FIU transfer shortstop Mario Trivella commits to Tennessee
· Yahoo Sports
FIU transfer shortstop Mario Trivella has committed to Tennessee, On3’s Pete Nakos reports. He led the Panthers in home runs (15) and RBI (50) last season.
Tennessee will mark Trivella’s third collegiate program. His career began at State College of Florida, where he played two seasons. There, the Caracas, VZ native hit for a .315 average with 14 doubles, nine home runs, and 54 RBI across 72 games. This led to Trivella entering the Transfer Portal and landing at FIU, where he spent the 2026 season.
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At FIU, Trivella started in 49 games as the Panthers’ everyday shortstop. He hit for a .287 average, totaling eight doubles, 15 home runs, 50 RBI, a .580 SLG%, and a .384 OBP%. He now heads to a Tennessee Baseball program, entering the second season of the Josh Elander era.
Josh Elander led Tennessee back to NCAA Tournament in first season
Elander, who was previously the associate head coach at Tennessee, took over prior to the 2026 season following Tony Vitello‘s shocking departure. In his first season at the helm, Elander led the Volunteers back to the NCAA Tournament with a 38-20 record. However, Tennessee‘s season ended in disappointing fashion, as it was eliminated in just two games in the Chapel Hill Regional.
Earlier this month, Elander discussed the importance of the Transfer Portal in an interview with SportsTalk with John Wilkerson and Vince Ferrara on 99.1 The Sports Animal.
“This year, I think [the Transfer Portal] is as crazy as it’s ever been,” Elander said. “I haven’t been able to put my finger on it — why it changed so much in the portal this year, but I think you just have to adapt. That’s what college sports is becoming. We meet with the players one-on-one, but it’s a delicate balance, because as the portal is opening, it’s the most important time of the year as you’re trying to make your march on the way to Omaha, or during the postseason.
“You want to kind of limit distractions, all that. So our staff does a good job of connecting with agencies or advisors behind the scenes to get a feel for what’s going on. You can never keep everybody happy. That’s one thing that we’ve learned, and at the same time, I think it’s really turned out really, really well with the way our staff has managed that with the pluses and minuses. Really excited about how the roster is coming together for next year.”
To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.