Zane Denton will miss the start of the fall with Tennessee baseball while "handling some things he has to," Vols coach Tony Vitello said Thursday.

"He has been able to manage a lot in his life on and off the field and done very well at it," Vitello said. "I think the fact that he is in a supportive environment here has kind of helped him to progress in the way that he has.”

The senior third baseman, who had the biggest hit of UT's run to the 2023 College World Series, returned to Tennessee instead of signing a free agent deal after going undrafted in the 2023 MLB Draft.

Zane Denton had a big first season with Tennessee

Denton hit .269 with 16 homers and a team-high 59 RBIs after transferring from Alabama. He slugged a three-run homer with two outs and two strikes in the ninth inning against Clemson in the Clemson Regional. The homer put UT ahead 5-4 and the Vols won 6-5 in extra innings following his critical swing that launched UT toward the regional title and the CWS.

Vitello said that was on the "nice list of magical moments" the Vols have had in recent seasons.

"You can’t coach them and you really can’t train for them in practice," he said Thursday. "The way they happen is when you have perseverance, which he certainly had throughout all of last year. Not that he hasn’t had it prior to last year. But a ton of it last year. Our team really came close together at the end and he was a big part of that.”

The Brentwood native also walloped a three-run homer in the decisive game of the Hattiesburg Super Regional that sent the Vols to Omaha for the second time in three seasons under Vitello.

The switch-hitter played three seasons at Alabama before transferring to UT following the 2022 season. He has a fifth year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

HIRED: Richard Jackson tabbed as Tennessee baseball assistant by Tony Vitello

Denton is a career .276 hitter with 39 homers and 156 RBIs in 195 games.

Zane Denton is a key part of Tennessee's infield

Denton's return means three of UT's starting infielders will be back in 2024, the others being first baseman Blake Burke and second baseman Christian Moore. Shortstop Maui Ahuna was drafted by the San Francisco Giants.

The Vols added Clemson transfer Billy Amick, who is expected to be involved at third base. Moore is working at shortstop to open the fall, while a handful of newcomers also could get an opportunity there.

The Vols are holding their first scrimmage Thursday after spending the past month doing individual and group work.

UT has a pair of fall exhibitions scheduled. The Vols will play Virginia Tech on Oct. 22 in Greeneville in a game hosted by Tusculum University, then face Samford on Nov. 5 in Nashville at First Horizon Park.

Tennessee has not announced its full schedule. It is slated to open Feb. 16-18 in the Shriners Children's Showdown in Arlington, Texas.

Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on Twitter @ByMikeWilson. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee baseball: Zane Denton to miss part of UT Vols fall practices