Tennessee’s Ryan Miller enters NCAA transfer portal
Freshman catcher Ryan Miller has entered the NCAA transfer portal, a source confirmed to Volquest on Friday. The Dublin, Ohio native spent his first collegiate three seasons on Rocky Top following a standout prep career with Dublin Jerome High School.
Seeing the most playing time of his career, Miller appeared in 12 games this spring for the Vols, going 5-for-11 at the plate with three home runs, nine runs driven in and eight runs scored. He walked five times, struck out twice and logged one double on the season.
Miller hit a walk-off home run to run-rule Alabama A&M 10-0 during his first collegiate at-bat on February 21. He doubled and scored three runs the following day against the Bulldogs as well. The redshirt-sophomore blasted a pair of three-run home run against Bellarmine on April 25.
Primarily a catcher, it was hard to find innings behind the plate this season with the likes of Charlie Taylor, Cal Stark and Jared Dickey getting playing time ahead of him at the position. He’s been getting work in the outfield this summer with the Kingsport Axmen of the Appalachian League, as well as some designated hitter looks as well.
Miller redshirted as a true freshman in 2021 and di not see any playing time in 2022. He was considered the 21st-best prospect out of the state of Ohio by Perfect Game and the No. 6 backstop. The versatile player was also named a three-time Perfect Game Preseason All-American as a prep student. Miller bypasses his senior year of high school to enroll early at Tennessee in the spring of 2021.
So far, the Vols have lost 11 players to the transfer portal, a list that includes pitchers Chase Burns, Jake Fitzgibbons, Hollis fanning, Jacob Bimbi, Shawn Scott, Turner Swistak, outfielder Alex Stanwhich and infielder Logan Chambers. Reserve infielder Tanner Zellem and catcher Payton Ebbing also entered the transfer portal recently.
On the flip side, Tennessee has added six players via the transfer portal this offseason, a list that includes right-handed pitchers AJ Causey and Nate Snead, catcher Cannon Peebles and Dalton Bargo, and corner infielders Ryan Galanie and Billy Amick. The window opened on May 30 and remains open for 45 days until July 13.
