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Tennessee Baseball 2024 Season Outfield Preview | Rocky Top Insider

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Tennessee Baseball 2024 Season Outfield Preview | Rocky Top Insider


Photo via Tennessee Athletics

Happy game week. Tennessee baseball opens up its 2024 season in just three days and we’re continuing our season preview. After looking at Tennessee baseball’s infield yesterday, today we move on to the outfield.

The Vols return just one starter from last season’s outfield but they have a number of returning players poised for breakout seasons and another transfer who’s firmly in the mix for a starting spot.

Let’s dive into the 2024 group.

What We Know

The Man In The Middle

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Center fielder Hunter Ensley is the lone returning starter in Tennessee’s outfield. A season ago, Ensley wasn’t a favorite to win the center field competition, but he did just that.

Ensley was the steady man for the Vols. He didn’t have much prior center field experience, at least in college, but he was a solid defender and provided consistency at the plate.

The Tennessee native hit .280 with seven doubles, seven home runs and 31 RBIs over the course of the season but he was more productive in conference play where his .318 average was second best on the team and he totaled over half his doubles (four) and home runs (four).

Ensley is Tennessee’s starting center fielder without a doubt this season. The question is how big of a jump can he make from his redshirt sophomore to redshirt junior season. If he takes another step forward at the plate then the Vols’ offense could become extremely dangerous.

The Starting DH Likely Comes From The Outfield

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This point ties directly into the incoming discussion about right field so I won’t discuss this too much here

But entering the season, Kavares Tears (.304/.379/.518 in 56 at-bats) and Missouri transfer Dalton Bargo (.279/.379/.442 in 165 at-bats) are the two most likely players to start at designated hitter for Tennessee.

It’s hard not to really like the two bats and they’re both going to have a great chance to be a big part of Tennessee’s lineup. My bet is that one ends up starting in right field and the other ends up getting the most starts at designated hitter.

The potential exceptions here are when Cannon Peebles isn’t starting at catcher and if Zane Denton ends up playing this season.

This Group Is The X-Factor For The Offense

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In fairness, this is more of a prediction than something we know.

But four of the five starters in Tennessee’s infield have already been a full time starter either in the ACC or SEC, and while they can improve their production we have a decent feel for what the Vols are going to get from them.

But the outfield includes one returning starter and a number of players who have been effective bench bats but haven’t stepped into major roles yet. That makes it hard to predict how productive they’ll be.

More on that in a bit.

More From RTI: Tennessee Baseball 2024 Infield Preview

Questions Entering The Season

Who Starts In Right Field?

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More on the right field debate. Bargo and Tears seem the two most likely candidates here but I’m not ruling out sophomore Reese Chapman either.

Chapman was a highly touted prep recruit and has more range in the outfield than either Bargo or Tears. He struggled a bit at the plate in the fall but is still a talented hitter and has a high ceiling.

But Bargo and Tears both seem ahead in the competition, in my opinion. After redshirting his freshman season and being a reserve bat last year, Tears is poised for a breakout season. Bargo showed his hitting prowess as a freshman at Missouri last year and has more growing room.

One big question is how good the two can be defensively. Tears came to Tennessee position-less and has worked extremely hard to improve as an outfielder. His arm is as strong as any outfielder Tennessee has had under Vitello. His range is the question but that isn’t as big of a concern at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.

My prediction is for Tears to win the starting right field job but I think he and Bargo are both going to have serious roles.

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How Good Can The Returning Players Stepping Into New Roles Be?

Apologies for being this far into the article before mentioning Dylan Dreiling. The left-handed outfielder hit .295 with seven home runs, 15 extra-base hits and 20 RBIs in just 95 at-bats during his freshman season.

Dreiling is going to be Tennessee’s starting left fielder this season and as a draft eligible sophomore, this could be his last season in Knoxville. The Kansas native is extremely talented and was incredibly impressive as a pinch hitter last season.

He has an extremely high ceiling and could be a real difference maker for the Vols this season.

Tears is another highly-talented outfielder who has been in the program for multiple years and could now step into an even bigger role.

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How effective these two guys can be at the plate is a major question for this Tennessee team. It’s why the outfield could be the X-factor for the Vols’ offense this season.

Who Provides Meaningful Depth?

Behind Ensley, Dreiling, Bargo, Tears and Chapman there’s a decent sized gap. So who provides depth for Tennessee in the outfield.

In the corner spots it’s likely Chapman if he doesn’t end up in the starting lineup. Bargo is also fully capable of playing left field.

