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Hurlers Chase Dollander, Andrew Lindsey ink MLB deals

On3 imageby:Eric Cain•07/17/23•

_Cainer

Tennessee Baseball Chase Dollander
Tennessee baseball pitcher Chase Dollander (Tennessee Athletics)

Tennessee starting pitchers Chase Dollander and Andrew Lindsey have come to agreements with the Rockies and Marlins, respectively, after being selected in last week’s Major League Baseball Draft.

Dollander was taken ninth-overall by the Colorado Rockies and signs for the full-slot value of $5,716,900 according to Jim Callis of MLB.com. The writer has also reported that Lindsey inked with the Marlins as a fifth-round pick for $340,000 whereas the slot value was $429,400. Both are right-handed pitchers.

Starting his career at Georgia Southern, Dollander became the highest-drafted Tennessee pitcher since Luke Hochevar went No. 1 overall to the Kansas City Royals in 2006. It’s worth noting, Hochevar’s final season in the Orange & White was in 2005 and he was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers at 40th overall. The two sides couldn’t come to a contractual agreement and Hochevar pitched Independent League ball in 2006 before entering the draft again. 

Garrett Crochet was selected by the Chicago White Sox just a few slots behind Dollander at No. 11 in the 2020 MLB Draft. Dollander is now the highest Tennessee selection since Nick Senzel went No. 2 overall to the Cincinnati Reds in 2016.  

Dollander entered the 2023 campaign as arguably the best pitcher in the college game. His stuff is still considered some of the best in the draft, but he took a step back (stats wise) as a junior on Rocky Top. The righty went 10-0 with a 2.39 ERA after transferring in from Georgia Southern in 2022. This past spring, the starter went 7-6 with a 4.75 ERA, striking out 120 batters over 89 innings pitched.

Lindsey had one of the more interesting stories in the draft class. He pitched for Charlotte in 2021 and then briefly retired from the game in 2022. Playing summer ball in Kingsport with the Axmen in 2022, Frank Anderson and Tony Vitello brought him to Knoxville knowing he could fit a variety of roles. Midway through the season, the bullpen arm moved to Friday nights and that change helped alter the season turnaround. Lindsey picked up a third-team All-American honor following a season where he went 3-4 with a 2.90 ERA over 21 appearances with nine starts. He struck out 73 batters and walked 19 over 71.1 innings pitched.

With eight Vols drafted last week, Vitello’s count now sits at 35 for players who have heard their names called on the grand stage. Tennessee has sported 25 draft picks in the last three drafts alone with at least seven selections in each.

The showing of eight draft picks this year was second-highest in the Southeastern Conference, trailing only LSU who had 13. The eight selections ties the second-highest number of Volunteers taken in a single draft and the six pitchers drafted is a program-record, surpassing both the 1992 and 1996 draft classes who sported five pitchers taken.

Callis also reported pitcher Bryce Jenkins – who was drafted by the Mets in the 17th round – signed for $180,000.

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