Oak Ridge star Michael Teasley details commitment to hometown Vols

The Third Saturday in October was a big day on Rocky Top and not just because the Tennessee football team defeated rival Alabama. 2026 right-handed pitcher Michael Teasley was on-hand with several other key baseball official visitors to see what this Volunteer fanbase had to offer.

It was impressive. So impressive, in fact, that Teasley went ahead and committed to the national champion baseball program on Sunday afternoon.

“Tony Vitello loved it,” Teasley told Volquest on how the staff reacted. “He jumped up, clapped his hands and got all excited about it.”

Obviously, the football game environment itself wasn’t the only reason the 2026 right-handed pitcher and third baseman chose to attend Tennessee. For starters, it’s right down the road from Oak Ridge High School where Teasley is gearing up for his junior season this spring.

“I was definitely excited and for my family, they were more excited than I was,” the commit smiled. “So, they loved it, and they love that I’m staying home. I love that I’m staying home.

“My family is also going to be there to support [me] and that was one thing that was big on my decision.”

Teasley ranks as the No. 31 player in the class according to Perfect Game and chose the Volunteers after visits to LSU, Arizona, Arizona State and others.

“[The] fastball has been up to 95 [mph], but normally I’m sitting around the 91 to 93 mark,” Teasley said. “Off-speed wise I go slider, curveball and a changeup. The changeup is like an 8-to-10 mile per hour difference and the same with the slider and curveball. The spin rates on the curveball is 3,000. And then slider is like 22-2,300.”

The new Tennessee baseball commit, who has two more seasons of high school left to play, stands in at 6-foot-0 and weighs around 190 pounds. He’s been a part of several Perfect Game showcases over the years, including All-American and All-Star events.

“I’ve been a big Tennessee fan. I’ve been paying attention a lot,” Teasley said. “Every College World Series Game, I was able to watch, even when I was playing [over the summer]. So, I mean, I’ve been supporting him for a while now.”

Not only is the athlete a standout pitcher but he can also play the field. That ability to start as a two-way player was important throughout his recruiting process and something he’ll get the opportunity to attempt.

“I have great footwork and glove work, but also, I can play a little mixture of outfield, first base and shortstop,” Teasley said. “So, mainly I can be used anywhere that they need me to [play].”

Though it’s not in the immediate future, Teasley will absolutely have professional opportunities during the summer draft in 2026. It will be something, of course, he and his family give thoughts to, but the opportunity to play for the Tennessee baseball program will be hard to turn down in the end.   

“Now with NIL, I get to develop and get paid for it. So, on top of that, I get a great coaching staff that would get me a higher draft stock or anything like that,” Teasley explained as positives if he chooses school. “And then, of course, the atmosphere around Tennessee sports and the fan base behind it. I would also say [being around] teammates really.”

Teasley joined a star studded visitor list this past weekend on Rocky Top, one that included top-10 rated prospect (‘25) Kruz Schoolcraft and the top-two way player in Texas, (’26) Cole Koeninger. Fellow right-handed pitcher Kai Bratton, who was also on an official visit last weekend, committed to Vitello’s program Tuesday night.

In the end, the local standout knew this was his time and he wanted to bring the focus back on the present.

“Honestly, I’ve been like in shock,” the commit concluded about his decision. “It just feels good, too, because the reason why I wanted to commit so soon after my visits was because I wanted to get the stress off of me during high school season.

“The support from the fanbase is – it’s been crazy and I really, really enjoy that.”