ARLINGTON, Texas — Vanderbilt baseball wasn’t fazed by the NCAA’s new pace of play rules during the College Baseball Showdown.
While a 20-second pitch clock already existed with the bases empty, the new rules also required the clock to be used with runners on base, with a ball added to the count if a pitcher violated it. Hitters under the new rules have 10 seconds to be in the batter’s box and cannot step out of the box after that point or a strike is added to the count.
The Commodores (2-1) didn’t have a single violation all weekend, even as other teams like Arkansas and TCU struggled at times to adjust.
“We play pretty fast, so that’s our motto,” Sunday starter Devin Futrell said. “It doesn’t really change our game, it’s just, there’s a pitch clock now. … We’re quick, that’s my style of game, and that’s pretty much our whole team’s style of game. It doesn’t really affect us that much.”
Corbin said prior to the season that the team had practiced using the new rules in scrimmages.
But while other coaches like Arkansas’ Dave Van Horn and Texas’ David Pierce bemoaned the new rules, Corbin said he likes them because of how much they cut down on game time. Vanderbilt was also one of the first teams to use pitch-calling wristbands last season, another initiative to speed up pace of play.
“I just think that if we get a year under our belt, I think everyone’s gonna look back and say, OK, you know, it’s fine,” Corbin said. “The pro game’s gonna be more sped up than we are. And I would imagine that they’ll have some beefs at first, but I think once they start playing, it’s great for the fans. I mean, you don’t want to watch this stuff. Three hours and 30 minutes, you lose your concentration after an hour. So especially if you play in … Nashville where it’s maybe 35 degrees in February and March.”
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