Zane Denton is in the process of deciding what is next for his future as the Tennessee baseball season approaches.

Whether that includes being with the Vols this season or not isn't settled but discussions are ongoing, said Vols coach Tony Vitello said on Thursday.

“I don’t really have expectations because I don’t have complete answers," Vitello said.

Denton announced in August he was returning to UT for a second season after going undrafted in the 2023 MLB Draft. He was not with the Vols during fall baseball while "handling some things he has to," Vitello said in September.

The Vols open the season Feb. 16-18 in the Shriners Children's Showdown in Arlington, Texas.

Zane Denton, Tony Vitello continue to discuss Denton's future

Denton, who had arguably the biggest swing of Tennessee's run to the College World Series last season, has continued to meet with Vitello in recent weeks to discuss what he wants to do next.

"He is in a good place," Vitello said "We are in a good place. Just trying to figure out what he is going to do with his future.”

Vitello added that "there's nothing crazy going on" with Denton.

Denton hit .269 with 16 homers and a team-high 59 RBIs last season 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 noted that Denton had two plans when he came to Tennessee. He wanted to get to the College World Series and he wanted to get to pro baseball. He achieved the first, but the second did not work out as intended following the season, which left Denton evaluating his future.

"We'll figure out what's best, but that'll come when the time is right," Vitello said. "It's not as easy as just going this way or going that way. There's other factors like classes and things involved."

Zane Denton cemented himself in Tennessee baseball history at Clemson

Denton is a career .276 hitter with 39 homers and 156 RBIs in 195 games between his time at Alabama and Tennessee.

FAMILY: Zane Denton's ascension to Tennessee baseball began with his late baseball-nut father

His three-run homer against Clemson stands as a signature moment in recent Tennessee history among a stretch littered with big-time swings and performances in the past three seasons.

"You can't take away from that moment in time he had against Clemson, but really just his whole time here and his college career to this point," Vitello said. "He's gonna add on to that story if you can't erase, it's just a matter of how he's gonna add on to it."

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-hitting Denton 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.

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: Will Zane Denton play for UT Vols in 2024 season?