Red Bank pitcher picks Vols, likes Raleigh's philosophy

Alan Walden had just been waiting for the right call to come at the right time.

LSU, Kentucky and Auburn wanted the Red Bank High School pitcher. Walden wanted the University of Tennessee.

The 6-foot-3, 180-pound left-hander made it official when he verbally committed to UT coach Todd Raleigh on Saturday.

"I’ve just always been a Tennessee fan," Walden said. "It’s close to home and I wanted to play in the SEC.

"I really like coach Raleigh’s philosophy, the way he does things, and I’ve heard great things about (UT pitching coach) Fred Corral. There’s no place I’d rather be than at UT."

Walden is a senior-to-be at Red Bank and went 8-3 in his junior season with the Lions.

His fastball has been clocked on several occasions in the 91-92 mile-per-hour range.

This is the second commitment from the Chattanooga area Raleigh and his staff have received in the past month.

Ryan Casteel, hard-hitting catcher from Bradley Central and the Chattanooga Times-Free Press Player of the Year in 2008, picked the Vols in May.

"We played ball on the Cyclones together last summer and we’ve known each other and played against each other all through high school," Walden said of Casteel. "He’s a real good friend of mine and we’re hoping to room together when we get up there (in 2009)."

Casteel hit .531 with 12 home runs and 57 RBIs as a junior at Bradley Central.

Walden and Casteel are both heading to the Major League Baseball East Coast Showcase in Lakeland, Fla., at the end of July.

© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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