June 29, 2015
Nashville, Tenn. – Juniors Carson Fulmer and Dansby Swanson have each earned national awards from the College Baseball Hall of Fame with Fulmer being named the National Pitcher of the Year and Swanson the Brooks Wallace Award winner, given annually to the nation’s top shortstop.
Fulmer wrapped up one of the best seasons in Vanderbilt history going 14-2 with a 1.83 ERA to match the school record for wins in a single-season. The Lakeland, Fla. native’s 167 strikeouts are the second-most in school history behind David Price’s school record 194. Fulmer became just the fourth pitcher in Southeastern Conference history and first since 2005 to win the league’s triple crown leading the nation’s premier conference in wins, ERA and strikeouts. Fulmer was the eighth overall selection in the MLB Draft by the Chicago White Sox making him the ninth pitcher selected in the first round in Vanderbilt history.
“To put up those kind of numbers in arguably the toughest conference in the country is truly remarkable,” said Raymond Richardson, Pitcher of the Year Award co-chair. “Carson was a key part of his team’s run to the final game of the College World Series and we look forward to seeing what he does at the next level of his career.”
Swanson capped an amazing two-year stretch that saw the Marietta, Ga. native lead the Commodores to the school’s first-ever men’s national title in 2014 earning Most Outstanding Player honors followed by being the No. 1 overall pick by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the MLB Draft. Swanson led the Dores in hits, runs, doubles, triples, home runs and walks en route to a first team All-American season in 2015. He is the only first team All-American shortstop in school history and joins Price as the only Commodores to be selected first overall. Vanderbilt is now one of two schools to ever produce multiple No. 1 picks.
“It was a challenging process this year to make our choice from all the players who put up incredible numbers,” said Larry Wallace, co-chairman of the Brooks Wallace Award. “With so many of the top shortstops making it to the College World Series it was great to be able to watch them play extensively. Not only is Dansby an incredible player, we feel he exemplifies the characteristics and qualities that the Brooks Wallace Award represents.”
The award, sponsored by Mizuno, is named for Brooks Wallace, a Texas Tech shortstop from 1977 to 1980 who died at the age of 27 after a battle with leukemia.
Fulmer and Swanson will be officially awarded tonight at the Hall of Fame’s annual Night of Champions event in Lubbock, Texas along with the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award and the Skip Bertman National Coach of the Year Award.