Shortstop Maui Ahuna committed to Tennessee June 10.
He transferred from Kansas to the Vols.
Ahuna is from Hilo High School in Hilo, Hawaii.
Tennessee head coach Tony Vitello met with media Friday and discussed Ahuna joining the Vols’ program.
“It’s been good because I think he likes to be challenged,” Vitello said. “You know what you’re getting skill wise, but you don’t know what you’re getting as far as the makeup of the kid entirely, and that goes for other guys too, that you recruit even when they’re in high school and they transition straight to our place. Because recruiting happens so fast now and so early, you don’t really get the time to do that.
“It’s encouraging that he likes to be challenged from the coaches, and then also I think he wants to lead in his own way too. He’s made comments, he’s done certain things. I think the biggest thing for now is just getting him acclimated for what we think our style needs to be and what we think wins in our league, and making sure he’s not only on board with that, but he’s kind of being the epitome of it because that’s what Cortland (Lawson) was for us last year, and then the guys in front of him too. He’s the first one we’ve had here that’s kind of a a big name prospect or a Team USA guy, but the guys before him have done pretty dang well, and that’s becoming a fun spot to talk about on our campus as he gets to be the shortstop at Tennessee. That’s the way it should be.”
Below are Ahuna’s career statistics during his time at Kansas from 2021-22.