“I want to thank the University and athletic department for their support,” O’Sullivan said in a statement released via UF. “I am excited to be back and am ready to get to work with our team as we prepare for the upcoming 2026 season.”

Head Baseball Coach Kevin O'Sullivan Returns to Program

: https://t.co/qCYkXnr5kA pic.twitter.com/svS3QqwA8q

— Florida Gators Baseball (@GatorsBB) December 17, 2025

When O’Sullivan took leave, Chuck Jeroloman took over as the interim head coach. Jeroloman, however, left before the end of October to become the associate head coach at Tennessee, reuniting with Josh Elander, who took over as Vols head coach after Tony Vitello’s departure to become an MLB manager.

O’Sullivan heads into his 19th season leading Gator baseball. His staff is set up of associate head coach Tom Slater, assistant coach Taylor Black and pitching coach David Kopp. Slater, 57, was previously an assistant at Florida in 2004 and the head coach for Auburn from 2005 to 2008. Before returning to Gainesville, he was in the Philadelphia Phillies organization as a hitting coach with the Reading Phillies.

Florida has a 756-371 record under O’Sullivan, reaching 17 straight NCAA Tournaments. The Gators open the 2026 on Feb. 13 against UAB. but O’Sullivan will be serving a suspension during the season-opening series for his actions during the Conway Regional at Coastal Carolina.

The post Florida baseball announces Kevin O’Sullivan’s return after leave of absence appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Anderson, who has spent over 4 decades in college baseball and was Tennessee‘s pitching coach, informed new Volunteers head coach Josh Elander that he was heading west, according to the On3 report. Elander replaced Vitello as Tennessee head coach last month after Vitello departed Knoxville to take the manager’s job with the San Francisco Giants.

Now, it appears that another piece of the Vols baseball program will be trading in 1 color of orange for another one in San Francisco.

Anderson’s reported departure created another opening in Knoxville, and that spot has reportedly been filled already. Low also reported on Wednesday night that Elander will promote Josh Reynolds to be the Volunteers’ new pitching coach. So, Reynolds is reportedly replacing Anderson as the man in charge of Tennessee’s pitching staff in 2026.

Reynolds spent last season as Tennessee’s director of pitching performance, so he’ll have a much bigger role beside Elander in 2026. Tennessee hired Reynolds in July 2024, so last year was his first season in Knoxville.

He has been in college baseball for over 20 years, with Reynolds previously being a part of the coaching staffs at Northwestern and Kansas State.

The post Tennessee baseball assistant reportedly leaving to join Tony Vitello’s San Francisco staff appeared first on Saturday Down South.

“It’s like you’re driving in the fog, and you can’t really see but about 100-200 feet in front of you, and you’re grasping for what’s real, what you can do, what you can’t do,” Vitello said.

Vitello went on to say that it can be frustrating not knowing the rules of the game, and that because of this, head-to-head competition is being lost.

“Overall, it’s very frustrating when you don’t know the rules to the game…But when you really don’t know what the rules of the game are, or they’re so lopsided in favor of Tennessee over Middle Tennessee State, it’s kind of hard to have that nose-to-nose competition,” Vitello said.

Vitello discussed boxing and the UFC, explaining that he was a fan of both because it’s 2 people, locked in one place, determined to find out who’s better. He believes that college baseball is losing that with NIL, as it’s harder to determine who is actually better on the diamond.

Fortunately for Vitello, he won’t have to worry about NIL-related issues anymore now that he’s off to the MLB.

The post Tony Vitello says NIL is ‘a disaster’ for college baseball appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The university’s Athletic Association announced on Friday afternoon that Tom Slater will be the Gators’ associate head coach and new acting head coach. The 57-year-old Slater brings a wealth of experience from the college and professional ranks. He was most recently in player development with the Philadelphia Phillies organization in 2024 and 2025, and before that the 1990 graduate of VMI worked as a senior adviser and minor league hitting coordinator with the Miami Marlins from 2021-24.

The native of Richmond, Va., has SEC ties, too, as the former head coach at Auburn from 2005-08. He was an Auburn assistant from 1995-2000, and it’s not his first go-around in Gainesville, either, with Slater having served as an assistant at Florida in 2004.

In a twist of irony, Florida’s previous acting head coach, Chuck Jeroloman, was hired by SEC rival Tennessee as the Volunteers’ associate head coach who will serve under new Tennessee head coach Josh Elander. The hiring of Jeroloman was first reported on Thursday and made official on Friday.

Jeroloman spent the previous 6 seasons at Florida under many titles, including assistant, recruiting coordinator and associate head coach.

Over his 14 seasons as an assistant on the college level, Jeroloman has worked with 48 players who have gone on to be drafted at the Major League Baseball level. That includes 25 players drafted during his 6-year stint at Florida.

The post Florida baseball announces new ‘acting head coach’  appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Vietello, who guided Tennessee to a College World Series title in 2024, released a statement on Monday in which he spoke effusively about Elander’s leadership abilities.

“I am incredibly happy for Josh and his entire family but I’m even more happy for the players. They will be led with character and integrity,” Vitello said. “He has been and will be the epitome of a coach that players will give their all for.”

Elander played for Vitello while at TCU. He also worked for Vitello at Arkansas as a voluntary assistant in 2017. The bond between the 2 men is special and will defy distance now that Vitello is headed to the West Coast.

“Tony V, a lot of ways I could go with this,” Elander said in his opening press conference. “We made a lot of great memories. A lot of wins, a lot of running around on the road, a lot of dreaming to make this place something great. And I really believe our staff did that together. I’m so excited for you, man. I can’t wait to see you win a World Series. But thank you for taking a chance on me and showing me what it means to leave your soul in the game. I hope our players always feel that way as well.”

Tennessee baseball reached the Super Regionals last season before bowing out against Arkansas. The Vols will begin the Elander era with a game vs. UCLA from Arlington, Texas in the Amegy Bank College Baseball Series on Feb. 27 (4 p.m. ET).

The post Tony Vitello shares excitement for Josh Elander landing Tennessee job  appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Elander helped build one of the top baseball programs in the country, serving as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator from 2018 to 2022 before being promoted to associate head coach duties. He now takes the reins of a Tennessee team that won its first-ever College World Series in 2024 after logging two prior appearances in Omaha in 2021 and 2023.

Rather than look outside the university, AD Danny White chose to promote Elander as he’s now the 26th head baseball coach in Vols history. White met with the team on Saturday to announce the news, and as you can see below, they were elated.

“I’m just so excited to keep this show going,” Elander said. “We got winners in this room. We got different pieces (and) good people. Let’s go win a hell of a lot of ball games. That’s where I’m at now.”

Elander’s first game in charge will be on Feb. 27 as Tennessee faces UCLA as part of the Amegy Bank College Baseball Series in Arlington, Texas. The Vols’ conference-opening series will be Mar. 13-15 at Georgia.

The post Tennessee baseball players go nuts after learning of Josh Elander’s promotion appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Whoever replaces Vitello will have big shoes to fill — Vitello led the Vols to their first-ever College World Series Championship in 2024 and brought Tennessee to Omaha in 3 of the last 5 seasons.

While the search is expected to continue for some time, Knox News’ Mike Wilson is reporting that Coastal Carolina coach Kevin Schnall is set to interview for the vacancy on Friday. Schnall just wrapped up his first season as Coastal’s head coach in 2025. He brought the Chanticleers to the College World Series in his first season at the helm.

Coastal made it all the way to the championship series this summer before ultimately falling to LSU. Schnall also made headlines during the NCAA Tournament this year when he called out Florida coach Kevin O’Sullivan for what he termed as ‘disrespectful’ behavior during the Conway Regional.

Schnall was also a long-time Coastal Carolina assistant prior to taking over as head coach after the 2024 season. He was the program’s associate head coach when the Chanticleers won the national championship back in 2016.

Schanll also has ties to Tennessee athletic director Danny White. Schnall was an assistant at Central Florida from 2013-15 before moving to Coastal Carolina, his alma mater. White was hired as UCF’s athletic director in November of 2015 and remained there until Tennessee hired him in 2021.

Frank Anderson has been named Tennessee’s interim head coach.

The post Tennessee baseball reportedly set to interview coach with Omaha experience appeared first on Saturday Down South.

“I’m a VFL,” Vitello said, per Rocky Top Insider.

In spirit, though. The man who helped revitalize Tennessee baseball and captured a College World Series title in 2024 agreed earlier this week to leave UT and blaze a trail in the MLB.

Absent any professional experience whatsoever, Vitello is believed to be the first person to take over a Major League club without any prior MLB experience.

“Anything to do with San Francisco, anything to do with Tennessee, at the end of the day, it was not relevant to the decision,” Vitello said, per RTI. “It was selfish. It was personal reasons. Again, I’ve always tried to be a good teammate, but I feel like I made a selfish decision that was one I needed to make.”

Vitello will be introduced to the Giants’ media contingent at a news conference next week. He didn’t speak much about his future with the organization, instead opting to address the people he is leaving behind.

He said he had several meetings with coaches and players at Tennessee while he was deciding whether to stay or leave. He said he “was blown away” by the support he got from his team.

