Vanderbilt's Jack Leiter, Son of Al, Throws No-Hitter With 16 Strikeouts in First SEC Start


Jack Leiter, son of former MLB pitcher Al Leiter, walked the first batter of the game before retiring the next 27, striking out 16.

Vanderbilt's Jack Leiter threw a no-hitter in his first SEC start in a series-clinching 5-0 win over South Carolina in Nashville Saturday.

Leiter, who is the son of longtime MLB pitcher Al Leiter, was selected by the Yankees in 20th round of the 2019 MLB Draft, but he decided to go to college instead of signing out of high school away.

Against the Gamecocks, Leiter, a sophomore, tallied a career-high 16 strikeouts on 124 pitches, with the only baserunner coming when he walked the first batter of the game. It was Vanderbilt's first no-hitter since Leiter's teammate Kumar Rocker no-hit Duke in the College Baseball Super Regionals on June 8, 2019.

According to Vanderbilt's Athletic Department, Leiter's no-hitter is believed to be the first regular-season no-no for the program since 1971.

Leiter and Rocker, son of former Auburn DE Tracy Rocker, are two of the strongest college pitchers in the country, and are projected to go No. 1 and No. 2 overall in this year’s MLB amateur draft.