JEFFERSON COUNTY, Tennessee — Kennesaw State pitcher Tanner Franklin committed to Tennessee baseball after sharing the news on his Instagram Tuesday afternoon.
Franklin is an East Tennessee native who played high school baseball at Jefferson County.
In his sophomore season at Kennesaw State, he made 21 appearances and one start on the mound with a 4-1 record and five saves. He posted a 5.60 ERA, striking out 43 batters in 27.1 innings of play.
Franklin is the first player the Vols have landed this offseason. Head coach Tony Vitello will look to rebuild Tennessee's pitching staff as the team is expected to lose several impressive arms, including graduate student Kirby Connell, senior Zander Sechrist and Chris Stamos, who are all out of eligibility.
Other pitchers, such as Drew Beam, will likely move up to the pro level after the Vols clinched their first national title in program history.
