Tennessee Vols' Andre Lipcius moves to shortstop for youthful baseball team

Andre Lipcius didn’t figure he’d play shortstop during his freshman season with the Tennessee baseball team.

“I thought I was going to be mainly third base,” Lipcius said last week.

Instead, he was on the opposite side of the diamond.

Lipcius started each of Tennessee’s 52 games at first base.

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“As a freshman, you just want to play,” Lipcius said. “If they put me at left field, that’s where I was going to play — anywhere.”

This year, Lipcius will take over as Tennessee’s shortstop, replacing Max Bartlett, a senior last season.

“He’s really changed his body in a great way,” pitcher Garrett Stallings said of Lipcius’ transition. “He’s quicker. And he’s shown to be great leader out there, so he’s definitely ready for the challenge.”

Lipcius played shortstop at Lafayette High School in Williamsburg, Va., so the position isn’t new. But he knows it’s a different challenge at the Division I level.

“It’s kind of who I am,” Lipcius said. “I never really saw myself as a first baseman, but last year, I kind of just had to play the open spot. This year, luckily I got the chance to play shortstop at a high level.

“The way that I played in high school is a lot different than this level because you have to adapt to how much faster the game is. The coaches had to help me a little bit, getting back to it, but I feel better now.”

Lafayette coach Rick Schenk said Lipcius was a sure-handed fielder while in high school.

"He’s going to make the everyday play all the time," Schenk said. "As far as flashy, going deep in the hole or up the middle, I don’t know. But he’s lost a lot of weight. He’s probably trying to get there."

“He’s a great communicator," Schenk added. "He’s going to be thinking ahead.”

Playing first base was an avenue to get Lipcius’ bat in the lineup. He batted .275 with 11 doubles and 26 RBIs en route to Freshman All-SEC and Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Freshman All-America honors.

A Lipcius might continue to occupy first base.

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Andre’s twin brother, Luc, is a frontrunner for the job. Luc Lipcius was a spot starter last season, playing designated hitter and right field. He batted .256 with eight RBIs.

The Lipcius brothers helped Lafayette win a state championship as high school juniors.

“Both have great work ethics," Schenk said. "It helped me out at Lafayette High School, because whatever they did, the other kids ended up doing.”

Andre was one of the first players to take the field before a practice last week, getting in extra work fielding ground balls.

“He’s a great learner,” UT’s first-year coach Tony Vitello said. “He’s incredibly intelligent in the classroom. He and his brother are doing engineering stuff. I ask them about class, and I get lost within 30 seconds.”

Elsewhere on the infield, Benito Santiago is expected to start at catcher, and Brandon Chinea and Wyatt Stapp are the favorites at second base and third base, respectively, although Knoxville native Brandon Trammell is also vying for a starting infield spot. Stapp and Trammell are freshmen.

In the outfield, Jay Charleston, Brodie Leftridge, Justin Ammons and freshman Zach Daniels are the contenders for the three spots.

Pete Derkay also will factor into the lineup once he recovers from a wrist injury. Derkay is UT’s leading returner in batting average after hitting at a .288 clip last season.

Leftridge and Santiago, who are seniors, are the only upperclassmen who project as potential opening-day starters.

The Vols will open their season with a three-game series against Maryland beginning Feb. 16 at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.