Rocker, Brown lead Vandy past Michigan in CWS Game 2

OMAHA, Neb. | Vanderbilt's Kumar Rocker threw 6 1/3 innings of one-run ball, leading the Commodores past Michigan, 4-1, in Game 2 of the finals of the College World Series in TD Ameritrade Park on Tuesday evening.

The Commodores (58-12) didn’t manage much offense, getting six hits all evening. But Michigan handed the Commodores a pair of runs on sixth-inning wild pitches after Austin Martin’s ground-out scored the game’s first run. Catcher Philip Clarke added a seventh-inning solo homer.

On the other hand, Rocker (12-5) didn't need much help. The freshman threw 104 pitches and struck out 11. He allowed two walks and three hits, all singles, and didn't hit a batter.

Closer Tyler Brown threw 2 2/3 innings to finish, needing 40 pitches to complete his evening.

"We had the right guy on the mound. I was asked a lot of questions about him prior to today and the thing I knew he would give us was 'compete,'" VU coach Tim Corbin said of Rocker.

"It's pretty incredible, but I'd say the main thing is, it's comforting as our team to do what he does on a daily basis and a weekly basis," Clarke said of Rocker.

Vanderbilt advances to a winner-take-all game for the national title on Wednesday at 6. VU is expected to start with right-hander Mason Hickman, while Michigan (50-21) will likely counter with right-hander Karl Kauffmann.

The Commodores hit some balls hard early with nothing to show for it. Finally, a little help from Michigan in the middle innings helped jump-start the offense.

"We were squeezing it. It reminded me of the Duke second game, honestly," Corbin said, adding, "We were chasing some off-speed pitches that were off the plate."

Wolverine starter Isaiah Page (four innings, five strikeouts, no walks) befuddled Vanderbilt for four full innings until Harrison Ray led off the fifth with a single to left.

With a lefty up, UM went to Benjamin Keizer to pitch to left-handed DH Ty Duvall. Keizer got what looked like a double-play ball up the middle from Duvall on the first pitch.

But the ball went through shortstop Jack Blomgren’s legs for an error and Vandy had men on the corners.

Later in the inning, Martin grounded softly to third and got a run in.

Center fielder Pat DeMarco laced a single to left to start the sixth and Scott walked. Ray sacrificed each over before the Wolverines went to right-hander Jack Weisenburger, who worked the count to 3-2 before throwing a wild pitch to walk Duvall and bring in a run.

With first baseman Julian Infante at the plate, Weisenberger uncorked another one past the catcher for a second run in the inning.

Vandy finally generated offense without help in the seventh, when Clarke lined an Angelo Smith pitch just into the bullpen in right.

Brown uncharacteristically struggled to throw strikes upon replacing Rocker, who lefty him with a man on second and one out. He gave up an Ako Thomas single to score Rocker's run. He struck out Dominic Clementi and then walked Jesse Franklin with two outs.

But the junior came back to get Big Ten Player of the Year Jordan Brewer looking on a 1-2 pitch and keep the lead at three before retiring the side in order in the eighth and ninth.

Corbin said that Brown, and every other pitcher on staff, should be ready to throw tomorrow, though that would presumably exclude Drake Fellows, who started and threw 114 pitches on Monday.

Rocker single-handedly lifted Vanderbilt through the first half of an elimination game against Duke two weeks ago until he got help from his offense. He did it again on Tuesday.

Rocker was able to mix pitches and locations and take something off his slider at times, which occasionally dropped down to 79-80 miles an hour according to the scoreboard gun..Corbin was asked about the velocity, but disregarded them saying he "didn't trust" the stadium gun.

Any questions about Rocker and nerves were answered quickly.

Rocker hit 95-6 with his fastball in the first, ranging 79-83 with his slider. Michigan couldn’t hit any of it, and he breezed through the first on 11 pitches with two strikeouts.

In the second, Rocker started 3-0 to power-hitting first baseman Jimmy Kerr to lead off, but then threw nine straight strikes to retire the side in order.

The freshman ran into trouble in the third. Blomgren singled through third and Joe Donovan sacrificed him over. Rocker walked No. 9 hitter Thomas on a full-count pitch, but got a grounder to third and overpowered Franklin with a three-pitch strikeout to leave men at second and third.

"That was a big moment for me," Rocker said.

Michigan pressed Rocker again in the fourth. Blake Nelson reached on a two-out error from shortstop Ethan Paul and then stole second. Christian Bullock walked on a 3-2 pitch and then the Wolverines pulled a double steal. A ground-out to Paul got Rocker out of that inning.

By that point, Rocker had started to fall behind in counts. But he got Thomas looking on three pitches and then got pinch-hitter Clementi looking to end the fifth.

Michigan got two on with nobody out in the sixth thanks to an error and a Brewer single. But another strikeout of Kerr and two fly balls kept UM off the scoreboard.

Rocker allowed a leadoff single to Blomgren in the seventh and balked him to second. But the right-hander fanned Donovan with his 104th and final pitch.

He ends his season with 114 strikeouts in 99 2/3 innings.

Jordan Nwogu, Michigan’s leadoff man and best hitter, left the game in the bottom of the third when he pulled up lame unsuccessfully running out a grounder. Nwogu had to be helped off the field and was unable to put his left foot on the ground. Michigan coach Erik Bakich said it was diagnosed as a "quad strain" and said it may be tough for him to go on Wednesday. Bakich said he may bump every hitter in the lineup up a spot and put the DH in the 9-hole.

Michigan, which hadn't used a pitcher outside of Kauffmann, Tommy Henry or Jeff Criswell during its four previous games in Omaha, threw six pitchers it hadn't used in the CWS on Tuesday.

Bakich said the decision to start Paige had a lot to do with wanting Criswell available in relief, which has been how Michigan has used him in Omaha.

The game was pushed back to 6:19 due to a pregame thunderstorm.

V5: Martin ground-out to third scored Martin. V, 1-0

V6: DeMarco scored on Weisenburger wild pitch. V, 2-0

V6: Scott scored on Weisenburger wild pitch. V, 3-0

V7: Clarke home run to right. V, 4-0

M7: Thomas single through third scored Blomgren. V, 4-1