Vanderbilt improved to 9-2 on the 2020 season with yesterday’s 5-1 win over Hawaii, the Commodores’ eighth win in a row.
Today, they’re going for nine with freshman Thomas Schultz on the mound. This was originally supposed to be Kumar Rocker, but the VandyBoys Twitter account announced earlier today that it would be Schultz. No, we don’t know, either. Game time is scheduled for 2:00 PM CT on the SEC Network+.
Anyway, Schultz has struck out seven and walked none in 5.1 innings this season, with three hits and no runs against him. So Vanderbilt could do a lot worse.
Max Herz on Hickman and Rocker
.@VandyBoys aces injury update from Tim Corbin:
— Max Herz (@MaxHerzTalks) February 29, 2020
-Mason Hickman tweaked his oblique last night after experiencing soreness during the week. "No arm injury, thank goodness," Corbin says.
-Kumar Rocker scratched from today's start as a precaution because of soreness, threw this a.m.
"He's gonna be ok, nothing to be alarmed about... A little bit of soreness, nothing more, nothing less. He actually wanted to pitch... but we're not gonna push it too far right now." -more Tim Corbin on Kumar Rocker
— Max Herz (@MaxHerzTalks) February 29, 2020
Full interview on the pregame show @ 1:45 (I'll tweet it later)
I completely understand why, after yesterday, Corbs and Brownie would want to be cautious. Hickman throwing two pitches under 70mph and waiving them in had to terrify them—it certainly terrified me. As such, they’re all “Not today, Devil!” and have pivoted to Fr. RHP Thomas “The Mayor” Schultz.
The Lineup
Middle game vs. Hawaii on deck.#VandyBoys | #AnchorDown pic.twitter.com/YoOKGfd4uk
— Vanderbilt Baseball (@VandyBoys) February 29, 2020
A bunch of lineup changes today, as Chi-Chi is back behind the plate, Duvy is DH, J-Hen is back at first after two days of Keegan, and Spencer Jones is getting his first start in the OF (as I.T. is getting his first day off of the year).
Fill up Jobu’s rum so we have no more arm issues (please and thank you).
See you in the comments.