LOOK: Tennessee pitcher logs 104 mph pitch against UNC Asheville

Tennessee pitcher Ben Joyce, who made his debut for the Volunteers just last week, is already the talk of the program, as he logged several 100-plus mph pitches, one of which topped out at 104 mph, according to a media member’s radar gun.

pic.twitter.com/OVakkLUvFO

— Preston Collins (@prestonbcollins) February 24, 2022

Joyce has appeared in relief for three contests this season, facing Georgia Southern, UNC Asheville and Iona. In total, Joyce has hurled 2.1 innings, allowing just one hit and no earned runs, while striking out four batters and walking none. Joyce’s first pitch on Sunday came in at 101 mph, and he only climbed up from there, reaching 102, 103 and 104 mph.

Joyce, a 6-foot-5, 225-pound right-handed pitcher from Knoxville, Tennessee, has already drawn attention from MLB media members for his insane velocity, which has already beat out every single MLB pitch thrown last season. Though Joyce is from Knoxville, the redshirt junior did not make his Tennessee debut until last weekend, in large part because he took the long route to SEC baseball — Joyce was ranked as the No. 81 player in Tennessee, according to Perfect Game, and he first topped 100 mph on a radar gun in high school, but he elected to attend Walters State Community College for two seasons. He shined at Walters State, enough to get the attention of Tennessee head coach Tony Vitello, who then recruited Joyce to join Tennessee in 2021.

Joyce, however, underwent Tommy John surgery around the time he first came to Tennessee, so he spent the 2021 season rehabbing. Turns out, Joyce was well worth the wait for Tennessee, which now has the hardest-throwing pitcher in the nation coming out of its bullpen. But according to Joyce, it was worth the wait for him, too, as he finally gets to fulfil his dream of playing for his hometown Volunteers.

“Getting out here with the crowd and the guys has been a really cool experience, a dream come true for me,” Joyce said last week, via Volquest. “You can throw as many pens as you want, but it’s not the same as being in actual games or being out there and kind of getting in-game experiences is really important. It’s been really cool to do it with the crowd here and everything.”

Joyce has more to work with than a speedy fastball. He also boasts an impressive changeup and slider, which he’s used as off-speed pitches to fool opposing batters.

“There’s not going to be one day where it’s just ‘bam,’ he knows exactly where to spot it against righties and lefties, but he does throw strikes because he has tremendous stuff. It’s going to be fun to be a part of his career and him figuring that stuff out,” Vitello said of Joyce. “I don’t know that there’s more than those two guys off the top of my head, but it’s abnormal (that Joyce can throw 100-plus mph)… (Joyce) is an abnormal kid, has an abnormal work ethic and fortunately he’s been blessed with abnormal stuff, too.”