Sept. 17, 2015
Vanderbilt opened fall practice Thursday afternoon at Hawkins Field. The Commodores are coming off the team’s third straight 50-win season after returning to the National Championship Series and finishing as the national runner-up at the College World Series. The Dores’ roster lost 10 letterwinners from last season with seven going in the MLB Draft, including top overall pick Dansby Swanson and fellow first rounders Carson Fulmer and Walker Buehler. The roster, however, returns 23 letterwinners that include seniors Tyler Campbell and Kyle Smith along with 12 players entering their third year in the program. The returners will be joined by a talented freshman class that includes 12 High School All-Americans.
Pitching
The Commodores must replace the entire starting rotation from the end of last season with National Pitcher of the Year Carson Fulmer, Walker Buehler and Philip Pfeifer all going in the first three rounds of the Draft last June. But John Kilichowski, Jordan Sheffield and Kyle Wright all earned starts in the weekend rotation last season. The bullpen is loaded with talent led by big lefty Ben Bowden, who earned co-MVP honors in the Cape Cod League finals helping Yarmouth-Dennis to the league title. Ryan Johnson is joined by freshmen southpaws AJ Franklin and Evan Steele to give the Dores five arms from the left side.
Junior Hayden Stone is expected back from elbow surgery at some point during the season and will figure prominently into the Dores’ plans. Sophomores Joey Abraham, Matt Ruppenthal, Collin Snider and Brendan Spagnuolo are all back after solid summers. Spagnuolo was tabbed a NECBL All-Star pitching for Newport during the summer. Five freshmen join the right-handers, including Donny Everett and Chandler Day who both turned down professional baseball to attend Vanderbilt. Maddux Conger, Matthew McGarry and Patrick Raby round out the Dores from the right side.
Infield
Two big time starters are gone in Dansby Swanson and Zander Wiel but that creates opportunity for new players to step into those roles. Freshman All-American Will Toffey returns a the hot corner with a new number on his back (No. 9) after an injury-shortened summer on the Cape. Tyler Campbell returns up the middle with the senior being a possibility to slide over to the other side of second base at shortstop. Junior Ro Coleman has been working at second base during the off season. Sophomores Liam Sabino and Penn Murfee each started games last season with Murfee earning starts at second and third. Freshmen Alonzo Jones, Connor Kaiser and Ethan Paul will all be in the mix for time at second and short. Tyler Green and freshman Julian Infante look to be possibilities at first base with senior Kyle Smith a possibility to move into the infield.
Outfield/Cathchers
The Commodores return a pair of starters in the outfield with Bryan Reynolds and Jeren Kendall back after putting up solid summers in the Cape Cod League, both were tabbed as Top 10 prospects in college baseball’s premier summer league. Rhett Wiseman’s power will be missed from right field but Kendall smashed eight homers as a true freshman. True freshmen Walker Grisanti and Stephen Scott join the group along with Smith, Coleman and the versatile Nolan Rogers. Behind the plate, the Commodores return a wealth of experience in juniors Jason Delay and Karl Ellison. Tristan Chari put together a solid summer in the Hamptons League and ended the summer in the Cape Cod League. Gristanti is expected to split time behind the dish and the outfield.
Beginning Thursday, the Commodores will be on the field Tuesdays at approximately 6:30 p.m., Wednesday-Friday at approximately 3:15 p.m. with Saturday and Sunday practices scheduled for 10 a.m. Fans are encouraged to attend and enter Hawkins Field via the gate near the visitor’s bullpen on Jess Neely Drive. The team’s annual Black & Gold Series presented by Chevrolet is set for October 22, 23 and 25 with games tentatively set for October 28-29.
