University of Tennessee Athletics
Fourth-Round Pick Andrew Toles to Attend Tennessee
August 17, 2010 | Baseball
Aug. 17, 2010
By Cameron Harris, Assistant Media Relations Director
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Just one day before classes officially start, the Volunteer baseball program got some good news as Florida Marlins fourth-round pick Andrew Toles decided to put his professional career on hold in order to attend the University of Tennessee.
A speedy centerfielder, Toles arrives in Knoxville following a standout career at Sandy Creek High School in Tyrone, Ga. His father, Alvin Toles, was a hard-hitting linebacker at Tennessee (1981-84) before being drafted in the first round of the 1985 NFL draft by the New Orleans Saints.
"We are thrilled that Andrew has decided to come to UT," Head Coach Todd Raleigh said. "Obviously, he is extremely talented or the Marlins would not have drafted him as high as they did. It's not every day that you get to add a fourth-round pick to your program.
"We are really looking forward to getting him on the field to see exactly what he can do. He is a little bit of a work in progress, but he has all the tools that you look for. He is extremely fast, has lightning-quick hands at the plate and can throw the ball in the low-90s from the outfield. We are glad to have him in the fold and feel that his best days are definitely ahead of him."
A 5-9, 180-pound left-handed hitting outfielder, Toles batted .510 with a pair of home runs and 25 stolen bases as a senior last year. That followed a terrific junior campaign in which he swiped 26 bases while hitting at a blistering .450 clip. Toles was the only pick from the top-10 rounds that the Marlins did not sign this year.