Vitello said that no decision had been made as of last Saturday, when it was reported that he was the man for the San Francisco job. He said he was “so thankful” for the Oct. 21 scrimmage with the team, during which Tennessee fans showed up to voice their support for him.

“If that is the last time I ever stepped foot on this campus or this field as an employee or as a Vol wearing our orange, I’m just so thankful for the people that showed up,” Vitello said. “It mattered. It made a difference. … It will forever be ingrained in my memory, and it made what was the last day on the job technically, very, very special.”

On Oct. 22, Vitello said he met one final time with his coaching staff and Tennessee players. That meeting helped Vitello decide he could actually pull the trigger and leave the Vols.

“The encouragement to do what was in my heart was next level,” Vitello said. “The freedom I felt from the other coaches and the players that I didn’t know was there and didn’t expect to be there on the level that it was.”

Vitello also joked about former Tennessee football coach Lane Kiffin, who spent 1 season at UT before leaving to take the USC job.

“It’s the right decision, and I just hope it doesn’t give me Lane Kiffin status around here, because I feel like I’m a VFL,” Vitello said. “I think if someone truly invests in being a VFL for any amount of time, they’re just that — a Vol For Life. That’s what I am in my mind.”

The post Tony Vitello calls Tennessee exit a ‘selfish decision’ as Lane Kiffin catches stray appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Tennessee fans were predictably upset that they were losing the services of the man who revitalized their baseball program and delivered them its first National Championship in 2024. That led to a variety of rumors catching fire on social media, and one of them involved the Lady Vols basketball program.

Head coach Kim Caldwell has made headlines with her recent recruiting and transfer portal success, but a narrative had been created recently that funds being shifted from the baseball program to the women’s basketball team prompted Vitello’s departure.

During a Wednesday press conference to address the Vitello news, Tennessee Athletic Director Danny White made sure to quickly diminish that claim and challenge whoever created the rumor.

“Did anybody report that in here? So who reported it? Somebody had to make up something that’s not true for it to become a rumor, right?” White said to the room of reporters, per The Tennesseean. “I think we should all collectively apologize to Kim Caldwell and our women’s basketball program, because that’s factually incorrect. Never happened.”

White went on to delve into how Tennessee spreads funding across its athletic programs, and he was very open about how the numbers work hand-in-hand.

“Our rev share numbers are consistent with the house settlement: 5% for women’s basketball, 15% for men’s basketball, 75% for football, 5% for other. With that ‘other’ bucket, which is $900,000, we distributed $750,000 to our baseball program,” White said. “That is far from what we do for baseball or for any sport. Like all the most competitive programs in the country, we participated in front-loading last spring. Baseball was a beneficiary of that.”

White finished by explaining that the Volunteer baseball program is competitive financially with the top programs in the nation, and he emphasized that NIL also comes into play frequently with the team.

“That was about a $1.2 million new investment this year that a sport like women’s basketball wouldn’t have gotten,” White said. “We do more with rev share and with NIL packages for baseball on top of their rev share. So I know what the competitive space is in the SEC and across of the country, and I know our baseball program is extremely well-equipped.”

More from White’s presser can be heard below:

The post Danny White says Lady Vols coach owed apology for rumors about NIL share leading to Tony Vitello’s exit appeared first on Saturday Down South.

ESPN Major League Baseball insider Buster Olney reported late Wednesday afternoon that the 58-year-old Schilling is interested in succeeding Tony Vitello as the coach at Tennessee. Vitello agreed to a deal to become the next manager of the San Francisco Giants earlier on Wednesday, leaving the position in Knoxville open.

Schilling backed up Olney’s report on his interest a few minutes later on his social media account, writing that he’s “very interested” in the Tennessee coaching job.

Schilling currently lives in Tennessee, so that’s the connection there that could potentially lure the former World Series hero to Knoxville. Schilling is well-versed in the game of baseball as a player, pitching for 5 franchises and winning championships with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Boston Red Sox. But Schilling has never been a coach or manager at any level of baseball, so his interest in becoming a college coach carries particular intrigue.

Vitello had been the Tennessee coach since 2018, taking the Volunteers to the College World Series 3 times and leading the program to its only national championship in 2024. That means Schilling or whoever fills the vacancy in Knoxville has some big shoes to fill. Tennessee pitching coach Frank Anderson was named interim head coach on Wednesday.

Schilling began his legendary major-league career in 1988 with the Baltimore Orioles and finished it in 2007 with the Red Sox, winning his 2nd of 2 World Series titles with Boston in that final season.

The post Curt Schilling says he’s ‘very interested’ in Tennessee coaching job appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The Gators are currently in fall practice. Chuck Jeroloman will lead the team during O’Sullivan’s absence.

“I appreciate the support of the University and athletic department,” O’Sullivan said in a released statement. “I have some personal and family issues that need my full attention at this time.”

“Coach O’Sullivan has our full support as he takes the time he needs to focus on personal matters,” athletic director Scott Stricklin added in the program release. “We appreciate his openness in communicating this decision, and respect his need for privacy.”

O’Sullivan, 56, has been Florida’s head coach since 2008. Last season, Florida posted a 39-22 record, improving O’Sullivan’s overall mark to 756-371. Under O’Sullivan, Florida has won one College World Series (2017), 9 NCAA Super Regionals and 10 NCAA Regionals. O’Sullivan has also led UF to 6 regular-season SEC titles and 2 conference tournament championships.

In August, the program announced that O’Sullivan will serve a suspension for the first 3 games of the regular season for his conduct at the NCAA Regional in Conway, South Carolina, this past June.

Florida baseball coach Kevin O'Sullivan to take leave of absencehttps://t.co/sNiLkJxIHG

— Florida Gators (@FloridaGators) October 22, 2025

The post Florida announces baseball coach Kevin O’Sullivan to take leave of absence appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The Volunteers are holding fall practices and the 2026 season is roughly 4 months away, meaning UT will be moving quickly to replace Vitello. White revealed that pitching coach Frank Anderson will serve as the interim head coach while a national search is conducted.

“The players are our number one priority right now, we’ll be visiting with them later today, as I always do, embarking on a search,” White told reporters. “I’ll be letting them know, I’ve asked Frank Anderson to serve as our interim head coach. The terminology I used with Frank is, I need a shepherd right now, I need a day-to-day leader.”

When Vitello to San Francisco was announced, Tennessee associate head coach and recruiting coordinator Josh Elander emerged as a leading option to be the next UT head coach. White acknowledged the possibility, saying he considers Elander a candidate for the full-time job.

“I’m asking Josh Elander to be a candidate and we are going to conduct a national search and expect a ton of interest because of what Tony and his staff and our fan base and everyone is built here,” White said. “I think it’s an extremely attractive position, obviously a little bit unique time of year.

“I’m going to work as fast as I can and get through this process and eliminate the uncertainty that our players are feeling right now as quickly as possible. We have a lot of talent here and expect to have an extremely competitive baseball team this spring.”

White was later asked to detail what went into making Anderson the interim head coach as opposed to Elander.

“Yeah, combination of factors. Frank’s obviously been a head coach, but probably more importantly, as quickly as I’d like to move, I’d like Josh to be able to focus on his candidacy and he’s kind of in the middle of all this too,” White said. “Up until this morning, the entire staff didn’t know the decision that Tony was going to make. So (Elander’s) been focused on recruiting and coaching his players.

“We have an incoming class. There’s a lot going on. I didn’t want to throw this on him now while also, uh, maybe treating an interview as an afterthought. I want him to be able to focus on the interview process.”

More from White on finding Vitello’s replacement can be heard below:

The post Danny White names Tennessee’s interim head baseball coach, comments on coaching search appeared first on Saturday Down South.

As sad as the move is for Tennessee fans, athletic director Danny White, in a statement Wednesday, thanked Vitello and wished him well with the Giants.

“Congratulations to Tony on this incredible opportunity to lead the San Francisco Giants,” White said. “We wish him the best as he embarks on this new chapter in his career and thank him for everything he has done to transform Tennessee baseball into a championship program.

“The growth of baseball on Rocky Top has been remarkable, culminating in the 2024 National Championship. We are committed to continuously investing in the program at a championship level across all areas. Furthermore, the upcoming $109 million renovation of Lindsey Nelson Stadium will transform it into one of the premier baseball venues, providing an exceptional experience for the best sports fans.

“Our focus is on our players and coaching staff while finalizing the next steps in this evolving process.”

The official Tennessee baseball account on X also posted a “thank you” message to Vitello for all the good he did in Knoxville.

It will be interesting to see what happens from here for both sides, but Tennessee is in good hands moving forward, and Vitello gets to live out a dream as a manager in the MLB.

The post Tennessee issues statement on Tony Vitello’s departure to MLB appeared first on Saturday Down South.

For the Giants, the first domino to fall in this situation was missing the postseason and firing Bob Melvin as their manager. Talks started from there, with D1Baseball insider Kendall Rogers reporting that both sides had been talking for at least a few weeks.

Rogers provided a complete timeline of what he heard.

Vitello’s camp, according to Rogers, spent several weeks going back and forth with the Giants’ front office. San Francisco reportedly wanted a decision over the last weekend, but with Vitello still undecided, that deadline came and went.

The chance to lead a major-league side, according to Rogers, could not be turned down.

