Volunteer Country

Liam Doyle’s Rising Fastball is Terrifying Hitters in 2025 for Tennessee Vols

Tennessee ace Liam Doyle is dominating college baseball with a high-spin fastball and elite strikeout rate that MLB scouts can’t ignore.
Josh Greer|
Tennessee pitcher Liam Doyle (12) pitches during a NCAA baseball game between Tennessee and St. Bonaventure at Lindsey Nelson Stadium on Friday, March 6, 2025.
Tennessee pitcher Liam Doyle (12) pitches during a NCAA baseball game between Tennessee and St. Bonaventure at Lindsey Nelson Stadium on Friday, March 6, 2025. | Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Tennessee Volunteers’s LHP, Liam Doyle is a nightmare for hitters. He's on a tear through the first half of the season on record pace.

The 6-foot-2, 220-pound left-hander has emerged as one of college baseball’s most dominant pitchers thanks to a fastball with elite ride and spin. Doyle averages 2,400 revolutions per minute (RPM) on his fastball, with peaks reaching 2,650 — well above the MLB average of 2,300 RPM.

His secret? Exceptional backspin and a deceptive three-quarters release point.

“It gets on hitters faster than it should,” Doyle told Knoxville News Sentinel. “If I throw a fastball at 95 miles per hour, it looks closer to 100 because I have so much ride and a high spin rate. It is hard for a hitter to time up coming from a funky lefty arm slot”.

Doyle’s fastball doesn’t just stay on plane — it gives hitters the illusion of rising. High fastballs cause batters to swing underneath, while low fastballs stay in the zone longer than expected. The result? Uncomfortable swings and plenty of strikeouts.

Doyle led Coastal Carolina with 11 strikeouts per nine innings as a freshman, increased that to 13.7 at Ole Miss, and now leads college baseball with an incredible 17.1 strikeouts per nine innings for Tennessee.

Doyle said. “You bring all of that and you put it in with the weight training and the right coaching staff and the right people to put you in a good situation to succeed, that is why I am here."

And there’s no doubt Volunteer fans are glad he’s wearing orange and white — and not pitching against them.

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Josh Greer
JOSH GREER

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