University of Tennessee Athletics
Photo by: Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics
Tennessee Baseball 2020 Position Preview: Catchers & Infielders
February 14, 2020 | Baseball
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The 2020 baseball season starts today! Â
Today we will look at the final position group in our preseason position preview series, catchers and infielders.
The Big Orange return Landon Gray and Connor Pavolony behind the plate, who combined to catch every game for UT last season.
On the infield, the Vols will have to replace two starters in third baseman Andre Lipcius and shortstop Ricky Martinez, who both left school early after being selected in the 2019 MLB Draft.
Lipcius was taken in the third round by the Detroit Tigers, becoming the highest drafted player from Tennessee since Nick Senzel went No. 2 overall back in 2016. Lipcius was UT's most productive offensive player last season, leading the team with 73 hits, 17 home runs, 58 RBI and 139 total bases.
Martinez was taken in the 18th round by the Arizona Diamondbacks after proving to be one of the top defensive shortstops in the SEC last season. Martinez also had a solid year at the plate, batting .279 with 62 hits, 36 runs, 28 RBI, 11 stolen bases and a team-high 18 doubles.
Despite losing two key players in Lipcius and Martinez, Tennessee returns a handful of talented players and added a solid group a newcomers to help fill the void and create a lot of competition at all four infield positions.
Learn more about UT's catchers and infielders below.
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CATCHERS
Returners (Listed Numerically)
#17 Connor Pavolony – Sophomore – 6-1 / 190 – Woodstock, Ga.
Career Stats (1 Season): 44 GP, 34 GS, .228 AVG, 101 AB, 20 R, 23 H, 6 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 17 RBI, .366 SLG, 22 BB, 27 K, .391 OBP, 278 PO, 41 A, 2 E, .994 FLD%
Pavolony split time with Landon Gray behind the plate as a freshman in 2019 and showed flashes of his potential throughout the year. The Woodstock, Georgia native, started 34 of the team's 61 games, committing just two errors and throwing out 12 runners on stolen base attempts. Pavolony hit a grand slam in UT's 10-3 win over UNC Wilmington to help power the Vols to their first NCAA Tournament victory since 2005 and was named to the SEC Spring Academic Honor Roll. Look for Pavolony to continue to improve defensively and take the next step as a hitter this season.
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#19 Landon Gray – Senior – 6-0 / 201 – Granbury, Texas
Career Stats (1 Season): 39 GP, 27 GS, .163 AVG, 86 AB, 5 R, 14 H, 3 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 11 RBI, .326 SLG, 8 BB, 25 K, .245 OBP, 252 PO, 26 A, 3 E, .989 FLD%
Gray joined the Vols prior to the 2019 season after two stellar years at Weatherford College in Texas. The Granbury, Texas native, split time with Pavolony behind the dish, where he was a steady performer for the Big Orange. Gray threw out five attempted base stealers and only allowed two passed balls last season while appearing in 39 games. The senior backstop also hit three home runs in 2019 and will look to build off a solid summer season where he showed off his improved power by hitting seven home runs and leading the Westhampton Aviators to the Hamptons League title. Gray was also named to the SEC Spring Academic Honor Roll last year.
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INFIELDERS
Returners (Listed Numerically)
#2 Max Ferguson – Sophomore– 6-1 / 180 – Atlantic Beach, Fla.
Career Stats (1 Season): 34 GP, 23 GS, .231 AVG, 78 AB, 11 R, 18 H, 1 2B, 1 3B, 9 RBI, .269 SLG, 19 BB, 14 K, .390 OBP, 4 SB, 29 A, 1 E, .995 FLD%
Ferguson is expected to be one of the Vols most improved players this season after showing off his potential as a freshman in 2019. The Florida native could see time at both first and second base this season after spending the majority of his time at first base a year ago before sustaining an injury against Kentucky that cut his season short. Ferguson is one of the most athletic players on the team and should see a significant uptick in his offensive numbers this year after an entire offseason in the weight room. He was one of Tennessee's most impressive players during the fall and has carried that momentum into the spring. Ferguson was also named to the SEC Spring Academic Honor Roll last year.
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#7 Jake Rucker – Sophomore– 6-1 / 185 – Greenbrier, Tenn.