The Giants are struggling, and it would be a shock if they started winning immediately under their new leader. Vitello will hope to bring the magic he had at Tennessee to the Bay Area. Vitello took Tennessee to 3 College World Series appearances in 7 years and won the 2024 national championship. 

There are only a limited number of these jobs, so it makes sense why Vitello would take one, but it immediately makes Tennessee one of the best jobs available in college baseball.

The post Insider reveals timeline for Tony Vitello’s decision to leave Tennessee appeared first on Saturday Down South.

This bombshell report comes just a few months from the start of the 2026 college baseball season and means that the program might now have to scramble to find a suitable replacement.

Mike Wilson of Knox News broke down the decision facing Tennessee athletic director Danny White and the potential paths he can take following Vitello’s departure. Wilson also reported 2 names are strong contenders to assume the title of interim coach:

The first decision facing White is whether he appoints an interim coach or launches into a coaching search outside the normal months in which to conduct a search.

White surely will follow his usual process when it comes to appointing a coach. He typically meets with the team to talk with the players and hear what they value and find most important. He prioritizes hearing from the team’s leaders specifically.

UT has two leading interim candidates on the staff with associate head coach Josh Elander and pitching coach Frank Anderson.

Should White choose to roll with an interim head coach, both Elander and Franklin would be great choices, as they have both been with the program since before Vitello arrived, both joining in 2017.

Anderson has served as the team’s pitching coach throughout his entire tenure. He was also the head coach for Oklahoma State from 2004-2012. Elander has served as associate head coach since 2022.

They understand the players and the program better than anybody, and this could lead to a much smoother transition into whoever White ultimately ends up tabbing as Vitello’s permanent replacement.

The post Report outlines next steps for Tennessee baseball following Tony Vitello departure appeared first on Saturday Down South.

This would make Vitello, who has been the head man in Knoxville since 2018, the first manager in history to make the transition from college coaching to the big leagues without any prior MLB experience.

Outside of the historic nature of Vitello’s move, this is obviously a massive blow for the Volunteers’ baseball program, which will now have to replace arguably the greatest coach in program history.

During his time at Tennessee, Vitello transformed the Vols’ program into a national power, guiding the program to 2 regular season and SEC Tournament titles (2022, 2024), 5 straight NCAA regionals (2021-25), 3 NCAA Super Regionals and College World Series appearances (2021, 2023, 2024), and their first ever College World Series National Championship in 2024.

Vitello took over a struggling Volunteers program and transformed it into one of the best teams in the entire nation year in and year out. As such, his reported departure is naturally a massive shock for both fans and analysts alike, many of whom took to X to share their reactions to the news.

Here’s a look at what people are saying:

The post Tony Vitello to the MLB: Internet explodes over reported Giants move appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The long-rumored target of the San Francisco Giants’ managerial search, Vitello is reportedly finalizing a deal to join the organization. ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported the news on Wednesday. Vitello will be the first-ever college coach to take over an MLB club without any prior professional experience.

Reports surfaced over the weekend that the Giants were closing in on naming Vitello, 47, their next manager. On Tuesday, Vitello reportedly told his team he hadn’t yet made a decision.

At a Tennessee baseball scrimmage on Tuesday, Vols fans started a “we want Tony” chant

Earlier this month, Vitello called interest from the MLB a “compliment” on the state of what he has built in Knoxville.

An infielder for Mizzou as a player, Vitello had been Tennessee’s head coach since 2018. He compiled a 341-131 record, leading the Volunteers to a national title in 2024. He owns 3 Super Regional wins, 5 NCAA Regional wins, 2 SEC regular-season titles, and 2 SEC Tournament championships as the UT coach.

Prior to landing the Tennessee job, Vitello worked at Mizzou, TCU, and Arkansas. He also spent time with the Salinas Packers of the California Collegiate League. After his playing days with the Tigers, Vitello jumped straight into coaching.

The Vols went 46-19 last season and advanced to the Fayetteville Super Regional.

San Francisco went 81-81 this past season and missed the Playoffs for the fourth consecutive season. Since winning the World Series in 2014, the Giants have made just 2 Playoff appearances (2016, 2021).

Bob Melvin was hired from the Padres in 2024 but the club quickly jettisoned him after compiling consecutive 80-loss seasons to open his tenure. Melvin reportedly made $4 million with the Giants. Vitello made $3 million to coach the Vols and reportedly held a $3 million buyout.

The post Tennessee baseball’s Tony Vitello finalizing unprecedented deal with Giants, per report appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Vitello initially emerged as a finalist for the Giants’ job on Friday. He was initially reported to decide a matter of days. After 72 hours, though, that has yet to happen. That’s according to On3’s Pete Nakos, who reports that Vitello has told his team that no decision has been made.

While the practice of college football and college basketball head coaches taking the same roles in the NFL and NBA isn’t rare, hiring a college baseball coach for a management position in Major League Baseball is rare. Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy was a longtime, successful college manager, but he spent time as an assistant coach with the Brewers before being promoted.

Vitello is 341-131 at Tennessee since arriving in 2018. The St. Louis native has led the Volunteers to three College World Series, including the program’s first championship in 2024. In 2025, the Vols went 46-19 but were swept by Arkansas in the Fayetteville Super Regional.

The Giants were 81-81 in 2025, failing to qualify for the postseason for the fourth straight year. The organization opted to part ways with Bob Melvin after the season ended.

The post Tony Vitello updates Tennessee players on interest in Giants job, per report appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Vitello has been Tennessee’s manager since 2018, also taking the Volunteers to the College World Series in 2021 and 2023, but his future in Knoxville is now in question amid reports of a courtship from the San Francisco Giants. Vitello doesn’t have any experience managing at any level of Major League Baseball, but reports surfaced over the weekend that the Giants are ready to hire him as their next manager to replace Bob Melvin.

RELATED: Calling all Tennessee residents! Looking to bet on college football, NFL or the World Series? SDS is your guide to the best TN sports betting apps!

According to those reports, the Giants were “closing in” on hiring the 47-year-old, and other reports over the weekend suggested that a decision on Vitello going to San Francisco would come in the next 24 to 72 hours. That timeframe was reported on Saturday, which means Tuesday was the deadline on that, with it being 72 hours later.

But on Tuesday, there was Vitello, still the Tennessee coach, and when the “We want Tony” chants started during the scrimmage, Vitello turned to acknowledge the love.

Here is the charming video of that:

Vitello didn’t just acknowledge the cheers though. He bothered to walk down toward the fans who were chanting his name and toss a ball to 1 of them.

He didn’t want to leave 1 of those fans empty-handed on Tuesday:

The final verdict on Vitello will come soon enough, but on Tuesday the Tennessee baseball legend wanted to show that he was well aware of how Volunteers fans feel about him.

The post Tony Vitello reacts to fans’ chants at Tennessee practice amid Giants rumors appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Class of 2027 first baseman/outfielder Frank Thomas III, the son of MLB Hall-of-Famer Frank Thomas, announced his commitment to Auburn via social media on Monday.

Thomas III is currently a standout at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida and is now Auburn’s 11th commit in its Class of 2027, which ranks No. 8 in the nation according to Perfect Game.

“I am super excited to announce my commitment to Auburn University! I want to thank God, my family, friends, teammates, coaches, and everybody else who has helped me throughout this journey,” Thomas III said. “I especially want to thank my parents for all the sacrifices they have made to get me to where I am today, without them, I don’t know if any of this would’ve been possible. Also, I’d like to thank Coach Thompson and the entire Auburn coaching staff for giving me this amazing opportunity!”

Frank Thomas was a designated hitter/first baseman who captured 2 AL MVPs, 4 Silver Slugger Awards, and 5 All-Star appearances. His No. 35 is retired by the Chicago White Sox, who he played for from 1990-2005.

Auburn baseball will look to build on the momentum of last season when the program hosted a super regional for the first time.

The post Son of Frank Thomas announces commitment to Auburn baseball  appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The 5-11 southpaw from Aledo, Texas, announced on his social media account that he’s headed to Baton Rouge to join an LSU baseball factory that has cranked out national championships in 2 of the past 3 seasons. That includes this year’s run to the championship under Jay Johnson, who has already won 2 titles in his 4 seasons at LSU and now is adding a talent like Nawrocki to help go after more hardware.

Here’s his commitment announcement:

According to Over-Slot Baseball, Nawrocki is the 22nd-ranked high school prospect in the Class of 2026 and the 5th-ranked pitcher in the class.

That Over-Slot Baseball scouting report on Nawrocki says he’s “an undersized southpaw with enormous stuff and a chance to shut down opponents at the end of games if he doesn’t ultimately stay in the rotation.”

The report on Nawrocki adds that he’s “a supreme athlete with a super quick arm.”

Now that supreme talent is headed to Baton Rouge to go with Johnson’s 2026 team that will be trying to make history and go back-to-back in Omaha next June.

The post LSU baseball gets commitment from elite starting pitcher prospect appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Vitello’s squad has started playing fall ball. Mike Wilson of the Knoxville News Sentinel caught up with Vitello after the Vols faced Chattanooga in a scrimmage. Per Wilson, Vitello was specifically mentioned in connection to the San Francisco Giants and Atlanta Braves.

Vitello said job conversations are handled by his agent, but he was aware of the reports. He maintained his focus is on UT’s 2026 season and recruiting.

