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Vanderbilt Commodores

March Madness Begins for Vanderbilt: The Anchor, March 21, 2025

Your daily briefing on what's going on with Vanderbilt Athletics
Taylor Hodges|
Texas Rangers pitcher Kumar Rocker (80) throws to the plate during the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Globe Life Field.
Texas Rangers pitcher Kumar Rocker (80) throws to the plate during the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Globe Life Field. | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

Former Vanderbilt pitchers Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker will have their chances to join the Texas Rangers starting rotation after pair of injuries.

Two projected starters for the Rangers – Cody Bradford and Jon Gray – are expected to miss the start of the regular season, leaving the door open for two of the Rangers’ best prospects to earn a spot in the starting rotation.

Rocker turned in performance Thursday that should give him some consideration for a starting role after striking out eight Colorado Rockies in 4.2 innings of work Thursday.

There isn’t much time left until MLB’s Opening Day, but Rocker and Leiter are trending in the right direction for the 2023 World Series Champions.

Today’s Commodores Schedule

Baseball: Texas A&M at No. 22 Vanderbilt, 6 p.m., SECN+

Men’s Basketball: Vanderbilt vs. Saint Mary’s (Calif.), NCAA Tournament, 2:20 p.m., TruTV

Women’s Basketball: Vanderbilt vs. Oregon, NCAA Tournament, 4:30 p.m., ESPNews

Men’s Tennis: No. 13 Texas A&M at Vanderbilt, 3:30 p.m.

Women’s Tennis: No. 11 Auburn at Vanderbilt, 5 p.m.

Bowling: Vanderbilt at Conference USA Championship, 9 a.m.

Yesterday’s Commodores Results

Baseball: No. 22 Vanderbilt 5, Texas A&M 3

Bowling: Vanderbilt 1,092, Stephen F. Austin 964, Conference USA Championships

Did You Notice?

Countdown to Vanderbilt’s 2025 Football Season Opener

162 days

Commodores Quote of the Day

[On freshman football player Kyle Gullahorn’s death after falling five stories from a stairwell on campus in 1997:] “Kyle was a model freshman student. He did everything we asked of him academically. More importantly, he was well-liked, friendly and outgoing. … It is tragic to happen to anyone, but Kyle was such a nice guy and a good kid.”
Academic counselor Gary Gibson, March 21

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Taylor Hodges
TAYLOR HODGES

Award-winning sports editor, writer, columnist, and photographer with 15 years’ experience offering his opinion and insight about the sports world in Mississippi and Texas, but he was taken to Razorback pep rallies at Billy Bob's Texas in Fort Worth before he could walk. Taylor has covered all levels of sports, from small high schools in the Mississippi Delta to NFL games. Follow Taylor on Twitter and Facebook.

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