LIam Doyle's incredible quote regarding Tennessee
Posted: 14 Jul 2025 14:34 pm
https://sports.yahoo.com/article/gettin ... 03724.html
After getting drafted by Cardinals, former Vols LHP Liam Doyle dropped incredible quote about decision to transfer to Tennessee originally appeared on A to Z Sports.
Former Tennessee Vols LHP Liam Doyle was selected by the St Louis Cardinals with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft on Sunday evening.
Doyle, who started his college career at Coastal Carolina before transferring to Ole Miss, spent one season in Knoxville.
And that one season was even better than Doyle imagined it would be.
Tennessee helped Doyle reach another level in his game -- specifically by focusing on his conditioning. The New Hampshire native enjoyed the best season of his collegiate career, pitching to a 3.20 ERA over 19 games while striking out 164 batters.
After getting selected by the Cardinals, Doyle was asked about Tennessee having three transfer players selected in the first round of the draft (Vols infielders Gavin Kilen and Andrew Fischer were also first round picks on Sunday...Kilen transferred from Louisville and Fischer transferred from Ole Miss).
Doyle said transferring to Tennessee was the best decision he's ever made in his life (via Mike Wilson).
"The organization as a whole is unmatched," said Doyle. "I feel like from the coaching staff down to the facilities and the atmosphere, no one can really beat it. Being able to go to a school like Tennessee and work with coach and obviously work with Frank (Anderson) and stuff like that, there was no question where I wanted to be or who I wanted to play for. It was an easy answer for me. It was the best decision I have ever made in my life. Hoping to carry that on in my life through the years to come."
That quote from Doyle lines up with what Vols head coach Tony Vitello said about the southpaw last month.
"We had an exit meeting with [Doyle], and what he said choked me up like no other," said Vitello in June. "He went to Coastal Carolina, he went to Mississippi, and then he came to us. And he said the one thing he got out of coming here, he said he loved every minute, and obviously Frank (Anderson) got him better, and he's going to make a lot of money, but he said, 'What I had been searching for this whole time is a place I can call home, and this is a place that I can call home'. And so that's something to me that should elevate that legendary status with the fan base or the community, because he's been in some good spots. I mean, Coastal is an Omaha national championship team. So is Mississippi. They're both great places.
"For whatever reason, this (Tennessee) clicked for him. And what he was willing to do with his arm, instead of sitting out and saying, 'I'm going to get drafted in the first round, I don't need to be doing this stupid stuff', he was wanting to do more than we would let him do."
Doyle spent time in Myrtle Beach and Oxford, but it was Knoxville that proved to be the best fit for the dynamic lefty.
Related: Tennessee Vols baseball coach Tony Vitello made plenty of opposing fans mad during the 2025 MLB Draft and it wasn't even his fault
After getting drafted by Cardinals, former Vols LHP Liam Doyle dropped incredible quote about decision to transfer to Tennessee originally appeared on A to Z Sports.
Former Tennessee Vols LHP Liam Doyle was selected by the St Louis Cardinals with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft on Sunday evening.
Doyle, who started his college career at Coastal Carolina before transferring to Ole Miss, spent one season in Knoxville.
And that one season was even better than Doyle imagined it would be.
Tennessee helped Doyle reach another level in his game -- specifically by focusing on his conditioning. The New Hampshire native enjoyed the best season of his collegiate career, pitching to a 3.20 ERA over 19 games while striking out 164 batters.
After getting selected by the Cardinals, Doyle was asked about Tennessee having three transfer players selected in the first round of the draft (Vols infielders Gavin Kilen and Andrew Fischer were also first round picks on Sunday...Kilen transferred from Louisville and Fischer transferred from Ole Miss).
Doyle said transferring to Tennessee was the best decision he's ever made in his life (via Mike Wilson).
"The organization as a whole is unmatched," said Doyle. "I feel like from the coaching staff down to the facilities and the atmosphere, no one can really beat it. Being able to go to a school like Tennessee and work with coach and obviously work with Frank (Anderson) and stuff like that, there was no question where I wanted to be or who I wanted to play for. It was an easy answer for me. It was the best decision I have ever made in my life. Hoping to carry that on in my life through the years to come."
That quote from Doyle lines up with what Vols head coach Tony Vitello said about the southpaw last month.
"We had an exit meeting with [Doyle], and what he said choked me up like no other," said Vitello in June. "He went to Coastal Carolina, he went to Mississippi, and then he came to us. And he said the one thing he got out of coming here, he said he loved every minute, and obviously Frank (Anderson) got him better, and he's going to make a lot of money, but he said, 'What I had been searching for this whole time is a place I can call home, and this is a place that I can call home'. And so that's something to me that should elevate that legendary status with the fan base or the community, because he's been in some good spots. I mean, Coastal is an Omaha national championship team. So is Mississippi. They're both great places.
"For whatever reason, this (Tennessee) clicked for him. And what he was willing to do with his arm, instead of sitting out and saying, 'I'm going to get drafted in the first round, I don't need to be doing this stupid stuff', he was wanting to do more than we would let him do."
Doyle spent time in Myrtle Beach and Oxford, but it was Knoxville that proved to be the best fit for the dynamic lefty.
Related: Tennessee Vols baseball coach Tony Vitello made plenty of opposing fans mad during the 2025 MLB Draft and it wasn't even his fault
