Aug. 28, 2008

The Tennessee baseball team welcomed 16 newcomers to campus recently, and that talented crop of new Volunteers just completed its first week of classes at UT. Included among the fresh faces are five junior-college transfers and 11 true freshmen.

The group is composed of five infielders, eight pitchers, one outfielder and a pair of two-way players. Seven hail from the state of Tennessee (with three from Knoxville), three are from Georgia and there is one each from Florida, Kentucky, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina and Ohio.

"This is a strong class," UT head coach Todd Raleigh said. "We've really addressed our needs and added great depth at every position. The competition is only going to make each of our players better.

"It's a group loaded with gritty, tough, athletic guys who play the game the right way. These guys are physical, and they're already busting their butts in the weight room. There are a number of guys who are going to help us right away, no doubt.

"A lot of credit has to go to [assistant coaches] Bradley LeCroy and Fred Corral. They worked tirelessly and spent a lot of time away from their families assembling what I believe is one of the strongest recruiting classes in the country. [Volunteer assistant coach] Nate Headley also played a key role in our on-campus recruiting."

Four of Tennessee's newcomers have been drafted previously by major-league organizations. Infielder Cody Hawn, right-handed pitcher/designated hitter Stephen McCray and right-handed pitcher Aaron Tullo have each been drafted twice. Freshman right-handed pitcher/catcher Matt Ramsey has been drafted once.

BASEBALL TEAM TO CONDUCT OPEN CAMPUS WALK-ON TRYOUTS IN SEPTEMBER
The Tennessee baseball team will conduct open campus walk-on tryouts Sept. 22-23 at Robert M. Lindsay Field at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. Tryouts will begin at 3 p.m. on both days.