Rocky Top to the Lilac City: Tracing the Special Connection Between Tennessee and Spokane

The distance between Spokane and Knoxville is vast—nearly 2,300 miles or 33 hours by car—but through the magic of baseball, the two feel like next door neighbors sharing some sweet tea on a porch swing. Since becoming the High-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies in 2021, Spokane has always had at least one Tennessee alum on their roster, including this year's Opening Night starter Chase Dollander and hitting coach Tom Sutaris.

The 2023 Indians featured Northwest League MVP Jordan Beck, right-hander Seth Halvorsen, and hitting coach Zach Osborne (who spent three years in that role before joining the Hartford Yard Goats this season). Soon-to-be Hall of Famer Todd Helton, one of the greatest players in Vols history and backup quarterback to Peyton Manning, now serves as a Special Assistant to the GM for the Rockies and can be seen working with hitters in the cage or demonstrating the proper way to play first base to upcoming prospects at Avista Stadium. You'd think you were at Neyland Stadium with the amount of times 'Rocky Top' is played at the ballpark.

So, when the Volunteers took home their first ever National Championship in baseball on June 24th, there was no shortage of celebration thousands of miles away in the Inland Northwest - aka Knoxville Northwest. And, if recent history is any indication, one (or more) of those title-winning players will be donning a Spokane Indians uniform in the not too distant future.

Here's a look at some of the Vols players that have spent time in the Lilac City:

Jordan Beck (2023): Mike Honcho was an icon during his time in orange, hittin' bombs, flippin' birds and leading the Vols to an SEC Championship in his final collegiate season. Drafted 38th overall by the Rockies in 2022, Beck went on to win NWL MVP with Spokane in 2023 (.292/.378/.566, 20 HR, 72 RBI) and made his big league debut on April 30.

Julio Borbón (2007): A .355 career hitter with the Vols, Borbón ranks third in UT history in triples (13) and ninth in hits (223). The speedy outfielder was drafted 35th overall by the Texas Rangers in 2007 and appeared in seven games with the Indians later that summer. Borbón reached the majors with Texas in 2009 and spent a total of five season in MLB with the Rangers, Cubs, and Orioles.

Seth Halverson (2023): A key member of a Tennessee bullpen that helped the Vols reach the College World Series in 2023, Halvorsen was drafted in the seventh round by Colorado and joined the Indians less than month later. The right-hander is currently at Double-A with Hartford and helped the Yard Goats clinch their first-ever postseason appearance with an Eastern League first-half title.

Zach Osborne (2021-23): The program's all-time leader in sac bunts, Oz hit .299 across four seasons with Tennessee before signing with the Rockies as a free agent in 2012. He reached Triple-A as a player before pivoting to coaching and spent three years as the hitting coach of Spokane before joining Hartford in the same role for the 2024 season.

Joey Seaver (2016): A true Tennessean if there ever was one, Seaver pitched at Volunteer High School and Walters State Community College before a standout two-year stint with the Volunteers. A longtime coach at the junior college level whose teams made five appearances at the JUCO World Series, Seaver served as pitching coach of the Indians in 2016 before passing away in 2018.

Tom Sutaris (2024): The sweet-swinging first baseman tore the cover off the ball in his lone season at Tennessee before moving on to play at Lynn University. Sutaris played professionally in the Frontier League before moving on to coaching and now leads a Spokane offense that ranks first in the NWL in batting by a wide margin.

ABOUT THE SPOKANE INDIANS

The Spokane Indians are the High-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies located in Spokane Valley, Wash., and play at Avista Stadium, home of the MultiCare Kids Bench Seat and Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs Military & Veteran Ticket. Parking at all Spokane Indians games is FREE. The Spokane Indians Office and Team Store hours are 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. on Monday through Thursday and 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. on Fridays. On game days, the Office and Team Store are open from 10:00 a.m. through the end of the game.