Jack Leiter delivers 16-strikeout no-hitter as Vanderbilt smothers South Carolina

Vanderbilt has a long list of elite pitchers that have come through the program, and it looks like the Commodores have another name to add to the group. A day after Kumar Rocker had 14 strikeouts in a win over South Carolina, Jack Leiter mowed down the Gamecocks for a 16-strikeout no-hitter on Saturday in a 5-0 win.

Tate Kolwyck hit a pair of home runs for Vanderbilt to provide more than enough offense for Leiter, as he also extended his hitting streak to 9 games. Leiter, who is expected to be drafted at or near the top of the MLB Draft, is the son of former Major League pitcher Al Leiter.

“It was a special one for all of us, to experience this with my teammates, a lot of our first SEC weekends to our careers here,” he said in a post-game interview on the SEC Network. “It’s special. It’s special for everyone and it’s very exciting.”

Leiter added that walking the first batter was not ideal, and it didn’t feel different until the sixth or seventh inning.

Leiter’s dominance showed up early, as he retired 5 of the first 7 South Carolina hitters by strikeout, and had 7 strikeouts through 3 innings.

History on West End. #VandyBoys | @jackleiter22 pic.twitter.com/ZUHD16a7Uo

— Vanderbilt Baseball (@VandyBoys) March 20, 2021

Hear from @jackleiter after his no-hitter.#VandyBoys pic.twitter.com/NOEIozP4wr

— Vanderbilt Baseball (@VandyBoys) March 20, 2021

Keith Farner

A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.