At the start of the 2021 College World Series we released a list of all the Schools and where all the juco ties lie.
And with tonight being the final game of the World Series here is how the two finalists stack up with how their Juco Bandits have performed.
Vanderbilt
Vandy only has one former Junior College player on their roster and that is Javier Vaz.
Vaz for most came out of thin air this postseason but if you know anything about his time at LSU-Eunice then you know his success is no surprise.
In Omaha he has provided solid defense as well as excellent base running and timely hitting which is no surprise again.
Vaz was a 2020/2019 Pre-Season All-American for us for a reason.
In Omaha Vaz has been hitting .210 with 3 runs, 4 Stolen Bases and 4 Walks.
Mississippi State
If you have been following the World Series you know Mississippi State has had a handful of Bandits that have put in a bunch of work.
Before Game 2 of the World Series head Coach Chris Lemonis was loosely quoted asking his players how many of them were former juco bandits. They raised their hands. He then looked at them and said something along the lines of “Then do what Bandits do Best” and well that’s exactly what they did in game 2.
Behind two, stellar pitching performances from Houston Harding former Itawamba stand out and Preston Johnson former Hinds Stand out. Both with Career nights for them as bulldogs.
Mississippi state success here has been in big part to the Bandits. With Tanner Leggett, former Northwest Mississippi stand out, hitting the Walk off against Texas to clinch the Spot in the World Series Finals being the most notable before last night.
We said it when this whole tournament began that whoever wins the 2021 College World Series is going to have A Juco Bandit make an impact and so far that statement seems to be holding up pretty well.