Alberto Osuna will not be in the lineup when the University of Tennessee begins the 2025 college baseball season at home against Hofstra this weekend. He was denied eligibility on Thursday after his controversial transfer just two weeks ago.
His next opportunity to receive clearance will take place later this month unless the NCAA suddenly changes its mind.
Osuna, a sixth-year senior, began his college baseball career with two years at Walters State Community College. The South Carolina-native later transferred to play at North Carolina in 2022 with three years of eligibility remaining because his freshman season was shortened by the pandemic.
His time in Chapel Hill was a great success. Osuna hit 45 home runs in three years, which is the fifth most in program history. The Tar Heels reached the College World Series in 2024.
Osuna knows exactly what to do with a pitch up in the zone. pic.twitter.com/oV4fvUrn5b
— Carolina Baseball (@DiamondHeels) March 31, 2024
Because Osuna already played four (five, including the waiver in 2020) years of college baseball, he was out of eligibility on the Division-I level at the end of last season. As a result, the 6-foot-1, 240-pound first baseman transferred to the University of Tampa as a graduate transfer in July. The Spartans compete on the Division-II level so the eligibility issues did not apply.
However, Alberto Osuna decided to play the system earlier this month.
Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia received a temporary restraining order against the NCAA in December. It allows him to play another season of college football because a judge ruled that his time at a junior college should not count against his eligibility.
Osuna saw Pavia’s ruling and followed suit, literally. He transferred from one UT to another and joined the Tennessee baseball program just two weeks before the season. His second at-bat with the Volunteers was a monster home run during a scrimmage on Feb. 4.
Alberto Osuna’s second at-bat in a Tennessee scrimmage is a massive homer to left.
— Mike Wilson (@ByMikeWilson) February 4, 2025
Hit the back of the second porch. pic.twitter.com/2dOngP7iKS
Just like Pavia, Osuna filed an injunction to be eligible on the D-I level in 2025.
Alberto Osuna is different than Diego Pavia.
In response to the court’s ruling regarding Vanderbilt’s quarterback, the NCAA provided a blanket waiver to former JUCO athletes who used their third year of Division-I eligibility during the 2024-25 school year. Osuna used his third year of D-I eligibility during the 2023-24 school year so the waiver does not apply.
It is an arbitrary decision but it is the decision nonetheless.
Thus, Alberto Osuna has yet to be cleared to play for Tennessee. He filed a lawsuit against the NCAA earlier this week to try and speed up the process with a temporary restraining order like Pavia.
The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee shot it down on Thursday afternoon.
On the present record, Plaintiff’s Motion for Temporary Restraining Order is DENIED. The Court will nonetheless establish an expedited briefing schedule to resolve Plaintiff’s request for a preliminary injunction. Plaintiff is ORDERED to file any motion for preliminary injunction on or before February 19, 2025. Defendant is ORDERED to respond on or before February 21, 2025, and Plaintiff may file a replay on or before February 24, 2025. The Court will conduct a hearing on Plaintiff’s motion on February 26, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. ET at the U.S. Courthouse, 800 Market Street, Knoxville, Tennessee.
SO ORDERED.
— Charles E Atchley, Jr. ~ United States District Judge
Osuna is not eligible to compete for the Volunteers during their season-opener on Friday or any day prior to his next hearing on Feb. 26. Unless the NCAA changes its mind to get ahead of a potential court ruling, he will not play against Hofstra this weekend, UNC Asheville on Tuesday, Samford next weekend or North Alabama next Tuesday.
Tennessee will be just fine without Alberto Osuna in the lineup during the early season. It was prepared to play the full year without him up until his sudden transfer at the beginning of the month.
The Vols hope to get him in the lineup before SEC play. Osuna’s bat will be a major addition to the reigning national champions if he is ever allowed to compete.