NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Vanderbilt baseball program begins its “Road To Omaha” on Tuesday afternoon when the still-defending College World Series champions officially open fall training.
“Number one, we feel very fortunate and grateful that our administration made it possible for our student body to be back on campus for the fall term,” head coach Tim Corbin said. “I can assure you that our program takes none of this for granted. The fact that we can actively train in a team setting starting on Tuesday is very gratifying for these kids.
“We all understand the loss of something that you enjoy doing and that has been these last six months. We will take full advantage of the opportunity to grow this group of players for what’s ahead, whatever that may be. We are grateful for the opportunity.”
Full-squad training sessions will take place during the week, but must remain closed to the public due to COVID-19 restrictions. The Commodores will use the NCAA mandated 45-day window to prep for what is expected to be another challenging schedule beginning in mid-February.
The team’s fall training will conclude with the program’s annual Black and Gold series, which is tentatively scheduled for Oct. 16-19.
Back to your regularly scheduled programming. #VandyBoys | #AnchorDown pic.twitter.com/GP7Hzu8JFs
— Vanderbilt Baseball (@VandyBoys) September 11, 2020
The Commodores return to action after posting a 13-5 record across the 2020 campaign, which was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The team closed out last season ranked sixth nationally while leading the country in ERA with a 1.84 mark.
Vanderbilt welcomes 17 newcomers — 16 freshmen and one transfer — to a program looking to fill vacancies left by an SEC-best four Major League Draft selections and two free-agent signings. The Commodores’ 2020 recruiting class was tabbed as the third-best in the nation according to Baseball America.
