Tennessee Athletics
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee junior shortstop Cortland Lawson was the lone Vol to hear his named called on the third and final day of the 2022 MLB Draft, bringing UT’s program-record total to 10.
Lawson was selected by the Washington Nationals in the 14th round, joining Trey Lipscomb (third round) as the second Vol to be picked by the Nats in this year’s draft.
The Vols’ 10 selections were the second most of any school, just behind Oklahoma’s 11, and were the most of any SEC program. It also marked the most in a single draft in program history, surpassing the previous record of eight in 1992 when the draft was 50 rounds.
UT’s 10 draft picks are by far the most through 20 rounds, breaking the previous mark of seven, which was set in last year’s draft. The Vols are just the fourth SEC team to have 10 or more players chosen in the first 20 rounds of any MLB Draft, joining the likes of Mississippi State, Texas A&M and Vanderbilt.
The Big Orange have now had 27 players drafted since 2018 when Tony Vitello took over as head coach, averaging just over five picks per year. Since 2019, Tennessee’s 26 selections ranks third amongst SEC teams in that span.
More information on each of Tennessee’s 2022 draft picks can be seen below.
DAY 3 (ROUNDS 11-20)
SS Cortland Lawson – Washington Nationals – 14th Round – No. 411 Overall
In his first year as a starter, Lawson was a rock defensively at shortstop and a solid contributor at the plate for the Volunteers. The Virginia native scored 42 runs, homered 12 times and had 45 RBIs in 65 games played with a slash line of .269/.402/.512. He also led the team with 148 assists and had 60 putouts. Lawson was a three-time SEC Academic Honor Roll selection, as well.
DAY 2 (ROUNDS 3-10)
3B Trey Lipscomb – Washington Nationals – Third Round – No. 84 Overall
Among Tennessee’s long list of offensive standouts in 2022, Lipscomb had arguably the most impressive season of them all. The senior third baseman started 66 games and led the SEC with 84 RBIs on the year, a mark which ranks third in program history for a single season. Lipscomb also belted a career-best 22 home runs, tied for second most in UT single-season history.
The native of Frederick, Maryland racked up numerous postseason awards and accolades, including first-team All-America honors from the NCBWA. Lipscomb was also named an All-American by the ABCA, D1Baseball.com, Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball and Perfect Game, and was one of three finalists for the prestigious Dick Howser Trophy. Lipscomb was a rock defensively at third base for the Big Orange, helping lead the Vols to the program’s first-ever No. 1 national ranking as well as SEC regular season and tournament championships for the first time since 1995.
RHP Ben Joyce – Los Angeles Angels – Third Round – No. 89 Overall
Joyce burst onto the scene and became a household name this year thanks to his record-setting fastball that was clocked as fast as 105.5 mph, which is believed to be the fastest in college baseball history and earned him the nickname “The Volunteer Fireman”. Joyce emerged as one of Tennessee’s top relief pitchers in 2022, earning third-team All-America honors from the NCBWA.
In 27 appearances (one start), Joyce recorded a 2.23 ERA and totaled an impressive 53 strikeouts with just 14 walks in 32.1 innings of work while holding opposing hitters to a .157 batting average. His 27 appearances were tied for third most on the team after missing all of the 2021 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery.
LHP Will Mabrey – Arizona Diamondbacks – Sixth Round – No. 168 Overall
A seldom-used reliever during his first two seasons, Mabrey emerged as one of the Vols top bullpen arms as a junior in 2022. The left hander ranked second on the team with 29 appearances, posting a 2-0 record and an impressive 2.63 ERA and 0.95 WHIP. Mabrey struck out 52 batters and allowed just five walks in 41.0 innings pitched for the Big Orange, helping lead Tennessee to its first SEC regular season and tournament titles since 1995.
2B Jorel Ortega – Minnesota Twins– Sixth Round – No. 174 Overall
Like Lipscomb, Ortega had a breakout year in 2022 after not seeing much playing time during his first two seasons on Rocky Top. The native of Puerto Rico set career highs in every statistical category and finished second on the team with 76 hits, 20 doubles and 158 total bases. Ortega also tied for the team lead with four triples and was tied for third on the squad with 18 home runs and 61 RBIs while slashing .323/.398/.672.
