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Vanderbilt Baseball is primed for another big year thanks to the presence of two of the game’s best prospects. But the team is much deeper than just Jeren Kendall and Kyle Wright, as the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper understands.
The esteemed publication has the Commodores ranked sixth in the nation for the upcoming season. Collegiate Baseball was the first two drop its 2017 pre-season rankings Tuesday. Vandy finished just outside the top five, which features No. 1 TCU, then LSU, Florida, South Carolina, and Oregon State.
Collegiate Baseball’s Preseason Rankings
| Rank | Team (2016 Record) | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Rank | Team (2016 Record) | Points |
| 1 | Texas Christian (49-18) | 496 |
| 2 | Louisiana St. (45-21) | 494 |
| 3 | Florida (52-16) | 491 |
| 4 | South Carolina (46-18) | 489 |
| 5 | Oregon St. (35-19) | 485 |
| 6 | Vanderbilt (43-19) | 482 |
| 7 | Arizona (49-24) | 480 |
| 8 | Miami, Fla. (50-14) | 478 |
| 9 | Florida St. (41-22) | 475 |
| 10 | Cal. St. Fullerton (36-23) | 472 |
Southeastern Conference teams took four of the top six spots and placed six programs in the top 25 overall. Regional rival Louisville, who the ‘Dores play each year in May in the Battle for the Bourbon Barrel, was ranked 11th.
Kendall and Wright will be the team’s headliners, but they’re joined by a deep squad equally well-versed on offense and defense. Vanderbilt will bring mashers like Will Toffey and Julian Infante to the plate while relying on dymamite pitchers like Matt Ruppenthal, Patrick Raby, and Collin Snider. Veterans like Ro Coleman and Jason Delay can also bring College World Series experience to a roster brimming with talented but inexperienced players.
Vanderbilt’s season kicks off February 17th with a road trip to San Diego.