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Chad Bell decided to bypass the University of Tennessee baseball team a year-and-a-half ago out of South-Doyle High School.

A new UT coach and an old friend have since brought Bell back into the Vols’ fold.

The left-handed pitcher and former PrepXtra Pitcher of the Year has committed to join Tennessee in the fall of 2009 pending another spring season at Walters State Community College and another shot at the major league draft.

“I think it’s every kids dream to sign,” Bell said Wednesday. “I’ll be going to a good program. I saw what the new coaching staff did with a lot of young players last year.

“I can already see improvements they’re making and the pitching coach Fred Corral is a lot like coach (Joey) Seaver up here at Walters State. I don’t think there’s any better combination I can jump into.”

It doesn’t hurt that former South-Doyle and Walters State teammate Cody Hawn joined the Vols this fall.

“Cody was up here at Walters State with me last year and we miss him,” Bell said. “He was a big part of what we had going last year and it would be fun to get out there and play with Cody again.”

Bell, a 6-foot-3, 210-pound sophomore, signed with Memphis ahead of UT and Auburn coming off a 14-1, 1.31 ERA senior season at South-Doyle.

He was also drafted in the 25th round by the Milwaukee Brewers out of high school.

“I got to Memphis and went through the fall there but realized I really wanted to give the draft another chance,” Bell said. “I felt like with another year I could make some big improvements and get to where I wanted to be.

“I knew a lot about Walters State, knew some guys who had been through the program and knew coach Seaver was a very good pitching coach. I gave them a call and they needed somebody so it worked out really well.”

Bell was named the 2008 Tennessee Junior College pitcher of the year after going 12-2 as a freshman and helping the Senators to the JUCO World Series.

“I feel like my command overall with all my pitches has gotten better,” Bell said. “I’ve gotten a little stronger and I’m throwing a lot of strikes, working ahead of hitters.”

He was again drafted in the 37th round by the Cleveland Indians this past summer and elected to come back to Walters State for the 2009 season and commit to UT.

© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.