CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Austin Peay star catcher Jack Alexander announced recently he has decided to transfer to the University of Tennessee for his final year of eligibility.
Alexander had been a game changer for the Governors since joining the baseball program back in 2021. Over the past two seasons, the catcher has grown tremendously in a number of different areas of his game. Alexander made his biggest contribution during the 2022 season. According to Austin Peay athletics, he led the team in categories such as hits, home runs, runs batted in and OPS.
| 2021 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|
| GP | 53 | 55 |
| GS | 50 | 54 |
| AVG | 0.281 | 0.346 |
| Hits | 52 | 72 |
| 2B | 17 | 19 |
| HR | 6 | 14 |
| RBI | 28 | 55 |
| SLU % | 0.470 | 0.649 |
| OBP | 0.379 | 0.425 |
| OPS | 0.849 | 1.074 |
In addition, Alexander was an effective and efficient defensive leader for APSU. He finished this past season with a fielding percentage of .998. His play altogether led Alexander to be named a Buster Posey Award finalist. Former Austin Peay baseball coach Travis Janssen saw firsthand how special of a player Alexander is.
“Jack is a guy that is very serious about baseball, and he understands what it means to work hard and put in the time to get better,” said Janssen. “I believe he has a future as a pro, and I can’t wait to see what happens with Jack over the next few years. On top of all of that, he is a first class person, a great teammate and a mature leader.”
Tennessee Volunteers
Alexander joins a talented Volunteer baseball team who finished 2022 with an overall record of 57-9. They were rated the No. 1 overall team the majority of the college baseball season. Nevertheless, their season came to an end following a loss in the Super Regional round of the NCAA tournament.
Prior to Alexander’s commitment, catcher was one of the weakest position groups on the team in terms of experience and production. Tennessee lost their starting catcher, Evan Russell, to graduation following the conclusion to the 2022 baseball season. That makes the Alexander commitment all the more important for the team heading into next season.
Power 5 experience
This isn’t Alexander’s first time playing for a Power 5 conference. He originally played for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish as his collegiate career began.
Alexander spent a brief period of time with the Fighting Irish during his freshman and sophomore years, so he does have experience playing for a top competitor.
Also, Alexander has experience playing power five competition while at Austin Peay. Throughout the past two years, the Governors have played the likes of Boston College, Tennessee, Ole Miss and Vanderbilt twice. The catcher compiled a batting average of .259 with 7 hits, 1 double, 3 home runs, 3 runs scored, 5 RBI’s and 2 walks in those games.