37. TENNESSEE

2008 RECORD. Overall: 27-29. Conference: 12-18 / 6^th in SEC (East).

Coach: Todd Raleigh (27-29, 2^nd season at Tennessee ; 284-238 overall in 9 seasons).

First Game, 2009: Feb. 20 vs. Oregon State .

 

OVERVIEW: It was a tough coaching debut for Todd Raleigh at Tennessee in 2008, but there is plenty of hope and reason for a dramatic turnaround as early as this year as the Volunteers return most of their roster. They also added two junior-college transfers on the infield corners who combined for 150 RBIs a year ago. But the joy could be short-lived as most of the team’s best prospects are eligible for this year’s draft, including three blue-chip sophomores, OFs Kentrail Davis and Josh Liles, and LHP Bryan Morgado. If everyone performs close to their potential, Tennessee could even have three players (Davis, Morgado and LHP Nick Hernandez) picked before the start of the second round. At the very least, the Vols are looking for better years from Morgado and Hernandez, who went a combined 7-10, 4.88 a year ago.

 

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP

C: Blake Forsythe, So. (.173-0-4).

1B: Cody Hawn (4), So. (.401-23-71 at Walters State, Tenn., CC; Athletics/41^st round).

2B: Cody Brown, Sr. (.295-9-40).

3B: Tyler Horne, Jr. (.335-10-79 at Shelton State, Ala. , CC).

SS: Zach Osborne, Fr. (HS—Louisville, Ky.).

LF: PJ Polk (1), So. (.273-5-21).

CF: Kentrail Davis (3), So. (*.330-*13-*44).

RF: Josh Liles, So. (.267-7-36).

DH: Jeff Lockwood, Jr. (.299-9-37; 2-2, 6.19, 3 SV).

1/Starter: Bryan Morgado, Jr. (*5-5, 4.59, 80 IP/*104 SO).

2/Starter: Nick Hernandez, Jr. (2-5, 5.16, *84 IP/63 SO).

3/Starter: Tyrelle Harris, Sr. (2-2, 4.62, 64 IP/57 SO).

Closer: Danny Wiltz, Sr. (3-2, *2.83, 4 SV, 41 IP/30 SO).

 

BEST TOOLS

Best Athlete: Kentrail Davis.

Best Overall Hitter: Cody Hawn.

Best Power Hitter: Kentrail Davis.

Best Strike-Zone Discipline: Cody Hawn.

Fastest Base Runner (60 time): P.J. Polk (6.46 seconds).

Best Base Runner: Josh Liles.

Best Defender: Zach Osborne.

Best Infield Arm: Tyler Horne.

Best Outfield Arm: Matt Ramsey.

Best Fastball (velocity): Bryan Morgado (95 mph).

Best Breaking Ball: Danny Wiltz.

Best Changeup: Nick Hernandez.

Best Command: Nick Hernandez.

 

TOP FRESHMAN PROSPECT: Steven Gruver, lhp. A strong-armed lefthander from Ohio who sits in the 89-93 mph range, Gruver figures to be the Friday starter for the Vols when Nick Hernandez and Bryan Morgado depart. Gruver, however, will be draft-eligible as a sophomore, increasing the urgency for him to become productive sooner than later. His contribution as a freshman will come mainly out of the bullpen.

TOP SOPHOMORE PROSPECT: Kentrail Davis, of. A true five-tool athlete, Davis is a draft-eligible sophomore who figures to be one of the first outfielders taken this year. The strength of his game is his vast offensive potential. He’s that rare player whose raw speed would play as a leadoff hitter and his power/bat speed in the 3-hole. He’s also at home in center field.

TOP JUNIOR PROSPECT: Nick Hernandez, lhp. One of the most polished lefthanders in the country, Hernandez has struggled to win consistently in college but the wins came easy last summer in an all-star season in the Cape Cod League. Though he won’t blow hitters away with his raw stuff, which includes a fastball in the 89-91 mph range, he can miss bats at that velocity as he changes speed well off the pitch and has pinpoint command—a by-product of his easy, repeatable delivery. He’s so advanced in his approach to pitching that he can finesse hitters even when he doesn’t have his best stuff. He also creates a good downhill plane on his pitches from his angular 6-foot-4 frame. In 84 innings as a sophomore, he walked just nine—a sharp improvement from his freshman year when he walked 43 in 52 innings.

TOP SENIOR PROSPECT: Ty’Relle Harris, rhp: Though he’s a senior, the 6-foot-4, 230-pound Harris has worked inconsistently in his college career—he pitched at two California colleges before transferring to Tennessee—and yet pitched effectively enough as a junior to earn the Sunday starter role this year. Harris can throw his fastball in the 89-92 mph range, and has a feel for a breaking ball and changeup.

--JEFF SIMPSON