.
"I've already started texting some guys asking them if we're going to be teammates," Ahuna said. "Hopefully they make good decisions and come to Tennessee with me."