It will eventually get to you,” Vitello said. “You hear it and it’s flattering. Basically, it is a compliment to our support staff and our players. … That is what I consider it — a compliment.

Vitello, who turns 47 on Thursday, has been Tennessee’s head coach since 2018. He has posted a 341-131 record, leading the Volunteers to a national title in 2024. He has also guided the program to 3 Super Regional wins, 5 NCAA Regional wins, 2 SEC regular-season titles and 2 SEC Tournament championships.

As a player, Vitello was a Mizzou infielder from 2000-2002. He immediately got into coaching with the Salinas Packers of the California Collegiate League. He then became an assistant at his alma mater in 2003 before stops at TCU and Arkansas.

The Vols posted a 46-19 overall record in 2025, ending the season in the Fayetteville Super Regional against Arkansas.

The post Tony Vitello comments on reports linking him to MLB manager openings appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The opening weekend of SEC baseball play next season will be March 13-15, when the Tigers’ drive to win their 2nd straight national title and 3rd in 4 years will really get going. LSU won it all in 2023, then completed a dominant run to another national crown this past June, toppling Coastal Carolina in the Championship Series to cap it all off.

The rest of the SEC will be gunning for Jay Johnson’s club in 2026. Johnson took over in Baton Rouge in 2022 and has already won 2 national titles in his first 4 seasons there. He’ll be going for the hat trick next spring, and that drive will begin in Nashville in mid-March.

Here is the complete SEC conference schedule for 2026, which will run through the weekend of May 14-16:

After the long SEC gauntlet ends in May, the SEC Baseball Tournament will be staged May 19-24 in Hoover, Alabama.

The post SEC Baseball schedule for 2026 season unveiled appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Doyle, the No. 5 pick of the 2025 MLB Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals, was promoted to Double-A on Tuesday morning. The move comes after Doyle made his first appearance for St. Louis’ High-A affiliate, Palm Beach, on Saturday. Doyle pitched just 1 2/3 innings and walked 2 batters in the contest, but allowed only one hit (a home run) and struck out 3 against the Daytona Tortugas (Cincinnati Reds’ High-A affiliate).

Doyle dominated opposing hitters in his final collegiate season. Through his first 18 starts, he had posted a 2.84 ERA and a 158:30 strikeout-to-walk ratio across 92 innings (15.5 K/9). He became the first Tennessee pitcher to win SEC Pitcher of the Week honors three times in a season and helped the Vols throw 2 combined no-hitters. Doyle’s incredible production earned him SEC Pitcher of the Year honors and made him a Golden Spikes Award finalist.

If Doyle makes his Springfield debut this week, he’ll face the San Antonio Missions (San Diego Padres’ Double-A affiliate).

The post Cardinals promote former Tennessee pitcher Liam Doyle appeared first on Saturday Down South.

On Thursday, NOLA.com’s Wilson Alexander reported the Tigers were making Johnson the highest-paid coach in college baseball. Johnson’s new deal, according to Alexander, will net him $3.05 million in 2025-26. His previous contract paid him $1.67 million last season.

Johnson, 48, has been a Division I head coach since 2014. He began his career with Nevada, spending two years in Reno before jumping to Arizona. Johnson led the Wildcats to the College World Series twice (2016 & 2021) in his six seasons there before joining the Tigers in 2022.

Over four seasons in Baton Rouge, Johnson has posted a 190-77 record (71.2% winning percentage). After a 40-22 record his first year, he convinced high-profile transfers Paul Skenes (Air Force) and Tommy White (NC State) to join eventual Golden Spikes Award winner Dylan Crews for the 2023 campaign. What followed was a dominant 54-17 season that saw the Tigers dismantle Florida 18-4 to win Johnson’s first CWS championship.

Johnson led LSU back to Omaha in 2025. And once again, when the dust settled, the Tigers were champions. They went 10-1 in NCAA Tournament play — and a perfect 7-0 in the Super Regionals and CWS rounds — to bring the title home.

Johnson’s new contract will keep him in town through 2032. His salary will rise $100K per season until then. LSU also rewarded recruiting coordinator Josh Jordan and director of baseball operations Josh Simpson for their efforts. Jordan will make $485K through 2028, while Simpson will pull in $255K through 2027.

The post LSU to make Jay Johnson highest-paid college baseball coach, per report appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The NCAA Division I Baseball Committee issued the public punishment, saying that O’Sullivan’s behavior violated an NCAA bylaw that states misconduct in a championship event is “any act of dishonesty, unsportsmanlike conduct, unprofessional behavior or breach of law, occurring from the time the championship field is announced through the end of the championship, that discredits the event or intercollegiate athletics.”

O’Sullivan did issue a public apology on June 2, which was the day after his tirade at the regionals. His outburst on the first day of June stemmed from being upset because the start time of Florida’s elimination game against East Carolina — which was an 11-4 loss — was pushed back an hour. East Carolina’s previous regional game had ended at midnight, which was the reason for the change of the start time.

“The suspension announced today reinforces Florida Athletics’ commitment to our standards, with Coach O’Sullivan accepting full responsibility for his behavior. Sully has vowed to learn from the experience and serve as a better leader moving forward,” said Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin in a statement on Friday.

O’Sullivan will serve his suspension during the opening weekend of the 2026 season, on Feb. 13-15 against UAB.

The post Florida announces multi-game suspension for baseball coach Kevin O’Sullivan appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Alonso entered Tuesday with 252 career home runs, tied with Darryl Strawberry for the most homers hit in a Mets uniform. And in the bottom of the third inning with the Mets leading the Atlanta Braves 3-1, the former Florida star made it 253.

Here’s video of the history-making home run Alonso hit off Spencer Strider:

A second-round pick for the Mets in the 2016 MLB Draft, Alonso has staked his claim as one of the best players in franchise history. He broke through to the majors in 2019 and hit 51 home runs, a rookie record. A 5-time All-Star, he has hit 34 or more home runs in each of the past 4 seasons, including 40 in 2022 and 46 in 2023. In 2022, he led the Majors with 131 RBI.

Following the 2024 campaign, there were some doubts about whether Alonso would return to the team as he hit the free agent market. But he eventually signed a 2-year, $54 million deal in the offseason with the ability to opt out after 2025 if he so chooses.

The Mets, meanwhile, are 63-55, 6 games back of the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League East.

The post Pete Alonso hits 253rd career home run, becomes Mets’ all-time HR leader appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The former LSU starter was selected 87th overall in the 2025 MLB Draft last weekend. In the MLB Draft, players and teams are able to negotiate for bonuses above or below “slot value” for a given pick. In this case, the slot value for No. 87 was set at just over $907,000.

But Eyanson, who could have returned to LSU to be the Tigers’ ace next season, earned a bonus well over slot value. According to MLB Pipeline’s Jim Callis, Eyanson has signed for $1.75 million. That’s nearly double the slot value for the 87th overall pick.

Although it’s a significant loss for LSU baseball, Eyanson is yet another pro prospect for Jay Johnson and his staff to talk about on the recruiting trail. LSU had 9 players drafted overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, which was tied for third-most in year’s class.

Eyanson is expected to slot in as one of the best pitching prospects in the Red Sox system now that he’s officially signed. As Callis notes, Eyanson struck out an impressive 152 batters in 108 innings and has an arsenal that’s headlined by a bat-missing slider and a fastball that has reached 98 miles per hour.

The post LSU’s Anthony Eyanson gets huge signing bonus, will begin pro career with Red Sox appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Skenes dealt a 1-2-3 inning against the American League, striking out Detroit Tigers teammates Gleyber Torres and Riley Greene before forcing the New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge into a groundout to second base.

The Pittsburgh Pirates star was dealing heat, hitting triple digits on 4 of the 15 pitches he threw, including 100.3 on his strikeout pitch of Greene. According to MLB.com’s Sarah Langs, that, plus his 99.7 mph strikeout pitch of Torres, were the fastest strikeout pitches in the pitch-tracking era (since 2008) by a starting pitcher in the All-Star Game:

It’s Skenes’ second All-Star appearance as he made 2024’s Midsummer Classic as a rookie. Skenes started in that one as well, making him just the fifth rookie ever to do so. After getting the first two batters in the first inning, he walked Juan Soto before getting Judge to ground into an inning-ending fielder’s choice.

Fast forward to Skenes’ performance on Tuesday, which drew plenty of social media reaction. Here’s just a sample:

The post Paul Skenes draws major social media reaction after perfect inning of work at All-Star Game appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The two-day draft concluded on Monday evening with Rounds 4-20 and SEC programs absolutely cleaned up with regards to having the most selections. Of the 10 programs who had 8 or more draftees, 7 reside in the SEC: Arkansas, Georgia, LSU, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Oklahoma and Texas A&M.

Arkansas finished with 11 draft picks, which was tied for the most in the country with Florida State. The Hogs made it all the way to the national semifinals but came up short against eventual-champion LSU. Gage Wood, who threw a no hitter during the College World Series, was Arkansas’s first pick in this year’s draft.

LSU had 9 players picked off of its National Championship winning team, including ace Kade Anderson who went No. 3 overall to the Seattle Mariners.

Tennessee also had 9 players picked, including ace Liam Doyle at No. 5 to the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals also picked Doyle’s college teammate, Tanner Franklin, a couple of rounds later.

