Monday, May 31, 2010

Before you totally redeem yourself...

by Barca Blog

Surprise, surprise... the Commodores are headed back to the NCAA Louisville Regional for the second straight season.

Most experts predicted Vanderbilt would be sent to Connecticut (with limo services provided by the Providence native pictured above), but instead, the NCAA committee did the opposite by keeping the Commodores closer to home for a regional rematch with Louisville.

And the storyline couldn't be more compelling.

The Dores have the opportunity to avenge their regional championship game loss to the Cardinals from a year ago. The Cards might also have a chip on their shoulder after Jason Esposito accidentally flipped his bat towards the pitcher's mound following his walk-off homer in the 17th inning a few weeks ago.

But first things first. Vanderbilt must focus on Illinois State, another familiar opponent, to start tournament play. The Commodores topped the Redbirds 9-2 in their first meeting in Nashville, but that was three months ago. Just look at the past two years to understand anything can happen in the postseason.

In 2009, Vanderbilt quickly fell into the losers' bracket with an opening round loss to Middle Tennessee, and eventually had to face Louisville with the deck stacked against them. The Commodores were able to force a final game, but the series ended with the Cards claiming the Super Regional berth.

The previous season, Vanderbilt lost to Oklahoma to kick off the tourney, and exited Tempe without even facing host Arizona State.

This year, the path to the Cardinals won't exist until other business is taken care of.

"As far as I'm concerned it's an Illinois State regional. That's really how you have to look at it," head coach Tim Corbin said. "It doesn't become the regional of the team until you play them. Right now we're going to play a team, like every one of the 64, that feels good about themselves."

Video: Dores on NCAA destination

by Barca Blog

Find out what head coach Tim Corbin, and pitchers Sonny Gray and Taylor Hill, had to say about the Commodores' NCAA Regional draw in the videos below.

Tim Corbin, Part 1



Tim Corbin, Part 2
 


Sonny Gray



Taylor Hill

Louisville Regional ticket information

From the Vanderbilt Ticket Office...

The Commodore Athletic Department will have a very limited amount of Louisville Regional Baseball Tournament booklets for sale. All will be sold by National Commodore Club priority and reservations will be taken over the phone by calling (615) 322-GOLD (4653) starting on June 1 at 8:30 a.m. The cost of each booklet will be $97.00 (includes all tax and processing) and those National Commodore Club members who receive priority will receive an email confirmation if your order is processed.

If you are not a National Commodore Club member, please click here to visit the Louisville ticket website to get the latest information on availability.  Ticket information will be posted on VUcommodores.com as it becomes available. At this time, we have no information on single session ticket availability.

Baseball headed back to Louisville

By Travis Young (Photo by John Russell)

For the second straight year, the Vanderbilt baseball team is headed back to Louisville for the NCAA Regionals. The Commodores (41-17) are the No. 2 seed in the regional, joining top-seeded Louisville (48-12), Illinois State (31-22) and St. Louis (33-27) in the regional.

Vanderbilt will face third-seeded Illinois State in the first game on Friday, June 4 (Time is TBA) while Louisville will face the fourth-seeded Billikens in the nightcap on Friday.

The Commodores have played both Louisville and Illinois State already once this year. VU defeated the Redbirds 9-2 in the Music City Classic on Mar. 6 and outlasted Louisville, 11-10 in a 17-inning marathon on May 11th.

Vanderbilt is making its ninth NCAA Tournament appearance in school history, posting an overall record of 15-15. In 2009, VU went 3-2 in the regional play at Jim Patterson Stadium before falling to top-seeded and host Louisville, 5-3 in the regional final.

Click here to view the full 2010 bracket

Last call on NCAA predictions

by Barca Blog

The experts have taken their final shot at predicting the the field of 64 for the 2010 NCAA Division I Baseball Championship.

Let's see where they placed the Commodores in the opening-round regionals.

Kendall Rogers, Rivals.com (view bracket)
Tempe Regional - Host: Arizona State
1. Arizona State (1)
2. Vanderbilt
3. New Mexico
4. Stony Brook

Aaron Fitt, Baseball America (view bracket)
Norwich Regional - Host: Connecticut
1. Connecticut
2. Vanderbilt
3. North Carolina
4. Central Connecticut State

Mark Etheridge, SEbaseball.com (view bracket)
Norwich Regional - Host: Connecticut
1. Connecticut
2. Vanderbilt
3. Oregon State
4. Central Connecticut State

Jeremy Mills, ESPN.com (view bracket)
Louisville Regional - Host: Louisville
1. Louisville (7)
2. Vanderbilt
3. Kent State
4. Illinois State

The official bracket will be revealed Monday at 11:30 a.m. CT on ESPN. Check VUcommodores.com for complete coverage following the announcement.

Sunday, May 30, 2010

Westlake named to SEC All-Tourney team

by SID

Redshirt sophomore Aaron Westlake was named to the Southeastern Conference's all-tournament team at the designated hitter spot.

Despite playing first base the entire tournament, Westlake made the DH spot because of his offensive numbers. He went 5-for-9 (.556) with a homer, double, two RBI and three runs scored. The cleanup hitter slugged 1.000 and also walked four times without striking out to sport a .692 on base percentage.

For the complete team click here.

NCAA Baseball regional sites revealed; selection show Monday

by Barca Blog

For the third consecutive year, Vanderbilt will hit the road for the opening round of the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship.

