Tennessee’s Tony Vitello sheds light on weekend rotation ahead of Opening Day

The reigning national champions begin a new chapter this weekend as the 2025 Tennessee baseball team readies for another season. One of the big questions marks entering the new campaign resides in the starting rotation.

What will it look like this weekend and how could that alter as the early season progresses? Tennessee skipper Tony Vitello addressed the inquiry on Tuesday while speaking to the media. There’s a clear direction at the top of the rotation.

““Liam [Doyle] will start on Friday and then Marcus Phillips will start on Saturday. We will not announce our Sunday starter – kind of how we’ve done it,” the coach said of his weekend plans. “Drew Beam stands out because he kind of, not accidentally, it was last minute decision to start on Sunday his freshman year opening weekend and [he] never relinquish that. So, going into opening weekend with these pitch counts being the way they are, we want to have everyone available and focused on winning opening day or winning on Friday, and then worry about the rest of the weekend. Having said that, you’d like to give someone like Marcus [Phillips] the just do of preparing properly and not sitting there all Friday waiting to go in the game when he’s actually the starter the next day.”

Doyle’s stats last year aren’t pretty but his 72/18 SO/BB ratio sure is. He’s added some velocity from the left side and was sitting in the mid-90s in fall. The southpaw also dropped about 20 pounds in the fall from when he signed with Tennessee. Doyle has pitched in this league and knows what it is all about. He also had a stellar fall and winter on the mound and was lights out during the Pizza Series.

Phillips could be a force if it all comes together. He’s got starter and stopper (bullpen) potential, but is still searching for better control of his command. The right-handed pitcher obviously leaves preseason camp feeling good about himself with a pair of stellar outing his last two appearances. Tennessee may strike while the iron is hot in the rotation.

“More mature, more under control. The self belief is more real,” Vitello said of Phillips. “I think last year we went through ups and downs of, it was there, then it wasn’t there. And then sometimes it was trying too hard to be somebody he’s not. He dang near started a fight one game, which, fortunately, we won. We were able to joke about it in the outfield, but I think a lot of it was just him searching for that formula of what’s the best version of himself.” 

Nate Snead will do whatever is asked of him by the staff, as last season indicated. The flame-throwing righty can be one of the best back-of-the-bullpen, or closer, arms in all of college baseball, but he can also act as a stopper in bridge innings or even start/piggyback games. He very well could begin the year doing much of the latter, just as he did with Zander Sechrist to begin the 2024 season and with Marcus Phillips this past weekend. Snead also makes a lot of sense to start opening weekend as he is a known commodity for the staff.  

Dylan Loy is another Swiss Army knife, coming off a stellar freshman campaign. He could be in line to help start games this season (like he did in the Pizza Series) but is best used as a multi-appearance guy out of the bullpen each weekend. A great comparison here, in terms of usage, could be fellow lefty Kirby Connell. Still, the sophomore could be asked to help start or even open ballgames to begin the year, like he did this past Sunday in the Pizza Series.

Brandon Arvidson, who began his collegiate stint at Texas A&M, could start games if needed. The lefty JUCO transfer turned down offers in the draft to play at Tennessee. He got some work in as a start this past weekend in the Pizza Series after being limited some in fall. A season ago at San Jacinto, Arvidson compiled a 4-3 record and 3.84 ERA over 61.0 innings pitched with 108 strikeouts to 47 walks.

Freshman Tegan Kuhns, who really impressed over fall and in the preseason work, is also in consideration for starting innings. He, however, was limited to just one bullpen inning of work over the weekend.

“But to me, a guy like Tegan at this point and some of those other guys too, it’s more about them being physically fresh and ready to go out there,” Vitello concluded. “We know who those guys are. And Tegan has been in a ton of different situations. I know he’ll be confident when he pitches. So really, it’s about making sure they’re good physically going into that weekend and no reason to crash and burn those guys or utilize them too much last weekend.”

Tennessee begins the 2025 season this Friday with a 4:30 p.m. ET first pitch against Hofstra from Lindsey Nelson Stadium. Catch up on the latest renovations updates to Lindsey Nelson Stadium HERE and find out what fans should know about the ballpark before arriving this weekend.