David Price will take the mound Friday with a bit of a heavy heart.
Tragedy struck Price’s alma mater, Vanderbilt University, on Thursday when Commodores pitcher Donny Everett died in a drowning accident. Everett, a 19-year-old freshman, tried to swim across Tennessee’s Normandy Lake while fishing with two Vanderbilt teammates but went under in the middle of the lake and did not resurface.
Price, a Murfreesboro, Tenn., native who pitched at Vanderbilt from 2005 to 2007, took to Twitter on Friday afternoon to offer his condolences ahead of the Boston Red Sox’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Tough day for @VandyBaseball today…loss of a teammate/friend is never easy..play for Donny tonight and the rest of the season! #anchordown
— David Price (@DAVIDprice24) June 3, 2016
The Commodores are in the NCAA Regional tournament and still will play their game Friday night against Xavier. The team’s Twitter account sent out a touching tribute Friday honoring Everett.
Love you, Donny.https://t.co/IiD0LmYwwm
— Vanderbilt Baseball (@VandyBoys) June 3, 2016
Everett was projected as a mid-first round pick in the 2015 Major League Baseball draft but opted instead to play his college ball at Vanderbilt.
Thumbnail photo via Nick Turchiaro/USA TODAY Sports Images