The air in Hawkins Field crackled with a heightened anticipation on the evening of June 8 as Vanderbilt prepared to face Duke in Game 2 of the Nashville Super Regional. Duke had upset the hosts in Game 1, putting the Blue Devils one win away from their first trip to the College World Series since 1961. Standing in their way were the Southeastern Conference champions and freshman righthander Kumar Rocker, who were looking to force a decisive third game.
With his powerful fastball and hard slider working in tandem, Rocker was electric. Batter after batter went down swinging, unable to connect with his slider darting out of the zone. He would finish the night with 19 strikeouts and a no-hitter, the first-ever thrown in super regionals.
On the big stage, the 6-foot-4, 255-pound freshman captured the attention of the sports world in a way few, if any, college baseball performances ever have. Rocker followed up that historic night with two more outstanding starts in Omaha to help Vanderbilt to the national championship and win the CWS Most Outstanding Player award. He was also named Freshman of the Year after going 12-5, 3.25 with 114 strikeouts and 21 walks in 99.2 innings.
After his sensational season, Rocker spent the summer at Vanderbilt working out. The break from baseball gave him a chance to reflect on the spring but, even then, he didn’t revel in it.
This story is from the February - March 2020 edition of Baseball America.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the February - March 2020 edition of Baseball America.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
NOBODY'S PERFECT
No. 1 prospect Jackson Holliday has one flaw in an otherwise airtight profile
ORGANIZATION REPORTS
At nearly every level of his professional career, outfielder Colton Cowser has taken time to acclimate. His major league debut last season was no different.
ORGANIZATION TALENT RANKINGS
For the second consecutive year, the Orioles enter the season with the best farm system in baseball.
WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN WITH NEW ROSTER LIMITS
No one can fully predict what will happen with the reduced 165-player minor league roster limits, but baseball officials weighed in with predictions for 2024, some of which we heard repeatedly.
NO MORE SLACK IN THE SYSTEM
The in domestic minor leagues creates consternation for farm directors
INTERNATIONAL TREASURES
Why MLB teams value foreign professionals more than ever
HIGH-FLYING BIRDS
Learning from past success and failure in Houston, Mike Elias and his united front office remade the Orioles into winners— and they got there ahead of schedule
ARIZONA COMPLEX LEAGUE TOP 10
Early promotions of star prospects led to a bit of a down season for the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League.
FLORIDA COMPLEX LEAGUE TOP 10
Even before the Rookie-level Florida Complex League season began, scouts who saw extended spring training gushed over the Yankees' talent, starting with shortstop Roderick Arias and 6-foot7 pitchers Henry Lalane and Carlos Lagrange. Outfielder John Cruz mashed 10 home runs as a 17-year-old.
SALAS COULD BE SPECIAL
When Ethan Salas arrived in the California League on May 30, he immediately displayed talent well beyond his years.