Aria Gerson. Sophomore IF Ro Coleman 1. last spring. He's also a member of the Vanderbilt Chess Club and a superfan of the Chicago White Sox. OF, Freshman He has been on staff since freshman year, previously serving as a Staff Writer, Deputy Sports Editor and Lead Sports Analyst. Noland could return, but if he doesn't, Vanderbilt will have to look to the portal or turn to incoming freshmen like Sal Stewart, Chris Maldonado or RJ Austin. 2022 Vanderbilt Baseball Roster 2022 Vanderbilt Baseball Roster. The lefty was the No. Bobby Kent (23) is a Senior Staff Writer for The Hustler Sports section, having been on staff since his first semester at Vanderbilt. The VandyBoys will open their 2023 season on February 17 against TCU (Hustler Multimedia/Lindsey Jorda). He totaled 45.2 innings last season and notched 58 strikeouts, while allowing 27 walks. LHP, Sophomore With the first pitch of the college baseball season less than a day away, heres what the Commodores lineup and rotation might look like against TCU and beyond. 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. 4 days ago. UTL, Freshman Coach Corbin even stated that, The best gift a program receives is when a senior player returns for their final year. Outfielder Spencer Jones, first baseman Dominic Keegan and right-hander Chris McElvain are almost certainly gone. That kind of velocity difference between pitches is ideal for a closer that needs to keep hitters off balance in clutch situations. He had offseason shoulder surgery after an injury in May, which limited him in the fall. Sophomore C Tate Kolwyck 6. For the first time since the 2020 season, Vanderbilt will open the campaign on the road when the . Coming off a phenomenal freshman season that earned him unanimous Freshman All-American honors, southpaw Carter Holton will be the ace of the VandyBoys 2023 rotation. Chris McElvain, the Friday starter for much of 2022, is likely to begin his professional career, and Christian Little, used as a spot-starter, transferred to LSU. Young enters his junior campaign as one of college baseballs best shortstops. Peabody EDI Office responds to MSU shooting with email written using ChatGPT, SAE bids students affiliated with former DKE chapter after denouncing underground organizations, GUEST EDITORIAL: Vanderbilt Chose Not to Expel My Rapist, Bubble Watch? Bryce Smith, Aiden Rutman, Frankie Sheehy, Luke Rollfinke, Bowman Talbot, Bobby Kent and Connor Campbell February 16, 2023. But right field is Joness position to lose. The junior will provide toughness and grit as a catalyst for a team trying to make a run towards a College World Series title. Javier Vaz 2. Unlike many of the other hitters in the starting lineup, Noland is a Vanderbilt veteran with the game experience to back it up. Having said that, given the injuries we saw the VandyBoys endure last year, hell need to keep his glove warm and his bat at the ready just in case his name is called. Berkwich, a talented sophomore, made 10 appearances last season, totaling 14 2/3 innings, but most impressive were his 19 strikeouts to just three walks. 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. 2022s . 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. Player B/T Pos Ht/Wt Cl. The sophomore has earned a right to more opportunities, but his path is obstructed by two stalwarts in Keegan and LaNeve. Contact her at agerson@gannett.com or on Twitter @aria_gerson. 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. Beyond just the experience and consistency, Bulger posted a very solid .269 batting average last season to go along with 57 hits and 25 RBIs. 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. The juniors mark of 14.0 AB/HR was the best on the team, and his sizzling .909 OPS was third behind Keegan and Isaiah Thomas (min. Diaz may not see much action this season, but he will learn an exceptional amount as a backup player for a soon-to-be MLB player and could move around the infield to other positions this season as well. Here's an early look at how Vanderbilt's roster could shape up next year ahead of the MLB Draft starting July 17: Fifteen players have entered the transfer portal so far, but nineof them played in fewer than five games in 2022. This composure at the plate, as well as a year of experience under his belt, has Vastine poised to do big things this season. 7 Vanderbilt on Friday. Here's the roster outlook for the 2023 season: ROCKER UPDATE: Former Vanderbilt baseball ace Kumar Rocker had shoulder surgery in fall | Report SUMMER BALL: Where every Vanderbilt baseball player is playing summer ball Starting pitching. 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. The scouting site describes him as having a strong and accurate throwing arm with solid athleticism in the field and the ability to hit to all fields at the plate. In 2023, rosters will be going back to 35 with a caveat: a team can have up to 40 players if the five extra players lost their 2020 season. The Hustler reserves the right to remove comments that contain vulgarity, hate speech, personal attacks or that appear to be spam, commercial promotion or impersonation. OF, Freshman Among the transfer losses in the outfield were two-year starter Isaiah Thomas, reserve outfielder Kenny Mallory and redshirt freshman Christian Smith. 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. He was excellent last year in 15 starts, finishing 8-4 with a 3.14 earned-run average (ERA), an impressive strikeout rate of 10.9 per nine innings and kept the walks down to just 3.2 per nine. Whether its at first, second or even designated hitter, he will be a central figure in this years lineup. 