Oklahoma also had a great draft with 8 selections, including No. 15 overall pick Kyson Witherspoon. His brother, fellow Sooner Malachi Witherspoon, was also picked on Day 1 of the draft. Not included in that total is Oklahoma commit Eli Willits, who was picked No. 1 overall out of high school and is expected to forego his college commitment.

Overall, the SEC produced 107 draft picks in this year’s class, which easily out-paced all other college conferences. Here’s the full breakdown via D1Baseball’s Kendall Rogers:

The post SEC programs dominate 2025 MLB Draft appeared first on Saturday Down South.

LSU ace Kade Anderson is the favorite to go No. 1 overall in the draft to the Washington Nationals, per most sports betting apps. If Anderson does go No. 1 overall, he’d be the second former LSU player to do so in the last three seasons. Paul Skenes also accomplished that feat back in 2023.

Tennessee star Liam Doyle is also in the mix to be the top pick, but he’s the favorite to go No. 2 overall to the Los Angeles Angels.

MLB Draft projections

Here’s a breakdown of the odds to go No. 1 overall in the 2025 Draft:

No. 1 pick odds

Odds via BetMGM:

• Kade Anderson | -300
• Ethan Holliday | +175
• Seth Hernandez | +2000
• Avia Arquette | +2000

Holliday is the other name that appears to be a possibility at No. 1 overall. He attends Stillwater High School (Okla.) and is the son of former Rockies and Cardinals All-Star Matt Holliday. His older brother, Jackson, was a top pick by the Baltimore Orioles in the 2022 draft.

No. 2 pick odds

via BetMGM:

• Liam Doyle | -185
• Kade Anderson | +220
• Seth Hernandez | +550
• Ethan Holliday | +1200

Doyle has long been linked to the Angels. If he is selected in this spot, he’d be the second straight Tennessee player to be picked by the organization in the first round of the MLB Draft. Last year, the Angels took Christian Moore in the top 10 and he’s proven to be a quick mover through the system. Moore made his MLB debut earlier this summer.

If Anderson doesn’t go No. 1 overall, he could be the pick here by the Angels. Another pitcher, Seth Hernandez, is also in the mix to go No. 3 overall. Hernandez is considered to be the top high school pitcher in this class and plays for Corona High School (Calif.)

Other pick odds

Hernandez is the favorite to be picked No. 3 overall by the Seattle Mariners at +105. Oregon State infielder Avia Arquette is another top contender to go to Seattle, with his odds listed at +175 to be picked in that slot. Florida State ace Jamie Arnold is the wildcard at No. 3 overall (+700) but he’s likely to slide further down the board.

Holliday is a big favorite (-250) to go No. 4 overall to the Colorado Rockies. Perhaps the best power bat in this class, Holliday would be going to an organization that helped develop his father into one of the best outfielders in the league during his prime. He’d also get to play his home games in the hitter-friendly Coors Field.

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK

Offer

T&Cs

Get Up To $1,500 Paid Back in Bonus Bets!

Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (Available in the US), Call 877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), Call 1-800-327-5050 (MA), 1-800-NEXT-STEP (AZ), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-981-0023 (PR). 21+ only. Please Gamble Responsibly. See BetMGM.com for Terms. First Bet Offer for new customers only (if applicable). Subject to eligibility requirements. Bonus bets are non-withdrawable. In partnership with Kansas Crossing Casino and Hotel. This promotional offer is not available in DC, MS, NY, NV, ON, or PR.

GET THE APP

CODE: SDS1500

CODE: SDS1500

SIGNUP BONUS

UP TO $1,500
PAID BACK

IN BONUS BETS!

BET NOW

How to watch the 2025 MLB Draft

The full MLB Draft will be televised over the course of 2 days this week. Day 1 of the draft, which begins on Sunday evening at 6 p.m. ET, covers rounds 1 through 3.

The first 43 picks of the draft will be televised on ESPN and the MLB Network. The event can also be streamed on FuboTV — here’s a FuboTV free trial if you’re not already signed up.

The second and third rounds of the 2025 MLB Draft can be streamed on MLB’s official website. The draft is being held in Atlanta, Georgia.

The post MLB Draft odds: Projections for Kade Anderson, Liam Doyle and more appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Crowther spent this past season at South Carolina. In late June, he elected to enter the transfer portal. Now, Crowther is heading to Alabama to continue his college baseball career.

Ashton Crowther(@Ashtoncrowther2), a Top 100 pitcher in the portal, commits to @AlabamaBSB. Another impressive addition to a Top 10 class for the Tide. Best of luck to him in ‘26! pic.twitter.com/JbW5RxMPyC

— 64Analytics (@64Analytics) July 12, 2025

Crowther is entering Year 4 of his college career. A Trinity, Florida native, he spent his first 2 academic years at Miami. He joined South Carolina ahead of the 2025 season.

Listed as a 6-3, 220-pound left-hander on the South Carolina roster, Crowther made 19 appearances with 2 starts for the Gamecocks. He posted a 4.38 ERA on the season, bringing that down to a 3.05 ERA in SEC play.

Over 37 innings pitched in 2025, Crowther managed 28 strikeouts. He posted a similar rate of 28 Ks in 36.2 IP at Miami in 2024 as a redshirt freshman.

After careful consideration I have decided to enter the transfer portal,thank you gamecock nation for this past year. Excited for what is yet to come.

— Ashton crowther (@Ashtoncrowther2) June 30, 2025

The post Alabama adds transfer pitcher from South Carolina appeared first on Saturday Down South.

He’s 23 years old and helped LSU baseball win a College World Series title in 2023.

In case you haven’t figured out who I’m talking about yet, it’s Paul Skenes. The Pittsburgh ace has been absolutely incredible by almost every metric in 2025. This is after he won the National League Rookie of the Year Award in 2024, mind you.

Here’s what he’s doing in his sophomore season in Pittsburgh:

• 19 starts, 2.01 ERA (was 1.94 before allowing 2 earned runs in 5 innings on Friday night), 121 innings pitched, 131 strikeouts

This was after he finished 2024 with a 1.96 ERA and 170 strikeouts in 133 innings of work in 2024. Skenes went 11-3 during his rookie year. This year…

He’s 4-8.

That’s not a typo. I didn’t accidentally switch the wins and losses. He’s having a very similar season to what he had as a rookie stats-wise, but the Pirates are not winning games in which their ace takes the mound.

Why is that?

The Pirates fired manager Derek Shelton on May 8 during a 7-game losing streak (side note: following Friday night’s loss, the Pirates are currently riding another 7-game losing streak). Prior to Shelton’s firing, Skenes had eclipsed 90 pitches in 7 of his 8 starts and had thrown 100+ pitches in 4 starts. His season-high is only 108 pitches (on April 25 against the Dodgers), so the Pirates weren’t overworking him at all under Shelton.

Keep in mind this is the same guy who threw 123 pitches against Tennessee and 120 pitches against Wake Forest in the 2023 College World Series, leading LSU to a national championship.

I’m not saying the Pirates need to leave him out there until his arm falls off. But there’s a middle ground between 120 pitches and what they’ve been doing with him recently. Here’s a look at Skenes’ last 4 outings:

• June 25 vs. Milwaukee (4-2 L): 4.0 innings, 4 ER, 78 pitches, 4 strikeouts, 2 walks (Skenes took the L)
• July 1 vs. St. Louis (1-0 W): 5.0 innings, 0 ER, 88 pitches, 5 strikeouts, 1 walk (Skenes no-decision)
• July 6 vs. Seattle (1-0 L): 5.0 innings, 0 ER, 78 pitches, 10 strikeouts, 0 walks (Skenes no-decision)
• July 11 vs. Minnesota (2-1 L): 5.0 innings, 2 ER, 78 pitches, 6 strikeouts, 0 walks (Skenes took the L)

You can make a (flimsy) case for pulling Skenes in the Milwaukee game. You can potentially say you didn’t want him to start another inning with a pitch count of 88 against St. Louis.

It’s not a case I would make, because it’s a stupid case. But it’s a case, nonetheless.

He could have come back out for the 6th inning and faced at least 1 or 2 batters to get to 100 pitches in a game that was 0-0. You don’t have to have him finish each start with “.0” at the end of his innings pitched stat. You can go 5.1 innings, 6.2 innings, 4.2 innings — hell, you can even throw 7.1 innings if you want to go crazy. That’s allowed by the MLB rulebook.

But to pull him from back-to-back games in which he had thrown 78 pitches over 5 innings with a combined 16 strikeouts and 0 walks? That’s criminal. Whoever is making these decisions should not be involved with Major League Baseball in any way.

The Pirates moved to the NL Central in 1994. They’ve won the division exactly 0 times. The Pirates made the playoffs in 1992 and then didn’t make it again until 2013. That’s 21 years. That’s the legal drinking age. A baby born in September of 1992 would have legally been able to have a beer while watching the game the next time the Pirates made the postseason.

Pittsburgh then went on a “run” of making the postseason in 2013, 2014 and 2015, failing to advance past the NL Wild Card round each time. Cool. Good job, guys.

That 2015 season was the last time Pittsburgh sniffed the playoffs. It’s now been another decade of utter incompetence.

