Vanderbilt Baseball plays in the 2020 Black and Gold Series. Last season, while still a limited sample size, Hewett had an On-base Percentage (OBP) of .427 and an On-Base + Slugging (OPS) of .931. Polk enters his first season with the Commodores after a noteworthy high school career. . Projected Rotation: Patrick Reilly, Christian Little, Nick Maldonado. While the 67 junior is certainly an intimidating presence at the plate, opponents will have to be wary of him on the basepaths as well, as he was 4-for-4 in stolen base attempts in 2021 in limited action. Stats; Season; Roster; Games . Holton, however, is one of Vanderbilts most prized freshmen and adds a dimension that the VandyBoys have not had in a number of years: a potentially dominant southpaw. As with all freshman thrust into a crucial role with a top-tier program, Maldonado will have his freshman moments but should inspire confidence in Commodore fans as the season progresses. Seven of those 11 inactive players have since entered the portal. Weve slotted freshman Andrew Dutkanych IV here as the midweek starter, but I certainly wouldnt be surprised to see him get a few Sunday starts later on, especially given how open that competition is this year. Javier Vaz 2. The Georgia duo made themselves known early in the 2021. , with Mallory Jr. driving in Smith for the first run of Game 1. With the departure of steady relievers Luke Murphy and Hugh Fisher from last years roster, look for McElvain to be the first player out of the bullpen for the Commodores this year. Patrick Reilly got the nod for the Commodores on Tuesday, making his 11th career start. The Commodores begin a six-game homestand Feb. 21 against Central Arkansas. He had offseason shoulder surgery after an injury in May, which limited him in the fall. Young enters his junior campaign as one of college baseballs best shortstops. with the Los Angeles Angels as an undrafted free agent in July. So take our prediction with a grain of salt. Most importantly, Polk does not play to his size, and, drives the ball with impressive gap power. He does have a home run to his namea solo shot he hit in his most recent game against Florida International University, so if the sophomore gets a chance, its possible he cements a spot in the lineup going forward. Corbin said as late as this past Friday that he and pitching coach Scott Brown still had discussions to have regarding Vanderbilts starting location. McElvain, a junior, made 22 appearances on the mound last season, the third most on the team, including one start. 2021 Record: 49-18. He brought power and a clutch gene to the Commodore lineup, exemplified by a. against Kentucky on May 20. Incoming freshman Andrew Dutkanych pulled out of the draft and could be in play for a midweek or Sunday starter spot. 75 ABs). mostly utilized a two-pitch mix as a freshman, with an arsenal more predicated on control than velocity. Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. He has been training as a starter this offseason and will likely get a chance to do so this year. Bobby interned at CNN Sports this past summer where he assisted in producing studio shows, writing anchor scripts and creating fullscreen graphics. Connor Campbell ('25) is a Human and Organizational Development and Film major from Staten Island, New York. On Wednesday, Vanderbilt baseball released their 2023 conference schedule. To start, the New Jersey Native stands at an intimidating 63 and 208 lbs with a fearsome stare from 60 feet away. However, like many of the VandyBoys, LaNeve slumped in the College World Series, bringing into question whether his run down the stretch was a fluke. HT WT CITY ST COMMIT; Dylan Lesko: RHP: 6'-3" 195: R-R: Buford: GA: Andruw Jones When not working for The Hustler, she loves reading, listening to music, watching movies and playing with her dog. Powered by WMT Digital. Reilly has been so close to solidifying the Sunday starter spot since he started with the program, but has never been given the conclusive nod. Junior IF Cooper Davis 3. Vanderbilt unveils 2023 baseball schedule. In addition to writing, Aiden is an avid New York sports fan, and he loves playing sports, spending time outdoors and trying new foods. February 14: Michigan L, 4-3; February 15: UConn W, 6-1; February 16: Cal Poly L, 9-8; . Patrick Reilly is one of the more electric pitchers in the Vanderbilt staff, and its within good reason. McKenzie flashed power in his limited opportunities last season and followed up on that with a promising fall, positioning the senior to crack the starting lineup for the first time. Outfield is also the position where draft-eligible players are most likely to return. UTL, Junior The VandyBoys will open their 2023 season on February 17 against TCU (Hustler Multimedia/Lindsey Jorda). Jones flashed strong offensive and defensive tendencies last year, and seems to have earned a secure spot in the lineup heading into 2022. The 2021 Vanderbilt Commodores baseball team represented Vanderbilt University during the 2021 NCAA Division I baseball season.Vanderbilt competed in the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). 219. If you scrolled down to read about Enrique Bradfield Jr. first, I cant exactly blame you (but trust me, go back up and read about the rest of this offense). He can be reached at [emailprotected], Andrew Wilf ('24) is from Livingston, New Jersey, and is majoring in history and minoring in business. This composure at the plate, as well as a year of experience under his belt, has Vastine poised to do big things this season. He totaled 45.2 innings last season and notched 58 strikeouts, while allowing 27 walks. Name Pos. Devin Futrell is the latest in that group and the now-sophomore is poised to build upon a sensational freshman campaign as the midweek starter by locking down the Saturday spot this year. 1 (0.5870) Non-Conference SOS. Junior Head coach Tim Corbin acknowledged that [Vastine] is one of the best pure athletes on [the] team, and the feeling within the VandyBoys locker room is that the sophomore is ready to make a jump. He posted a .213 batting average that, at one point, peaked at over .400 before dropping back down to Earth. The