Wofford transfer slugger Ryan Galanie committed to Tennessee baseball on Sunday, he told Knox News.
Galanie was the SoCon player of the year at Wofford in 2023 and earned his second straight first-team All-SoCon Selection. He gives the Vols another big-time right-handed bat in the lineup heading into the 2024 season.
The 6-foot-2, 215-pound Galanie hit .383 with 17 homers and 66 RBIs last season. He hit .339 in four seasons with the Terriers and hit 34 homers in the past two seasons. Galanie started at first base last season after starting at third base in 2022. He also can play outfield, but the Vols brought him in for his hitting ability. UT and coach Tony Vitello coveted Galanie’s bat as soon as he entered the portal May 30.
Galanie is Tennessee’s fourth transfer addition this offseason. The Vols added pitchers AJ Causey and Nate Snead from Jacksonville State and Wichita State, respectively. They landed catcher Cannon Peebles from North Carolina State. Snead and Peebles have two seasons of eligibility remaining before being eligible for the MLB Draft.
Galanie is eligible for the draft this season and could choose to pursue the professional route instead of coming to Tennessee. A pair of UT transfer commitments turned professional last season in two-way player Reggie Crawford and catcher Jack Alexander. Crawford was a first-round pick by the San Francisco Giants, while Alexander signed a free-agent deal with the Kansas City Royals.
Galanie, a Cincinnati native, adds a slugging right-handed presence to the Tennessee lineup. The Vols were lefty-dominant last season across the roster with four consistent left-handed hitting starters and most key reserves also being left-handed.
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Galanie had a slow start to his Wofford career, but broke out in 2022 as an everyday player. He hit .329 with 17 homers with 59 RBIs as a junior. He projects as a middle-of-the-order bat who can come in and make a large impact like Cincinnati transfer Griffin Merritt did the Vols in 2023.
Merritt led the Vols with 18 homers last season and had 48 RBIs.
Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @By MikeWilson. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee baseball gets Ryan Galanie, SoCon player of the year transfer