Career Stats (1 Season): 61 GP, 54 GS, .273 AVG, 183 AB, 26 R, 50 H, 10 2B, 1 3B, 28 RBI, .339 SLG, 21 BB, 28 K, .358 OBP, 3 SB, 123 A, 5 E, .977 FLD%
Rucker led all Tennessee freshmen in games played and games started last season. He also led UT freshmen in batting average, runs, hits, RBI and total bases in 2019. The Greenbrier, Tennessee native, had a handful of big hits as a freshman last year, including the eventual game-winning RBI single in the 10th inning of an NCAA regional elimination game against Liberty. Rucker should be a staple in UT's infield again this season with the ability to play second, third and shortstop.
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#10 Pete Derkay – Senior– 5-10 / 215 – Acworth, Ga.
Career Stats (3 Seasons): 158 GP, 139 GS, .259 AVG, 463 AB, 60 R, 120 H, 26 2B, 3 3B, 4 HR, 71 RBI, .354 SLG, 98 BB, 75 K, .404 OBP, 6 SB, 790 PO, 88 A, 6 E, .993 FLD%
Derkay returns for his senior season as the most experienced player on Tennessee's roster with 158 games played and 139 games started throughout his collegiate career. With injuries to Luc Lipcius and Ferguson, Derkay took over the starting job at first base during the second half of last season and proved to be a consistent performer in the field and at the plate. The Acworth, Georgia native, committed just one error in 2019 and also hit a career-best three home runs while scoring 17 runs and racking up 21 RBI in 51 games played (34 starts). Derkay can also play catcher and is a three-time SEC Spring Academic Honor Roll selection. Entering this season, Derkay is tied for eighth all-time at UT in career walks and would move into program's top-10 list for career games played with 30 more appearances.
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#14 Austin Knight – Sophomore– 6-1 / 170 – Jacksonville, Fla.
Career Stats (1 Season): 15 GP, 1 GS, .083 AVG, 12 AB, 5 R, 1 RBI, .083 SLG, 5 BB, 2 K, .333 OBP, 1 SB, 2 A, 0 E, 1.000 FLD%
Knight is expected to make a big leap this season and is battling for a starting spot on the Vols infield after playing sparingly as a freshman in 2019. The sophomore from Jacksonville, Florida has the ability to play all four positions on the infield and has become a much-improved hitter this offseason. Knight had a solid summer showing in the Northwoods League, where he batted .314 with 28 runs, 17 RBI and 13 stolen bases in 32 games played for the Kalamazoo Growlers.
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#21 Trey Lipscomb – Sophomore– 6-1 / 190 – Frederick, Md.
Career Stats (1 Season): 12 GP, 1 GS, .071 AVG, 14 AB, 1 H, 1 2B, 1 RBI, .143 SLG, 2 K, .071 OBP, 3 A, 0 E, 1.000 FLD%
Much like Knight, Trey Lipscomb is looking to take a big step forward this season after seeing limited playing time as a freshman in 2019. The Frederick, Maryland native, had a huge summer playing in the California Collegiate League and Cape Cod League. Between the two leagues, Lipscomb batted .341 and totaled 31 hits, 16 runs and 13 RBI in 26 games played. Lipscomb could see time at either first or third base this season for the Big Orange.
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#40 Luc Lipcius – Redshirt Junior– 6-2 / 208 – Williamsburg, Va.
Career Stats (3 Seasons): 69 GP, 40 GS, .264 AVG, 159 AB, 27 R, 42 H, 7 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 22 RBI, .409 SLG, 26 BB, 34 K, .380 OBP, 4 SB, 200 PO, 20 A, 3 E, .987 FLD%
Lipcius got off to a red-hot start in 2019 and set career highs in runs (15), doubles (four), triples (two), home runs (three), RBI (14) and walks (10), despite playing in only 16 games due to injury. The Williamsburg, Virginia native, and twin brother of former Tennessee standout Andre Lipcius was the Vols' starting first baseman to start last season and had a slash line of .347/.459/.694 before going down with a foot injury. Lipcius will once again be in the mix at first base this season.
