Week 14 Vanderbilt Baseball Notebook

by SID (Photo by John Russell)

Overall Record: 40-15; SEC Record: 16-12
Record for the Week: 1-2

Last Week
5/20: Vanderbilt 4, Arkansas 3 (Nashville)
5/21: Arkansas 4, Vanderbilt 3 (Nashville)
5/22: Arkansas 7, Vanderbilt 5 (Nashville)

This Week - SEC Tournament
5/26: vs. Arkansas, TBA, Hoover, Ala.
5/27: vs. Florida/LSU, TBA, Hoover, Ala.

Vanderbilt (40-15, 16-12) went 1-2 on the week dropping the final regular season series of the year to Arkansas at Hawkins Field … The Commodores won their 40th game on Thursday, marking the third time in four years (2007, 2008, 2010) they have achieved that mark and the fourth time in eight years under Tim Corbin (2004 as well).

VU lost the final series of the regular season for the third straight year and the fourth time in five years … Vanderbilt extended its win streak over the Razorbacks to seven straight games after Thursday’s win before dropping the final two games by a combined three runs … The 16 conference wins tied for the second most wins in the Corbin era. VU won 16 in 2004 and 2006 and then a school record 22 in 2007.

The Commodores hit .260 as team with five homers, four doubles and 12 runs scored (4.0 per game) ... Freshman outfielder Connor Harrell led the team with a 5-for-10 (.500) showing at the plate … Sophomore third baseman Jason Esposito went into the series having reached safely 15 consecutive times and got on base the first two times on Thursday (double, single) to extend the skein to 17 before getting called out on strikes in his third at-bat. He was one shy of the NCAA record of 18 consecutive times to reach base (Shaun Larkin, Cal-State Northridge 2002).

Sophomore first-baseman Aaron Westlake homered in all three games on the weekend and has four round-trippers over the last six games dating back to the Mississippi State series. He now has 11 on the year to lead the team, and it’s also a new career high, besting the 10 he hit as a freshman a year ago … Bryan Johns went 2-for-6 (.333) with a double and two RBI in two starts on the weekend. VU is 28-7 with him in the starting lineup.

The Commodores had a 3.67 team ERA with 31 strikeouts and nine walks in 27.0 innings … Sonny Gray picked up his team leading eighth win of the year on Thursday, allowing three runs on seven hits in eight innings with nine strikeouts and three walks … Grayson Garvin threw three innings of one-hit scoreless relief with five strikeouts and a walk in Saturday’s loss.

Chase Reid picked up the save with an inning of relief on Friday and pitched again in relief on Saturday. He allowed two unearned runs on three hits in 3.2 innings with three strikeouts and a walk on the weekend … Drew Hayes made two relief appearances, striking five and walking just one in two innings of work … Richie Goodenow recorded two outs, including one via strikeout in his short relief stint on Friday night.

VU finished the regular season tops in the league in ERA at 3.66 and third in team batting average at .316.

Vanderbilt will start postseason play for the fifth straight season and the seventh in eight years under Tim Corbin starting on Wednesday against Arkansas.