Three Tennessee Volunteers to watch against Florida
Hector
The Florida Gators will be on the road for their first SEC three-game weekend series of the 2025 season. The Gators will go up against the 2024 defending national champions and undefeated, Tennessee Volunteers.
The Tennessee Volunteers have one of the most dominant teams in college baseball this season. As a team, the Volunteers have the top-ranked offense in the SEC and the second-best offense in the country only behind UCF. They also have the lowest team ERA (1.83) in the nation. Here are three Tennessee Volunteers to watch against the Florida Gators.
2B Gavin Kilen
Junior middle infield Gavin Kilen was one of the top position players in the Transfer Portal last offseason. The Louisville transfer has made a major impact on Tennessee’s offense and could be a first round pick in the 2025 MLB Draft.
In the 2025 season, Kilen has started in all sixteen games. Kilen is slashing .463/.589/1.093 with 25 hits, four doubles, three triples, a team-high eight home runs, 22 RBIs, sixteen walks, five stolen bases, and a 1.682 OPS.
The Wisconsin native is viewed as one of the best bat-to-ball hitters in college baseball and could be a first round pick after the season. On MLB Pipeline, Kilen is the 28th-ranked prospect in the 2025 MLB Draft. One of his biggest strengths is his advanced approach at the plate. In the first sixteen games of the season, Kilen has only struck out three times (4.1 K%) and a 21.9% BB%.
2. LHP Liam Doyle
Another transfer the Volunteers landed in the Transfer Portal last offseason was junior left-handed pitcher Liam Doyle. The southpaw flamethrower is at his third program in three years (Coastal Carolina and Ole Miss) and has been one of the biggest breakout candidates this season. Baseball America has Doyle as the 52nd-ranked prospect in the 2025 MLB Draft.
In the 2025 season, Doyle has made four starts for the Volunteers. He has posted a 3-0 record with a 0.44 ERA, 0.54 WHIP, a .095 opponent batting average, 2.2 BB/9, and leads the nation in strikeouts with 47 and K/9 with 20.8.
On the mound, Doyle possesses a four-pitch mix, including his fastball, slider, cutter, and changeup. Doyle is a fastball-dominant pitcher as he uses it roughly 75% of the time and batters still aren’t touching it. Doyle has a good feel with his cutter that he’ll use once he gets ahead in the count versus right-handed hitters. His fastball sits 93-95 mph and has been clocked at 98 mph this spring with elite arm-side action on the ball acting like a sinker.
3. SS Dean Curley
Another potential first-rounder for the Tennessee Volunteers is shortstop Dean Curley. The draft-eligible sophomore was the only freshman hitter to start in Tennessee’s lineup which led them to a national championship.
In his sophomore season, Curley has started in all sixteen games. Curley is slashing .346/.521/.692 with eighteen hits, six home runs, sixteen RBIs, 25 runs scored, sixteen walks, and a 1.213 OPS.
The Golden State native is one of the most physically gifted players in college baseball. Curley is a very well-rounded hitter who crushed the fastball and can still do damage against off-speed pitches. He’s a good defensive shortstop with one of the strongest arms in the country. On Baseball America, Curley is the fourteenth-ranked prospect in the 2025 MLB Draft.
Hector
The Florida Gators will be on the road for their first SEC three-game weekend series of the 2025 season. The Gators will go up against the 2024 defending national champions and undefeated, Tennessee Volunteers.
The Tennessee Volunteers have one of the most dominant teams in college baseball this season. As a team, the Volunteers have the top-ranked offense in the SEC and the second-best offense in the country only behind UCF. They also have the lowest team ERA (1.83) in the nation. Here are three Tennessee Volunteers to watch against the Florida Gators.
2B Gavin Kilen
Junior middle infield Gavin Kilen was one of the top position players in the Transfer Portal last offseason. The Louisville transfer has made a major impact on Tennessee’s offense and could be a first round pick in the 2025 MLB Draft.
In the 2025 season, Kilen has started in all sixteen games. Kilen is slashing .463/.589/1.093 with 25 hits, four doubles, three triples, a team-high eight home runs, 22 RBIs, sixteen walks, five stolen bases, and a 1.682 OPS.
The Wisconsin native is viewed as one of the best bat-to-ball hitters in college baseball and could be a first round pick after the season. On MLB Pipeline, Kilen is the 28th-ranked prospect in the 2025 MLB Draft. One of his biggest strengths is his advanced approach at the plate. In the first sixteen games of the season, Kilen has only struck out three times (4.1 K%) and a 21.9% BB%.
2. LHP Liam Doyle
Another transfer the Volunteers landed in the Transfer Portal last offseason was junior left-handed pitcher Liam Doyle. The southpaw flamethrower is at his third program in three years (Coastal Carolina and Ole Miss) and has been one of the biggest breakout candidates this season. Baseball America has Doyle as the 52nd-ranked prospect in the 2025 MLB Draft.
In the 2025 season, Doyle has made four starts for the Volunteers. He has posted a 3-0 record with a 0.44 ERA, 0.54 WHIP, a .095 opponent batting average, 2.2 BB/9, and leads the nation in strikeouts with 47 and K/9 with 20.8.
On the mound, Doyle possesses a four-pitch mix, including his fastball, slider, cutter, and changeup. Doyle is a fastball-dominant pitcher as he uses it roughly 75% of the time and batters still aren’t touching it. Doyle has a good feel with his cutter that he’ll use once he gets ahead in the count versus right-handed hitters. His fastball sits 93-95 mph and has been clocked at 98 mph this spring with elite arm-side action on the ball acting like a sinker.
3. SS Dean Curley
Another potential first-rounder for the Tennessee Volunteers is shortstop Dean Curley. The draft-eligible sophomore was the only freshman hitter to start in Tennessee’s lineup which led them to a national championship.
In his sophomore season, Curley has started in all sixteen games. Curley is slashing .346/.521/.692 with eighteen hits, six home runs, sixteen RBIs, 25 runs scored, sixteen walks, and a 1.213 OPS.
The Golden State native is one of the most physically gifted players in college baseball. Curley is a very well-rounded hitter who crushed the fastball and can still do damage against off-speed pitches. He’s a good defensive shortstop with one of the strongest arms in the country. On Baseball America, Curley is the fourteenth-ranked prospect in the 2025 MLB Draft.
