Portal Activity (News and Rumors)

[Aladywhovolunteer]

Obviously, portal recruiting is important for next year. Hopefully, our coaching staff can sign Holman and Snead.

As LSU wins game one of MCWS Championship Series, I wonder how did they became better than Tennessee. Other than Tommy White, their key guys, Crews, Morgan, Dugas, and Beloso are all players recruited out of high school. But three pitchers taken from the portal/tranfer/JUCO have made the difference.

In 2021 we played them 5 times and beat them 5 times to include two wins in Super Regional.

In 2022 we didn't play them during the regular season but beat them in our run to become SEC Tournament Champions.

In 2023 (at LSU) we went 1and 2 during the regular season. First two games were decided by two runs each and then we won game three by 11 ( I think).

In MCWS, Paul Skenes ( #1 portal prospect) and Riley Cooper (transfer from Arizona ) sent us to loser's bracket. Achenhauser ( JUCO transfer last year) and Cooper sent us home.

We need some portal magic!

 

[vol66]

 

[Christian Lowe]

I’m more partial to the Living Colour version myself

 

[31VFL]

Obviously, portal recruiting is important for next year. Hopefully, our coaching staff can sign Holman and Snead.

As LSU wins game one of MCWS Championship Series, I wonder how did they became better than Tennessee. Other than Tommy White, their key guys, Crews, Morgan, Dugas, and Beloso are all players recruited out of high school. But three pitchers taken from the portal/tranfer/JUCO have made the difference.

In 2021 we played them 5 times and beat them 5 times to include two wins in Super Regional.

In 2022 we didn't play them during the regular season but beat them in our run to become SEC Tournament Champions.

In 2023 (at LSU) we went 1and 2 during the regular season. First two games were decided by two runs each and then we won game three by 11 ( I think).

In MCWS, Paul Skenes ( #1 portal prospect) and Riley Cooper (transfer from Arizona ) sent us to loser's bracket. Achenhauser ( JUCO transfer last year) and Cooper sent us home.

We need some portal magic!

Their freshmen class in 2021 was loaded. They were always going to be good this year, but the transfers put them over the top.

 

[vol66]

I’m more partial to the Living Colour version myself

I like that one too, point is the same.

 

[South Florida Vol]

I can’t worry too much with this thread or who is coming or going. When I was their age there is no telling what I would have done in their shoes. I’ve never understood why Vol fans hope someone fails when they transfer. Sometimes people need a change, lots of reasons why.

I’ve loved watching Chase Burns and all of them. If Chase or anyone decides they need a change, I will still love them and hope they go and crush it wherever they are. Chase is a Tennessee kid and I will always cheer for him. Hope he stays , but people have to do what’s best for them. As hard as it is to accept, the best thing for him or anyone may be to go somewhere else.

And regardless of who stays and goes, Vols will have a talented roster and do just fine. That is all. GBO.

 

[TN_gal]

Cannon Peebles - 2023 - Baseball - NC State University Athletics

Here hopefully.

I hope things work out better this time.

We’ve had terrible luck in the portal re: the catcher position these past two off seasons. Two years ago, the West Virginia transfer catcher commit loved campus life too much and left the program. And then last year, the transfer catcher commit from Austin Peay announced how excited he was to work with our pitchers, only to accept a FA deal with an MLB team a few days later.

 

[Volfan1000]

I hope things work out better this time.

We’ve had terrible luck in the portal re: the catchers position these past two off seasons. Two years ago, the West Virginia catcher commit loved campus life too much and left the program. And then last year, the transfer catcher commit from Austin Peay announced how excited he was to work with our pitchers, only to accept a FA deal with an MLB team a few days later.

In any sport, there will always be a weak spot on a roster.

Teams like the 1929 New York Yankees do not show up very often.

 

[vol66]

I hope things work out better this time.

We’ve had terrible luck in the portal re: the catcher position these past two off seasons. Two years ago, the West Virginia transfer catcher commit loved campus life too much and left the program. And then last year, the transfer catcher commit from Austin Peay announced how excited he was to work with our pitchers, only to accept a FA deal with an MLB team a few days later.

Ya know, I been thinking about that…Charlie started, Cal finished, both great defensively for the most part. Cal might be gone or not, dunno, but they both batted in the nine hole for the duration. I recall that it was said that Charlie could handle the pitchers well and every body by all accounts was cheering for him. This is not to say we don’t need to pick up one. Just, we’re alright.

 

[TN_gal]

Ya know, I been thinking about that…Charlie started, Cal finished, both great defensively for the most part. Cal might be gone or not, dunno, but they both batted in the nine hole for the duration. I recall that it was said that Charlie could handle the pitchers well and every body by all accounts was cheering for him. This is not to say we don’t need to pick up one. Just, we’re alright.

