Fireballer Jordan Sheffield checks in at No. 70 on the list of greatest Commodores we've covered.
Honors and awards: 2016 Southeastern Conference Pitcher of the Week (three times--Weeks 4, 9 and 11)
2016 National Pitcher of the Week
In the VU record book: Career ERA: tie-eighth (2.96)
Before VU: Sheffield starred at local Tullahoma High, where he was a Rawlings first-team All-American and the No. 38 player in the Class of 2013, according to Perfect Game. Tullahoma won its district all four seasons and its region in his senior season. Drafted by Boston in Round 13.
Freshman (2015): Sheffield, who redshirted in 2014 following rehab from elbow surgery, made six starts and 16 relief appearances for VU's 51-21 (20-10 SEC) squad, which lost the College World Series final to Virginia. Had a 2-1 record with a 3.38 ERA in 32 SEC innings, which included five starts. Struck out two in a scoreless, one-inning outing vs. Virginia in the CWS. Had five scoreless innings vs. Missouri in an SEC tournament relief appearance. Struck out six vs. Tennessee, allowing two runs on four hits in four innings of that start. Went 13 scoreless innings over his first two starts of the season between Arkansas (seven innings) and Quinnipiac. Picked up a win against Evansville (five relief innings, four walks, one hit, seven strikeouts in five innings). Thew 3 2/3 scoreless innings against Santa Clara on Valentine's Day in his collegiate debut.
Sophomore (2016): Had an outstanding last season at VU that was dinged by poor appearances in his last two starts (a combined 10 earned runs allowed ins last two starts vs. Ole Miss in the SEC tournament, and Xavier in NCAA play). Went 5-3 with a 2.86 ERA in 66 regular-season SEC innings. Gave up one earned run in seven innings vs. Texas A&M, snapping a streak of 24 scoreless innings. He didn't allow a run in the previous three starts (Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky) and fanned 14 in a complete-game shutout of the Wildcats. That followed a three-inning start vs. LSU in which he gave up nine runs (seven earned). Before that, struck out nine in seven innings, allowing three runs (two earned) vs. South Carolina. Struck out nine, walking five while allowing one unearned run in six innings vs. Mississippi St. Carried a no-hitter into the eighth vs. Xavier, striking out seven in 7 2/3 innings. Pitched seven scoreless innings with 11 strikeouts to beat Illinois-Chicago. Struck out seven over five innings giving up two runs (one earned) against San Diego.
Post-VU: The Dodgers drafted Sheffield No. 36 overall in the 2016 MLB Draft. He spent 2019 in AA, mostly as a reliever. He's still struggling with his control, but is still hitting the mid-90s with his fastball and is considered an MLB prospect.
Final thoughts, and why I ranked him where I did: Sheffield played his roles fairly well at VU. In 2015, VU had future Major Leagues Carson Fulmer and Walker Buehler in the rotation, and another talented veteran (Phil Pfeifer) in the rotation, talented freshman Kyle Wright sometimes closing out of the bullpen, and a host of other good power arms. Sheffield wound up starting five SEC games and pitched out of the bullpen in five others, and fared well across those appearances. The next year, Sheffield became the Friday night starter most envisioned when the Commodores convinced him to come to school in 2013.
Sheffield had flaws; he had a career 14 percent free pass rate and gave up 1.36 runners per inning. He also wasn't quite as effective as his sophomore ERA suggests--he gave up 14 unearned runs that season. He also contributed little of significance in NCAA tournament play. Sheffield started and took the loss to Xavier in the '16 tournament opener, two days after teammate Donny Everett drowned. It was a hellish event for the whole team; coaches and players barely slept and understandably weren't prepared to play baseball, and so that can't be held against him. That team had a legitimate shot at another CWS appearance, and Sheffield would have probably contributed heavily towards it if not for that tragedy.
Sheffield was just about un-hittable his entire career. He might walk four or five in an outing, but you just weren't going to hit him (averages of .218 and .213 against him in his two seasons) and probably weren't going to hit him hard (34 extra-base hits, and just four career homers allowed). He was a good SEC pitcher for two years and easily earns a spot in our top 100.
