Tennessee baseball is hosting a handful of top transfer portal targets on visits over the coming days, a source told RTI. Three of the visitors are transfers from the SEC with the other looking to move up a level from the MAAC.
Ole Miss third baseman Andrew Fischer and left-handed pitcher Liam Doyle, Florida left-handed Cade Fisher and Niagara first baseman Eric Rataczak are all visiting Tennessee in the coming days.
Fischer is one of the top remaining bats in the transfer portal after deciding to leave the Ole Miss program. The left-handed hitting third baseman batted .285 with 20 home runs and 57 RBIs in his sophomore season, leading the Rebels both in long balls and runs batted in.
Fischer’s teammate Doyle started 11 games for the Rebels last season while coming in in relief in five more. The left-handed sophomore posted a 3-4 record, 5.73 ERA and 1.25 WHIP in his first season in Oxford after transferring over from Coastal Carolina.
Doyle struck out an incredible impressive 84 batters while offering up 21 walks in his 55 innings pitched last season— a mark that ranked second on Ole Miss’ roster. The 6-foot-2 New Hampshire native turned in one of his best performances of the season against Tennessee, striking out 10 while allowing three earned runs in six innings pitched.
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Another left-handed pitcher transferring from a SEC school, Cade Fisher turned in lackluster numbers in his sophomore season at Florida. The Dalton, Georgia native posted a 4-3 record, 7.13 ERA and 1.62 WHIP in 59.1 innings pitched.
Striking out 76 batters while walking 29, Fisher started nine games for Florida as a sophomore while coming out of the bullpen in 17. While the results weren’t great for Fisher in his sophomore season, they were impressive in his freshman campaign. The left-handed pitcher earned Freshman All-American honors after a 3.10 ERA in 49.1 innings pitched.
Rataczak is an interesting case compared to the other three players because he is entering his redshirt senior season and only has one year of eligibility remaining. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound first baseman is eligible for the MLB Draft later this month and is someone who could opt to start his professional career now instead of playing one season at a higher level.
But after hitting .396 with 17 home runs, 14 doubles and 71 RBIs last season, Rataczak could boost his MLB Draft potential with a strong showing in the SEC.
Tennessee baseball’s landed two players in the transfer portal to date— Kennesaw State right-handed pitcher Tanner Franklin and Louisville middle infielder Gavin Kilen. Tony Vitello and the Vols are looking to add a number of players in the transfer portal both at the plate and on the mound to reload after winning the 2024 National Championship.
