VANDERBILT COMMODORES GAME NOTES Vanderbilt Athletic Communications H 2601 Jess Neely Dr. Nashville, TN 37212 Baseball Contact: Kyle Parkinson H Phone: 615.343.0020 H Email: [email protected] vucommodores.com H twitter: @vandybaseball #4 Vanderbilt Commodores (29-8,9-6) at Tennessee Volunteers (21-16,4-11) COMMODORES AT-A-GLANCE Game #38 Home #27 Friday, April 22 H 5 p.m CT [SEC Network+] Saturday, April 23 H 3 p.m CT [SEC Network+] Streak .................................. W1 Home ..................................22-4 Sunday, April 24 H 1 p.m. CT [SEC Network+] Road .....................................6-4 Tuesday, April 26 H Austin Peay H 1 p.m. [SEC Network+] Neutral .................................1-0 Day .....................................21-2 VANDERBILT RE-VU Night.....................................8-6 Vanderbilt rallied late on Tuesday night to beat Central Arkansas 8-6. Tyler Campbell’s RBI-single pushed the vs. RH starters ....................18-7 Dores in front to help Collin Snider win his third game of the year. The Commodores dropped the series finale against Kentucky 3-0 on Sunday. John Kilichowski took his first loss of the season allowing two runs out of the vs. LH starters ....................11-1 bullpen. Vanderbilt clinched the series with a 3-2 win over Kentucky on Saturday. Bryan Reynolds’ two-run single Extra-Innings ........................2-1 in the eighth inning pushed VU past the Cats. The Commodores used an outstanding performance from Jordan Doubleheaders .....................1-1 Sheffield to win the series opener against Kentucky 3-0 on Friday. Sheffield struck out a career-best 14 in his first Shutouts ...............................5-2 career shutout. One-Run Games ...................3-3 ON THE BUMP Three+ Run Games .............22-5 Friday, April 22 Series W-L-T .................... 7-2-0 RHP Jordan Sheffield (5-2, 2.91) vs. LHP Aaron Soto (4-1, 4.13) Series Sweeps .....................4-0 On Artificial Turf.................22-4 Saturday, April 23 On Natural Grass .................7-4 RHP Kyle Wright (4-2, 1.70) vs. LHP Zach Warren (4-4, 2.98) Scoring First .......................22-3 Sunday, April 24 Opp. Scores First ..................7-5 TBA vs. TBA Scoring 3+ runs ..................28-3 Opp. Scores 3+ runs ...........16-7 TENNESSEE SHOWDOWN Hitting at least 1 HR ..........17-2 Vanderbilt heads east to take on Tennessee in the two teams’ annual series. The Commodores took two-of-three from the Volunteers last season at Hawkins Field, highlighted by Carson Fulmer’s eight scoreless innings and Hitting no HR ......................12-6 12 strikeouts on Friday night. VU clinched the series on Sunday with four-RBI games from Zander Wiel and Karl Making at least 1 error ......14-7 Ellison. The Commodores’ last trip to Knoxville in 2014 produced a series loss after the Dores let a late lead Making no errors ................15-1 slip away on Saturday night before being shutout on Sunday. VU avenged the loss in the first game of the SEC Leading after 6 inn .............25-0 Tournament with a remarkable 3-2 victory. Vanderbilt is 160-158-3 all-time vs. Tennessee. Trailing after 6 inn ...............2-6 TWICE IS NICE FOR SHEFFIELD Tied after 6 inn ....................2-2 Jordan Sheffield earned Southeastern Conference Pitcher of the Week for the second time this season along Leading after 7 inn .............23-1 with national accolades for his 14-strikeout shutout of Kentucky last Friday. The right-hander fanned a career- Trailing after 7 inn ...............2-6 best 14 in his first career shutout to become the first Commodore this season to go the distance and first since Tied after 7 inn ....................4-1 Carson Fulmer last year. Sheffield earned SEC honors earlier this season for his performance against Xavier when he punched out a then career-high 12 over 7.2 scoreless innings. Leading after 8 inn .............26-0 Trailing after 8 inn ...............1-7 STREAKING INTO THE WEEKEND Tied after 8 inn ....................2-1 Bryan Reynolds, Jeren Kendall and Tyler Campbell all enter the weekend on hitting streaks. Reynolds carries a vs. Top 5 Teams ...................2-1 team-best, nine-game streak that has seen the junior go 14-for-29 (.483) with 10 RBI and six runs scored. Four vs. Top 10 Teams .................0-0 of Reynolds 14 hits have gone for extra bases with a pair of home runs and a pair of doubles. Kendall has hits in each of his last six games, going 11-for-26 (.423) with eight RBI and six runs scored. The sophomore has four vs. Top 25 Teams .................4-5 extra-base hits with two doubles, a triple and a home run during the streak. Campbell has a season-best, seven- In the State of Tenn ...........23-5 game hitting streak entering the weekend. The senior has come up with big hits during his streak, including