Get to know Rockies' No. 9 pick Chase Dollander

Chase Dollander, who was selected ninth overall by the Rockies in the 2023 MLB Draft, was one of the top collegiate pitchers in this year's class -- and the No. 9 overall Draft prospect.

But who is Chase Dollander? Here's a guide to let you know what he's all about.

FAST FACTS
Position: RHP
Ht/Wt: 6-foot-2, 200 lbs.
B/T: Right/right
DOB: Oct. 26, 2001
College: Tennessee
High school: Greenbrier High School (Ga.)
Born: Evans, Ga.

Good first impressions

Dollander's journey as a collegiate pitcher didn't start as a Tennessee Volunteer; it started against them.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Dollander's major strides as a senior at Greenbrier High School in 2020 didn't last long enough to impress scouts. After going undrafted, Dollander took his talents to Georgia Southern University, a mere 87 miles south of his hometown of Evans.

In his first career start, he didn't just face off against Tennessee; he dominated them. In 5 2/3 innings, he struck out eight Volunteers hitters and allowed a lone run. Talk about good first impressions. In his first and only season with Georgia Southern, Dollander posted a 4.04 ERA and struck out 64 batters in 49 innings.

Dollander transferred to Tennessee following the 2021 season. Fascinatingly, his first start as a Volunteer in 2022 came against ... Georgia Southern. Dollander dominated his former club, striking out 11 batters in five innings. He also put himself on the prospect map by topping out at 98 mph and flashing the swing-and-miss stuff that's propelled him to top prospect status.

He didn't lose a single game during his first year at Tennessee

Dollander's first start in '22 against his former team was a telltale sign of things to come. In his first year as a Volunteer, Dollander went 10-0 and posted a 2.39 ERA in 79 innings. Showcasing some of the best stuff and command of any collegiate pitcher, he posted a 108-13 strikeout-to-walk ratio. His 8.3 K/BB ratio ranked seventh among all NCAA Division I pitchers.

His final, and biggest, win of the '22 season came in a do-or-die elimination game against Notre Dame in the Knoxville Super Regionals. After pitching poorly in his first outing of the tournament against Campbell (four runs in 2 2/3 innings), Dollander flipped the script in his next outing. He limited the Fighting Irish to just two runs across seven innings while striking out seven and walking nobody.

Dollander was also named the SEC pitcher of the year in '22. He was the first to win that award since Luke Hochevar in 2005.

He's in rare territory going in the top 10

The last and only other Tennessee pitcher to be drafted in the top 10 was Steven Raines, who was drafted seventh overall by the Washington Senators in 1971. Just getting drafted in the first round (excluding the supplemental rounds) was a rarity. The only other Volunteer pitchers to be drafted that high were Garrett Crochet at 11th overall by the White Sox in 2020 and R.A. Dickey at 18th by the Rangers in 1996.

Beyond becoming just the second top-10 Draft pick out of Tennessee, Dollander also has the chance to become one of the most successful MLB pitchers from the school. The only pitchers to exceed 10 WAR in the Majors are Dickey (23.7) and Rick Honeycutt (21.6).