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. He majored in human and organizational development with minors in business and economics. When hes not playing, watching or discussing sports, Connor shows an equal amount of love for film. 2013-2. . Designated Hitter Calvin Hewett / Matthew Polk. Sophomore OF . Unless LaNeve comes out of the gate hot, expect to see a platoon between LaNeve and Bulger at designated hitter. 2019 Record: 59-12. Vanderbilt does not have any players who are out of eligibility, but regardless it will lose several to the draft. Hes already shown that he can flourish in any role hes put in and with the increased role of the shortstop position, Im confident Diaz will see great success. He posted a .213 batting average that, at one point, peaked at over .400 before dropping back down to Earth. I was fortunate enough to be in the press box for the Davis Diaz breakout game against Missouri, including his first collegiate home run and a back pick at third that got the attention of Chris Rose and Jomboy Media, and I was amazed by his skill and his mind. LINCOLN, Neb. The shortstop from California had a remarkable senior year at Orange Lutheran in Long Beach, California, where he had a .375 batting average, 26 RBIs and helped his team achieve their most successful season in school history. Coach Corbin even stated that, The best gift a program receives is when a senior player returns for their final year. Head coach Mark Kingston's bunch outlasted North Carolina A&T (3-5) squad 11-3 on Tuesday afternoon at Founders Park to remain as one of just . Tyler Campbell 2. Put simply, the Commodores will go as far as No. The growth of these two sophomores might determine Vanderbilts ceiling this season. 2023 www.tennessean.com. Rankings / Strength of Schedule (SOS) RPI. 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. 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. LaNeve came on strong in 2021 after getting his opportunity in May. Diaz will be able to learn from one of the greatest shortstops in all of college baseball as a backup for Young. 1 overall pick in the MLB Draft by years end. On a warm afternoon at Hawkins Field, the Commodores fell to the Bears, 5-4. Roster turnover is present each and every year in college baseball, but his 20th year on West End will mark a new challenge for head coach Tim Corbin. 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. Jones got some run late last year in a designated hitter and outfielder role and proved to be a dependable player. Name Pos. When not working for The Hustler, she loves reading, listening to music, watching movies and playing with her dog. These batters are lucky if they even get a foul ball against his stuff. . 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. Vanderbilt baseball begins official fall practices on Oct. 18. One College World Series team shows how, SUMMER BALL LIST:Where every Vanderbilt baseball player is playing summer ball, TRANSFER TRACKER:Vanderbilt baseball transfer tracker: Who has entered the portal. 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 will provide leadership and experience to a hopeful Commodore squad that looks to make a splash come June. Maldonado attended Seton Hall Prep like his brother before him and was a Perfect Game Top 150 prospect. In addition to writing, he hosts The Hustler Sports 30 Podcast, enjoys playing golf and is waiting for his hometown Philadelphia 76ers to complete The Process. Luke Rollfinke (2025) is a student in the College of Arts and Science planning to major in Mathematics with a minor in Communications. 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. HT WT CL City ST; 2: Javier Vaz: IF: 5'-9" 151: Jr. Huntsville: AL: 3: Cooper Davis The freshman out of Powell, Tennessee was the ninth-ranked player and the second-ranked catcher in the volunteer state. Before writing for The Hustler, Andrew worked for FanWide. Bulger is likely to start if he returns. He could also figure to get some time in a starting role should Corbin want to experiment with his rotation early in the year. RHP, Freshman 2021 Roster Position Players. The comment sections are moderated by our Editor-in-Chief, Rachael Perrotta, and our Social Media Director, Chloe Postlewaite. Vanderbilt Baseball. Vanderbilt will most likely split time at designated hitter between outfielder Calvin Hewett and utility man Matthew Polk. Jones flashed strong offensive and defensive tendencies last year, and seems to have earned a secure spot in the lineup heading into 2022. 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. Feb 12 @ Tennessee, Vanderbilt (13-11) Loss vs. Tennessee, 64-73 . McElvain, a junior, made 22 appearances on the mound last season, the third most on the team, including one start. 75 ABs). He was rewarded for his efforts by being named to the 2021 Freshman All-SEC team. Polk, a sophomore, posted roughly similar figures across his 36 ABs last season, with an OBP of .372 and OPS of .733. , and I was amazed by his skill and his mind. 2016. Regardless of where, Kolwyck will be an everyday player for the first time in his Vanderbilt career. The power-hitting righty appeared in 42 games last season but saw his power numbers take a hit after battling two wrist injuries throughout the year. 24 overall prospect in the class of 2021 according to Perfect Game and pitched 4 2/3 scoreless innings in Game 1 of the. For years, Tim Corbin has nurtured and developed freshmen pitchers in the midweek starter role who have gone on to become elite college arms (Mason Hickman, Kumar Rocker, Jack Leiter just in the last few seasons) and even World Series