Tennessee baseball landed Griffin Merritt, the reigning American Athletic Conference player of the year, on Monday.
The former Cincinnati outfielder hit .315 with 19 homers and a team-leading 53 RBI. He had 17 doubles and 139 total bases with an on-base percentage of .382.
"I’d like to thank UC for allowing a kid from Cincinnati to live out his dream," the La Salle High School grad wrote on Twitter. "I cannot speak more highly of the program. I will always be a Bearcat. I have decided to take the next step in my journey and graduate transfer to the University of Tennessee."
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The 6-foot-2, 215-pound Merritt also was considering Arkansas and Oklahoma State as potential transfer spots. He started 140 games in four seasons at Cincinnati.
Seth Stephenson, Drew Gilbert and Jordan Beck — Tennessee's three starting outfielders last season — were drafted in the 2022 MLB Draft.
Merritt is the latest notable coup for Tennessee in the portal. He joins Kansas shortstop Maui Ahuna and Alabama infielder Zane Denton as incoming Vols. UT also had commitments from UConn two-way player Reggie Crawford and Austin Peay catcher Jack Alexander. Crawford was picked No. 30 overall in the MLB Draft by the San Fransisco Giants, while Alexander signed with the Kansas City Royals as an undrafted free agent.
UT also landed former Charlotte pitcher Andrew Lindsey, a former Walters State Community College standout. He did not pitch in 2022, but was 6-2 with a 4.89 ERA in 2021. The New Johnsonville, Tennessee, native struck out 76 in 81 innings as a weekend starter.
Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @ByMikeWilson. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.
