Fans on social media mocked Vanderbilt Commodores starting pitcher Connor Fennell after his trash talk toward Kentucky Wildcats hitter Carson Hansen backfired during the opening game of the SEC tournament in Hoover, Alabama, on Tuesday.
Fennell was fired up on the mound and taunted Hansen after throwing a four-seam fastball, which the umpires called a strike. The very next pitch from Fennell, however, was hit into the left field stands by Hansen.
Fans were quick to share their reactions to the wild moment, with many exclaiming that the pitcher should learn to stay calm and to behave better on game days.
“Kid should be in jail for doing this throwing squirrel nuts 88,” one fan commented.
“I see those d-bag kids from 10 years ago are in college ball now. Pathetic behavior,” another fan commented.
“When you’re only throwing 88-89 MPH, the arm can’t cash checks the mouth writes,” yet another fan commented.
Other fans accused the pitcher of not throwing hard enough.
“No way this guy is talking like this and topping 89… gotta be 95+ to talk this reckless,” one fan commented.
“There’s almost nothing more satisfying than a cocky college baseball player getting put in their place,” another fan commented.
“The way he flinched at the sound of the bat hitting the ball made this all the more satisfying,” yet another fan commented.
The Commodores ultimately won 8-5 and advanced to the next round.
Vanderbilt Coach Hails Dugout Energy For the Comeback Win Against Kentucky
The win on Tuesday allows Vanderbilt to continue competing in Hoover, Alabama. For the program to have a real chance of qualifying for the NCAA tournament, it must win on Wednesday.
Commodores coach Tim Corbin praised the ‘dugout energy’ on Tuesday, which helped the team secure a thrilling win over the Wildcats after initially falling behind 4-1.
“Tough win. I think they’re in a pretty good place right now. It’s easy to say after a win, but I do. I think the conversations when Jelkin was going through the lineup were very positive. The kids were good. I felt like that game was going to come back at some point in time,” Corbin said.
“I didn’t know if we’d put up a four spot, but, in order to do that, you have to have pretty good energy in the dugout. If you don’t have energy in the dugout, you’re not making a comeback like that with two outs,” he added.
The Vanderbilt Commodores will now face the Florida Gators in the second round of the SEC tournament at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex in Hoover, Alabama, with the first pitch scheduled for 2:00 p.m EST on Wednesday.
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