The redshirt sophomore second baseman collected a handful of postseason honors, garnering second-team All-America recognition from Perfect Game and ABCA/Rawlings Southeast All-Region first-team acclaim. Ortega was also named the NCAA Knoxville Regional Most Outstanding Player and was a CoSIDA Academic All-District selection.
OF Seth Stephenson – Detroit Tigers– Seventh Round – No. 207 Overall
Stephenson made an immediate impact during his first season on Rocky Top after spending two years at Temple Junior College in Texas. The speedy outfielder was second in the SEC with 25 stolen bases on the year and ranked fourth on the team with a .339 batting average, totaling 62 hits, 46 runs scored, 17 doubles, four homers and 28 RBI in 59 games played.
RHP Mark McLaughlin – Chicago White Sox– Seventh Round – No. 221 Overall
McLaughlin was another reliable reliever for the Big Orange during their record-setting 2022 season, helping lead the Vols to a program-best 57 victories. The Georgia native set career highs with 27 appearances and 45 strikeouts while posting a 2.01 ERA in 31.1 innings of work. McLaughlin held opposing hitters to a .191 batting average and had a WHIP of 1.09. For his career, the junior right hander went 5-1 with a 1.90 ERA in 47 appearances (six starts) while racking up 97 strikeouts in 75.2 innings pitched.
DAY 1 (ROUNDS 1-2)
OF Drew Gilbert – Houston Astros – First Round – No. 28 Overall
Gilbert was the first Tennessee player selected following the best season of his collegiate career, leading the team with a .362 batting average, 21 doubles and four triples while ranking second on the team with a career-high 70 RBIs despite missing six games due to injury.
The Stillwater, Minnesota, native was named a first-team All-American by the NCBWA and garnered All-America acclaim from the ABCA, D1Baseball.com, Collegiate Baseball and Perfect Game, as well. The junior outfielder was also an All-SEC first-team selection and was named to the SEC All-Defensive team. Gilbert earned SEC Tournament MVP honors after helping lead the Vols to their first conference title since 1995.
During his three seasons at UT, Gilbert slashed .314/.400/.534 with 116 runs scored, 160 hits, 36 doubles, 22 home runs, 140 RBIs and 16 stolen bases in 141 games played.
OF Jordan Beck – Colorado Rockies – First Round (Competitive Balance Round A) – No. 38 Overall
An ultra-talented prospect, Beck built off an impressive sophomore season with an even better junior campaign in which he set career highs in batting average (.298), runs scored (70), triples (three), homers (18), total bases (150), slugging percentage (.595) and walks (37) to earn ABCA/Rawlings Southeast All-Region honors.
The Hazel Green, Alabama, native played a major role in helping lead Tennessee to SEC regular season and tournament titles as well as the No. 1 national seed in the NCAA tournament in 2022. He also was a key member of the Vols’ 2021 College World Series team. For his collegiate career, Beck slashed .284/.366/.553 with 122 runs scored, 156 hits, 36 doubles, 34 home runs, 134 RBIs, 69 walks and 14 steals in 149 games played. His 34 long balls are tied for seventh most in program history.
RHP Blade Tidwell – New York Mets – Second Round – No. 52 Overall
Tidwell was the first UT pitcher selected in this year’s draft despite missing the first half of the 2022 season due to shoulder tightness and soreness. In 13 appearances (nine starts), Tidwell posted a 3-2 record with a 3.00 ERA and 51 strikeouts in 39.0 innings of work. He was named to the NCAA Knoxville Regional All-Tournament team after tossing a gem in the Vols’ regional opener against Alabama State, pitching a career-best 7.2 innings and holding the Hornets scoreless while striking out a season-high seven batters to pick up the win.
The Loretto, Tennessee, native had a dominant freshman season in 2021 while helping lead the Big Orange to their first College World Series appearance since 2005. Tidwell led all pitchers with 18 starts en route to amassing an impressive 10-3 record. His 10 victories are the second most by a true freshman in program history. Tidwell also led all starting pitchers on the team with a 3.74 ERA in 2021 and finished second on the team with 90 strikeouts over 98.2 innings.
For his UT career, the hard-throwing right hander went 13-5 with a 3.53 ERA and 141 punchouts in 31 appearances, including 27 starts.