Tag: Colby Backus

Colby Backus hits walk-off single in first game returning to Johnson City

Tennessee outfielder returned to action on Saturday and hit a walk-off single for Johnson City.

Redshirt junior outfielder Colby Backus and Tennessee won the national championship on Monday in the College World Series.

Backus returned to action on Saturday for the Johnson City Doughboys in the Appalachian League. Johnson City defeated Kingsport, 5-4.

Backus started in left field and went 2-for-4, recording one RBI, one run and one walk. He hit a game-winning walk-off single in the ninth inning.

The Appalachian League is a collegiate summer baseball league and uses wood bats. The Appalachian League is part of Major League Baseball and USA Baseball’s Prospect Development Pipeline.

Backus appeared in 28 games, including five starts, for the Vols in 2024. He recorded five home runs, 12 RBIs, 16 runs, six walks and two stolen bases.

Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire

Colby Backus named Appalachian League Hitter of the Month

Tennessee’s Colby Backus named Appalachian League Hitter of the Month.

Tennessee redshirt sophomore Colby Backus was named Appalachian League Hitter of the Month for June.

Backus is playing for the Johnson City Doughboys.

The Appalachian League is a collegiate summer baseball league and uses wood bats. The Appalachian League is part of Major League Baseball and USA Baseball’s Prospect Development Pipeline.

Backus recorded a .328 batting average, .731 slugging percentage, seven home runs and 25 RBIs in June with Johnson City.

The 6-foot-4, 223-pound Backus redshirted at Tennessee in 2023. He transferred to the Vols from Walters State Community College.

Backus played at Daniel Boone High School in Gray, Tennessee.

2023 Vols’ baseball: One interesting fact about every Tennessee player

Tennessee is getting ‘a unique combination of both power and speed’ with Colby Backus

Tennessee baseball is getting ‘a unique combination of both power and speed’ with commit Colby Backus.

Colby Backus committed to Tennessee on April 21.

Backus is a redshirt freshman outfielder for Walters State Community College in Morristown, Tennessee. The 6-foot-4, 235-pound Backus played at Daniel Boone High School in Gray, Tennessee.

Following Backus’ commitment to Tennessee, Walters State head coach David Shelton discussed what type of player the Vols are getting.

“Colby is one of the hardest working kids we have had here, and that’s saying a lot,” Shelton told Vols Wire. “He has improved more over the course of the last year than anyone I have ever seen in a one-year period, and that’s a testament to the work that he put in.

“He is a physical specimen at 6-foot-4, 235 pounds, with a unique combination of both power and speed. At that size, he is also our fastest player, as we clocked him at a 6.47 sixty in the fall. It will be fun to watch him to continue to progress at Tennessee.”

Through 50 games this season, Backus is batting .412 and has totaled 16 home runs, 62 RBIs, 57 runs, four stolen bases and 134 total bases.

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