Tony Vitello updates the injury status of Cannon Peebles, Andrew Fischer

When Tennessee baseball skipper Tony Vitello met with members of the media Tuesday morning ahead of the season-opener against Hofstra on Friday, the eighth-year head coach gave an injury update on two key starters for the Volunteers.  

Vitello said both catcher Cannon Peebles and infielder Andrew Fischer will be available to play as Tennessee kicks off a new season this weekend.

“Yes. 100%. Especially if you ask them,” the skipper answered when asking for confirmation that the duo would be available to play against Hofstra.

Peebles has been limited the entire preseason since the team returned to campus mid-January. The switch-hitting junior has been hitting – acting as the designated hitter most days on his intrasquad lineup – but has not seen much action defensively behind the plate.

Vitello initially called the setback ‘soreness’ after Peebles ‘came back like a ball of fire’ following a brief illness. Still, Peebles has looked good at the plate, producing several run-scoring hits throughout preseason practices and scrimmages.

If Peebles isn’t healthy enough to catch for the Volunteers, he is likely to be the club’s designated hitter. Redshirt freshman Stone Lawless, who has hit the ball extremely well in preseason, or junior Dalton Bargo would likely handle the catching duties in his absence.  

“Those guys are good. Same thing. I guess the one thing where I do butt in on the trainer example is once the docs or Woody (trainer Jeff Wood) clear a guy, and then it’s up to the coaching staff how much they want to do with a guy or not, and whether it’s Blade Tidwell or Garrett Crochet,” Vitello continued. “Most competitors, once they get the go-ahead and they feel good mentally about where they’re at physically, they want to go from zero to 60. And I’m not necessarily a big fan of that which has made some players angry with me, but I truly am looking out for their own good.

“Again, I like winning more than I like losing, but one of the things that’s tormented me more than any loss we’ve had here is I think being too aggressive with one of our players in the past. And I don’t want that on my conscience. We got to look out for those guys. And I do think there’s a building up phase not just with a pitcher, but with a position player, so both those guys can throw and swing, but whether we’re going to ask them to play all nine innings for three days in a row in non ideal temperatures, that’s probably not going to happen.”

Fischer, who transferred to Tennessee this summer after blasting 20 home runs with Ole Miss in 2024, has also been limited in preseason with what sources described to Volquest  as a ‘minor shoulder tweak.’ Still, the projected starting third baseman for the Big Orange has gotten some work in lately and has even been appearing in scrimmages at first base.

It’s possible Fischer could begin the campaign across the diamond at first base while he continues to get back to full strength.

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.