At this point, it’s worth wondering if the Pirates even want to win. When they got the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, did the front office/ownership even celebrate? Or were they upset that a player of Skenes’ caliber fell into their lap?

Right now, it seems like the latter.

When you’re a rebuilding team like the Pirates, it’s OK to not be competitive for a couple years after getting the No. 1 overall pick. Heck, most No. 1 overall picks don’t make it to the majors in under a year. Maybe, just maybe, the quickness with which he reached the majors caught them off-guard.

But to be 2 years away from being 2 years away from competing like the Pirates currently are? That is utterly unacceptable. There’s no discernible plan to anything the Pirates are doing these days.

The 2025 MLB Draft starts on Sunday. The Pirates have the No. 6 overall pick. Whoever they take this year might be in his 40s before the Pirates make the postseason again.

If you don’t want to win, that’s fine. Go ahead and collect your MLB revenue share checks and line your pockets.

I just ask that while you do that, please don’t have the best pitcher in the National League on your team.

If anyone in the Pirates’ front office happens to see this, please don’t waste a generational talent. Do the right thing and send him to a team that actually wants to win baseball games.

The post What the Pirates are doing with Paul Skenes is criminal appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Former Texas pitcher Drew Rerick committed to the Sooners on Thursday afternoon. Rerick just wrapped up his freshman season with the Longhorns but will head north of the Red River to continue his college career in 2026.

Here is Rerick’s official announcement:

Rerick played sparingly for Texas as a freshman. He allowed 7 earned runs in 7 innings of work as he adjusted to the college game.

Despite those lackluster results as a freshman, there’s plenty of optimism that Rerick could develop into an impact arm at this level. D1Baseball’s Kendall Rogers described Rerick as having a “massive frame with big-time velocity and upside.”

Listed at 6-foot-5, Rerick arrives in Norman with plenty of prospect pedigree. According to Perfect Game, he was the No. 58 overall player and the No. 16 right-handed pitcher in the country for his high school class.

Rerick was initially committed to Texas A&M but flipped to Texas after coach Jim Schlossnagle took the Longhorns’ head coaching job last offseason. Here’s some highlights from a showcase where Rerick pitched back in the summer of 2024:

Rerick joins an Oklahoma team that will have College World Series aspirations in 2026.

The post Former Texas pitcher announces transfer to Oklahoma appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The topic came up during the Vol skipper’s appearance on 99.1 The Sports Animal when he was asked about dealing with offseason roster decisions.

“There’s one school in our league that likes to make undercover offers to guys, and our two or three guys that were on the end of that have stayed strong,” Vitello said. “I think in general, there are extra conversations these days, however you want to frame them. I don’t think that’s really been an issue for us. Knock on all kinds of wood.”

RELATED: Tennessee residents, stop missing out! SDS is your guide to the best TN sports betting apps to get in on the action today!

To the disappointment of fans everywhere, Vitello did not name which SEC school is making those offers to Tennessee players. As one would expect, there are plenty of guesses being made on social media. He also did not name the UT players receiving said offers.

In recent years, coaches in multiple sports have accused other programs of tampering in the transfer portal via NIL offers. Vitello’s accusation has some extra spice with him detailing that the offers are coming from another SEC program.

The post Tony Vitello says SEC school is making ‘undercover offers’ to Tennessee players appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The draft, set to begin on July 13, could mark the second time in three years that an LSU pitcher goes No. 1 overall. Paul Skenes, of course, was picked in that slot by the Pittsburgh Pirates back in 2021 and has quickly established himself as one of the game’s best pitchers.

Now, the Washington Nationals will have the opportunity to pick an LSU ace with the top pick. ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel put Anderson at No. 1 on his final big board of the 2025 cycle on Tuesday afternoon. Here’s an excerpt of McDaniel’s analysis:

Chase Burns (No. 2 pick last year) was a better draft prospect, but I think Anderson is right there with Hagen Smith (No. 5 last year) as a draft prospect. I’m not worried Anderson will go down the path of other top-10-pick lefty college starters who became MLB relievers (A.J. Puk, Drew Pomeranz, Andrew Miller) because of his feel to execute. Also, his supinator lean (like Fried) gives him more avenues to find new shapes to attack hitters, while his left-handedness and polish give some margin for error.

Perhaps no prospect did more for their draft stock during the College World Series than Anderson, who helped LSU to another championship last month in Omaha. He was dominant throughout the postseason and went from a consensus top-10 prospect to a potential No. 1 overall pick over the course of LSU’s run.

Anderson is currently -180 to go No. 1 overall, according to the latest odds from FanDuel. Fans interested in betting on the MLB Draft can do so at any number of the top Louisiana betting apps.

The draft begins on Sunday at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN (watch via FuboTV free trial).

The post Kade Anderson tops ESPN’s final 2025 MLB draft big board appeared first on Saturday Down South.

After 1 season at Ole Miss, Surowiec recently entered his name into the transfer portal. He did not need long to decide to continue his college baseball career at Florida playing for Kevin O’Sullivan. Surowiec announced his commitment to the Gators on Instagram.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ethan Surowiec (@ethan.surowiec)

Out of Gulfport (Mississippi) High School, Surowiec was a big get for Mike Bianco’s Rebels. Surowiec was rated the No. 89 prospect on the Perfect Game top 500 for the Class of 2024.

Surowiec saw limited playing time in his freshman season. He logged 16 at-bats during Ole Miss’ 2024 campaign, posting a .375 average and .524 on-base percentage, hitting 2 home runs and collecting 8 RBIs.

Ethan Surowiec homers in his first career start!@SurowiecE x #HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/VZHB8ZRtJM

— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) May 14, 2025

Florida, however, has plenty to be excited about based on what Surowiec is doing in summer ball with the Duluth Huskies of the Northwoods League. Through 96 ABs, Surowiec has a .427 average with 41 hits, including 15 doubles and 7 home runs, collecting 36 RBIs over 25 games.

The post Florida baseball lands commitment from Ole Miss transfer INF appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Let’s put things in Saturday terms. Johnson is racking up natties like a young Urban Meyer. Keep it up, and he enters Nick Saban territory.

As we all know, it’s extremely challenging to win multiple national championships. It’s incredibly rare to win 2 natties in the first 4 seasons. We haven’t seen a Big 3 coach come into the SEC and accomplish so much so quickly since Meyer began his urban renewal of Florida football 20 years ago, winning national championships in Year 2 (2006) and Year 4 (2008).

Some of the most accomplished Big 3 names of the present and recent past in the SEC don’t have 2 in 4 on their resumes. As Alabama’s head coach, Saban needed 3 years for his first with the Tide (2009) and 5 seasons to make it 2 (2011). Kirby Smart needed until Year 6 (2021) at Georgia to get his first, and then promptly made it 2 in Year 7 (2022).

John Calipari led Kentucky to a national championship in Year 3 (2012), but that was the only title of his decorated 15-year tenure in Lexington. Billy Donovan’s 2 Florida basketball national championships came in a back-to-back run during Years 10 and 11 (2006, 2007). (Now Todd Golden will try for his second title entering Year 3.)

And it’s not just a Big 3 thing. In other sports, some of the SEC’s premier active coaches didn’t win 2 titles in their first 4 years, either.

It took Oklahoma’s Patty Gasso until Year 6 to win a Women’s College World Series in 2000. Dawn Staley began her South Carolina tenure in the 2008-09 season and did not hoist the national championship trophy until 2017. Kim Mulkey won her first national title in Year 5 at Baylor (2005). At LSU, Mulkey has won 1 title out of 4 tries.

In baseball, the SEC has now won the last 6 national championships. Vanderbilt’s Tim Corbin is the only other active conference baseball coach besides Johnson with 2 national titles (2014, ’19). He got a 19-year head start on Johnson in the SEC, taking the Vandy job in 2003.

Saban, Smart, Calipari, Donovan, Corbin, Gasso, Staley and Mulkey are college coaching heavyweights with rings for days. Many are program builders who needed time to reach the mountain top. Their success just goes to show that 2 in the first 4 is a club as exclusive as it gets.

After Meyer pulled off 2 in 4, he was looking ahead to the future. In the postgame press conference following Florida’s BCS championship win over Oklahoma, Meyer had a simple, memorable message for recruits.

“When you win national championships – the whole country saw that tonight. You’ve got to be out of your mind –you’re out of your freaking mind if you don’t play for the Gators,” Meyer said.

In the first moments after winning his second title, Johnson appeared to have recruiting on his mind. With a national TV audience, Johnson not-so-subtly pitched his program.

“I’m just so proud. This is a team. Our motto for the year was ‘Tough and Together,’ and that’s what they did from Aug. 26 until now. I’m just incredibly proud,” Johnson said in his postgame ABC interview.

“It’s only 12 returning players. It’s 10 players from the transfer portal. It’s 2 JUCO players and 10 freshmen. And that collection of talent not just became a team, but became a family.”

Having just become the fastest college baseball coach to win multiple national championships at one school, Johnson wanted to make sure that every player in the portal heard loud and clear that 12 transfers helped LSU win it all in Omaha. College sports’ elite competitors know that whether it’s high school, JUCO or the portal, recruiting never sleeps. Meyer understood it in 2008. Johnson gets it in 2025.

