Backroads and Ballfields: Tennessee's 2028 Class Reaches Seven in One Month
By Daniel Wilson ·
Logan Arnett took a weekend visit to Knoxville and committed on Sept. 7. On3 reported that the Georgia catcher needed only the one trip, and he became the first player in Tennessee's 2028 class. Twenty-nine days later, Tampa shortstop Ian Jansen made it seven.
The other five came in between. Trigg Listerman, a right-hander from Cambridge Christian in Tampa, committed Sept. 20, and On3 reported that he and Mason Little both committed during visits that day. Little's public announcement came Sept. 22, the date SI and Prep Baseball list as his commitment. Keelan Zumwalt went public on Instagram late on Friday, Sept. 25, and On3 reported that he picked Tennessee over Georgia. AJ Dungan announced Sept. 29 after an official visit. Hudson Oliver followed Oct. 3, choosing the Vols over Alabama, Auburn and Mississippi State, according to Knox News.
That pace came under Josh Elander, who is heading into his second season as head coach after going 38-22 and reaching the Chapel Hill Regional.
The Bats
Three of the class's hitters grade among the top 100 nationally, and Zumwalt is the headliner, a top-50 player in the class and one of the best in Missouri. He is listed at 6-foot-5 and 225 pounds, and he plays for Summit Christian Academy in Lee's Summit, Mo. Perfect Game's profile has a 97 mph exit velocity and a 7.15 sixty, both from June 6, and a 90 mph throw from the outfield. SI's On Tennessee site, working from those PG numbers, says the power is the headline. He has also pitched, and PG's best fastball for him is 90 from the left side in October 2025.
Oliver is a left-handed hitter and thrower from Hoover High School in Alabama, listed at 6-foot-1 and 180 pounds. His PG page has a 95 mph throw from the outfield and a 6.71 sixty, both from June 6. He also pitches, topping out at 88 in July 2025.
Jansen is a 6-foot-4, 210-pound shortstop at Cambridge Christian. PG has him at 89 across the infield, a 6.94 sixty and a 95 mph exit velocity, all from June 6. Its write-up says he has "a chance to stay at shortstop despite his size," and that he can get long with his swing but is best when he keeps it short. He is the second 2028 player from Cambridge Christian to commit to Tennessee, after Listerman.
Arnett, the first commit, has an 82 mph throw and a 1.85 pop time on his PG page.
The Arms
Four of the seven are listed as pitchers or two-way players, and the three primary arms don't carry the same national profile as the bats. Dungan is one of the best right-handers in Tennessee's 2028 class.
The radar readings tell a different story. PG's best fastball for Dungan is 94, from July 6. GoVols247 wrote that he gets up to 95. Little has a 93 on PG from June 23, and Prep Baseball has him at 88 to 92 in early June with a 92 max. Listerman's PG best is 92, also from July 6. Those are maxes, the top reading each service has on file, and none of the pages lists a working range for Dungan or Listerman.
Dungan, from Lipscomb Academy in Nashville, is listed at 6-foot-4 and 185 pounds. He told GoVols247 he picked Tennessee for "the opportunity to compete at the highest level." Its report said he was one of seven prospects the Vols hosted on official visits that weekend.
Little is where the listings disagree most. PG has him as a third baseman from Gulfport, Miss., 6-foot and 190, with its school field reading "Undecided." Prep Baseball lists him first as a right-hander at Biloxi High School, with a curveball at 78 to 82 and a changeup at 83.8 to 85.3 from a July event. SI's On Tennessee site puts him at Gulfport High School. All three agree on the arm.
Listerman is listed at 6-foot-2 and 175.
Where the Class Sits
The bats arrive with the bigger names: a first baseman, an outfielder and a shortstop with frames and measurables that draw national attention. The pitchers arrive with the harder numbers, all three with a recorded fastball of 92 or better.
None of the seven has an 80Grade rank yet.
What Comes Next
The fall schedule is still running. Jansen's PG page shows games as recently as Oct. 7, and Listerman's shows one on Oct. 9.
For the pitchers, the numbers I want are the ones that don't come with a max label: what each fastball sits at in the third and fourth innings, and whether the 92 to 94 becomes the middle of the range. For Little, I'd like one listing that settles where he plays. For Zumwalt, Oliver and Jansen, the first question for any ranking is whether the frame keeps adding strength without costing the speed and arm their pages show now.