Vandy won't push Carson Fulmer to mound in SEC tourney

One of the best pitchers in SEC history won't take the mound at the SEC Tournament until perhaps later in the week, according to Vanderbilt coach Tim Corbin.

SEC Pitcher of the Year Carson Fulmer (11-1), coming off the fourth pitching Triple Crown season in SEC history, will not speed up his regular routine to pitch in the Commodores' tournament game Wednesday (approximately 1 p.m./SEC Network) in Hoover, Ala.

Instead, Corbin said one of his regular midweek starters probably will get the ball when No. 2 seed Vanderbilt takes on either No. 7 seed Missouri or No. 10 seed South Carolina, who play in Tuesday's opening round. Vanderbilt, the defending national champion, earned a first-round bye to advance to the double-elimination portion.

"I think there is a good chance of (a midweek starter pitching on Wednesday)," Corbin said. "I think what we want to do is (maintain) the six-day or seven-day balance between starts, and we'd like to do that with Carson and (Philip) Pfeifer and (Walker) Buehler as we go forward. So I think this is going to open up the opportunity for someone else, and you'll just have to see what happens with the game to understand what we are going to do and see what would be the best matchup."

Freshman left-hander Ryan Johnson (5-0), freshman right-hander Kyle Wright (4-1) and sophomore left-hander John Kilichowski (2-3) appear to be the likely candidates to pitch Wednesday, but Corbin has not named a starter. The trio made a combined 17 starts this season, mostly in midweek games.

Kilichowski allowed three runs in five innings in a 3-2 loss to South Carolina on April 18.

Wright made relief appearances against South Carolina and Missouri, going one scoreless inning and striking out two each time. Johnson has not pitched against either team.

Fulmer, a junior right-hander, finished the regular season leading the SEC in wins (11), ERA (1.55) and strikeouts (132). He last pitched Thursday in a 2-1 win over Alabama. Pfeifer (3-4) and Buehler (3-2) also would be available to pitch on about a week's rest, depending on how far the Commodores advance.

In last year's SEC Tournament, Vanderbilt pitched midweek starters Buehler and Jared Miller in its first two games. The Commodores were eliminated in three games before catching fire in the NCAA Regional en route to the College World Series.

"We don't take (the SEC Tournament) for granted at all. We enjoy this tournament a great deal," Corbin said. "… We want to keep things constant as much as possible."

Reach Adam Sparks at 615-259-8010 and on Twitter @AdamSparks.

SEC BASEBALL TOURNAMENT

NO. 2 VANDERBILT vs. NO. 7 MISSOURI / NO. 10 SOUTH CAROLINA

When: Wednesday (approximately 1 p.m.)

Where: Hoover (Ala.) Metropolitan Stadium

TV: SEC Network

Radio: 560-AM, 95.9-FM