Lebanon grad wins national championship with Vanderbilt baseball

Duvall started at designated hitter for the Commodores in the deciding game of the College World Series and went 0-for-3 with a walk and a run scored in an 8-2 victory Wednesday against Michigan in Omaha, Neb.

The Vanderbilt junior, who was a team captain at Lebanon in 2014, 2015 and 2016, hit .275 in 2019 with five home runs and 42 RBIs.

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Vanderbilt won its second College World Series title. It also won in 2014. It has appeared in the College World Series four times since 2011.

Asked by Vanderbilt announcer Max Herz how this team will be remembered, Duvall said, "The greatest college baseball team of all time. It's the greatest group of guys I've ever played with. Great teammates. I'll remember this team as long as I live."

Duvall has played a bigger role in each of his three seasons at Vanderbilt. He appeared in 17 games as a freshman, 31 games as a sophomore and 63 as a junior. He started 35 games this season.

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Before this season, Vanderbilt coach Tim Corbin said of Duvall, "Tyler was inside the catching rotation last year and did a nice job with his opportunities. He continued to be the most consistent pinch hitter we had on our team last year where he showed ability to drive in runs with limited chances. His commitment to his offensive improvement is noticeable and he has a very high care level with his training. He has a very strong baseball acumen and enjoys studying the game. I think that he could become a very impactful teacher of the game one day. He will impact our team this year behind the plate and in the batting order."