University of Tennessee Athletics
Vols Boast Nation-Best Five Players on Collegiate Baseball Preseason All-America Teams
December 19, 2022 | Baseball
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – With the 2023 college baseball season set to begin in less than two months, the preseason honors are starting to roll in as Tennessee had five players named to Collegiate Baseball's Preseason All-America teams on Monday.
The Vols had four pitchers and one position player tabbed preseason All-Americans. Their five total selections led all schools, one more than LSU and Florida, who had four each.
Chase Dollander and Chase Burns were both first-team selections as starting pitchers after combining for an 18-2 record and 211 strikeouts last season. Fellow starting pitcher Drew Beam and veteran reliever Camden Sewell were named to the second team while Kansas transfer Maui Ahuna was a third team pick at shortstop.
Dollander will enter the 2023 season as one of the top draft prospects in the country after a stellar sophomore season in 2022 which saw him earn consensus first-team All-America honors and become just the second player in program history to be named SEC Pitcher of Year.
The Evans, Georgia, native posted a perfect 10-0 record and led the country with a 0.80 WHIP. He also was second in the SEC with 108 strikeouts and led the conference with a 2.39 ERA while holding opposing hitters to a .175 batting average.
Burns was one of the top freshmen in the country in 2022, earning freshman of the year or freshman pitcher of the year recognition from D1Baseball.com, Collegiate Baseball and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) while garnering unanimous Freshman All-America honors. The hard-throwing right hander was the first pitcher in program history to earn three national award honors in the same season.
Burns was also named to four All-America teams following his debut season, joining former AL Cy Young Award winner R.A. Dickey (1994) as the only players in program history to be selected to four All-America teams as true freshmen. The Gallatin, Tennessee, native had a phenomenal freshman campaign for the Big Orange, finishing with an 8-2 record and 2.91 ERA to go along with 103 strikeouts while serving as the Vols' Friday night starter for the majority of the season.
Beam was also a unanimous Freshman All-American after a standout rookie season in 2022. The Murfreesboro, Tennessee, native was a staple in UT's weekend rotation, earning SEC Freshman of the Year honors after posting an 8-1 record to go along with a 2.72 ERA over a team-high 15 starts. Beam held opposing hitters to a .186 batting average and had an impressive 0.93 WHIP. His 2.72 ERA ranks fourth best all-time among Tennessee freshmen.
A Swiss army knife for the Big Orange, Sewell is set to return for his "super senior" season in 2023. The Cleveland, Tennessee, native has been one of the Vols' most versatile and productive arms throughout his time on Rocky Top, boasting a 15-3 overall record with a 2.53 ERA and 136 strikeouts over 70 appearances (10 starts) while holding opposing hitters to a .196 batting average.
Sewell has developed a reputation of being one of the team's top big-game performers and has shined in late season and postseason contests throughout his career. The veteran right hander was named to the 2021 SEC All-Tournament team and the 2021 NCAA Knoxville All-Regional team as a junior before helping lead Tennessee to the SEC Tournament title last year by tossing five shutout innings against Florida in the championship game.
Ahuna joins the Vols after two impressive seasons at the University of Kansas, where he garnered first-team All-Big 12 honors in 2022 and was an All-Big 12 honorable mention selection as a true freshman in 2021.
Another top 2023 MLB Draft prospect, Ahuna is considered one of the best defensive shortstops in the country on top of being very productive at the plate during his college career, posting a .357 batting average with 75 runs scored, 27 doubles, seven triples, nine home runs, 73 RBIs and 21 stolen bases. Ahuna was a member of the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team this past summer, as well.
The complete 2023 Collegiate Baseball Preseason All-America teams can be seen HERE.Â
Tennessee opens its 2023 season in Scottsdale, Arizona at the MLB4 Tournament from Feb. 17-19. The Vols' home opener is set for Tuesday, Feb. 21 against Alabama A&M at 4:30 p.m.
The Vols had four pitchers and one position player tabbed preseason All-Americans. Their five total selections led all schools, one more than LSU and Florida, who had four each.
Chase Dollander and Chase Burns were both first-team selections as starting pitchers after combining for an 18-2 record and 211 strikeouts last season. Fellow starting pitcher Drew Beam and veteran reliever Camden Sewell were named to the second team while Kansas transfer Maui Ahuna was a third team pick at shortstop.
Dollander will enter the 2023 season as one of the top draft prospects in the country after a stellar sophomore season in 2022 which saw him earn consensus first-team All-America honors and become just the second player in program history to be named SEC Pitcher of Year.
The Evans, Georgia, native posted a perfect 10-0 record and led the country with a 0.80 WHIP. He also was second in the SEC with 108 strikeouts and led the conference with a 2.39 ERA while holding opposing hitters to a .175 batting average.
Burns was one of the top freshmen in the country in 2022, earning freshman of the year or freshman pitcher of the year recognition from D1Baseball.com, Collegiate Baseball and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) while garnering unanimous Freshman All-America honors. The hard-throwing right hander was the first pitcher in program history to earn three national award honors in the same season.
Burns was also named to four All-America teams following his debut season, joining former AL Cy Young Award winner R.A. Dickey (1994) as the only players in program history to be selected to four All-America teams as true freshmen. The Gallatin, Tennessee, native had a phenomenal freshman campaign for the Big Orange, finishing with an 8-2 record and 2.91 ERA to go along with 103 strikeouts while serving as the Vols' Friday night starter for the majority of the season.
Beam was also a unanimous Freshman All-American after a standout rookie season in 2022. The Murfreesboro, Tennessee, native was a staple in UT's weekend rotation, earning SEC Freshman of the Year honors after posting an 8-1 record to go along with a 2.72 ERA over a team-high 15 starts. Beam held opposing hitters to a .186 batting average and had an impressive 0.93 WHIP. His 2.72 ERA ranks fourth best all-time among Tennessee freshmen.
A Swiss army knife for the Big Orange, Sewell is set to return for his "super senior" season in 2023. The Cleveland, Tennessee, native has been one of the Vols' most versatile and productive arms throughout his time on Rocky Top, boasting a 15-3 overall record with a 2.53 ERA and 136 strikeouts over 70 appearances (10 starts) while holding opposing hitters to a .196 batting average.
Sewell has developed a reputation of being one of the team's top big-game performers and has shined in late season and postseason contests throughout his career. The veteran right hander was named to the 2021 SEC All-Tournament team and the 2021 NCAA Knoxville All-Regional team as a junior before helping lead Tennessee to the SEC Tournament title last year by tossing five shutout innings against Florida in the championship game.
Ahuna joins the Vols after two impressive seasons at the University of Kansas, where he garnered first-team All-Big 12 honors in 2022 and was an All-Big 12 honorable mention selection as a true freshman in 2021.
Another top 2023 MLB Draft prospect, Ahuna is considered one of the best defensive shortstops in the country on top of being very productive at the plate during his college career, posting a .357 batting average with 75 runs scored, 27 doubles, seven triples, nine home runs, 73 RBIs and 21 stolen bases. Ahuna was a member of the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team this past summer, as well.
The complete 2023 Collegiate Baseball Preseason All-America teams can be seen HERE.Â
Tennessee opens its 2023 season in Scottsdale, Arizona at the MLB4 Tournament from Feb. 17-19. The Vols' home opener is set for Tuesday, Feb. 21 against Alabama A&M at 4:30 p.m.
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