Sophomore reliever Christian Little entered the NCAA transfer portal early Thursday morning, according to multiple sources. The St. Louis native appeared in 32 games across his two-year Commodore career, starting in 14 of them. 

Little committed to Vanderbilt as a freshman in high school, making the news of his transfer a bit shocking. He eventually joined the VandyBoys at just 17 years old after a highly-touted high school career. The right-hander was the Missouri Gatorade Player of the Year in 2020, ranking as the fifth-best pitcher in the nation at the conclusion of his prep years. 

As a freshman at Vanderbilt, Little was featured primarily as Vanderbilt’s midweek starter but had an expanded role in the postseason. He pitched in the 2021 College World Series and 2021 College World Series Finals. He finished the 2020-21 season with a 5.48 ERA and 42.2 innings pitched. 

The 6’4 righty transitioned mostly into a bullpen role in the 2021-22 season, improving across the board from his freshman season. Little struck out 46 batters over 38.2 innings pitched, collecting three saves and a win along the way, amounting to a 3.72 ERA. Most recently, he started in Vanderbilt’s winner-take-all game against Oregon State earlier this week. 

Little will surely be one of the most sought-after players in the transfer portal this offseason. As of now, freshmen sensations Carter Holton and Devin Futrell will return to Vanderbilt next year to anchor the rotation. However, an influx of new competition will have to make up for the loss of Little.