Junior college left-handed pitcher Brandon Arvidson committed to Tennessee baseball on Saturday night ahead of the 2024 MLB Draft.
Arvidson is a rising junior who is draft eligible and could potentially opt to begin his professional career. However, the hard throwing left-handed pitcher is expected to make it to campus and to continue his college career with Tennessee baseball.
A Dripping Springs, Texas native, Arvidson spent his freshman season at Texas A&M where he redshirted before transferring to San Jacinto Junior College for his sophomore season. Arvidson turned in an impressive sophomore season at San Jacinto, posting a 4-3 record, 3.84 ERA and 1.43 WHIP. The left-handed pitcher started nine games and came out of the bullpen in eight more while striking out 108 batters in 61 innings pitched.
Arvidson was originally committed to Texas but backed off his commitment after the Longhorns’ fired head coach David Pierce and hired his former coach at Texas A&M Jim Schlossnagle. The 6-foot-5 left-handed pitcher officially visited Tennessee last weekend before eventually committing to Tony Vitello and his staff.
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The highly touted junior college pitcher boasts an upper-90s fastball that helped lead to his high strikeout numbers last season at San Jacinto.
Arvidson is the second junior college pitcher that Tennessee’s added to its roster this offseason after landing right-handed pitcher Thomas Crabtree from Pearl River Community College.
Tennessee is looking to replace a myriad of key arms from its 2024 National Championship team including all three weekend starters— Chris Stamos, Drew Beam and Zander Sechrist— as well as key bullpen arms AJ Causey, Aaron Combs and Kirby Connell.
Vitello and his staff have added two pitchers in the transfer portal to date: Kennesaw State right-handed pitcher Tanner Franklin and Ole Miss left-handed pitcher Liam Doyle. Doyle was the Rebels’ Saturday starter a season ago and will likely fill a weekend starting spot at Tennessee again next season.
The Vols have landed five total players and lost seven players to the transfer portal this offseason. But the junior college additions of Crabtree and Arvidson also bolsters Tennessee’s roster for next season.