Agreed about about Charlie and Cal. We also have Ryan Miller (if he stays) and Stone Lawless (if he makes it to campus). I think we will be okay, it just would be good to have added depth and experience at that position.

 

[vol66]

Agreed about about Charlie and Cal. We also have Ryan Miller and Stone Lawless (if he makes it to campus). I think we will be okay, it just would be good to have added depth and experience at that position.

Yep, Ryan hasn’t got much of a shot, but they recruited him for a reason, Stone even less…Bottom line, you either trust the staff or you don’t. I do.

 

[TN_gal]

Yep, Ryan hasn’t got much of a shot, but they recruited him for a reason, Stone even less…Bottom line, you either trust the staff or you don’t. I do.

I do too.

 

[BigOrangeCrush32]

Exactly. Make sure Beam stays (honestly our best pitcher the last 2 years even with Burns and Do). Causey, Snead, Holman more than makes up for losing Burns. Progression of Russell and Combs. Add in our recruiting class and the comeback of Evans.

Russell and Combs* were nasty out of the BullPen this year.

*If Combs is the P that has the funky set up and tattoos, I really like his mentality. He will make a great closer imo.

 

[greasemachine]

 

[wmcovol]

Obviously, portal recruiting is important for next year. Hopefully, our coaching staff can sign Holman and Snead.

As LSU wins game one of MCWS Championship Series, I wonder how did they became better than Tennessee. Other than Tommy White, their key guys, Crews, Morgan, Dugas, and Beloso are all players recruited out of high school. But three pitchers taken from the portal/tranfer/JUCO have made the difference.

In 2021 we played them 5 times and beat them 5 times to include two wins in Super Regional.

In 2022 we didn't play them during the regular season but beat them in our run to become SEC Tournament Champions.

In 2023 (at LSU) we went 1and 2 during the regular season. First two games were decided by two runs each and then we won game three by 11 ( I think).

In MCWS, Paul Skenes ( #1 portal prospect) and Riley Cooper (transfer from Arizona ) sent us to loser's bracket. Achenhauser ( JUCO transfer last year) and Cooper sent us home.

We need some portal magic!

Give some of their marginal players credit, they’ve stepped up to perform above their standard level. This BP for example was very average (being kind) during the SEC season yet in Omaha, they’ve been the difference in winning. Some of their hitters back in the order have had big hits. It’s not just White, Crews & Morgan. Just about every team I’ve seen win a championship it’s usually cause average players play above average for a couple weeks

 

[cardvolfan]

I’ve read so many comments about the Burns situation that my head is spinning, and I really don’t know what to believe. So many things have been said concerning Burns and I don’t know what is or isn’t true, so I don’t want to make a judgement based on things that might not be true. However, one fact is true: Burns was getting shelled and hit very hard. Vitello and Anderson obviously worked a plan to try to help the team and the player. Bottom line is the plan worked well for the team. If any player puts “I” before team, then I wish them well and support the guys who want to be here and put the team first.

 

[CAVPUT]

I’ve read so many comments about the Burns situation that my head is spinning, and I really don’t know what to believe. So many things have been said concerning Burns and I don’t know what is or isn’t true, so I don’t want to make a judgement based on things that might not be true. However, one fact is true: Burns was getting shelled and hit very hard. Vitello and Anderson obviously worked a plan to try to help the team and the player. Bottom line is the plan worked well for the team. If any player puts “I” before team, then I wish them well and support the guys who want to be here and put the team first.

Honestly, I wish he'd just rip the band-aid off and be done with it one way or the other. If he's officially in the portal, we're free to try and fill his spot. One would have to assume the staff is working the portal as if Burns will not be in Knoxville next season....or at least I hope they are.

 

[drylo]

I’ve read so many comments about the Burns situation that my head is spinning, and I really don’t know what to believe. So many things have been said concerning Burns and I don’t know what is or isn’t true, so I don’t want to make a judgement based on things that might not be true. However, one fact is true: Burns was getting shelled and hit very hard. Vitello and Anderson obviously worked a plan to try to help the team and the player. Bottom line is the plan worked well for the team. If any player puts “I” before team, then I wish them well and support the guys who want to be here and put the team first.

He can certainly do whatever he feels is best for him. And if he was my kid, I’d love him and support him in whatever that is. But he’s not my kid. I’m just a Vol fan. So if he chooses to leave and go to a rival, I’m not sure I can honestly wish him well there. Not trying to be a jerk to the kid, but… sorry not sorry.

That being said, I definitely hope he stays. I like rooting for him and would love to see him finish as a Vol.

 

[cardvolfan]

He can certainly do whatever he feels is best for him. And if he was my kid, I’d love him and support him in whatever that is. But he’s not my kid. I’m just a Vol fan. So if he chooses to leave and go to a rival, I’m not sure I can honestly wish him well there. Not trying to be a jerk to the kid, but… sorry not sorry.