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Newcomers (Listed Numerically)
#4 Liam Spence – Junior – 6-1 / 170 – Geelong, Australia
Spence comes to Tennessee from Central Arizona College, where he helped lead the Vaqueros to the NJCAA Division I National Championship in 2019. The native Australian was named to the NJCAA College World Series All-Star Team after racking up nine hits, nine runs and five RBI over the Vaqueros' six-game run to the title. During his two-year stint at Central Arizona, Spence put up huge numbers, batting .363 while totaling 111 hits, 106 runs, 26 doubles, nine home runs, 61 RBI and 26 stolen bases. In 2019, Spence ranked third on the team with a .326 batting average and also finished fourth on the team with six homers despite playing in just 38 games. He also scored 38 runs and had 28 RBI. Spence will be among a handful of players competing for spots at the middle infield positions.
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#13 Cortland Lawson – Freshman – 6-2 / 185 – Potomac Falls, Va.
Lawson was a star player at Dominion High School in 2019 after playing his first three seasons of prep ball at Paul VI Catholic High School in Virginia. The Potomac Falls, Virginia native, was the No. 280 rated player in the country and No. 2 rated player in the state of Virginia coming out of high school by Perfect Game. Lawson was a three-time Perfect Game Preseason All-American (2017-19) and participated in the 2017 PG Underclass All-American Games and the 2017 and 2018 PG National Showcase. Lawson was an All-Dulles District first team selection as a senior and earned All-Washington Catholic Athletic Conference honors as a junior after helping lead Paul VI Catholic to a 24-7 record and an appearance in the 2018 VISAA state semifinals. Lawson also played for the Evoshield Canes National travel ball team that won the World Wood Bat Championship in Jupiter, Florida.
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#30 Ethan Payne – Freshman – 6-2 / 200 – Memphis, Tenn.
An in-state product out of Memphis, Payne was a four-year letterman at Germantown High School and the No. 26 rated player in the state of Tennessee by Perfect Game. He was named to the Memphis Commercial Appeal All-Metro second team as a senior in 2019 and earned second-team All-Metro honors as a junior in 2018. Payne was the Shelby County Interscholastic Athletic Association (SCIAA) MVP as a sophomore in 2017 after helping lead Germantown to the SCIAA AAA Baseball Championship. In club ball, Payne was a three-time Perfect Game All-Tournament Team selection and helped lead eXposure 18U Prime to the 2019 Perfect Game 18U Peach State Championship. Payne was also a standout on Germantown's football team, leading the program to a 23-2 record and a pair of Region 8-6A titles as the starting quarterback in 2017 and 2018. He was a first-team All-Region selection as a junior after leading Germantown to an 11-1 record.
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Today we will look at the final position group in our preseason position preview series, catchers and infielders.
The Big Orange return Landon Gray and Connor Pavolony behind the plate, who combined to catch every game for UT last season.
On the infield, the Vols will have to replace two starters in third baseman Andre Lipcius and shortstop Ricky Martinez, who both left school early after being selected in the 2019 MLB Draft.
Lipcius was taken in the third round by the Detroit Tigers, becoming the highest drafted player from Tennessee since Nick Senzel went No. 2 overall back in 2016. Lipcius was UT's most productive offensive player last season, leading the team with 73 hits, 17 home runs, 58 RBI and 139 total bases.
Martinez was taken in the 18th round by the Arizona Diamondbacks after proving to be one of the top defensive shortstops in the SEC last season. Martinez also had a solid year at the plate, batting .279 with 62 hits, 36 runs, 28 RBI, 11 stolen bases and a team-high 18 doubles.
Despite losing two key players in Lipcius and Martinez, Tennessee returns a handful of talented players and added a solid group a newcomers to help fill the void and create a lot of competition at all four infield positions.
Learn more about UT's catchers and infielders below.
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CATCHERS
Returners (Listed Numerically)
#17 Connor Pavolony – Sophomore – 6-1 / 190 – Woodstock, Ga.
Career Stats (1 Season): 44 GP, 34 GS, .228 AVG, 101 AB, 20 R, 23 H, 6 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 17 RBI, .366 SLG, 22 BB, 27 K, .391 OBP, 278 PO, 41 A, 2 E, .994 FLD%
Pavolony split time with Landon Gray behind the plate as a freshman in 2019 and showed flashes of his potential throughout the year. The Woodstock, Georgia native, started 34 of the team's 61 games, committing just two errors and throwing out 12 runners on stolen base attempts. Pavolony hit a grand slam in UT's 10-3 win over UNC Wilmington to help power the Vols to their first NCAA Tournament victory since 2005 and was named to the SEC Spring Academic Honor Roll. Look for Pavolony to continue to improve defensively and take the next step as a hitter this season.
