Cam Appenzeller returning to Tennessee baseball for 2027 season

Cam Appenzeller is returning to Tennessee baseball for his sophomore season, he told Volquest on Tuesday.

Appenzeller was 6-1 with a 4.76 ERA. He struck out 64 in 56.2 innings as a relief pitcher as a freshman. The lefty dominated his first few outings in SEC play, throwing four straight scoreless relief outings and posting 21.2 consecutive shutout innings before surrendering his first run in an SEC contest.

Appenzeller was named to the SEC all-freshman team. He pitched in 20 games with two starts, including pitching in UT’s SEC Tournament opener against South Carolina.

Vols coach Josh Elander indicated following UT’s season-ending loss that Appenzeller will be a weekend starter for Tennessee in 2027.

Appenzeller was ranked as the No. 3 left-handed pitcher in the nation and the No. 22 overall prospect, according to Perfect Game. MLB.com ranked Appenzeller as the No. 58 prospect in the MLB Draft. 

Perfect Game ranked him as the No. 2 player to make it to campus in the freshman class.

Appenzeller committed to Tennessee in November 2024. He visited Tennessee for Kentucky football game. He initially committed to South Carolina before reopening his recruitment. He picked UT over Mississippi State.

He also played basketball and golf in high school.

The Vols went 38-22 in Elander‘s first season. They went 15-15 in SEC play with notable series wins against top-10 opponents in Mississippi State and Texas. They were the only program in the nation to go unbeaten in midweek games with a 14-0 record. UT’s season ended in the Chapel Hill Regional after it reached the postseason for the seventh straight season.