Vanderbilt mailbag: Readers have questions about baseball stadium, pitching and staff

Mid-April is when SEC baseball season is half over, spring football is wrapping up and the basketball transfer portal is in full swing.

Vanderbilt sits in an interesting spot in every sport, with baseball at 8-7 in the SEC, football hoping to rebound from a 2-10 season with a rebuilt roster, men's basketball preparing for its first season with new coach Mark Byington and women's basketball coming off a March Madness appearance.

The Tennessean answers reader questions about the current state of Vanderbilt's programs:

Is there anything new relating to the construction projects? Is football still on track to be ready, does baseball have a start time, etc.

Also, any chance that Vandy’s 0 road games in non-con (in baseball) has hurt them in SEC play? -Cards Talk

The basketball operations center in the north end zone is set to be ready before the start of the 2024-25 basketball season. That project includes new premium seating options, and season ticket holders were given the opportunity to purchase those seats for the 2024 season. The projects underway in the south end zone are targeted for completion in 2025.

The athletic department has not yet given an exact date for the start of the Hawkins Field project, but at minimum it won't be until the conclusion of the 2024 baseball season.

As for the lack of road non-conference games for baseball, it's possible. Every year, Vanderbilt generally either plays in a tournament or schedules a home-and-home series with another high-major opponent. But it's logistically difficult to have a road non-conference series on the schedule every season, and I don't see a road trip to a mid-major opponent providing much of a proxy for SEC atmospheres.

I think that part of the Commodores' road struggles are because they, like many teams, are built for their ballpark. The fly-ball heavy approach taken by pitchers like Bryce Cunningham and Devin Futrell works well at Hawkins Field, but it's a problem at smaller parks where it's easier to leave the yard. Playing more road games wouldn't help with that.

Do you see Luke Guth or JD Thompson entering the weekend rotation anytime soon? -Mike Cummings

JD Thompson, who has a 2.25 ERA, 32 strikeouts and just three walks in 24 innings this season, would be a strong candidate for the weekend rotation if healthy. The biggest issue there is that Thompson only recently returned after missing nearly a month with an injury, and right now he's only been pitching one-inning stints out of the bullpen. The biggest obstacle to securing a rotation spot is whether he can build back up the volume in time. If he can, it likely won't be until May.

Luke Guth is a great story. Vanderbilt wanted to redshirt him early in the season as the staff felt that he lacked strength and struggled to hold his velocity and command. But he improved enough in intrasquad scrimmages that the Commodores pulled his redshirt and gave him a shot. In his two appearances, he's retired nine of the 10 batters he faced.

I certainly could see Guth becoming an impact member of the bullpen this season, but I don't think he will be a starter given that he has not trained that way. With more time in the weight room in the offseason, he could compete for a rotation spot in 2025.

Should we expect portal activity? (WBB) -vuwbbfan

Vanderbilt had a nearly full roster when the season ended, but since then, three players have entered the transfer portal, leaving the Commodores with four available scholarships.

Given the newfound space, I would expect some portal activity, with Shea Ralph having taken two transfers each of the past two seasons. Vanderbilt especially could use a veteran point guard, a center and/or a lockdown wing defender.

Ralph hasn't always brought in the biggest names, but she has proven to be a savvy evaluator in the portal who can land players who will help the program. The Commodores' pitch should be even better this offseason coming off an NCAA tournament appearance.

MORE ON BASEBALL Vanderbilt baseball swept by Texas A&M, including back-to-back shutouts: What we learned

How loyal is (Tim Corbin) going to be to Mike Baxter? -#FlyTheV

Mike Baxter, who is Vanderbilt's hitting coach and recruiting coordinator, has been with the Commodores since the 2018 season. He has brought in highly rated recruiting classes, but the Commodores have had three straight years of subpar offenses and have not adapted to an era of college baseball where power and physicality are the biggest difference-makers.

Corbin has been hesitant to fire his Vanderbilt assistants. Nearly every coach who has worked under Corbin has left for another job rather than being fired. But whether it's through a staffing shakeup or a tweak in program philosophy, it's clear that something will need to change when it comes to the Commodores' offense.

Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. Contact her at agerson@gannett.com or on Twitter @aria_gerson.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Answering questions about Vanderbilt baseball, stadium construction