Tanner Franklin heard music in the background when Tony Vitello called him in late June.
The Tennessee baseball coach apologized for the noise. The Vols were taking batting practice at the College World Series, Vitello explained to open a frank conversation about wanting the Kennesaw State transfer to be a Vol.
“It is pretty self-explanatory,” Franklin said. “You want to get in there and try and see if you can help for next year’s run.”
Franklin announced his commitment to Tennessee on Tuesday as the first transfer to join the defending national champion Vols this offseason. The 6-foot-5 right-handed pitcher has a 6.34 ERA in 34 games with three starts in two seasons. The Jefferson City, Tennessee, product struck out 61 in 38⅓ innings with 40 walks.
Franklin had a short list of schools he hoped to hear from and to keep it short and sweet in the transfer portal.
“Tennessee was No. 1 on that list just being a hometown kid,” Franklin said. “I was trusting God that he was going to help me through the process and get me in touch with the people I needed and he provided that.”
Franklin also heard from Vanderbilt and Lipscomb primarily.
Vitello’s phone call checked a big box for Franklin. He didn’t want a scripted chat with a coach and sought honesty. Vitello got to the point: The Vols wanted Franklin on the roster and knew he wanted to be on the roster.
He made his commitment after Vols assistant coach Josh Elander visited him in the Cape Cod League, where he is pitching for the Chatham Anglers this summer.
“That team is filled with a bunch of guys who have the same goals: to win a lot of games and have a lot of fun doing it,” Franklin said. “They work really hard, and their character is in a great place. It’s almost like you can’t not want to be part of it.”
Franklin relies on an overpowering fastball that touches 99 mph. He also throws a cutter, curveball and changeup. He thinks his cutter might be his best pitch because it plays well off his fastball, but he loves throwing his curveball.
He is coming to Tennessee hoping to become a more consistent strike-thrower, which is central to the ideology of Vols pitching coach Frank Anderson.
Franklin had a 5.60 ERA with a 4-1 record as a sophomore in 2024. He threw 27⅓ innings across 21 appearances, striking out 44 and walking 27. He had similar splits as a freshman with 18 strikeouts and 13 walks in 11 innings.
