It’s always been Zach Joyce’s dream to play baseball at the University of Tennessee.

Joyce was born at UT Medical Center just minutes away from campus, as it’s only separated by the Tennessee River. He grew up in Knoxville and attended Farragut High School before attending Walters State Community College in nearby Morristown, Tennessee.

After starring on the diamond at both Farragut and Walters State, Joyce signed to play with the Vols.

Yet the timing wasn’t right when Joyce finally arrived on campus.

“I was depressed,” Joyce told Volquest. “I was having anxiety attacks pretty much every single day in January right before the 2021 season. I had been at Tennessee for a semester and after I talked to the coaches, I decided I need to step away from the game a little bit. They were really supportive about it. I didn’t watch a single game that year just because I blamed everything on baseball.”

The depression and anxiety attacks originated when Joyce had Tommy John surgery in January of 2020 prior to arriving at Tennessee. He decided to come home from Walters State, but because of NCAA rules, he couldn’t rehab at UT.

“I never really didn’t want to play,” Joyce said. “When I stepped away, what helped me was just talking to people about it. I had so many people that were supporting me even if I wasn’t playing baseball, so it was just realizing that and being able to open up and talk about it instead of holding it all in. Instead of thinking about how I should be happy that I play baseball for my dream school, I just wasn’t. I had to realize I had so many people around me that were supporting me.

“The biggest thing for me was actually talking about it. That’s what I talked to (former Tennessee catcher) JP Arencibia about. He went through some mental stuff, too, so his biggest thing to me about it was that I just have to be able to open up or else it’s going to eat me alive. So I had just been talking about it, and working through it, and I got some books about it. It was really just working through all of that stuff, but at the same time, I was still kind of blaming it on baseball just because it had been my whole life to that point. I just needed to put the blame on something, but working through the fact that it wasn’t baseball, it’s just something that happens and happens to a lot of people. It’s easier to talk about it now and easier to open up about it.”

While Zach was working on himself, his twin brother Ben was rehabbing from Tommy John Surgery as he missed the 2021 season as well. Ben eventually returned to the mound this past season and enjoyed a breakout junior campaign.

Ben was becoming a viral sensation throughout the baseball world for how hard he threw his fastball, but more importantly, he was sparking Zach’s competitive fire in the process.

“It got to the point to where I was itching so bad to get out there,” Zach Joyce said. “It got hard to go to games and watch. Obviously I was going to support Ben and a lot of the guys I still know, but it was hard to watch and not be out there.”

Zach approached Tennessee head coach Tony Vitello and pitching coach Frank Anderson back in April about returning. Vitello and Anderson — who each played big roles in Joyce’s road back — were all for his return to the mound.

“That break, it was something he needed and seeing him now, he has a new type of energy and a new excitement for baseball,” Ben Joyce said. “He just wanted to completely get away, so I didn’t want to push too much. It was just about sitting back and letting him know that I’m here for him with whatever he needs. What he needed was space and to get away from the game to clear his head and that was the best thing he could have done for himself because he realized how much he loves the game of baseball and how much he wants to play for Tennessee.

“It’s super exciting to see him come out of that, and be happy, and the fact that he’s sharing his journey to try and help other people is awesome to see. I’m super excited for him.”

There may be another Joyce on the mound for the Vols in 2023, but it won’t be one that throws up to 105 mph as Ben does. Zach throws hard, but not as hard as his twin. What he is, however, is an efficient pitcher who can throw multiple pitches consistently.

“I don’t throw 105,” Zach said with a laugh. “I like to think of myself as someone who pitches more than just trying to overpower you. I just really like to compete. That’s the thing I miss the most. Just competing on the mound. That’s where it got hard to watch at the end of the year. Just not being able to be out there. I like to make it more of a mental thing where I like to think about what pitch the hitter thinks is coming. I like throwing my off-speed pitches off of my fastball.”

Prior to his surgery, Joyce was a pitcher who mostly threw fastballs and sliders. Now he likes to throw his off-speed pitches off of his fastball. Joyce also features a splitter, changeup and sinker, and has begun working on a cutter with Ben.

“We’re not similar at all pitching wise,” Ben said. “I could see him being a starter. I mean he has four really good pitches and just goes out there and competes. He loves playing baseball, so I think you’re going to get a competitive guy who is going to go out there and give you four good pitches every day.”

Zach has two years of eligibility remaining and figures to be a key piece to Tennessee’s pitching staff next season. Anderson has laid out quite the summer plan in order for him to be able to do so.

Anderson doesn’t want Joyce on a radar gun this summer and wants him to make a couple of appearances in a local Knoxville summer league, but not until the end of July after he has thrown multiple bullpens and to live batters.

“They were just really more supportive about how the mental stuff had gotten better,” Joyce said of Tennessee’s coaches. “It was awesome to see how supportive they were, especially Coach Vitello and Coach Anderson because they were the two I talked to the most. And then Coach (Josh) Elander called me right after I talked to them and told me how happy he was that I was feeling better. They were all for it. The support they gave me during that whole process was just awesome.”

“From my perspective the whole story is about work ethic and family,” Vitello added. “The boys come from a great family that is tight knit. Accomplishments are earned together and shared together.

“Zach is such a hard-worker that he feels he has too much invested to leave his career unfinished. It’s also put him on the fast track to being SEC-ready again. It’s also fair to say Ben’s work ethic literally created a monster. And a byproduct of that was helping provide a spark for his brother.”

Tennessee itself is coming off a crushing loss to Notre Dame in the Knoxville Super Regional that prevented the Vols from heading to Omaha for a second consecutive season.

The Vols are already using it for motivation for next season as several players are already consistently working in the team’s facility this offseason.

For Joyce, however, it’s about perspective.

“There’s a ton of good arms coming back from the best pitching staff in the country,” Joyce said. “Whatever they need me to do, and whatever role they want me to fit in, I’m down. It’s just about getting back out there for me and playing for Tennessee.

“All of the work that has gone back into getting back to this point, and even having a chance to come back, it’s kind of hard to put into words how special it is that they even gave me the opportunity to come back to the team. I just can’t wait.”