Why Vanderbilt baseball is honoring Asher Sullivan with helmet stickers in SEC tournament

HOOVER, Ala. — As Vanderbilt baseball began play in the SEC tournament, the team made a gesture in support of a young Middle Tennessee boy who tragically died.

Asher Sullivan, 10, was swept into a storm drain after flash flooding May 8. After suffering severe brain damage, Sullivan died May 18. Sullivan's family opted to donate his organs.

On the back of Vanderbilt's helmets Tuesday were a heart-shaped sticker that read "AS," Sullivan's initials.

The Commodores (36-20) defeated Florida, 6-3, in their tournament opener.

During the final game of a series against Tennessee on May 11, the Commodores invited Declan Sullivan, Asher's brother, into the dugout. Vanderbilt also visited Asher in the hospital before heading to Lexington for its series against Kentucky.

Vanderbilt coach Tim Corbin said he previously visited Declan in the hospital when he had leukemia.

"It just shows a response to the family," Corbin said. "What they will continue to go through during this time, that's just a very tragic situation that I still can't, no one can wrap their mind around. But yet, that family is just glued to what we do from a baseball standpoint, as difficult as it was when Asher passed away. They were watching the game the entire time as he was going through that. And I just talked to kids about that. And I said, that's passion."

Corbin said the team will continue to wear the stickers throughout its time in the SEC tournament and that the hope is for Declan to join the Commodores at some point.

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Asher's father, Jimmy Sullivan − the Rutherford County director of schools − thanked the program for its gesture on X, formerly known as Twitter.

"Thank you @VandyBoys for recognizing Asher!!!" he said. "We needed a positive as we had just left a place that parents should never have to be to see their child. As soon as we got to the car, we saw this. Words will never be enough."

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: Vanderbilt baseball honors Asher Sullivan in SEC tournament