Repeating is the goal for every national champion, and LSU players were already talking of going for No. 9 before departing Omaha. If Johnson secures a 3rd title, making it 3 in the last 4 seasons (2023-26), we’re talking about a dynasty.

A run of 3 titles in a span of 4 years is even harder than winning 2 natties in the first 4 years. Just ask Meyer, whose Florida squad ran into Saban’s Alabama buzzsaw in 2009 and didn’t get to play for the national title that season, a changing of the guard in college football.

And the college baseball postseason is no cakewalk, even for the most talented teams. One weekend of going cold at the plate or the ace having an off day and everything can go down the drain. It takes careful management of a pitching staff and pushing the right buttons in the lineup card to make it through Regionals, Super Regionals and the College World Series with only isolated losses.

It’s been over 50 years since college baseball has seen a team win 3 titles over a 4-season stretch. In the history of the College World Series, only 9 programs have even won 3 or more titles: Oregon State (3), Minnesota (3), Cal State Fullerton (4), Miami (4), Arizona (4), Arizona State (5), Texas (6), LSU (8) and USC (12).

Three national titles in 4 seasons has eluded every baseball program except USC. The Trojans’ titles span 1948-1998, but it was the 1960s and ’70s when they dominated the sport, winning 9 of their 12 titles, including 6 from 1968-74, only missing 1969.

As Tiger fans know, LSU is the only program with a run that compares to USC’s decades of dominance. The legendary Skip Bertman led the Tigers to 5 national titles from 1991-2000, going back-to-back in 1996-97 as well as title wins in 1991, ’93 and 2000. Bertman maintains a presence around the LSU baseball program, which is fully embraced by Johnson, who beams about getting to spend time at the ballpark with the legendary coach.

In 2026, Johnson will try to make LSU the first college baseball team to win back-to-back national championships since Ray Tanner’s South Carolina squad in 2010 and ’11. If Johnson pulls that, the SEC has its first Big 3 dynasty since Saban at Alabama.

The post Jay Johnson is off to the best start for a Big 3 SEC coach since Urban Meyer. Can he reach Nick Saban territory? appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Alabama athletics reported a total of 6 violations in 2024-25 across 5 sports. Crimson Tide fans will be pleased to know that none of the violations involve the football or basketball programs.

All violations are Level 3, the lowest level. The baseball program was tagged with 2 violations, while tennis, gymnastics, soccer and rowing also self-reported. UA fans are likely to be more amused than concerned by the violations.

One of the Alabama baseball violations is for a recruit charging high-speed internet to his room during an official visit. The program also included an unsigned verbally committed name in a press release about Crimson Tide selections in the MLB Draft.

The baseball staff received rules education on the violations. The recruit was not considered eligible until the value of the charge was paid to a charity.

The tennis program had to self-report a coach buying a koozie for a recruit during an official visit. Surprisingly, that violation prompted 4 courses of corrective action.

The men’s tennis staff received rules education. The coach was also given a letter of admonishment. The recruit was required to repay the value of the gift to charity. The team can only have 1 off-campus contact per academic year with the recruit.

Other self-reported violations from Alabama athletics involved a gymnastics recruit committing to the staff at a camp and the number of off days provided to the women’s soccer and rowing teams.

The post Alabama athletics reveals 6 minor NCAA violations for 2024-25, including koozie, hotel Wi-Fi appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Former South Carolina utility player Jase Woita has committed to transfer to the Tigers. The 6-foot-3 Woita played in 45 games for South Carolina last season, lining up across the infield and the outfield. He will have 1 or 2 seasons of eligibility with Mizzou, depending on how the NCAA chooses to handle future junior college eligibility cases.

Woita announced his commitment on his Instagram page Friday night.

A St. Pius X product from Lincoln, Nebraska, Woita began his college career at the junior college level with Kansas City Kansas C.C., where he was a 2-time KJCCC All-Tournament selection and a 2-time KJCCC All-Conference honorable mention player. He missed his freshman season in 2022 with an injury but returned in 2023 to hit .411 with 20 doubles, 12 home runs, and 73 RBI.

In 2024, the injury bug struck again but not before Woita could collect 13 doubles, 11 home runs, and 65 RBI while batting .427.

He joined the Gamecocks for the 2025 season and made 31 starts. He hit .300 on the season and .333 in conference play. In 120 total at-bats, Woita recorded 6 home runs, 5 doubles, 1 triple, and 17 walks. He struck out 27 times.

Woita joins a Mizzou transfer class that also features right-handed pitcher Keyler Gonzalez (Nova Southeastern), infielder Kam Durnin (Wichita State), and utility player Jamal George (Texas A&M).

Mizzou dropped to 16-39 last season in Jackson’s second year at the helm of the program. It won just 3 games in conference play and will look for a bounceback performance in 2026.

RELATED: Missouri sports betting launches in the state later this year. SDS will keep you up to date with everything you need to know ahead of the statewide launch, and we’ve also got a BetMGM Missouri bonus code already handy for you to use upon sign-up.

The post Mizzou baseball adds versatile transfer from South Carolina appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The head coach at LSU won a national championship in 2023, then celebrated as pitcher Paul Skenes and outfielder Dylan Crews went 1-2 in the 2023 MLB Draft. LSU just claimed another national championship with a 2-games-to-none win over Coastal Carolina in the College World Series Finals, and it might soon produce another No. 1 overall MLB Draft pick.

Speaking on SEC This Morning on SiriusXM radio recently, Johnson said no other program can do for players what LSU can.

“When I came here, it was obviously LSU, there were great foundational players in the program. Dylan Crews, best player I’ve ever coached. … But we really had to elevate the pitching talent to compete for a national championship,” Johnson said. “And we’ve been able to do that.

“A lot of programs will talk about developing, but you can really point to the track record right now. (In) 2023, we broke an SEC record for players drafted. I think it was 13. I think 9 of those were pitchers. Last year, we had 9 pitchers drafted again, which was also an SEC record. You had the No. 1 pick with Skenes, I think Kade Anderson’s got a great chance to be the No. 1 pick.”

Skenes and Crews going first and second in the 2023 draft marked the first time ever the top 2 picks were from the same school. Johnson’s numbers are slightly off — LSU had 8 pitchers taken in 2023 and then 8 pitchers taken again in 2024, which both tied SEC records — but you can’t fault him for that. He has so many draft picks he has to keep track of lately.

The 13 players drafted in 2023 also tied an SEC record and led all schools. Johnson has produced 4 first-round picks in his 3 seasons at LSU. Two of them were pitchers.

“Especially if you’re a transfer portal pitcher, nobody has a better plan for you for 1 year to get where you want to go than LSU,” Johnson said. “I think over the past 20 years, there is no argument who the best pitching coach is in college baseball. [Nate Yeskie] has been to Omaha with 4 different programs, won national championships now with 2. And then we have another (guy), director of pitching development Jamie Tutko, who is exceptional and blends Coach Yeskie’s experience, pitch-calling ability, (and) feel for players with a lot of this new-age stuff.

“I just think it’s the spot. I really believe that doing well at LSU helps players and pitchers more than doing well at other schools. And that impacts them in the Major League Baseball draft. We like what we have going right now and we’re looking for the next wave as we speak.”

RELATED: Want to bet on the 2025 MLB Draft? Head to bet365 and use this bet365 Louisiana bonus code to secure up to $150 in bonus bets.

The post Jay Johnson: Doing well at LSU helps players more than doing well at other schools appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The Tigers got a commitment on Thursday night from former Tennessee left-hander Ryler Smart, according to a report by LSU Tigers On SI. Smart is a former top-200 prospect out of Pearland, Texas, who originally committed to Tennessee but redshirted during his 1 season in Knoxville because of an arm injury.

Just days after winning its second national title in 3 years, LSU has been busy in the portal. Smart is now the 2nd left-handed pitcher and the fourth player overall to transfer to LSU in this cycle. He was also the second transfer to head to LSU on Thursday alone, with the Tigers also getting a commitment from North Dakota State lefty Danny Lachenmayer.

LSU has also gotten transfer portal pledges from Kansas State infielder Seth Dardar and High Point infielder Brayden Simpson.

Smart was rated as the No. 183 overall prospect in the 2024 recruiting cycle, and he was ranked as the No. 25 left-handed pitcher before heading to Tennessee.

Now, the Volunteers’ loss is LSU’s gain, with the defending champion Tigers filling a need at the left-handed pitcher spot with not 1 but 2 southpaws on the same day. LSU is almost certain to lose lefty ace Kade Anderson in next month’s MLB Draft, and getting Smart in the fold for the 2026 season will help fill that potentially huge void.

The post LSU baseball lands transfer pledge from former Tennessee pitcher, top recruit appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Johnson became the fastest baseball coach to win multiple national championships at any school when LSU took down Coastal Carolina in a 2-game sweep in the Championship Finals series. The Tigers took care of business in Game 1 on Saturday in a pulsating 1-0 victory, then prevailed 5-3 in Game 2 on Sunday to nail down the championship, which was Johnson’s 2nd at LSU in his first 4 seasons in Baton Rouge.

Now, Johnson can kick back for a while and enjoy the fruits of another College World Series title run. Right?

Wrong.

