Tennessee Baseball Loses Pitching Stalwart to Transfer Portal โ How It Impacts 2025 Rotation
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. โ The Tennessee Volunteers, fresh off a stellar 2025 campaign, have hit a snag as veteran left-handed pitcher Dylan Loy enters the transfer portal, leaving a notable hole in an otherwise experienced pitching staff.
According to Rocky Top Insider, Tennesseeโs transfer window has seen nine pitchers enter the portal, but only a few were significant contributors. Among them, Loy, along with Andrew Behnke and Austin Breedlove, led the way in playing time and impact on the mound last season .
Loyโs departure is the most concerning. He delivered 20 innings in SEC play, showcasing a reliable mix of lefty command and situational effectivenessโqualities often tough to replace. Behnke and Breedlove offered rotational depth, but Loyโs consistency and innings total gave him a unique value .
Despite these losses, Tennessee isnโt starting from scratch. Head coach TonyโฏVitello and his staff anticipated such departures and proactively added talent via the portal. The Vols have already secured three D-I pitching transfers and a JUCO arm, plus bolstering the position with the return of notable prospects .
While On3 ranks Henry Ford as the No.โฏ1 positionโplayer transfer, Tennesseeโs key priority remains pitching reinforcementsโespecially to compensate for departures like Loyโs . The challenge now? Ensuring new arrivals can transition seamlessly into SEC competition.
With the MLB Draft looming, Tennessee still risks losing more arms. However, Vitelloโs aggressive portal strategy and depth of high-upside recruits provide a buffer. The church-clock rotation may need recalibrationโbut the groundwork is already in motion .
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Key Takeaways:
Dylan Loy, a key left-hander with SEC experience, is transferring outโleaving a void in the rotation.
Behnke and Breedlove depart too, but their roles were less central.
Tennessee has responded with multiple portal additions and strong recruiting, aiming to maintain its championship-caliber pitching.
With further departures possible via the MLB Draft, Coach Vitelloโs roster strategy will be testedโbut the Vols seem ready to recalibrate and reload.
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