Vanderbilt baseball has added its first transfer commit of the offseason for the 2024 roster in Air Force closer Sawyer Hawks.
“I’m pumped to help bring a championship back to Nashville!” Hawks wrote Thursday on Twitter.
The 6-foot-4, 205-pound right-handed pitcher went 4-0 with a 2.84 ERA in 22 appearances, 21 of which were out of the bullpen, in 2023. He struck out 70 and walked 27 in 50⅔ innings with eight saves and was named second team All-Mountain West. Hawks is pitching on the Cape with Yarmouth-Dennis this summer.
With the Commodores expected to lose most of their top relievers − closer Nick Maldonado and swingman Patrick Reilly are both projected to be drafted in July − Hawks could bolster the bullpen depth in a high-leverage relief role or potentially compete for a spot in the starting rotation. An incoming junior, he is draft-eligible in 2024 but has two years of eligibility remaining.
The transfer portal season has been slow-moving for Vanderbilt. The Commodores have lost four players from their 2023 roster, but of those four, just first baseman Parker Noland was a significant contributor. Reserve infielder Ivan Arias and reserve outfielder TJ McKenzie also entered the portal, as did catcher Cade Law, who had redshirted and committed to play football at North Carolina.
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This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Vanderbilt baseball lands Air Force closer Sawyer Hawks as transfer