#8 Isaiah Thomas Season 2019-20
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Student-Athlete Features
Sun Sentinel – Palm Beach 6A-1A baseball player of the year: Isaiah Thomas, Benjamin senior (June 2018)
The Palm Beach Post – Benjamin duo named All-Area small-school baseball co-players of year (June 2018)
VUCommodores.com – Looking Back: I.T. Factor
Head coach Tim Corbin on Thomas: “We have all enjoyed watching IT’s development and maturity over the last three years. He handled his role as a young player like a professional. He learned how to invest and learn from the older players, and now we are seeing the dividends of his patience. He has overriding tools and abilities. The consistency part of the game has flourished because of his attention to detail and training. His growth is going to be continual.”
As a Junior (2021)
• Saw action in 59 games, while making 57 starts
• Named to the ABCA All-Southeast Region second team
• Ranked third on the squad in batting average with a .305 mark
• Belted 13 home runs, to rank third on the team
• Owned a .583 slugging percentage which placed him second among the Vanderbilt offense, and 10th in the SEC
• Went 3-for-5 in season-opener versus Wright State (Feb. 22), which included one homer, a triple and three RBI
• From March 9-25, Thomas notched 16 hits in a nine-game span
• Launched three homers in the Oklahoma State series (March 13-14), including two in the finale
• 3-for-3 day in the deciding game two of the South Carolina series (March 20), which included a double and a triple
• Swiped a season-high three bases in the midweek win over North Alabama (May 11)
• Belted two home runs in the win over Ole Miss (May 15)
• Stole two bases in the first win over Georgia Tech in the NCAA Regional (June 5)
• Launched the game-winning grand slam in the top of the 11th inning over Georgia Tech (June 6), which capped off a 3-for-5 day from the plate
As a Sophomore (2020)
• Season canceled due to coronavirus outbreak
• SEC’s 26th-best 2021 MLB Draft prospect by D1Baseball
• Team leader with four home runs
• Tied for team lead with 13 RBIs
• Second on team with five doubles
• 16 games started in right field
• At least one hit in 12 of 16 games
• Nine-game hit streak to open season
• Two home runs vs. Hawaii (March 1)
• Three-run walk-off homer in 11th inning vs. Hawaii (March 1)
As a Freshman (2019)
• 21 appearances and six starts
• .368 (14-for-38)
• Four multi-hit games and two multi-RBI games
• Career high five RBIs, four hits and two homers vs. Tennessee Tech (April 30)
• .433 (13-for-30), 10 RBIs and eight runs in eight-game span (April 9-30)
• .320 (8-for-25) with runners
• .313 (5-for-16) with two outs
• 2-for-4 with four RBIs and a homer in first start at Middle Tennessee (April 9)
The Thomas File
• Product of The Benjamin School (Fla.)
• 39th-round selection by the Colorado Rockies in 2018 MLB Draft
• Nation’s 26th-best overall outfielder in the class of 2018 by Perfect Game
• 2018 Rawlings-Perfect Game All-America third team
• Palm Beach 6A-1A Player of the Year
• .490 with 34 RBIs, eight home runs, 16 stolen bases as a senior
• Led team to three district titles and two regional championships
• Led team to state semifinal appearance
• Team captain as a senior
• Son of St. Clair and Dianna
• One sister, Kayli
• Second cousin (on father’s side) is five-time NBA champion Tim Duncan
• Medicine, health and society major