winners (Walker Buehler comes to mind). , setting up Enrique Bradfield Jr. to eventually steal home and win the game in the bottom of the 11th. Although Young had a batting average of .252 last season, he capitalized in clutch moments, such as scoring two of Vanderbilts four runs in the NCAA Super Regional game against East Carolina. Still, he tallied 25 RBIs and finished the year with nearly a .900 OPS. Stats; Season; Roster; Games . The Florida native accumulated a 9-3 record as a freshman and finished his season by tossing six shutout innings in Vanderbilts lone regional final win over Oregon State. Appearing in 45 career games, Maldonado is one of most experienced arms in the Vanderbilt bullpen. After posting a team-high .345 batting average last year, Keegan will be the key to the Commodores offensive success. Check out the detailed 2003-04 Vanderbilt Roster and Stats for College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com Robbins led Vanderbilt with a career-high 15 points and 6.8 rebounds per game this season. 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. . Hehad 12 strikeouts to two walks in 7 innings. Second baseman Tate Kolwyck has another year of eligibility, but he participated in senior day,indicating he is unlikely to be back. September 14, 2022. Nonetheless, his raw power and potential should make him an opening day starter. Put simply, the Commodores will go as far as No. 46 (0.5437) Quadrant Records . The senior infielder committed just two errors in 43 games played last season. this season, and his raw speed and athleticism make him a valuable asset to have in the field and at the plate. The views and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of Vanderbilt University and its official representatives. The biggest bullpen wild cards in 2023 will be Sam Hliboki and Michael Doolin. Wright, Commodores stun Kentucky to keep NCAA hopes alive, Chancellor Diermeier calls ChatGPT-crafted response to MSU shooting unfortunate, discusses AI in the classroom, Debrief with Diermeier: Campus expansions, ChatGPT, local politics and more, PODCAST: Does Vanderbilt have a path to NCAA tournament? 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. The deadline to enter the transfer portal was July 1 in order to be eligible immediately for the 2023 season. February 22: Wright State W, 14-1; February 22: Wright State W, 1-0; February 24: Western Kentucky W, 12-1; . The Vanderbilt Hustler Sports staff provides their position-by-position expectations ahead of the VandyBoys season opener on Feb. 18. Chris McElvain, the Friday starter for much of 2022, is likely to begin his professional career, and Christian Little, used as a spot-starter, transferred to LSU. Keegan, who will move behind the plate in place of the departed Rodriguez and Romero Jr., will give way to Kolwyck, who has provided utility reps all around the field throughout his four-year career. Schultz was one of the pleasant surprises on last years Vandy Boys team when, after appearing in just 18 games over his first two seasons, he took over as the teams primary closer, posting a 2.88 ERA with a 3.3 K/BB ratio. The Official Athletic Site of the Vanderbilt Commodores. Vanderbilt University Athletics, or Vanderbilt Baseball. UTL, Junior 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). They figure to be in the VandyBoys long-term plans, so Corbin ought to give them a taste of college ball. But Vanderbilt's unique position as the lone private school in a power baseball conference, allows them to utilize their institutional resources within the NCAA's 11.7 scholarships limit to . The Knoxville native was drafted by the Miami Marlins in the 31st round in 2019, but has elected to play for the Commodores since then. LHP, Freshman Projected Rotation: Patrick Reilly, Christian Little, Nick Maldonado. Former Vanderbilt baseball ace Kumar Rocker had shoulder surgery in fall | Report, Where every Vanderbilt baseball player is playing summer ball, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Currently, Vanderbilt has 15 returning, non-draft eligible players, 19 commits and 15 draft-eligible players. The VandyBoys will start the campaign with a Friday matchup against TCU on Feb. 17 before facing off against Oklahoma State and Texas to round out the weekend. 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 . He led the nation with 47 stolen bases and posted a .336 batting average, good for second overall on the team. As such, the Vanderbilt Hustler has you covered with our projected lineup ahead of the opening weekend tournament: The VandyBoys welcome another Maldonado to the squad this year, brother of closer Nick. 3 Vanderbilt Commodores quest for a third consecutive College World Series appearance will begin on Feb. 18 when they host No. 22. UTL, Sophomore Schreck could be the solution to this problem, and if he can continue to showcase the bat skills that have made him stand out in many of the teams intrasquad scrimmages, he could find himself atop the team leaderboard in home runs by seasons end. L/L. Here are all the former Vanderbilt baseball players on MLB Opening Day rosters. Through two college seasons, Bradfield Jr. has looked like what would happen if former 14-year MLB veteran Juan Pierre added plus-plus defense and a bit of juice in his bat to his game. Vanderbilt would advance to the Super Regionals with a win, while Georgia T. For the first time since the 2020 season, Vanderbilt will open the campaign on the road when the Commodores begin their spring slate with their first appearance in the College Baseball Showdown at Globe Life Fieldhome of the Texas Rangers.