Feb. 1, 2016
Baseball America released the publication’s annual All-America teams on Monday with five Commodores on the three teams with outfielders Bryan Reynolds and Jeren Kendall, third baseman Will Toffey and pitchers Ben Bowden and Jordan Sheffield earning the honors.
Baseball America selects their preseason All-America team differently than all other media outlets, allowing scouting directors from all 30 major league teams to vote. Professional baseball continues to think highly of the Dores with the five Vandy Boys spread over the three teams tying top-ranked Florida for the most players on the list.
Reynolds has been on every preseason All-America team to date after posting his second 90-plus hit season in as many years at Vanderbilt. He hit .318 with 27 extra-base hits while taking over the role in center field. He’s ranked as one of the top prospects in all of college baseball entering his junior season.
Kendall improved dramatically over the course of his freshman season, ending the year hitting .281 with eight home runs. The Holmen, Wisc. native’s biggest moment came in Omaha with a walk-off, three-run homer to beat Cal State Fullerton in the first round of the College World Series. The walk-off home run was the first walk-off home run in TD Ameritrade Park history.
Fellow sophomore, Will Toffey became a force as the 2015 season wore on leading the Commodores in hitting in Southeastern Conference play with a .348 average. Toffey ended his Freshman All-American and Freshman All-SEC season hitting .294 with 20 doubles.
Bowden returns to campus for his junior season after posting a monster summer in the Cape Cod League, helping Yarmouth-Dennis to the league title and earning co-MVP honors in the finals. The big lefty’s six wins last year were tied for the second-most on the squad. He also struck out 49 over 37.1 innings.
For Sheffield, the preseason recognition is the first but the right-hander is highly thought of by professional baseball evaluators. After spending his first season on the sidelines due to elbow surgery, Sheffield finally pitched for the Commodores in 2015 going 5-2 with a 2.85 ERA in 22 games, six starts.
Full All-America teams from Baseball America.
Vanderbilt opens the season February 19 at home against San Diego. The team’s annual banquet is set for February 13 at the Omni Hotel in downtown Nashville at 7 p.m. Coach Corbin will talk about the team and coaching staff during the event with the team signing autographs prior. To purchase tickets call 615.322.GOLD or click here.