Live From West End: A new era

On this week’s episode, Charlie, Eli and Jack dive into baseball, men’s basketball, football and the NBA playoffs; the trio concludes with hot takes in a brand new segment.

Alexa White

Live From West End is a weekly podcast presented by Hustler Sports. (Hustler Multimedia/Alexa White)

By Eli Landers, Charlie Siegel and Jack Frutkin

Jun 2, 2026

On this week’s episode of Live From West End, newly appointed Sports Editor Eli Landers and Sports Podcast Producer Charlie Siegel meet virtually with Deputy Sports Editor Jack Frutkin. They kick things off with a broad, then specific, examination of Vanderbilt’s disappointing baseball season. The trio then moves to breaking down recent men’s basketball news, including Tyler Tanner’s return, focusing on Mark Byington’s roster construction and a brief season outlook. Charlie, Eli and Jack then give their thoughts on the NBA Playoffs, with the finals beginning on Wednesday night. They conclude the main discussion with a few points on football, where Vanderbilt has released its first three game times of the season. Doing his best Tristan Rutman impression, Charlie brands his own final segment, “Dropping the Anchor™”, during which the trio gives controversial predictions to revisit in a future episode.

Further Reading

Baseball: Three takeaways from SEC Tournament

BREAKING: Tyler Tanner withdraws name from NBA Draft, will return to Vanderbilt

Football: Four takeaways from Vanderbilt’s Black and Gold Spring Game

About the Contributors

Eli Landers, Sports Editor

Elijah Landers (’28) is from Little Silver, New Jersey, and is majoring in economics and medicine, health & society in the College of Arts and Science. He previously served as Lead Sports Analyst. In addition to writing, Eli loves to read, exercise, explore Nashville and root for the Cleveland Cavaliers. He can be reached at [email protected].

Charlie Siegel, Sports Podcasts Producer

Charlie Siegel (‘29) is a student in the College of Arts & Sciences majoring in economics & history and political science with a minor in national security. He loves to talk about all sports but romanticizes over his hometown South Florida teams. In addition to writing, he loves to eat good food, listen to sad music and play sports with friends. He can be reached at [email protected]

Jack Frutkin, Deputy Sports Editor

Jack Frutkin (‘29) is from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and is planning on majoring in economics with a minor in business in the College of Arts and Sciences. Jack is a devoted Philly sports fan and fantasy football enthusiast. Outside of The Hustler, you’ll likely find him playing tennis, exploring new restaurants or talking on VandyRadio. He can be reached at [email protected].

Alexa White, Former Graphics Director

Alexa White (’23) is from Traverse City, Michigan, and is double-majoring in secondary education and English. When she isn’t writing for The Hustler, she is probably teaching, reading or creating art. After graduation, Alexa plans to be an English teacher and hopes to inspire kids to love reading, writing and exploring their creativity in all forms. She can be reached at [email protected].

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