Tennessee picks up transfer portal commitment from pitcher AJ Causey
Fresh off an Omaha run that saw the 2023 Tennessee baseball team play in the College World Series, Tony Vitello and frank Anderson are already hard at work making additions to the roster for 2024. On Friday, AJ Causey was added to the mix as he made his announcement on Instagram.
The right-handed pitcher, who competed at Jacksonville State his first two collegiate seasons, entered the transfer portal shortly after the conclusion of the 2023 slate and has made his commitment to the University of Tennessee today. He’ll have two years of eligibility remaining.
This past season as a Friday night starter, Causey went 5-2 on the bump with a 5.07 ERA. The righty logged 76. 1 innings and struck out 89 batters while walking 23. Causey appeared in 15 games with 14 starts and registered a 1.37 WHIP.
As a freshman in 2022, Causey appeared in 22 games and made one start, finishing with a 4-4 record and a 2.61 ERA. He later played for the Falmouth Commodores of the Cape Cod League that summer where he pitched in four games logging four innings. He’s back with the same team this summer.
The athlete has also recorded 55 at-bats over two years at the college level, registering 16 hits, five doubles, one home run and 17 RBI.
Causey becomes Tennessee’s first addition from the transfer portal this offseason. The window opened on May 30 and remains open for 45 days until July 13. So far, the Vols have lost five players to the portal, a list that includes pitchers Jake Fitzgibbons, Jacob Bimbi, Shawn Scott, Turner Swistak and outfielder Alex Stanwhich.
Last offseason, Tennessee was active in the transfer portal by adding key components to the roster who would go on to compete in the College World Series. Those players included shortstop Maui Ahuna, third baseman Zane Denton, outfielder Griffin Merritt and pitcher Andrew Lindsey.