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#19 Landon Gray – Senior – 6-0 / 201 – Granbury, Texas
Career Stats (1 Season): 39 GP, 27 GS, .163 AVG, 86 AB, 5 R, 14 H, 3 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 11 RBI, .326 SLG, 8 BB, 25 K, .245 OBP, 252 PO, 26 A, 3 E, .989 FLD%
Gray joined the Vols prior to the 2019 season after two stellar years at Weatherford College in Texas. The Granbury, Texas native, split time with Pavolony behind the dish, where he was a steady performer for the Big Orange. Gray threw out five attempted base stealers and only allowed two passed balls last season while appearing in 39 games. The senior backstop also hit three home runs in 2019 and will look to build off a solid summer season where he showed off his improved power by hitting seven home runs and leading the Westhampton Aviators to the Hamptons League title. Gray was also named to the SEC Spring Academic Honor Roll last year.
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INFIELDERS
Returners (Listed Numerically)
#2 Max Ferguson – Sophomore– 6-1 / 180 – Atlantic Beach, Fla.
Career Stats (1 Season): 34 GP, 23 GS, .231 AVG, 78 AB, 11 R, 18 H, 1 2B, 1 3B, 9 RBI, .269 SLG, 19 BB, 14 K, .390 OBP, 4 SB, 29 A, 1 E, .995 FLD%
Ferguson is expected to be one of the Vols most improved players this season after showing off his potential as a freshman in 2019. The Florida native could see time at both first and second base this season after spending the majority of his time at first base a year ago before sustaining an injury against Kentucky that cut his season short. Ferguson is one of the most athletic players on the team and should see a significant uptick in his offensive numbers this year after an entire offseason in the weight room. He was one of Tennessee's most impressive players during the fall and has carried that momentum into the spring. Ferguson was also named to the SEC Spring Academic Honor Roll last year.
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#7 Jake Rucker – Sophomore– 6-1 / 185 – Greenbrier, Tenn.
Career Stats (1 Season): 61 GP, 54 GS, .273 AVG, 183 AB, 26 R, 50 H, 10 2B, 1 3B, 28 RBI, .339 SLG, 21 BB, 28 K, .358 OBP, 3 SB, 123 A, 5 E, .977 FLD%
Rucker led all Tennessee freshmen in games played and games started last season. He also led UT freshmen in batting average, runs, hits, RBI and total bases in 2019. The Greenbrier, Tennessee native, had a handful of big hits as a freshman last year, including the eventual game-winning RBI single in the 10th inning of an NCAA regional elimination game against Liberty. Rucker should be a staple in UT's infield again this season with the ability to play second, third and shortstop.
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#10 Pete Derkay – Senior– 5-10 / 215 – Acworth, Ga.
Career Stats (3 Seasons): 158 GP, 139 GS, .259 AVG, 463 AB, 60 R, 120 H, 26 2B, 3 3B, 4 HR, 71 RBI, .354 SLG, 98 BB, 75 K, .404 OBP, 6 SB, 790 PO, 88 A, 6 E, .993 FLD%
Derkay returns for his senior season as the most experienced player on Tennessee's roster with 158 games played and 139 games started throughout his collegiate career. With injuries to Luc Lipcius and Ferguson, Derkay took over the starting job at first base during the second half of last season and proved to be a consistent performer in the field and at the plate. The Acworth, Georgia native, committed just one error in 2019 and also hit a career-best three home runs while scoring 17 runs and racking up 21 RBI in 51 games played (34 starts). Derkay can also play catcher and is a three-time SEC Spring Academic Honor Roll selection. Entering this season, Derkay is tied for eighth all-time at UT in career walks and would move into program's top-10 list for career games played with 30 more appearances.
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#14 Austin Knight – Sophomore– 6-1 / 170 – Jacksonville, Fla.
Career Stats (1 Season): 15 GP, 1 GS, .083 AVG, 12 AB, 5 R, 1 RBI, .083 SLG, 5 BB, 2 K, .333 OBP, 1 SB, 2 A, 0 E, 1.000 FLD%
Knight is expected to make a big leap this season and is battling for a starting spot on the Vols infield after playing sparingly as a freshman in 2019. The sophomore from Jacksonville, Florida has the ability to play all four positions on the infield and has become a much-improved hitter this offseason. Knight had a solid summer showing in the Northwoods League, where he batted .314 with 28 runs, 17 RBI and 13 stolen bases in 32 games played for the Kalamazoo Growlers.