LSU celebrated its 2025 national title in front of its home fans at Alex Box Stadium in Baton Rouge on Wednesday night, and it was all wonderful. And now? For Johnson, now it’s immediately onto focusing on winning the 2026 title and having another celebration at this time next year.

Johnson was on SEC This Morning on Thursday, just hours after that home celebration, and he was already pushing himself and his program toward another championship.

“When you’re in college baseball, you realize how hard it is to accomplish that. We’ve had a great run here of players, and we’re well-supported by the fans,” said Johnson.

Then he was asked about doing it all over again.

“You know, thinking about it, championships don’t happen overnight. This didn’t happen because we got hot. You kind of have to honor the process of what it takes to do it. The next one, as we’re celebrating this, we’re trying to catch up to transfer portal recruiting. It’s been multitasking and trying to get caught up on going and winning another one. That’s immediately at the forefront of our minds,” explained Johnson.

Now, the work begins again, the process starts again, and Johnson’s focus turns to the 2026 season and bringing a 3rd national title back to Baton Rouge.

The post Jay Johnson says a repeat CWS title is LSU’s immediate focus appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Johnson landed a big pickup out of the transfer portal.North Dakota State pitcher Danny Lachenmayer is heading to Baton Rouge to continue his college career.

Heading to the bayou #GeauxTigers pic.twitter.com/A3r8mbZ72S

— Danny Lachenmayer (@dannylachenmay2) June 26, 2025

A 6-3, 195-pound left-hander from Eagan, Minnesota, he made 24 appearances last season out of the bullpen. One of those appearances was against LSU on March 4. He faced 7 batters over 1.2 innings, allowing 2 earned runs on 1 hit and 1 walk.

Danny Lachenmayer was impressive in an appearance against #LSU at the beginning of the season.

Now he will pitch for the Tigers pic.twitter.com/diBxLF78fW

— Mik’d Up (@Mikdup_8) June 26, 2025

The number that immediately jumps off the page with Lachenmayer is 56 strikeouts over 38 innings of work. He posted a 2.37 ERA with an opposing batting average of .192, allowing 13 runs (10 earned) over 154 batters faced.

As a reliever, Lachenmayer did not log an outing longer than 3.1 IP. He collected 9 saves.

Sports betting is live in Louisiana! Check out SDS for the best betting apps to get in on the action!

The post LSU adds standout NDSU pitcher via transfer portal appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Rice standout Blaine Brown is taking his talents to Rocky Top. Brown announced his commitment to Tennessee on Thursday via social media.

committed pic.twitter.com/Abe2lWNPl4

— blainebrown (@blainebrown_24) June 26, 2025

An outfielder and left-handed pitcher, Brown measures 6-3 and 180 pounds. He earned Freshman All-American and All-AAC recognition for his impressive work at the plate in 2025.

Brown was Rice’s hitting leader in batting average (.292), slugging percentage (.493), hits (61), RBIs (38), doubles (12), home runs (10), total bases (103) and multi-hit games (18) this past season. Logging 209 at-bats, 21 walks and 3 HBPs, he posted a slash line of .292/.362/.493.

Brown is already on the 2027 MLB Draft radar after a standout freshman season.

TRANSFER: Tennessee has landed Rice LHP/OF Blaine Brown; a Top-40 player in the 2027 Draft. Coming off a .292/.362/.493 freshman season with 10 homers. Added five stolen bases.

More firepower on Rocky Top.pic.twitter.com/d4f7GJcGt4

— Joe Doyle (@JoeDoyleMiLB) June 26, 2025

Brown is a 2-way player as he also pitches. He was limited to 4.1 innings over 7 innings, and the small sample size produces some rough stats, including a 20.77 ERA. Of 38 batters faced, he walked 12 and struck out 6.

While there’s work to do on the mound, the bat is sure to have an instant impact for a Vol squad with Omaha goals.

The post Tennessee lands transfer commitment Rice standout Blaine Brown appeared first on Saturday Down South.

That’s according to data released by Sports Media Watch on Tuesday. According to their report, the series averaged 2.5 million viewers across both games. That’s good enough for the most-watched CWS Finals sweep since the format moved to a 3-game series back in 2003.

Sunday’s game on ABC and ESPNU reached 2.78 million viewers, per Sports Media Watch. While it’s down slightly from last year’s Game 2 between Tennessee and Texas A&M, it’s still the sixth-largest College World Series game ever broadcast on ESPN networks per the report.

Overall, this year’s final series between LSU and Coastal Carolina is the fourth most-watched since the format change in 2003. LSU has been a participant in 3 of the top 4 most-watched final series (2009 and 2023 are the others).

LSU has now won eight baseball national titles, which ranks second all-time behind only USC (12). The Tigers have also won two of the last three crowns under head coach Jay Johnson.

The Tigers are expected to once again compete for the College World Series championship in 2026.

The post LSU’s College World Series win earned historic TV ratings appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Becker entered the transfer portal after playing for the Razorbacks in 2025. On Tuesday, he announced that he is returning to his home state of Texas and taking his talents to College Station. Becker shared the news of his commitment to Texas A&M on social media.

Staying home! #gigem #committed pic.twitter.com/xMcqq0Y2mp

— Zane Becker (@zanebecker17) June 24, 2025

Becker saw limited playing time in his freshman season. He played in only 20 games of the 2025 campaign, logging 31 at-bats while also being hit by a pitch 4 times and drawing 5 walks. In his ABs, Becker posted a batting average of .258, collecting 8 hits, including 3 doubles and 1 home run for 14 total bases.

A Flower Mound High School product, Becker was rated the No. 34 player in Texas and No. 4 catcher in the Lone Star State by Perfect Game. He was rated No. 386 overall and the No. 41 catcher nationally in the Class of 2024.

Becker’s last appearance came on May 31 in Arkansas’s 12-1 win over Creighton during the Fayetteville Regional. He did not see action during the Super Regional series with Tennessee or the College World Series.

The post Texas A&M lands commitment from Arkansas transfer catcher appeared first on Saturday Down South.

While it was a clean 2-game sweep for the Tigers, each game featured plenty of drama. Kade Anderson went the distance with a shutout in a 1-0 win in Game 1 to capture CWS Most Outstanding Player honors in the process. Game 2 would feature plenty of drama and controversy before LSU held on for a 5-3 win to lift the trophy for the 8th time in program history.

Now, Jay Johnson and the rest of the LSU program are ready to celebrate that win back in Baton Rouge. On Tuesday, the Tigers set the details for their national title celebration, which will be held Wednesday evening.

RELATED: Don’t miss any of the Daily Fantasy Sports action available in your area! Be sure to check out our curated list of the best apps for daily fantasy sports to get started.

The celebration is set for 8 pm, with gates at Alex Box Stadium opening at 7 pm. Admission is free for fans and will include a pre-celebration musical performance from Timothy Wayne. For any Tiger fans unable to attend, the celebration will be broadcast live via the SEC Network and will be streamed via multiple services.

The national title gives LSU 2 in the last 3 seasons under Johnson. He is now 190-77 overall, and the Tigers are 11-2 in College World Series games under Johnson’s guidance.

The post LSU announces details for national title celebration appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The top of the Empire State Building is lit up in Purple and Gold in recognition of LSU’s accomplishment. Here’s a photo of the Empire State Building as of Monday evening with New York City in the background:

According to D1Baseball’s Kendall Rogers, this is the first time the Empire State Building has been lit up to recognize a College World Series champion.

LSU captured its second title in the last three years and its eighth overall on Sunday afternoon by sweeping Coastal Carolina in the CWS Finals. The Tigers were dominant in Omaha, winning all five games they played. LSU won its final eight games of the year en route to the title.

Kade Anderson was especially dominant in the postseason. The southpaw capped off his tremendous LSU career by throwing a complete game shutout in Game 1 of the CWS Finals against Coastal Carolina on Saturday night. It was the first complete game shutout in Omaha since 2018.

Only USC (12) has more College World Series titles than LSU’s eight. The Tigers will surely be looking to continue their budding dynasty under Jay Johnson next spring.

The post Empire State Building lights up in LSU colors to celebrate CWS title appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The best player in both college baseball and college softball played in Fayetteville in 2025. Bri Ellis won USA Softball Player of the Year for her efforts in 2025 while Arkansas’s Wehiwa Aloy took home the Golden Spikes Award this weekend after a historic 2025 campaign.

As the SEC Network noted on Monday, it’s the first time ever that the winners of those 2 awards have come from the same school in one season.

Ellis was dominant for a Razorbacks softball program that nearly made its first-ever trip to Oklahoma City this spring. Arkansas was eliminated in the Super Regional round for the third time in the last five seasons, but Ellis is a big reason why it was so close to the Women’s College World Series this year. She hit .440 with 26 home runs, proving to be arguably the sport’s top hitter in the country.

Aloy led Arkansas all the way to the semifinals of the College World Series. The Hogs came up short against LSU, but his season still resulted in him becoming the third Arkansas player ever to join the list of Golden Spikes Award winners.

Both Ellis and Aloy are expected to move on this offseason, with Ellis out of eligibility and Aloy set to be a first-round pick in next month’s MLB Draft. The Razorbacks will need to develop new stars in both sports, but for 2025, Arkansas baseball and softball made history.

The post Arkansas baseball, softball stars combined for unprecedented feat in 2025 appeared first on Saturday Down South.