When Vanderbilt visits Lindsey Nelson Stadium for this weekend’s Southeastern Conference baseball series against No. 3 Tennessee, it will be a homecoming for a former Knoxville area high school star.
Sophomore infielder Parker Noland will return to Knoxville this weekend as the No. 3 Commodores (26-5, 9-3 SEC) take on Tennessee (29-6, 9-3).
The two in-state rivals enter the series tied atop the SEC East standings.
Noland enjoyed a stellar prep career with Farragut High School, where he was a four-year starter for the Admirals.
He was Tennessee’s Class AAA Mr. Baseball as a high school junior in 2018 and was a finalist for the award the following year when he helped lead Farragut to the 2019 Class AAA State Championship.
Noland was a two-time All-State standout in high school.
As a junior with the Admirals, Noland batted .520, a school record. He was also on the Knox County Schools Superintendent’s Honor Roll for four years.
Noland was drafted by the Miami Marlins in the 31st round of the 2019 MLB draft. He opted to play for the Commodores.
As a freshman at Vanderbilt during the abbreviated 2020 campaign, he appeared in 17 games, making 14 starts.
Noland had 15 hits, drove in 11 runs and collected five multi-hit games, including four consecutive in late February.
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