Infielder Rob Gordon says he is leaving Vanderbilt baseball team
Vanderbilt baseball infielder Rob Gordon is leaving the team, he said Saturday on Instagram.
"I will always be appreciative that Vanderbilt provided me with the resources I required to advance as a player and a man," Gordon wrote. "Words cannot express my love for each and every member of the Vanderbilt program. Even though I won't be wearing black and gold in the future, I am delighted to report that Vanderbilt University will always seem like a second home to me."
A top-100 recruit in the 2021 class, Gordon appeared in 12 games during his freshman season, starting three. He hit .200 with two doubles and three RBIs in 17 plate appearances. He was not among the 27 players selected to the Corvallis Regional roster.
Losing Gordon is a blow to the Commodores' infield, which already lacked depth. Vanderbilt has just three returning infielders for 2023: senior Parker Noland and sophomores Davis Diaz and Jonathan Vastine.
The Commodores' primary options for the fourth infield spot are freshmen. In particular, blue-chip recruits RJ Austin and Chris Maldonado could be ready to play right away. Ivan Arias, Matt Wolfe and Ray Velazquez are the other infielders in the incoming class. Other options include moving an outfielder to the infield — Troy LaNeve, Matthew Polk and TJ McKenzie were all infielders in high school who have primarily played outfield in college — or finding a late transfer addition.
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Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. Contact her at agerson@gannett.com or on Twitter @aria_gerson.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Infielder Rob Gordon says he is leaving the Vanderbilt baseball team
