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College | Story | 2/20/2019

Scout Take: Vanderbilt

Vincent Cervino

Photo: JJ Bleday (Vanderbilt Athletics)

College Notes: UCI vs. Washington | College Player Database

Vanderbilt Commodores

What Happened: The Commodores opened the season as the No. 3 team in the land and certainly showed why as their high-flying offense was responsible for 31 runs scored and a 2-1 finish in the MLB4 Collegiate Tournament against three of the top programs in the country. Vanderbilt dropped the third game of the weekend against TCU but scored 15 and 14 runs, respectively, in their first two games to let America know that the Commodores are not messing around this season.

Carrying Tool: Offensive firepower. The Vanderbilt lineup is both incredibly deep and loaded with star power, headed up by potential Day 1 draft pick JJ Bleday, and really are energized by an excellent 2017 high school class of now-sophomores. Austin Martin looked like he was playing an entirely different sport this weekend as he slashed .600/.750/.900 while Philip Clarke and Jayson Gonzalez also had big weekends. Seniors Ethan Paul and Stephen Scott both provide valuable experience and both hit well north of .450 this weekend.

Concerns: Pitching. For as good of a weekend as Vanderbilt had, the pitching, to put it bluntly, wasn't as nearly as effective as the offense was. Weekend starters of Drake Fellows and Kumar Rocker (Patrick Raby had a solid performance) were hit hard and the bullpen wasn't much help either. Jake Eder and Hugh Fisher, both of whom tossed one inning or less, have some of the most electric stuff on the staff, and while it's only the first weekend, Tim Corbin is looking for a national title so Fellows, Rocker and Mason Hickman in particular will have to step up next weekend at home.

Best Player on the Field: JJ Bleday. College bats are always in demand and every year there is a small handful of players whose draft stock soars with strong spring performances. Bleday has a bit of a head start on everyone as he's a near unanimous first-round pick, and was the Cape's top pro prospect over the summer, and with the year it looks like he's going to have scouts are going to get increasingly more comfortable going to bat for him. Bleday is already on a fast track to a monster junior season, and if this weekend was any indication, it's going to look easy for him while it happens.

Fearless Forecast: Vanderbilt returns to Omaha. 2015 was the last year the Commodores made it to Omaha and the 2019 version of the team looks like the best Tim Corbin has had since they won it all in 2014. The lineup is incredibly deep with the potential to take you deep from just about anywhere and most in attendance would be willing to bet the pitching this weekend was just a blip on the radar for what will be an otherwise deep and experienced staff. Some things need to break right but betting on the talent of Vanderbilt to make it to the final eight seems like a safe bet.

Player covered: JJ Bleday, Philip Clarke, Austin Martin, Ethan Paul, Stephen Scott, Drake Fellows, Kumar Rocker, Jake Eder.

JJ Bleday
The Commodores are going to get a lot of attention this spring, and rightfully so as they are the No. 3-ranked team in the country to start their season, but star outfielder JJ Bleday might get the most attention of all. A potential first round draft pick, Bleday had a monster weekend to start out the season hitting .375 in three games against some of the best programs in the country and included a long, no-doubt big fly to right-center field.

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