The Tennessee baseball program has landed a transfer commitment from Florida International shortstop Mario Trivella, according to information obtained July 9. The junior infielder has not yet made a public announcement, but the Vols consider him a key addition as they continue to reshape the roster for coach Josh Elander’s second season.
A left-handed power presence up the middle
Trivella started at shortstop for FIU this past season and finished as the Panthers’ leader in both home runs and runs batted in, totaling 15 homers and 50 RBIs. His 15 homers were tied for second in Conference USA, and he supplied two walk-off home runs during the campaign. Across 52 games this year, Trivella hit .287 with a .384 on-base percentage, .580 slugging and a .964 OPS. He also drew 22 walks, doubled eight times and swiped four bases.
Before joining FIU, Trivella played two seasons of junior-college baseball at the State College of Florida, where he started 56 games in 2025, hit .324 and drove in 44 runs. As a freshman in 2024 at State College, he posted a .283 average with multiple-hit games sprinkled throughout the season.
| Season | Team | Games | Avg | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Florida International | 52 | .287 | 15 | 50 |
| 2025 | State College of Florida | 56 | .324 | 7 | 44 |
Where he fits in the Vols' offseason rebuild
Trivella becomes the Vols’ 11th transfer commit this summer and the fourth infielder acquired via the portal. Tennessee’s incoming infield class already includes Air Force's Wyatt Hanoian, Baylor's Travis Sanders and Cal Baptist's Chris Ramirez. Both Sanders and Trivella are listed as eligible for the 2026 MLB Draft, a factor the program and professional scouts will monitor closely.
- Mercer — Braydon Kersey (sophomore two-way)
- Northwestern State — Brody Trosclair (freshman LHP)
- Air Force — Wyatt Hanoian (freshman infielder)
- UC Irvine — Ricky Ojeda (junior LHP)
- South Carolina — Jake McCoy (junior LHP)
- Louisville — Parker Detmers (junior RHP)
- Cal Baptist — Chris Ramirez (freshman infielder)
- Baylor — Travis Sanders (redshirt junior infielder)
- …and others rounding out the group's depth
That mix of arms and position players reflects Tennessee's emphasis on reshaping both its pitching depth and infield options. Trivella’s combination of gap power, on-base skills and prior experience at shortstop gives the Vols another option up the middle who can impact the lineup immediately.
Local context and next steps
The incoming infielder is originally from Caracas, Venezuela and played his high school ball in Sarasota, Fla., before moving into the junior-college ranks and ultimately to FIU. With the Vols preparing for the 2026 season, fans and coaching staff alike will be watching how Trivella fits into spring and fall practice rotations as he transitions to Knoxville and the Southeastern Conference schedule.
As he has not yet spoken publicly about his decision, Tennessee supporters and baseball followers are awaiting an official announcement and subsequent roster updates from the program.
— Ruby Callahan, Tennessee Correspondent
