Right-handed pitcher Tommy O’Rourke announced his commitment to Vanderbilt via social media on June 10. O’Rourke is the second transfer portal commitment that Corbin and Co. have landed this offseason, after pitcher Cody Bowker committed earlier this week.
O’Rourke has not pitched in two years due to an injury that has kept him sidelined since the 2022 season. Before his injury, he was a key contributor in the Cardinal’s bullpen. Across his two seasons playing at Stanford, O’Rourke gathered a 4-5 record with a 4.26 ERA across 55 appearances and 57 innings pitched. As a sophomore, he started in the Pac-12 Championship game, striking out four batters across three innings of work. O’Rourke brings a wealth of experience to a young Commodore bullpen, and if he can return to his prior form, is poised to have a big impact on the pitching staff.
O’Rourke was a highly touted prospect, ranked the No. 3 RHP in the state of New Jersey. He was a teammate of current Commodore infielder Chris Maldonado and his brother, Nick Maldonado, a Vanderbilt Baseball alumnus, at Seton Hall Preparatory in West Orange, N.J. O’Rourke now marks the third offseason get for the Commodores, including the recent hiring of assistant coach Joey King. It seems as if Corbin and Co. are taking the portal seriously, as Vanderbilt has yet to add a single position player from the portal and has already met half the number of transfer players signed last year (4). With plenty of high quality bats still left out there, its safe to assume the Commodores are far from done grabbing players from the portal.