That being said, I definitely hope he stays. I like rooting for him and would love to see him finish as a Vol.

Yes, if he goes to a rival that has any determining stake in how we finish a season, I don’t wish him success. However, I do wish the kid well as far as life, in general, goes.

 

[preacherman20]

I'm guessing the people who need to know know. I don't get where fans think they have to know everything that goes on in a program. We live in a social media world where fans EXPECT to know everything a player or coach or team is thinking, saying, planning, or considering. Really this is none of our business. We don't need to know. You guys have spent hours of your lives and 38 pages of a message board talking about a kid that almost none of you even know him or his family or anything about him other than his success or failure on a team which really is not HIM. He is a young man that is very private and I do not expect him to put anything out there about this. I just don't see the I love you if you play on my team or I hate you if you play on the other team mindset when you really don't know the kids. It was interesting for me last night because I was watching the game thinking about the individual players. How they deal with my son, what he has said about them, their relationships. He spent a couple of hours in Hoover sitting and talking to Skenes and Crews and Tre. I saw Tre stop him last week and tell him great play when he got Tre out. I saw the guys from Florida that he has talked to and built relationships with off the field. On the field, he will go after them full speed just like he would his own brothers. But off the field they are just humans. I hope I can keep this perspective that these are just young men and not objects we love or hate because of the colors they wear or don't wear.

 

[OldTimer]

I'm guessing the people who need to know know. I don't get where fans think they have to know everything that goes on in a program. We live in a social media world where fans EXPECT to know everything a player or coach or team is thinking, saying, planning, or considering. Really this is none of our business. We don't need to know. You guys have spent hours of your lives and 38 pages of a message board talking about a kid that almost none of you even know him or his family or anything about him other than his success or failure on a team which really is not HIM. He is a young man that is very private and I do not expect him to put anything out there about this. I just don't see the I love you if you play on my team or I hate you if you play on the other team mindset when you really don't know the kids. It was interesting for me last night because I was watching the game thinking about the individual players. How they deal with my son, what he has said about them, their relationships. He spent a couple of hours in Hoover sitting and talking to Skenes and Crews and Tre. I saw Tre stop him last week and tell him great play when he got Tre out. I saw the guys from Florida that he has talked to and built relationships with off the field. On the field, he will go after them full speed just like he would his own brothers. But off the field they are just humans. I hope I can keep this perspective that these are just young men and not objects we love or hate because of the colors they wear or don't wear.

Well said Preacher, could be a good topic for a sermon one day…..

 

[volfan411]

That is what we need kids who love the !!!!!

 

[MT_Vol]

I'm guessing the people who need to know know. I don't get where fans think they have to know everything that goes on in a program. We live in a social media world where fans EXPECT to know everything a player or coach or team is thinking, saying, planning, or considering. Really this is none of our business. We don't need to know. You guys have spent hours of your lives and 38 pages of a message board talking about a kid that almost none of you even know him or his family or anything about him other than his success or failure on a team which really is not HIM. He is a young man that is very private and I do not expect him to put anything out there about this. I just don't see the I love you if you play on my team or I hate you if you play on the other team mindset when you really don't know the kids. It was interesting for me last night because I was watching the game thinking about the individual players. How they deal with my son, what he has said about them, their relationships. He spent a couple of hours in Hoover sitting and talking to Skenes and Crews and Tre. I saw Tre stop him last week and tell him great play when he got Tre out. I saw the guys from Florida that he has talked to and built relationships with off the field. On the field, he will go after them full speed just like he would his own brothers. But off the field they are just humans. I hope I can keep this perspective that these are just young men and not objects we love or hate because of the colors they wear or don't wear.

Well said.

 

[preacherman20]

Well said Preacher, could be a good topic for a sermon one day…..

Actually, today's sermon is about How do we deal with Failure? Main point Failure is equivalent to Value. God holds us in high value whether we win or lose, succeed or fail. Our value is not in our results but relationships. Ultimate relationship with Him.
If someone needs to delete this, I'm fine with it. I just answered the statement.

 

[wmcovol]

This is Travel ball mentality 101. Johnny Superstar struggles and the kid is told by the parents, etc “it’s the coaches fault”. It’s never the kids fault who doesn’t work at it like others do cause he was great as a 10-12 year old. Having 2 sons go through the high school/college/TB process, I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve heard this.

Both Dollander & Burns struggled at the start because 1) they were throwing the ball waist high in the middle of the plate regularly and 2) neither had developed a 3rd pitch since last year. I’m not enamored with Anderson but I’m sure he didn’t tell them to repeatedly throw gut shots & not to work on a change up or something.