Three Vols honored by Baseball America as Preseason All-Americans
As the season inches closer and players are back on campus going through workouts, Baseball America released its preseason All-American teams with three Vols making the cut.
Tennessee right-hander Chase Dollander was named one of three unanimous first-team selections, along with LSU’s Dylan Crews and Paul Skenes. The junior was also mentioned among the top-three in six different pitching superlatives, by the publication, leading the way in four of them.
Baseball American voted Dollander ahead of Arkansas’ Jaxon Wiggins and LSU’s Paul Skenes for having the ‘Best Fastball’ and ahead of Skenes again, along with Wake Forest’s Rhett Lowder, for possessing the ‘Best Fastball Movement.’ In the ‘Breaking Ball’ category, Tennessee’s ace was named first in front of Florida’s Hurston Waldrep and Oklahoma State’s Juaron Watts-Brown.
Dollander was first in the ‘Closest to the Majors’ category, placed in front of Dylan Crews of LSU and Wayatt Langford of Florida. The righty was second in ‘Best Athlete’ amongst all players and ‘Best Command’ among his peers on the mound.
“Dollander is the best pitching prospect to come out of the college game in at least five years,” Baseball America wrote. “After starting his career at Georgia Southern, Dollander led a fearsome 2022 Tennessee team as its fire-breathing Friday night starter and posted a 2.39 ERA over 79 innings. He’s got pinpoint precision of a mid-90s fastball with plus carry, a mid-80s plus slider and two additional quality secondaries in a curveball and changeup.”
Joining the ace on the first team is fellow starting pitcher Chase Burns. The rising sophomore joins the group after picking up numerous postseason accolades at the tail end of the 2022 campaign, spending the majority of the season actually as the Friday night starter with Dollander pitching on Saturdays.
“Burns is unfortunate enough to find himself in the only rotation in college baseball where he’s not only the second-best pitcher, but also the second-best Chase,” the publication said. “He will have to settle for being the most impressive freshman pitcher in the country in 2022, when he posted a 2.91 ERA in 80.1 innings, with a fastball that touches 100 mph and an 84-89 mph slider that generated whiffs at just under a 50% rate.”
Jared Dickey received his first preseason All-American nod with a spot on the third team by Baseball America as an outfielder. Dickey, who will spend time behind the plate this season, as well as the club’s designated-hitter when not playing left field, missed a portion of 2022 with a foot injury.
Still, the versatile fielder and left-handed hitter tallied a .380 average in 40 games with 25 starts on the year, launching seven home runs with 19 RBI, eight doubles and 20 walks.
Though not named a preseason All-American by Baseball America, Tennessee short stop Maui Ahuna was named top-three in two different fielding superlatives by the publication. The Kansas transfer finished first ahead of LSU’s Tre’ Morgan and Grand Canyon’s Jacob Wilson as ‘Best Defensive Infielder’ and second behind Miami’s Yohandy Morales for ‘Best infield Arm.’
Baseball America annually polls major league teams to vote for its Preseason All-America teams, asking only that they make their selections based on performance, talent and professional potential. The BA Preseason All-America teams have been a predictor of both first round draft talent and team success in previous years.
Seven of the 14 2022 first-team members were drafted in first round and 27 of the 42 total Preseason All-Americans were selected among the top 100 picks of the draft.
Tennessee Baseball Preseason Honors
INF Maui Ahuna | Preseason All-American Third Team – Collegiate Baseball, Perfect Game | No. 4 on D1 Baseball Top-100 Impact Transfer List
RHP Drew Beam | Preseason All-American Second Team – Collegiate Baseball, Perfect Game
RHP Chase Burns | Preseason All-American First Team – Collegiate Baseball, Perfect Game, Baseball America
RHP Chase Dollander | Preseason All-American First Team – Collegiate Baseball, Perfect Game, Baseball America | Perfect Game Preseason Pitcher of the Year
RHP Camden Sewell | Preseason All-American Second Team – Collegiate Baseball
OF Jared Dickey | Preseason All-American Third Team – Baseball America
OF Griffin Merritt | No. 14 on D1 Baseball Top-100 Impact Transfer List
INF Zane Denton | No. 47 on D1 Baseball Top-100 Impact Transfer List
Tennessee Baseball Preseason Rankings
D1 Baseball – No. 2
Perfect Game – No. 2
Baseball American – No. 2
Collegiate Baseball – No. 5
