A week after finishing their senior seasons, a pair of former Vanderbilt standouts have signed professional baseball contracts.
Late last week, relief pitcher Mark Lamm signed with the Atlanta Braves, who drafted him in the sixth round of last month’s Major League Baseball draft. Catcher Curt Casali signed with the Detroit Tigers, who selected him in the 10th round.
Lamm, a 6-foot-4, 215-pound right-hander, was assigned to Atlanta’s Rookie League affiliate, in Danville, Va. The native of Loretto, Tenn., spent five years at Vanderbilt, undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2010 before returning this past spring. He was the veteran of a Commodores bullpen that was solid in the postseason and helped lead Vanderbilt to its first College World Series.
He was 5-0 with a 2.00 ERA in 26 appearances this season.
Casali, a 6-foot-3, 220-pounder, was sent to the Tiger’s Class-A Short Season team, the Connecticut Tigers. The squad plays its home games in Norwich, just 95 miles northeast of Casali’s hometown of New Canaan, Conn. Casali batted .303 with seven home runs and 53 RBIs as he started 62 games behind the plate.