Centerfield is where I’m truly not sure who the backup is. Christian Moore has worked at center field some this offseason but the junior moving to the outfield would leave some real questions in the middle infield.

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Former junior college transfer Colby Backus redshirted last season but impressed me more in the fall and in the preseason, particularly with his ability to play center field.

Freshman Holden Brauner did some impressive things defensively in the fall but Brauner as well as fellow freshman Jeremy Comer are more likely to be midweek guys in their debut college seasons.



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Alex Golesh hires former Tennessee analyst as Auburn’s coordinator

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Alex Golesh hires former Tennessee analyst as Auburn’s coordinator


Alex Golesh was introduced as Auburn’s head coach on Dec. 1. He served as Tennessee’s offensive coordinator and tight ends coach from 2021-22.

Golesh announced the hiring of Jacob Bronowski as Auburn’s special teams coordinator. He served as the Vols’ special teams analyst in 2021 under head coach Josh Heupel. Bronowski was also under Heupel at UCF in 2020 as special teams quality control.

“His track record is outstanding,” Golesh said of Bronowski. “He developed multiple national award contenders, including a Lou Groza Award winner, and has led some of the top special teams units in the country.

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“I saw up close when we worked together before that coach Bronowski understands that special teams can be a championship difference-maker, and he’s proven he can develop elite specialists. He brings exactly the attention to detail and relentless work ethic we need in our program.”

Auburn will play at Tennessee on Oct. 3, 2026.

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Tennessee football’s 2026 schedule complete with opponents, dates

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Tennessee football’s 2026 schedule complete with opponents, dates


Tennessee football will host Lane Kiffin, Alex Golesh and possibly Arch Manning at Neyland Stadium in the 2026 season.

UT’s opponents for the next four seasons were previously announced. On Dec. 11, the SEC released the dates of every conference game, providing the full picture of the 2026 schedule.

Game times and television designations will be announced later.

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Texas will make its first trip ever to Tennessee on Sept. 26. Manning, the Longhorns quarterback, is expected to return for the 2026 season rather than enter the NFL draft. If so, he’ll face the Vols on the home turf of his uncle, legendary quarterback Peyton Manning.

Golesh, the former UT offensive coordinator, is Auburn’s new coach. He will return to Knoxville for an Oct. 3 game.

Alabama will play at Tennessee on Oct. 17, continuing their Third Saturday in October rivalry game.

Kiffin, the polarizing former UT coach, is now coaching LSU after bolting Ole Miss after the regular season ended. He will return to Knoxville for a Nov. 21 game. Three of the five SEC teams visiting Neyland Stadium will have a first-year coach, including Kentucky’s Will Stein on Nov. 7.

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Tennessee will play Alabama, Kentucky and Vanderbilt as annual SEC opponents in the league’s new nine-game conference schedule. Its other six opponents will rotate each season. That means each school will play every SEC opponent home and away every four years.

Tennessee will have one open week on Oct. 31 and thus won’t play on Halloween.

Here is Tennessee’s week-to-week schedule for the 2026 season.

Tennessee football 2026 schedule

  • Sept. 5: Furman
  • Sept. 12: At Georgia Tech
  • Sept. 19: Kennesaw State
  • Sept. 26: Texas*
  • Oct. 3: Auburn*
  • Oct. 10: At Arkansas*
  • Oct. 17: Alabama*
  • Oct. 24: At South Carolina*
  • Oct. 31: Open
  • Nov. 7: Kentucky*
  • Nov. 14: At Texas A&M*
  • Nov. 21: LSU*
  • Nov. 28: At Vanderbilt*

*SEC game

Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.

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Dragos Cazacu signs with Tennessee

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Dragos Cazacu signs with Tennessee


Tennessee announced the signing of graduate student Dragos Cazacu on Wednesday. He is from Constanta, Romania.

“Dragos is someone we believe can translate all of his professional experience and success seamlessly to high level college tennis,” Tennessee associate head coach Matt Lucas said. “He’s a very mature young man who has finished university in Romania, so we know the type of student athlete we are getting. Winning ITF Pro Circuit titles, all while doing his degree back home shows he will transition nicely to Tennessee in January.”

Cazacu competed on the ATP Tour prior to Tennessee. His highest ranking was No. 763 in singles and No. 495 in doubles.

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Tennessee will begin its spring men’s tennis season versus ETSU on Jan. 9, 2026 at Goodfriend Tennis Center. SEC competition will begin Feb. 21, 2026 at Kentucky.

The Vols’ home opener in SEC play is scheduled for Feb. 27, 2026 versus Auburn at Goodfriend Tennis Center.

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