Vanderbilt ace Kumar Rocker finished his career at Hawkins Field with a flourish on Friday, striking out 11 batters in a 2-0 win over Eastern Carolina.
Rocker’s performance gave the Commodores a 1–0 lead in their Super Regional matchup against ECU. The winner will face Arizona or Ole Miss at the College World Series in Omaha.
Friday’s performance continued a brilliant collegiate career for the right hander. Rocker was named the College World Series Most Outstanding Player in 2019 when Vanderbilt won the national title, and he became the first pitcher ever to throw a no-hitter in the Super Regional round in a win over Duke that same year.
Eastern Carolina hitters could struggle once again on Saturday when Jack Leiter takes the mound for Vanderbilt. Leiter has been electric in 2021, tallying 146 strikeouts in 89 innings. Leiter through a no-hitter of his own in a win over South Carolina in March.
Rocker and Leiter are both expected to be top-10 picks in the 2021 MLB draft on July 11.
