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 Georgia Bulldogs (22-20,7-11) at #8 Vanderbilt Commodores (31-10,10-8) COMMODORES AT-A-GLANCE Game #42 Home #28 Friday, April 29 H 6:30 p.m. [SEC Network+] Saturday, April 30 H 2 p.m. [SEC Network+] Streak .................................. W1 Home ..................................23-4 Sunday, May 1 H 1 p.m. [SEC Network+] Road .....................................7-6 Tuesday, May 3 H Western Kentucky H 6:30 p.m. [SEC Network+] Neutral .................................1-0 Day .....................................23-5 VANDERBILT RE-VU Night.....................................8-5 Vanderbilt scored three runs late to hold off Austin Peay 8-5 on Tuesday afternoon. Jeren Kendall and Alonzo vs. RH starters ....................18-8 Jones each posted three hits in the win. The Commodores dropped their third series of the year at Tennes- see with a 5-3 loss on Sunday. Ben Bowden allowed three runs in the sixth to take his first loss of the season. vs. LH starters ....................13-2 Vanderbilt struggled in a 2-1 loss to Tennessee on Saturday. Kyle Wright took the loss allowing two runs over Extra-Innings ........................2-1 five innings. The Commodores cruised to their sixth shutout victory of the year on Friday night with a 6-0 win Doubleheaders .....................1-1 over Tennessee. Jordan Sheffield tossed eight scoreless innings and Bryan Reynolds belted his SEC-leading Shutouts ...............................6-2 ninth home run. One-Run Games ...................3-4 ON THE BUMP Three+ Run Games .............24-5 Friday, April 29 Series W-L-T .................... 7-3-0 RHP Jordan Sheffield (6-2, 2.54) vs. RHP Robert Tyler (3-3, 2.53) Series Sweeps .....................4-0 On Artificial Turf.................23-4 Saturday, April 30 On Natural Grass .................8-6 RHP Kyle Wright (4-3, 1.88) vs. LHP Connor Jones (5-3, 5.01) Scoring First .......................23-4 Sunday, May 1 Opp. Scores First ..................8-6 TBA vs. TBA Scoring 3+ runs ..................30-4 Opp. Scores 3+ runs ...........17-8 BATTLING THE BULLDOGS Hitting at least 1 HR ..........19-3 Vanderbilt hosts Georgia this weekend for the first time since 2014 when the Commodores swept a three-game series from the Bulldogs en route to the national title. Last year in Athens, Vanderbilt narrowly escaped Foley Hitting no HR ......................12-7 Field with a second consecutive sweep. VU held on for a 9-7 win on Friday night thanks to a career-best four RBI Making at least 1 error ......14-8 from Will Toffey before claiming the series with an 11-7 win on Saturday with Tyler Campbell driving in a career- Making no errors ................17-2 best four runs. A three-run seventh lifted VU to victory on Sunday with Jordan Sheffield making the start and Leading after 6 inn .............26-0 Kyle Wright getting his fourth win of the year out of the pen. The Dores have not lost a series to Georgia since dropping a home series to the Bulldogs in 2008. The Commodores are 108-119 all-time against Georgia dating Trailing after 6 inn ...............2-8 back to 1896, making the series one of the longest running series in Vanderbilt history. Tied after 6 inn ....................2-2 Leading after 7 inn .............24-1 THE KIDS Trailing after 7 inn ...............2-8 Vanderbilt’s recruiting class was tabbed as the nation’s best back in the fall by Baseball America and the kids Tied after 7 inn ....................4-1 have not disappointed with 12 freshmen contributing in their first season. Ethan Paul (36G/29GS) and Alonzo Jones (33G/32GS) have seen the most action in the lineup over the course of the year with Patrick Raby Leading after 8 inn .............27-0 (10GS/6G), Evan Steele (11G/0GS) and Chandler Day (7G/3GS) seeing the most action on the mound. The Com- Trailing after 8 inn ...............1-9 modores featured a season-high six freshmen in the starting lineup on Tuesday with Paul (DH), Jones (2B), Julian Tied after 8 inn ....................2-1 Infante (1B), Walker Grisanti (LF) and Connor Kaiser (SS) joining pitcher Donny Everett in the lineup. The fresh- vs. Top 5 Teams ...................2-1 men hitters have been solid, combining to hit .299 (101-for-338) with 74 runs scored and 66 RBI. The freshmen vs. Top 10 Teams .................0-0 pitchers are a combined 8-1 with 87 strikeouts over 78.0 innings. vs. Top 25 Teams .................4-5 STEADY HANDS In the State of Tenn ...........25-7 The Commodores’ defense has steadied since freshman Connor Kaiser took over as the team’s starting shortstop vs. Out-of-State Opp ..........25-7 10 games ago on April 9 at LSU. Over the last 10 games, the Dores have committed eight total errors - with four On Weekdays .....................10-1 coming in a win over Kentucky - while fielding .979 as a team following a 10-game stretch where the Commo- On Weekends .....................21-9 dores made 14 errors and fielded .964 as a team. Kaiser has been outstanding, turning nine double plays while making 21 putouts and recording 27 assists in 48 total chances. COMMODORES BROADCAST Joe Fisher calls the action on BENNY SAVES WNSR 560 AM / 95.9 FM Ben Bowden’s ninth save of the season on Tuesday pushed him into a tie with former first round pick Clinton beginning 15-minutes prior to Johnston (1998) for fifth in a single-season at Vanderbilt. Bowden’s 11 career saves have him in a tie with first pitch. Navery Moore and Mark Bode for seventh all-time at VU. Brian Miller holds both the single-season (16 in 2013) and career records (26). @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.