the vs. Out-of-State Opp ..........25-7 go-ahead, RBI-single in Tuesday night’s win over Central Arkansas. Campbell is 9-for-25 (.360) with five runs On Weekdays .......................9-1 scored over his last seven games. On Weekends .....................20-7 PITCH PLEASE COMMODORES BROADCAST Vanderbilt’s pitching staff was spectacular in helping the Commodores go 3-1 last week, posting a team ERA of Joe Fisher calls the action on 1.75 and allowing opponents to hit just .215. Jordan Sheffield posted his first career shutout and the team’s fifth WNSR 560 AM / 95.9 FM blanking of the season against Kentucky on Friday night. Sheffield teamed up with Kyle Wright and Patrick Raby beginning 15-minutes prior to to allow only one unearned run over the weekend across 20 innings. The trio fanned 25 led by Sheffield’s career- first pitch. best 14. Add Ryan Johnson to the list and the Dores’ starting pitching allowed three runs, two earned, over 24 innings (1.29 ERA). @VandyBaseball vucommodores.com 1 COMMODORE NOTES THE ALL AMERICANS Six Commodores earned preseason All-American status led by junior Bryan Reynolds, who was on every major preseason All-American list. Pitchers Ben Bowden, Jordan Sheffield and Kyle Wright all saw their names appear on various All-American teams. Sophomores Jeren Kendall and Will Toffey both received preseason accolades after earning Freshman All-American status last season. REYNOLDS, TOFFEY NAMED PRESEASON ALL-SEC Junior Bryan Reynolds and sophomore Will Toffey were named preseason All-SEC by the league’s coaches. Both Commodores were tabbed as second team members. COMMODORES DEBUTING NEW NIKE UNIFORMS Vanderbilt is one of only three teams in the nation to be wearing Nike’s new Vapor Elite uniform. The Commodores are joined by Oregon and North Carolina in the new uniforms. Three new elements are highlighted in the uniforms: the Vapor Elite Pants are 20% lighter than the sport’s traditional knit 2014 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS pants, the Vapor Elite Jersey, made from stretch woven fabric, offers maximum mobility with minimal weight and the True Vapor Fitted hat features an exclusive bill construction designed to reduce weight, improve moisture management and relieve pressure against the forehead. 54 H 51 H 51 NUMBER NINE Only program in the nation Sophomore Will Toffey changed his uniform to No. 9 after earning Freshman All-American honors with three straight while wearing No. 10 last season. The No. 9 was Toffey’s uniform number throughout his prep career 50-win seasons and when it came available the Barnstable, Mass. native asked Coach Corbin to make the move into a new jersey. FRESHMAN CLASS TABBED NO. 1 For the record fourth time, Vanderbilt’s recruiting class has been ranked No. 1 by Baseball America. The Commodores’ 13-man class is comprised of seven pitchers and six position players from nine different states. Vanderbilt’s fourth top class in the Baseball America poll (2005, 2011, 2012, 2015) stretches the Dores’ record with only Florida and Arizona State claiming multiple top classes with two each. Vandy is also riding an unprecedented 11-year streak of Top 25 classes. The 2015 class is the latest top class for Corbin and recruiting coordinator Travis Jewett after hauling in the second of back- to-back classes in 2012. IN THE TIM CORBIN ERA 12 MLB first round picks since 2004 are the most in the nation National Award Watch Lists Commodore Weekly Winners Player (Pos.) Award Player (Pos.) Honor Date Ben Bowden (P) NCWBA Stopper of the Year Jeren Kendall (OF) SEC Player of Week 2/22 Bryan Reynolds (OF) Golden Spikes Award Jeren Kendall (OF) Natl Player of Week 2/22 Kyle Wright (P) Golden Spikes Award Jeren Kendall (OF) Natl Hitter of Week 2/22 Jeren Kendall (OF) Golden Spikes Award Jordan Sheffield (P) SEC Pitcher of Week 3/15 Jordan Sheffield (P) TSWA Pitcher of Week 3/15 $46M Jordan Sheffield (P) SEC Pitcher of Week 4/18 Since 2004, Vanderbilt Jordan Sheffield (P) Natl Pitcher of Week 4/18 players have received signing bonuses totalling over $46 million. 2 @VandyBaseball vucommodores.com COMMODORE NOTES DORES TABBED TO FINISH SECOND IN SEC EAST BY COACHES Commodores In The Pros The Commodores were picked to finish second in the SEC East by the league coaches while receiv- Player (Years at VU) Team ing one vote to win the East division and the league. Top-ranked Florida received 13 votes to win the division and the league making them a unanimous choice (coaches cannot vote for their own team). MLB The rest of the East was picked with South Carolina third, Kentucky fourth, Missouri fifth, Georgia Pedro Alvarez (06-08) Baltimore sixth and Tennessee seventh. In the West Texas A&M was picked to take the title followed by LSU, Arkansas, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Auburn and Alabama.