Official Athletic Site of the Vanderbilt Commodores. As such, the Vanderbilt Hustler has you covered with our projected lineup ahead of the opening weekend tournament: The expectation is for Jack Bulger to start the season at catcher. Vanderbilt does not have any players who are out of eligibility, but regardless it will lose several to the draft. So take our prediction with a grain of salt. Contact her at agerson@gannett.com or on Twitter @aria_gerson. Poteet is an interesting case. Last season, Kolwyck mashed 9 home runs and hit 36 RBIs to go along with a .330 OBP and a .812 OPS. Vanderbilt University Athletics - Official Athletics Website . That may even involve a touch more nuance designed to limit the load on Keegan, with Bulger slotting in at catcher and Keegan at DH when the VandyBoys face a southpaw. With 20 commits in the incoming freshman class, some are likely to be lost to the draft, but those who join Dutkanych on campus could make an impact right away. Junior Jack Bulger is draft-eligible but may return for another season; if he does not, the Commodores may need to look to the portal. Vanderbilt baseball begins official fall practices on Oct. 18. Corbin has said that he could play a number of different positions moving forward, but first base is where he could land sooner rather than later. The biggest bullpen wild cards in 2023 will be Sam Hliboki and Michael Doolin. Luke Rollfinke (2025) is a student in the College of Arts and Science planning to major in Mathematics with a minor in Communications. Holton, however, is one of Vanderbilts most prized freshmen and adds a dimension that the VandyBoys have not had in a number of years: a potentially dominant southpaw. You can reach him at francis.m.sheehy@vanderbilt.edu. With the departure of Carter Young, we expect Diaz to slide over into his natural position in the middle of the field. With a roster full of gifted players, Vanderbilt has not only produced a tremendous amount of success on the field, but . If Young stays healthy and boosts his batting average, he may emerge as one of the great shortstops Vanderbilt has ever seen. He was rewarded for his efforts by being named to the 2021 Freshman All-SEC team. That mix includes a low-90s fastball that Futrell pinpoints on the corners of the strike zone and a sweeping curveball designed to miss bats. Diaz will be able to learn from one of the greatest shortstops in all of college baseball as a backup for Young. If Corbin feels keeping Maldonado in the bullpen is important, expect senior Thomas Schultz or freshman Carter Holton to step into a weekend starter role. The third annual tournament is scheduled for Feb. 1719 and features six of the nations top programs. 2020 Vanderbilt Baseball Roster No. I was fortunate enough to be in the press box for the, against Missouri, including his first collegiate home run and a back pick at third that got the attention of. His greatest asset, however, is his stellar defense- hallmarked by a career .972 fielding percentage.Yet, the greatest impact Noland has on the VandyBoys is far greater than his on the field talents. So. 51 can take them and if the first two seasons of his career are any indication, the skys the limit for Bradfield and the VandyBoys in 2023. RJ Schreck has some big shoes to fill out in the right field, but if his track record is any indication of what is to come, he should be up to the challenge. Hewett, a junior, appeared in 33 games last season and made 85 at-bats (ABs), an increase from his 15 games and 7 at-bats in his freshman campaign. The senior infielder committed just two errors in 43 games played last season. Luke loves all things sports so when he's not writing for the Hustler he's probably out either playing for a club or intramural team or watching a game. TRANSFER STRATEGY:Should Vanderbilt baseball, Tim Corbin take more transfers? C, Senior 22. The Bruins took the first-ever meeting in the series, on Feb. 26, 2010 at Jackie Robinson Stadium as Gerrit Cole out-dueled Sonny Gray in a 9-2 UCLA win. The anchors of Vanderbilt's 2023 team will be center fielder Enrique Bradfield Jr., already a two-time All-American, and freshmen All-American starting pitchers Carter Holton and Devin Futrell. Any of the three could also be lockdown relievers. However, like many of the VandyBoys, LaNeve slumped in the College World Series, bringing into question whether his run down the stretch was a fluke. (Hustler Multimedia/Miguel Beristain) Andrew Wilf, Deputy Sports Editor. Currently, Vanderbilt has 15 returning, non-draft eligible players, 19 commits and 15 draft-eligible players. Jams that Ive seen him get out of before, but jams nonetheless. Though he doesnt have an overwhelming fastball, his swing-and-miss stuff was consistent all year, and his command was fantastic. That leaves six contributors who are gone: bullpen arms Donye Evans, Brett Hansen and Greysen Carter, shortstop Carter Young, first baseman Gavin Casas and most notably, right-hander Christian Little, who transferred to LSU. HT WT Bats/Throws CITY ST COMMIT; Maxwell Clark: OF: 6'-1" 190: L-L: Franklin He brought power and a clutch gene to the Commodore lineup, exemplified by a walk-off home run against Kentucky on May 20. Hliboki, who last pitched in April 2021 due to injury, could follow that path. As a freshman, Espinal saw only six games of action due to the extraordinary depth at catcher last season, but he might get some looks this year if Keegan moves to first base or takes on a designated hitter role at some point. The Commodores do-it-all leadoff man was a consensus All-American in each of his first two collegiate campaigns and has stolen 93 bases and maintained a .326 batting average across his first 129 games as a VandyBoy. This site is not affiliated with Vanderbilt University, Vanderbilt University Athletics, or Vanderbilt Baseball. The freshman from Pittsburg, California, has accomplished several feats, from winning three gold medals with the USA National Team to batting .406 during his senior season at Acalanes High School. Backstops CJ Rodriguez and Maxwell Romero Jr. have found new homes. Look for him to truly come onto the scene as he settles into his starting role.