Kumar Rocker
Kumar Rocker (born November 22, 1999) is an American college baseball pitcher for the Vanderbilt Commodores. He is from Watkinsville, Georgia.
Kumar Rocker | |||
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Vanderbilt Commodores – No. 80 | |||
Pitcher | |||
Born: Montgomery, Alabama | November 22, 1999|||
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Career highlights and awards | |||
Career
Rocker attended North Oconee High School in Bogart, Georgia. As a junior in 2017, he had a 1.63 earned run average (ERA) with 68 strikeouts in 55 2⁄3 innings.[1] During the Summer 2017, he played in the Under Armour All-America Baseball Game and Perfect Game All-American Classic.[2] Later in the summer, he played for the USA Baseball 18U National Team.[3]
Rocker committed to Vanderbilt University to play college baseball.[4][5] He was considered one of the top prospects for the 2018 Major League Baseball draft,[6][7] but was not selected until the 38th round by the Colorado Rockies,[8] falling due to signability concerns. As a result, he enrolled at Vanderbilt in the Fall of 2018.
On June 8, 2019, Rocker became the last pitcher ever to throw a no-hitter in the Super Regional round during the 2019 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament. He recorded 19 strikeouts as Vanderbilt beat Duke 3–0.[9]
Rocker was named the 2019 College World Series Most Outstanding Player after Vanderbilt captured the 2019 NCAA Division I Baseball Championship on June 26, 2019. Rocker won both his starts in the College World Series and finished his freshman season with a 12-5 record. He was also named the 2019 Baseball America Freshman of the Year.[10]
Rocker is widely considered to be the likely first overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft.[11]
Personal
His father, Tracy Rocker, played in the National Football League (NFL),[12] is a College Football Hall of Famer[13] and is the defensive line coach at South Carolina.[10] His maternal grandparents immigrated to the United States from India. His parents met when his mother was a student at the University of Maryland and his father was playing for the Washington Redskins.[14]
References
- Perfect Game participants get taste of majors
- Sanchez, Jesse (January 15, 2018). "Big prospect soaks up wisdom at Dream Series". Mlb.com. Retrieved June 27, 2019.
- "Rocker's summer full of travel, World Cup". Oconeeenterprise.com. Retrieved June 27, 2019.
- Matthew Caldwell (November 8, 2017). "North Oconee's Kumar Rocker signs with Vanderbilt to play baseball". Onlineathens.com. Retrieved June 27, 2019.
- "ALL-USA Watch: Top baseball prospect Kumar Rocker still weighing decision to go pro or go to Vanderbilt". Usatodayhss.com. May 1, 2018. Retrieved June 27, 2019.
- "MLB.com 2018 Prospect Watch | MLB.com". M.mlb.com. May 24, 2013. Retrieved June 27, 2019.
- "AOTW: Rocker pitching and hitting to help guide Titans to playoffs". Oconeeenterprise.com. Retrieved June 27, 2019.
- "MLB Draft Tracker". MLB.com. Retrieved June 27, 2019.
- "Vanderbilt freshman Kumar Rocker pitches first no-hitter in NCAA Super Regional history". The Tennessean. Retrieved June 9, 2019.
- Cahill, Teddy. "Kumar Rocker Named 2019 College Baseball Freshman Of The Year". www.baseballamerica.com. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
- "Already The 2021 MLB Draft Favorite, Kumar Rocker Readies For High Expectations". Baseball America. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
- "Rocker officially signs with Vanderbilt". Oconeeenterprise.com. Retrieved June 27, 2019.
- Sparks, Adam. "Kumar Rocker leads preseason No. 1 Vanderbilt in bid for repeat title at College World Series". USA TODAY. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
- Sparks, Adam (June 8, 2019). "Vanderbilt baseball: Why Kumar Rocker listened to mom, chose Commodores over big MLB payday". The Tennessean. Retrieved June 9, 2019.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference (Minors)
- Vanderbilt Commodores bio
- Kumar Rocker on Twitter