NASHVILLE, Tenn. — With two weeks to go until the first pitch of the 2022 season, Vanderbilt is hoping its infield depth becomes one of its core strengths over the course of the next four months.
The Commodores have a solid mix of returning veterans and talented newcomers that will fill up the starting lineup and who have been competing on a daily basis during training for playing time.
“That’s what you want, you want that inter-team competition that kind of pushes kids to get to certain levels because if you don’t always have someone on your heels then you can get stagnant and you can go into neutral,” Vanderbilt head coach Tim Corbin said Friday. “You can’t afford to do that when you’re a team that wants to play at a certain level.”
Senior Dominic Keegan, a 19th-round pick of the New York Yankees over the summer, has been lining up at catcher (a position he played in high school) and first after mostly playing the latter in 2021. The preseason All-American hit a team-leading .345 over 60 games and drove in a team-high 57 RBIs last season.
He could look out at an infield on opening day that includes senior Tate Kolwyck at second base (or possibly first), sophomore Carter Young at shortstop and sophomore Parker Noland at either third or first base. Each of those Commodores played at least 43 games in 2021 and Noland led the Dores with 16 home runs.
“I think it just comes down to kids who have been in those positions enough to where they’ve had experiences and can play with the rhythm that we need in order to be consistent,” Corbin said. “I think we have depth, but in terms of playing depth that we can play at the level that we need them to? That’s still in process.
“But (the veterans) have played enough to where there’s some comfort there at any position on the field. So that part is good. Then those freshmen are coming along well, but it’s still going to take some time.”
Behind the quartet of Keegan, Kolwyck, Young and Noland are four freshmen vying to take a starting spot – or at least put the pressure on their elder teammates to keep their respective spots on the field.
Davis Diaz is a 5-foot-11, 170-pound product of California with the ability to play anywhere on the infield. He won three gold medals with the USA Baseball National Team before arriving in Nashville.
Rob Gordon, from Atlanta, is 6-foot-2 and 176 pounds and played shortstop at Grady High School. His baserunning acumen could afford him the ability to also enter the fray as a pinch-runner at times.
Another California product, Matthew Polk (5-11, 180) could also see some time as an outfielder if he isn’t lined up at third base. He helped Orange Lutheran High School win a program-record 30 games in 2021.
And lastly, Jonathan Vastine (5-11, 165) hails from Florida and was also an accomplished high school pitcher. He has been getting looks at first base during this preseason.
“There’s a lot of talent in the freshmen group,” Young said. “I think on both sides of the ball, offensively and defensively, they’re very skilled. I think I’ve helped them and I think they’ve helped me and I think it’s been a good experience for me to fill in to that leadership profile to kind of take them under my wing and show them the ropes and show them how it’s done.”
Vanderbilt is scheduled to begin the 2022 season at 4:30 p.m. Feb. 18 against Oklahoma State at Hawkins Field.
— Chad Bishop covers Vanderbilt for VUCommodores.com.
Follow him @MrChadBishop.
