These should be announced tomorrow and, thus, are solely based on regular season performance.
The Biggies: Player of the Year, Pitcher of the Year, Freshman of the Year, Coach of the Year
Next comes All-SEC (2 SP, 1 RP, 8 positions, 1 DH), both 1st Team and 2nd Team
There is also the All-Defensive team.
Last year, Vandy got nothing except Connor Kaiser as All-Defensive Team SS. This year will be drastically different than that IMHO. Keep in mind, however, there is a long history of Commodores being snubbed for these awards. Even so, we've had a lot of winners over the years. I believe our last POY was Tony Kemp in 2013 and PitOY was Grayson Garvin in 2011 and Carson Fulmer in 2015, COY Corbs numerous times, and FOY Jerren Kendall (not positive about that.)
So, time for my 2019 predictions, which are looked forward to in a manner similar to how Bill Murray's Oscar predictions were looked forward to back in his SNL days, i.e., not at all seriously.
Player of the Year
If it's not JJ Bleday then the Russians obviously meddled with the selection somehow and for some strange reason as I doubt anybody in Russia even knows how to play baseball or even wants to. Austin Martin gets considerable consideration but next year will be his year.
Pitcher of the Year
It won't be a Commodore. Drake Fellows had the best W-L record but he's likely no higher than 8th or so best pitcher. I think it comes down to either Ethan Small (who originally was a Vandy commit but then changed his mind, probably because of how stacked he saw our recruiting class was the year it included Donnie Everett) of Mississippi State or Emerson Hancock of Georgia. Zach Thompson and TJ Sikkema will get consideration but their teams didn't do all that well and that hurts their chances. Hancock is a sophomore so I'm guessing Small, the senior, gets the honor. Small and Hancock make 1st team All-SEC.
Coach of the Year
Easily Tim Corbin. The conference winner almost always wins this award. If not then we'll know just how jealous of him the other coaches are.
Freshman of the Year
It won't be a Commodore so I don't give a flip. (tosses envelope over his shoulder to the floor)
All-SEC
I'm only going to do Dores who should be honored.
JJ Bleday (OF) and Austin Martin (3B) are lead pipe cinches for 1st team.
Ethan Paul should get SS but probably won't. Maybe 2nd team, though.
Philip Clarke (C or DH) will make it. Should be 1st team but might be 2nd.
Stephen Scott (OF) likely gets 2nd team.
Tyler Brown should get top RP. I think it's between him and Kasey Kolich of A&M. But, there are a ton of great closers around the league so there's no telling. Brown leads the SEC in saves, both overall (13) and league-only (9, which is 3 more than anybody else.) His only real mess-up was game 3 with Arkansas and that was a disaster all over the bullpen that day against a desperate team trying to stave off a sweep.
If Brown doesn't get either 1st or 2nd team then the fix was in and somebody paid a lot of money to get this award and Greg Sankey will be building his 3rd vacation home, this time in Tahiti with scantilly-clad tropical girls laying all about, catering to Greg's every whim. Alas, at his age, how many whims can you still have?
All-Freshmen
Kuman Rocker gets 1st team SP. Isaiah Thomas (OF) makes this despite not getting a lot of playing time. Doesn't matter, he'll be All-SEC next year anyway.
All-Defensive
Does anybody care at all about this?
Paul, Clarke, Bleday, and Infante are all in the hunt.
The Biggies: Player of the Year, Pitcher of the Year, Freshman of the Year, Coach of the Year
Next comes All-SEC (2 SP, 1 RP, 8 positions, 1 DH), both 1st Team and 2nd Team
There is also the All-Defensive team.
Last year, Vandy got nothing except Connor Kaiser as All-Defensive Team SS. This year will be drastically different than that IMHO. Keep in mind, however, there is a long history of Commodores being snubbed for these awards. Even so, we've had a lot of winners over the years. I believe our last POY was Tony Kemp in 2013 and PitOY was Grayson Garvin in 2011 and Carson Fulmer in 2015, COY Corbs numerous times, and FOY Jerren Kendall (not positive about that.)
So, time for my 2019 predictions, which are looked forward to in a manner similar to how Bill Murray's Oscar predictions were looked forward to back in his SNL days, i.e., not at all seriously.
Player of the Year
If it's not JJ Bleday then the Russians obviously meddled with the selection somehow and for some strange reason as I doubt anybody in Russia even knows how to play baseball or even wants to. Austin Martin gets considerable consideration but next year will be his year.
Pitcher of the Year
It won't be a Commodore. Drake Fellows had the best W-L record but he's likely no higher than 8th or so best pitcher. I think it comes down to either Ethan Small (who originally was a Vandy commit but then changed his mind, probably because of how stacked he saw our recruiting class was the year it included Donnie Everett) of Mississippi State or Emerson Hancock of Georgia. Zach Thompson and TJ Sikkema will get consideration but their teams didn't do all that well and that hurts their chances. Hancock is a sophomore so I'm guessing Small, the senior, gets the honor. Small and Hancock make 1st team All-SEC.
Coach of the Year
Easily Tim Corbin. The conference winner almost always wins this award. If not then we'll know just how jealous of him the other coaches are.
Freshman of the Year
It won't be a Commodore so I don't give a flip. (tosses envelope over his shoulder to the floor)
All-SEC
I'm only going to do Dores who should be honored.
JJ Bleday (OF) and Austin Martin (3B) are lead pipe cinches for 1st team.
Ethan Paul should get SS but probably won't. Maybe 2nd team, though.
Philip Clarke (C or DH) will make it. Should be 1st team but might be 2nd.
Stephen Scott (OF) likely gets 2nd team.
Tyler Brown should get top RP. I think it's between him and Kasey Kolich of A&M. But, there are a ton of great closers around the league so there's no telling. Brown leads the SEC in saves, both overall (13) and league-only (9, which is 3 more than anybody else.) His only real mess-up was game 3 with Arkansas and that was a disaster all over the bullpen that day against a desperate team trying to stave off a sweep.
If Brown doesn't get either 1st or 2nd team then the fix was in and somebody paid a lot of money to get this award and Greg Sankey will be building his 3rd vacation home, this time in Tahiti with scantilly-clad tropical girls laying all about, catering to Greg's every whim. Alas, at his age, how many whims can you still have?
All-Freshmen
Kuman Rocker gets 1st team SP. Isaiah Thomas (OF) makes this despite not getting a lot of playing time. Doesn't matter, he'll be All-SEC next year anyway.
All-Defensive
Does anybody care at all about this?
Paul, Clarke, Bleday, and Infante are all in the hunt.
Last edited:
