Gary Sheffield, Jr
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Yesterday, Vanderbilt starting pitcher Christian Little toed the rubber for the first time against Western Kentucky. A classic dominant performance ensued, which is nothing new for the Vandy Boys, except this time, the kid was just 17 years old.
He threw just three innings but it was still a shut-out performance, giving up only three hits. Seriously, it’s not fair.
17yo RHP Christian Little debuted for @VandyBoys today. Wearing #42, his line: 3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
— Dani Wexelman (@DaniWex) February 25, 2021
*He should be starting his SR HS season* We sat down last summer to talk about his choice to early enroll & attend Vanderbilt over entering the 2021 MLB Draft ⤵️ https://t.co/sSLZfM6HKo
For those who pay close attention to the Vanderbilt Commodore baseball program, Little was on the radar early. Having committed at just 14, the six-foot-four right-hander was destined for greatness.
Who in Vandy’s pinstripes isn’t? That starting rotation is absolutely sick.
Christian Little verbally committed to Vanderbilt when he was 14.
— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) October 30, 2019
Since?
He’s become one of the best prep arms in the 2021 class, flashing a mid-90s hitter and impressive curve/changeup mix. https://t.co/7XSfwBH4cF pic.twitter.com/FgM3lZIkTD
Vanderbilt coach Tim Corbin weighed in on the young stud:
“He’s handled himself well. He’s stayed on task, in terms of his responsibilities of timeliness and organization, which I think are the most important things. I just look at those pieces as being the common denominator with doing something consistent things once you get to the field.”
“You look at him sometimes and not realize he’s just 17,” Corbin continued. “All of these kids, you wonder how difficult it is for him. He appears to be handling it.”
When was the last time any of us were described that way? At first, we wondered how lucky Vanderbilt could get, but maybe it’s the way they recruit? We almost guarantee that 99% of the coaches around the country would never describe a 17-year-old freshman like this. It’s very likely that Coach Corbin gave a player who still eats off the kid’s menu a scholarship to a school that cost upwards of $60,000/year because he made their jaws drop on the field.
We’re looking forward to watching what Christian Little can do these next three seasons. If we had to guess, Little’s name should be called sometime in the first round by then. The Pittsburgh Pirates will be lucky to have him. Oh, too soon?
That’s great to see a 17 year old be successful, but to say that stat line against Western Kentucky is dominant, is off.
It’s on for me.
I’m more shocked a Vandy athletic story actually had to do with athletics and not about having a female pitching on the men’s baseball team or the coach blaming Trump for his ineptitude.