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#21 Trey Lipscomb – Sophomore– 6-1 / 190 – Frederick, Md.
Career Stats (1 Season): 12 GP, 1 GS, .071 AVG, 14 AB, 1 H, 1 2B, 1 RBI, .143 SLG, 2 K, .071 OBP, 3 A, 0 E, 1.000 FLD%
Much like Knight, Trey Lipscomb is looking to take a big step forward this season after seeing limited playing time as a freshman in 2019. The Frederick, Maryland native, had a huge summer playing in the California Collegiate League and Cape Cod League. Between the two leagues, Lipscomb batted .341 and totaled 31 hits, 16 runs and 13 RBI in 26 games played. Lipscomb could see time at either first or third base this season for the Big Orange.
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#40 Luc Lipcius – Redshirt Junior– 6-2 / 208 – Williamsburg, Va.
Career Stats (3 Seasons): 69 GP, 40 GS, .264 AVG, 159 AB, 27 R, 42 H, 7 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 22 RBI, .409 SLG, 26 BB, 34 K, .380 OBP, 4 SB, 200 PO, 20 A, 3 E, .987 FLD%
Lipcius got off to a red-hot start in 2019 and set career highs in runs (15), doubles (four), triples (two), home runs (three), RBI (14) and walks (10), despite playing in only 16 games due to injury. The Williamsburg, Virginia native, and twin brother of former Tennessee standout Andre Lipcius was the Vols' starting first baseman to start last season and had a slash line of .347/.459/.694 before going down with a foot injury. Lipcius will once again be in the mix at first base this season.
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Newcomers (Listed Numerically)
#4 Liam Spence – Junior – 6-1 / 170 – Geelong, Australia
Spence comes to Tennessee from Central Arizona College, where he helped lead the Vaqueros to the NJCAA Division I National Championship in 2019. The native Australian was named to the NJCAA College World Series All-Star Team after racking up nine hits, nine runs and five RBI over the Vaqueros' six-game run to the title. During his two-year stint at Central Arizona, Spence put up huge numbers, batting .363 while totaling 111 hits, 106 runs, 26 doubles, nine home runs, 61 RBI and 26 stolen bases. In 2019, Spence ranked third on the team with a .326 batting average and also finished fourth on the team with six homers despite playing in just 38 games. He also scored 38 runs and had 28 RBI. Spence will be among a handful of players competing for spots at the middle infield positions.
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#13 Cortland Lawson – Freshman – 6-2 / 185 – Potomac Falls, Va.
Lawson was a star player at Dominion High School in 2019 after playing his first three seasons of prep ball at Paul VI Catholic High School in Virginia. The Potomac Falls, Virginia native, was the No. 280 rated player in the country and No. 2 rated player in the state of Virginia coming out of high school by Perfect Game. Lawson was a three-time Perfect Game Preseason All-American (2017-19) and participated in the 2017 PG Underclass All-American Games and the 2017 and 2018 PG National Showcase. Lawson was an All-Dulles District first team selection as a senior and earned All-Washington Catholic Athletic Conference honors as a junior after helping lead Paul VI Catholic to a 24-7 record and an appearance in the 2018 VISAA state semifinals. Lawson also played for the Evoshield Canes National travel ball team that won the World Wood Bat Championship in Jupiter, Florida.
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#30 Ethan Payne – Freshman – 6-2 / 200 – Memphis, Tenn.
An in-state product out of Memphis, Payne was a four-year letterman at Germantown High School and the No. 26 rated player in the state of Tennessee by Perfect Game. He was named to the Memphis Commercial Appeal All-Metro second team as a senior in 2019 and earned second-team All-Metro honors as a junior in 2018. Payne was the Shelby County Interscholastic Athletic Association (SCIAA) MVP as a sophomore in 2017 after helping lead Germantown to the SCIAA AAA Baseball Championship. In club ball, Payne was a three-time Perfect Game All-Tournament Team selection and helped lead eXposure 18U Prime to the 2019 Perfect Game 18U Peach State Championship. Payne was also a standout on Germantown's football team, leading the program to a 23-2 record and a pair of Region 8-6A titles as the starting quarterback in 2017 and 2018. He was a first-team All-Region selection as a junior after leading Germantown to an 11-1 record.
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