Tennessee trio matches school record with 1st-round selections

ATLANTA – At the conclusion of Day 1 of the 2025 MLB Draft, University of Tennessee head coach Tony Vitello stood inside The Roxy building with one thing on his mind:

“I got to get out of this suit,” he said, “which is not natural for me.”

His mind was so preoccupied with changing out of his formal attire after spending over five hours as a guest analyst on MLB Network’s broadcast of the Draft that he hadn’t had a chance to soak in a milestone: Liam Doyle, Gavin Kilen and Andrew Fischer had all been drafted in the first round -- the most since 2007, tying a program record.

“It’s cause for an extra retreat for our coaching staff to get together and just celebrate,” Vitello said. “One thing those kids gotta realize is there’s a group of guys that probably helped each other. Whether it’s Liam and Marcus [Phillips] pushing each other, or Tanner Franklin’s playing-catch partner, I think there was a group of competitive and capable guys that all pushed each other a little bit.”

Another interesting tidbit — all three first-rounders had arrived in Knoxville by transfer.

“It’s interesting. We’re not the best place,” Vitello said. “I don’t know who is, and I don’t know how you decide that. … But I do think we’re a unique place. … The way we recruit is not sales pitchy. It’s just, find a match.”

They found a match in Doyle, who was MLB Pipeline’s No. 8-ranked Draft prospect and considered by many to be the second-best college pitcher behind third overall pick Kade Anderson. He was the first Volunteer off the board after the Cardinals took him at No. 5 -- making him the highest selection from Tennessee since Nick Senzel (No. 2 overall) in 2016, and the highest of the Vitello era. He’s also the third pitcher drafted in the first round under Vitello.

It’s easy to see why Doyle would warrant such pedigree. After transferring from Ole Miss ahead of last season, he set the Vols' single-season strikeout record (164) with a 40% whiff rate, a lot of which can be attributed to his fastball that sits in the mid-90s and peaks at 100 mph. Doyle finished 105 of his punchouts last season with the heater, leading all of Division I baseball.

During MLB Network’s Draft broadcast on Sunday night, Vitello mentioned that Doyle had lost 19 pounds of body fat after arriving in Knoxville, which helped him last longer in his outings and allowed him to throw more strikes as he got deeper into his pitch counts.

Kilen (Pipeline’s No. 21 overall prospect/No. 2 at 2B) was selected by the Giants with the 13th overall pick, marking the second straight year with multiple Vols as first-round picks. Kilen, a transfer from Louisville, established himself as one of the best hitters in the SEC by slashing .357/.441/.671. That production, paired with his 15 home runs, helped Kilen become a first-team All-American by both Perfect Game and Baseball America.

After originally being drafted by the Red Sox in the 13th round out of high school in 2022, Kilen showed steady improvement in every year of his college career -- his OPS jumped from .659 as a freshman to .952 as a sophomore at Louisville to 1.112 as a junior at Tennessee.

Then, there’s Fischer, who has drawn Max Muncy comparisons as a left-handed hitter with a big frame (6-foot-1, 210 lbs.) and his mix of power (25 home runs -- third in DI) and discipline at the plate (63 walks -- fourth in DI). He was drafted 20th overall by the Brewers as a third baseman, but mainly played first base with the Vols due to his lack of speed and below-average arm strength, and has played some second base as well.

All three transfers not only produced at Tennessee, they improved and skyrocketed up the Draft boards in some cases. Vitello attributes this to his support staff.

“Our coaches do a really good job of looking after our guys as people, not just players,” he said. “When there’s that extra trust and bond, those kids are more willing to listen and more wiling to work. … And then, it takes two to tango. Those guys have to do the work and take advantage of the resources they have.”

It didn't end there for the Volunteers. Right-hander Phillips was drafted in Competitive Balance Round A, and righty A.J. Russell and shortstop Dean Curley were drafted in the second round. Tanner Franklin was selected in Competitive Balance Round B and righty Nate Snead went in Supplemental Round 3, capping off night one with eight Volunteers hearing their names called.