Tennessee boasts five of D1 Baseball’s Top-130 Transfers

Like it or not, the transfer portal is here to stay across the board in college athletics and the Tennessee Vols baseball, under head coach Tony Vitello, have once again won the offseason by adding five of D1 Baseball’s Top-130 transfers from across the country.

The program lauded three of the top-130 transfers last offseason by the publication as Maui Ahuna, Griffin Merritt and Zane Denton all went on to play pivotal roles for the Volunteers in their second trip to Omaha for the College World Series in three seasons.

This go-around, former NC State slugger Cannon Peebles checked in at No. 5 and was followed by Clemson transfer Billy Amick at No. 7 – highlighting a pair of new Vols inside the top-10. One-time Wichita State flamethrower Nate Snead was next in line at No. 18 while Former Missouri designated-hitter Dalton Bargo and Jacksonville State hurler AJ Causey rounded out the Tennessee representatives at No. 41 and No. 72, respectively.   

FIVE of @d1baseball’s top 130 transfers found their new home on Rocky Top this summer.#GBO // #OTH pic.twitter.com/GhqDUPRxc1

— Tennessee Baseball (@Vol_Baseball) October 2, 2023

No. 5 – C Cannon Peebles (NC State)

Peebles spent one season in Raleigh, N.C. after coming in from Ashland, Va. The switch hitter logged 30 starts as the club’s designated hitter and nine more behind the plate as his natural position is at catcher.

As an NCBWA First Team Freshman All-American and member of the All-ACC Freshman Team, Peebles led the Wolfpack with a .352 batting average, .697 slugging percentage and .456 on-base percentage. He tied for the team-high of 50 RBI and was second with 12 home runs over just 142 at-bats.

Peebles notched 13 multi-hit contests with 11 multi-RBI games and registered a stellar stat line against NJIT on March 4 where he went 6-for-6 with three doubles, two home runs, two runs scored and 10 RBI. The slugger picked up Collegiate Baseball Newspaper National Player of the Week honors following the game, as well as earning the Golden Spikes National Performance of the Week accolades.  

From D1 Baseball: The Volunteers did yet another fine job in the transfer portal by landing a few standouts, namely Amick and the hard-hitting Peebles. Peebles is as 6-foot, 198-pounder, who finished last season with a .352 average, 11 doubles, 12 homers and 50 RBIs for the Wolfpack. He also had an OPS of 1.153 and showed good plate discipline with almost an equal number of walks and strikeouts. 

No. 7 – 3B Billy Amick (Clemson)

Over the course of a breakout sophomore campaign in 2023 for Clemson, Amick racked up All-American honors from Collegiate Baseball, NCBWA and Perfect Game after leading the Tigers with a .413 batting average, 17 doubles, .464 on-base percentage and a .772 slugging percentage. He was second on the squad with 13 home runs and 63 RBI and committed only three errors defensively.

Aside from the All-American honors, Amick was named first-Team All-ACC for his efforts this past season. He’s currently competing for the Hyannis Harbor Hawks of the Cape Cod League, where he is hitting north of .360 with nearly 50 plate-appearances.

Amick was 1-for-3 against the Volunteers in the thrilling 6-5 Tennessee win in 14 innings over Clemson in regional play. Tennessee made the slugger a priority when he entered the transfer portal on June 16 and the Vols impressed while he was on a visit in Knoxville last week.

With another power bat added to the fold for 2024, Amick will be expected to compete for at-bats in the Volunteers lineup. He has versatility in his game and is a reliable option at first base with Blake Burke. He will also be an option at third base and can play some second base if needed.

From D1 Baseball: The talented 6-foot-1, 220-pounder, was one of the hottest hitters in college baseball throughout last season and is headed to Knoxville with a full head of steam. Amick announced his presence in a big way as a sophomore last season, hitting .413 with 17 doubles, two triples, 13 homers and 63 RBIs, while also tallying a very impressive 1.236 OPS. 

 No. 18 – RHP Nate Snead (Wichita State)  

The 6-foot-2, 200-pound right-handed pitcher came out of the bullpen for the Shockers this past season as a true freshman, making 24 appearances with one start. Snead has a fastball that reached triple digits this past season and one that enabled him to strike out 53 batters with just 17 walks over 42.2 innings pitched. Opponents hit .230 against him as he finished the campaign with a 1-2 record and 3.16 ERA.

The South Milwaukee, Wis. native was named to the All-Freshman Team for the American Athletic Conference this past season and he’ll have three years of eligibility remaining where he could start or come out of the bullpen for the Vols. The freshman also logged three saves on the year.  

From D1 Baseball: Ironically, Snead very much fits the profile velocity-wise of another Wichita State pitching transfer in Austin Henry, who now calls Oklahoma his home. Snead, a 6-foot-2, 200-pounder, worked in 24 games for the Shockers last season, striking out 53 and walking 16 in 42.2 innings of work. He’s just scratching the surface of his potential, though, as he possesses a fastball with an average velocity of 94.2 mph, per our partners at Synergy. He also has a low-to-mid 80s slider with a 31% chase rate to go with a changeup with an average velocity of 87.2 mph.

No. 41 – C Dalton Bargo (Missouri)   

Bargo played his freshman season with the Tigers in 2023, primarily as the club’s designated hitter. The 6-foot-1, 200 pound slugger hit for a .279 average over 165 at-bats with five home runs and 23 RBI. The left-handed hitter totaled 46 hits with six doubles and 25 runs scored on the year. He struck out 44 times while walking another 19 times.

Against Tennessee early on in the 2023 Southeastern Conference schedule, Bargo collected four hits over three games with a double and a home run. Frank Anderson made notice of the Appalachian League All-Star this summer. He will be a versatile option for the Vols this spring behind the plate, corner infield, as the DH or even left field.

From D1 Baseball: Bargo is yet another solid addition out of the transfer portal for the Volunteers. The 6-foot-1, 195-pounder, hit .279 with five homers and 23 RBIs for the Tigers last season. This past summer, he competed at the MLB Draft League, where he showed a quiet setup with a smooth stroke and a very low strikeout rate. 

No. 72 – RHP AJ Causey (Jacksonville State)

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. He’ll be a starting option for the Vols but most likely will be used out of the bullpen.

From D1 Baseball: Causey was a two-way player for the Gamecocks last season, but he’s expected to pitch for the Volunteers in the spring. The talented 6-foot-3, 200-pounder, has a ton of upside with a very talented arm. Last season, he showed good command and struck out 89 batters in 76 innings of work.