Catcher Mac Rose, who played his freshman season at McLennan Community College, announced on social media that he has committed to Vanderbilt.
Rose fills an immediate need for the Commodores, who got a productive season out of catcher Alan Espinal. After a career year in his final season as a Commodore, Espinal was drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the 11th round of the 2024 MLB Draft.
Rose, who slashed .354/.451/.536, will bring a highly productive bat with him to West End. The rising sophomore knocked 21 extra-base hits during his freshman campaign (12 doubles, 2 triples and 7 home runs). He tallied 35 RBIs and scored another 49 runs himself.
Rose was a do-it-all player back at Rockwall High School in Texas. Not only did he boast a career batting average of .396, he also dominated on the mound, pitching to a 7-3 record thanks to a stingy 2.8 ERA. His efforts earned him two First-Team All-District selections. While he is listed on McLennan Athletics as a catcher/pitcher, he never took the mound at the collegiate level, and it will likely stay that way during his time at Vanderbilt.
The Texas native will join fellow rising sophomore Colin Barczi, the only other catcher on the roster. Barczi, while inconsistent through stretches of his freshman year, closed the year strong with home runs in the SEC Tournament and Vanderbilt’s NCAA Regional. The pair should get plenty of chances behind the plate throughout fall practices and scrimmages before a starter is named.
Rose represents a bat with productive contact hitting and occasional pop, all while filling a position of need for head coach Tim Corbin and Vanderbilt Baseball.
