Vanderbilt's Austin Martin on his Positon and Other Things Baseball
He can play any number of position on the baseball diamond, but ask Austin Martin where he will be when the Vanderbilt Commodores begin defense of their national championship on Feb.14, and he'll tell you, "I don't know, you tell me," which was his response when asked that question on Friday afternoon at Hawkins Field as he and his teammates began their first official practice of the season.
Along with where he will play, Martin was asked about many other topics during his time with the media, including scouts and the next level and playing third base last season.
What is readily noticeable about Martin is his team-first attitude, which was mentioned multiple times during his comments. Having leaders with that mental approach is a positive for any team and something that has made Vanderbilt baseball- along with head coach Tim Corbin- one of the top programs in the country.
The Commodores still have some question marks of who will play at what positions, but pitching should be in good hands with quality starters Mason Hickman and Kumar Rocker at the top of the rotation and Tyler Brown returning in the closer role- though Corbin alluded to the possibility of him filling a different role this year- should allow Corbin to define the roles and find the best lineup offensively early in the season.
All you have to do is take one look at the pitching depth this year's edition of Vanderbilt baseball has and you can see why this team is ranked as one of the best in the nation in the preseason. It's what I look forward to seeing most this year as both Hickman and Rocker will lead a cast of talented arms that could all one day be pitching in the big leagues.
The Commodores begin the season Feb. 14th against the Michigan Wolverines in Scottsdale, Az. where they will also face UConn and Cal-Poly before returning to Nashville to face South Alabama in the home opener on Tuesday, Feb. 18 with first pitch set for 4:30 pm at Hawkins Field.
