J.P. Arencibia, Julio Borbon and James Adkins would sit there laughing on the outside and dreaming big on the inside.

They used to be regular fans of the Tennessee Smokies, getting out to as many games as possible.

It gave the three University of Tennessee baseball stars a chance to critique pitchers, study hitters and think about the day it would be their turn.

They didn't have to wait long.

"You have to be able to picture yourself playing at those levels and making it to the higher levels," Arencibia said from his Class AA home with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats. "We used to go a lot. Julio and I would talk about the hitting aspect and say, 'We can hit these guys.' "

They had that right.

Arencibia and Borbon have been electric in the climb up the minor league ladder.

A former UT catcher, Arencibia was the 21st overall pick of the Toronto Blue Jays in the first round of the 2007 draft and collected a $1.3 million signing bonus.

In his first full year of pro baseball, he made it look easy, hitting .298 with 27 home runs with 105 RBIs split between Class A Dunedin and AA New Hampshire.

"More than anything, it has just been a process of adjusting to professional baseball day in and day out and being consistent," he said. "There were some things I had to iron out. I kind of struggled at the start of last season, but it made me better.

"I ended up hitting about .250 in the short season and that's probably as low as I've ever hit."

Arencibia responded by working out religiously in the offseason, gaining 15 pounds of muscle and regaining confidence with his swing.

He made the All-Star team at the halfway point of the Florida State League and got the call-up to the Fisher Cats for the second half.

Arencibia shows no signs of slowing down and confidence definitely isn't an issue.

"You're facing more consistent and better pitchers, but the game obviously doesn't change," he said. "The strike zone and the size of home plate is the same."

Borbon takes the same approach and is enjoying the same kind of success playing outfield for the Frisco Roughriders, the Class AA team of the Texas Rangers.

He went 35th overall in the supplemental first round of 2007 and was signed to a four-year, $1.3 million major league contract that included an $800,000 signing bonus.

"I've been trying to keep up with those guys and I joke around with J.P.," Borbon said. "I keep asking him to slow down a little bit so I can catch up with him.

"He's having a year, that's for sure."

So is Borbon.

Split between Bakersfield in Class A and AA Frisco, Borbon hit .319 with 32 doubles, seven home runs, 58 RBIs and 53 stolen bases.

The race appears to be on to see which player reaches the major leagues first, Borbon or Arencibia.

"J.P. always tells me I'm going to get there before him because I'm on the (Rangers' 40-man) roster, but at the pace he's on right now I don't think it's going to matter," Borbon said. "It'll be fun.

"It'll be a good kind of race between friends and we probably push each other more than anything."

The question Borbon gets most these days is if he's ready for a September call-up to Texas.

"You set goals to hopefully be there in September, but those are things you really can't control other than just playing well to help them make the decision," he said. "As of right now, this being my first full year in pro ball, I'm just trying to learn as much as I can and enjoy the whole journey. It has definitely been a learning experience for me so far."

Chalk it up as a learning experience for Adkins as well.

The former Vols' pitcher from Mt. Juliet finished the season with the Class AA Jacksonville Suns of the Southern League, the same league as the Smokies.

"I haven't had the best year number wise, but the experience I'm getting and what I've gone through in the games is priceless for me," he said. "Having the adversity and struggles I've had, and getting that out of the way this first year, that's just going to make me stronger and better next year."

Adkins was the 39th overall pick of the 2007 draft, going to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the supplemental first round.

His year, like Arencibia and Borbon, has been split between A ball and AA. He was 5-8 with a 5.34 ERA with the Inland Empires in the California League.

At Jacksonville he was 1-3 with a 4.74 ERA, but had his strongest outing of the year on Aug. 14, pitching a seven-inning, one-hitter in a no-decision.

"Even though I'm struggling now, I'm still competing and I'm still in the games," Adkins said last month. "Hitters here are more patient and there's a reason they're in AA.

"They can hit the ball and the biggest thing I'm finding out is you can't fall behind in the count against these guys."

The three UT players still keep in touch via e-mail and text messages. Their connection with Knoxville remains strong.

Arencibia kept close tabs on Vols' rising sophomore Kentrail Davis throughout last season.

"Yeah, he was getting close to beating my freshman home run record," Arencibia said. "He was scaring me a little bit."

Borbon still marvels at the talent the Vols have seen in recent years.

"Even the year we first got there with Hoch (Luke Hochevar, Kansas City Royals) and (Chase) Headley (San Diego Padres), you step back and realize how good of a recruiting program Tennessee is and the fact they can develop that talent," he said. "It says a lot about the program, no doubt about it."

© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.