Collegiate Baseball All-America Teams
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee led all schools with a program-record four players named to the Collegiate Baseball All-America teams on Thursday morning.
Sophomore pitcher Chase Dollander earned first-team honors as a starting pitcher while senior third baseman Trey Lipscomb and junior outfielder Drew Gilbert garnered second-team acclaim. Freshman pitcher Chase Burns rounded out the group by earning a spot on the third team.
Dollander is the first UT player to garner first-team All-America honors from any outlet since Nick Senzel in 2016 (Perfect Game) and the first pitcher to do so since Luke Hochevar in 2005 (consensus).
The sophomore right hander has been dominant on the mound this season, posting a perfect 9-0 record with a 2.21 earned run average and a 0.71 WHIP, which is the lowest in Division I. Dollander leads the team and ranks second in the SEC with 99 strikeouts, averaging 12.85 punchouts per nine innings, which ranks 14th in the country. The Georgia Southern transfer also ranks in the top 20 nationally in hits allowed per nine innings (4th – 5.06), ERA (16th – 2.21), strikeout-to-walk ratio (4th – 9.00) and victories (18th – 9).
Dollander was named the SEC Pitcher of the Year after helping lead the Vols to their first SEC regular season championship since 1995 and was also tabbed as a semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy.
After serving in a reserve role during his first three seasons at UT, Lipscomb had a breakout senior season, emerging as one of the top players in the Southeastern Conference and the nation. The first-team All-SEC selection leads all players in the conference with 77 RBIs and ranks among the league leaders in total bases (165- 2nd), slugging percentage (.737 – 2nd), home runs (21 – t-3rd) and runs scored (63 – 4th). Lipscomb also ranks in the top 20 nationally in RBIs (6th), homers (t-16th), slugging percentage (16th) and total bases (17th).
Lipscomb is a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award and the Dick Howser Trophy, as well. He became just the fourth Vol to ever hit for the cycle when he did it against Iona on Feb. 25, driving in nine runs in that game.
Gilbert was once again one of Tennessee’s top hitters and overall players this season en route to earning first-team All-SEC honors. The Stillwater, Minnesota, native led the conference with a .385 batting average and 20 doubles. He also ranked in the top five of the SEC in slugging percentage (.693), on-base percentage (.480), RBIs (66) and triples (4).
The junior outfielder was named the SEC Tournament Most Valuable Player after driving in nine runs over four games to help lead the Vols to their first tournament title since 1995. This marks Gilbert’s first-career selection to a postseason All-America team.
Burns came into his freshman campaign with plenty of hype after being one of the top-rated recruits in the nation. The hard-throwing right hander did not disappoint, posting an 8-1 record, 2.61 ERA and 96 strikeouts in 72.1 innings pitched, primarily serving as UT’s Friday-night starter. Burns enters this NCAA Tournament ranked third in the SEC in ERA and strikeouts and is holding opposing hitters to a .213 batting average, good for fifth in the league.
The Gallatin, Tennessee, native earned second-team All-SEC honors and was also named to the league’s all-freshman team. Like Lipscomb, Burns is a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award and the Dick Howser Trophy, as well. He is the first Tennessee freshman pitcher to earn postseason All-America honors since R.A. Dickey was a consensus first-team selection back in 1994.
Tennessee begins its road back to Omaha in the NCAA Knoxville Regional on Friday at 6 p.m. against Alabama State.
Tennessee Postseason All-Americans
RHP Chase Dollander
Collegiate Baseball – First Team
3B Trey Lipscomb
Collegiate Baseball – Second Team
OF Drew Gilbert
Collegiate Baseball – Second Team
RHP Chase Burns
Collegiate Baseball – Third Team
-UT Athletics
