Tennessee sets new program record in 2022 MLB Draft

On3 imageby:Chandler Vessels•07/19/22•

ChandlerVessels

Tennessee baseball set a new program record this week, as it saw 10 players selected in the 2022 MLB Draft. Shortstop Cortland Lawson was the last Volunteers player to be taken off the board, going in the 14th round to the Washington Nationals.

Tennessee’s 10 selections were the second most of any school, just behind Oklahoma‘s 11, and were the most of any SEC program. It also marked the most in a single draft in program history, surpassing the previous record of eight in 1992 when the draft was 50 rounds.

The Vols’ 10 draft picks are by far the most through 20 rounds, breaking the previous mark of seven, which was set in last year’s draft. Tennessee is just the fourth SEC team to have 10 or more players chosen in the first 20 rounds of any MLB Draft, joining the likes of Mississippi State, Texas A&M and Vanderbilt.

The Volunteers have now had 27 players drafted since 2018 when Tony Vitello took over as head coach, averaging just over five picks per year. Since 2019, Tennessee’s 26 selections ranks third amongst SEC teams in that span.

Below is the full list of Tennessee players taken in the 2022 MLB Draft:

  • OF Drew Gilbert — No. 28 overall, Houston Astros
  • OF Jordan Beck — No. 38 overall, Colorado Rockies
  • RHP Blade Tidwell — No. 52 overall, New York Mets
  • 3B Trey Lipscomb — No. 84 overall, Washington Nationals
  • RHP Ben Joyce — No. 89 overall, LA Angels
  • LHP Will Mabrey — No. 168 overall, Arizona Diamondbacks
  • 2B Jorel Ortega — No. 174 overall, Minnesota Twins
  • OF Seth Stephenson — No. 207 overall, Detroit Tigers
  • RHP Mark McLaughlin — No. 221 overall, Chicago White Sox
  • SS Cortland Lawson — No. 411 overall, Washington Nationals

Outfielder Drew Gilbert was the first Volunteers player taken off the board when the draft began Sunday, going No. 28 overall to the Houston Astros. Outfielder Jordan Beck and pitcher Blade Tidwell joined him as the only other Tennessee players to be selected on the first day of the draft. They followed that up with six players being taken on Monday.

Tennessee is coming off of a 57-9 season that saw it claim the SEC Championship and be named the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Baseball Tournament. Despite this, the Volunteers bowed out in Super Regionals to Notre Dame, ending their postseason just one game shy of competing in the College World Series.