Tennessee left-handed pitcher Matthew Dallas plans to enter the transfer portal, GoVols247’s Ben McKee first reported and a Tennessee spokesperson confirmed to RTI on Thursday.
Dallas spent one season at Tennessee, posting a 1-0 record and 4.76 ERA in 17 innings pitched as a freshman. The left-handed pitcher came to Tennessee with high expectations and was a major recruit in 2023 recruiting cycle. He was a potential MLB Draft candidate coming out of Briarcrest Christian School in West Tennessee and it was a major win when he chose the Vols instead of professional baseball.
Injuries sidelined Dallas in the fall and the freshman didn’t make his return to the mound until the last few weeks heading into the season. Still, Dallas pitched well in the preseason and in his early season opportunities making it possible that he could earn a role on a pitching staff with plenty up for grabs.
But it never happened for Dallas in his freshman season and he struggled down the stretch of the season. He pitched just twice against SEC opponents, allowing two earned runs in 1.2 innings pitched against Georgia and three earned runs in an inning pitched against Vanderbilt in the SEC Tournament.
Dallas was not on the Vols’ active roster throughout the NCAA Tournament and isn’t with the team in Omaha having already began his summer ball.
Dallas is the second Tennessee pitcher to enter the transfer portal this offseason joining left-handed pitcher Wyatt Evans who did not make the Vols’ active roster this season.
Tennessee begins its College World Series Final Series against Texas A&M at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday night at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha.
