Who is Gavin Kilen? All we know about Louisville transfer who committed to Tony Vitello’s Tennessee
Gavin Kilen is reportedly transferring to Tennessee after playing two seasons at Louisville. The third baseman will add more firepower to the Vols, who clinched their first national championship under coach Tony Vitello last month. Amid the talk around Kilen's transfer to Tennessee, fans have been curious to learn more about the player.
Kilen was born on March 28, 2004, in Janesville, Wisconsin, to parents Chris and Kristina Kilen. He also has two siblings, Beau and Nayeli. Kilen attended Milton High School in Milton, Wisconsin, where he liked baseball and played for four years. He later committed to Louisville in 2023.
Notably, Kilen says that his father Chris sparked his interest in baseball. Chris played two years at MATC and finished as the winningest pitcher in school history with a flawless 13-0 record. He also totaled 102 strikeouts and had a 1.35 ERA.
After graduating from MATC with an associate's degree in 1995, Chris briefly played at Northeast Louisiana State before an elbow injury cut short his career. In 2005, Chris was appointed as the Athletic Director at Waukesha County Technical College.
As per his Instagram, Kilen is dating Allison Johnson, a student at the University of Minnesota. The couple celebrated their first anniversary in November last year.
Kilen announced his transfer to Tennessee on Thursday via social media. He posted pictures of himself on Instagram donning the Vols' orange and white.
"See you soon, Knoxville," Kilen captioned the post.
Kilen is also a big fan of nine-time World Series champions, the Boston Red Sox. His favorite player is Hall of Famer David Ortiz.
A glimpse into Gavin Kilen's college baseball career
Gavin Kilen had two fabulous years at Louisville. In his freshman year, the third baseman played 46 games and recorded 40 hits, with nine doubles, a triple, and 18 RBIs at a .265 average.
In his second season with the Cardinals, Kilen racked up 76 hits, 10 home runs, and 44 RBIs at a .339 batting average. He earned an All-ACC Third Team selection in his final year at Louisville.
Now, it will be interesting to see how Kilen fares under Tony Vitello's Tennessee during the 2025 season.