There's plenty for a coach to like about Cole Koeninger and Sean Dunlap. They were the two highest-ranked recruits in Tennessee baseball's freshman class.
So what does coach Josh Elander like the most about them? Standing in the dugout at First Horizon Park in Nashville after Tennessee baseball's first fall exhibition, his answer came quickly.
“I like that they're here on campus, number one."
It wasn't a given that Koeninger or Dunlap would ever suit up for the Vols. They could have accepted offers from MLB organizations to go pro straight out of high school. But they enrolled at Tennessee, and through three weeks of fall practice they've lived up to their billings.
They'll play in front of Tennessee fans in Knoxville for the first time in a scrimmage
against Lipscomb at Covenant Health Park on Oct. 16 (6 p.m. ET).
"Those two, just incredibly gifted, come from amazing families and guys that bet on themselves. Again, I'm thankful that they're here in college," Elander said. "They got a lot of development and some skill that we're going to have to close the gap with.
"But those two are as special of recruits that we brought to campus in all of our time here at Tennessee.”
Cole Koeninger and Sean Dunlap impressed in first fall exhibition
Koeninger and Dunlap were two of Tennessee's standouts in its Oct. 11 scrimmage against Troy.
Koeninger started at third base and looked comfortable both in the field and at the plate. He had two hard-hit singles to the left side, including one for an RBI, and scored a run.
Dunlap entered in the middle innings to play right field and had a game-tying triple in the 11th inning. He later scored the winning run on a wild pitch.
"Usually that first day, the guys are a little bit sped up," Elander said. "You want to get those jitters out for those freshmen. ... To stay on that pitch and really drive it to right-center, good turns on the bases, tearing out of the box. And again, they do a lot of things we asked them to do, but just being a good athlete and playing baseball right there.”
Cole Koeninger, Sean Dunlap making cases for Tennessee's lineup
The exhibition in Nashville was their first public showings against outside opposition, but Koeninger and Dunlap have been just as impactful in Tennessee's intrasquad scrimmages at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
Koeninger has been one of Tennessee's best hitters this fall, and his defensive versatility has stood out as well. As a two-way player, he's pitched well and been working all over the infield at third base, shortstop and second base.
Elander said before fall practice started that Dunlap's power during batting practice was "silly," and it's translated so far against live pitching. He's hit three home runs, including one on Oct. 13 to the third tier of the porches in left field. He's played corner outfield when not catching.
Breaking into Tennessee's lineup won't be easy. It's expected to feature proven contributors and transfers with longer track records at this level. Performing against SEC competition in the spring is a different beast than fall practice.
But there is plenty of precedent for freshmen playing their ways into Tennessee's lineup. Just last year, it took nearly half of the season for Trent Grindlinger to become an everyday starter. When he eventually got his chance, his play forced Elander to keep writing his name on the lineup card.
Now Koeninger and Dunlap are building their cases.
Emmett Siegel covers Tennessee baseball for Knox News. Email: emmett.siegel@knoxnews.com; X: @EmmettSiegel_
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Why Josh Elander is thankful Cole Koeninger, Sean Dunlap chose Tennessee baseball