The following schools were awarded regional host sites on Sunday afternoon:

Arizona State (47-8), Tempe, Ariz.
Arkansas (40-18), Fayetteville, Ark.
Auburn (40-19), Auburn, Ala.
Cal State Fullerton (40-15), Fullerton, Calif.
Coastal Carolina (51-7), Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Connecticut (47-14), Norwich, Conn.
Florida (42-15), Gainesville, Fla.
Georgia Tech (45-13), Atlanta
Louisville (48-12), Louisville, Ky.
Miami (Florida) (40-17), Coral Gables, Fla.
Oklahoma (44-15), Norman, Okla.
South Carolina (43-15), Columbia, S.C.
Texas (46-11), Austin, Texas
TCU (46-11), Fort Worth, Texas
UCLA (42-13), Los Angeles
Virginia (47-11), Charlottesville, Va.

Of the 16 locations, where do you think the Commodores will be sent? The popular opinion among national pundits is that Vanderbilt could earn a No. 1 seed and travel to Connecticut. The Huskies will host the event off-campus at Dodd Stadium in Norwich, Conn.

We'll find out on Monday when the complete field of 64, with regional pairings and site assignments, will be announced on ESPN at 11:30 a.m. CT. Fans are welcome to attend a viewing party with the team at the Commodore Grill in the Holiday Inn Vanderbilt on West End. Doors will open at 11 a.m.

NCAA Regionals will be held from June 4-7. Each regional consists of four teams competing in a double-elimination format.

Saturday, May 29, 2010

NCAA Baseball postseason timeline

by SID

With the NCAA tournament fast approaching (next weekend), here is a timeline of events that will be of interest. All times listed below are Central Time.

• Regional site selections will be announced at www.ncaa.com/CWS at approximately 2:30 p.m., Sunday, May 30. The Regional site selections will also be shown on the BottomLine of the ESPN Networks throughout the evening.

• The 2010 NCAA Division I Baseball Championship 64-team field, with first-round regional pairings and site assignments, will be revealed in a live, half-hour telecast on ESPN at 11:30 a.m., Monday, May 31. The 30-minute program will originate from ESPN studios in Bristol, Connecticut.

• The team will have a Selection Show Viewing Party at Commodore Grill in the Holiday Inn on West End. Doors open at 11 a.m., with the general public welcome to attend.

And for those who wonder how many Regional host sites the Southeastern Conference can or will get, the most has been five (2003 and 2006). So if you haven't ordered your tickets for a potential Nashville Regional, click here.

Bullpen ready for regional play

by Eric Jones (Photo by Jimmy Jones)

Okay, maybe there isn't too much bright side from the SEC Tournament this year. Two losses in three games tends to put a damper on most fans' perspective and maybe comments to this post will tend towards the cynical. Still, the Commodore bullpen answered the call and appears ready to continue to be this team's major strength.

Five different Commodore relievers (Goodenow, Reid, Garvin, Clinard and Hayes) saw action over the three games; the results - two runs allowed (one earned) in 11 innings. That's a 0.82 ERA with nine strikeouts and just one walk allowed. Out of 41 total batters faced out of the bullpen, just 10 reached base and no inherited runners scored over the three games. Richie Goodenow was the only reliever to work in more than one game, keeping the Florida hitters in check for 3.2 innings of scoreless relief tonight after inducing an inning-ending double-play to get the hold in the Dores 2-0 shutout of Arkansas on opening night.

Look for the coaching staff to continue to use match-ups depending on the situation throughout the post-season. The logic is simple - if it's working, no need to change.

Photos: Florida 5, Vanderbilt 2

Click Here to View Jimmy Jones' photos of Vanderbilt's 5-2 loss to Florida Friday night at the SEC Tournament.

Recap: Florida 5, Vanderbilt 2

HOOVER­­, Ala.--- Preston Tucker notched two hits, including a two-run homer to lead No. 4 Florida to a 5-2 win over Vanderbilt Friday night at Regions Park.

With the loss the Commodores were eliminated from the Southeastern Conference tournament and dropped to 41-17 on the year.

Click Here for Recap

Friday, May 28, 2010

In Progress: Auburn vs. Ole Miss

by Barca Blog

(Posted at 7 p.m. CT) -- In the first elimination game of the day, Auburn and Ole Miss are tied at 4-4 in the bottom of the sixth. You can follow live stats by clicking here, or watch the action on SportSouth and espn3.com.

Vanderbilt's contest with Florida will start 30 minutes after the conclusion of that game.

Starting lineup vs. Florida

By Travis Young

Here is Vanderbilt's starting lineup for tonight's elimination game against Florida. The Commodores have made a few changes in the lineup to try to spark the offense.

1. Brian Harris - SS
2. Bryan Johns - LF
3. Jason Esposito - 3B
4. Aaron Westlake - 1B
5. Joe Loftus - RF
6. Andrew Giobbi - C
7. Curt Casali - DH
8. Anthony Gomez - 2B
9.Mike Yastrzemski - CF
SP Jack Armstrong (7-2, 3.93 ERA)

Armstrong (7-2, 3.92 ERA) gets the ball tonight for the Commodores in the elimination game against Florida (41-14). In Armstrong's last outing, he allowed five runs, four earned on five hits in 2.1 innings of work in loss to Arkansas. Armstrong has faced the Gators once in his career, scattering four hits over six shutout frames to improve to 4-0 on the season back in Gainesville on April 4.

Florida will counter with freshman righthander Hudson Randall (6-3, 2.99 ERA). To learn more about Florida and Randall check out SID's blog where he previews the game.

Rain delays game 1 today

by SID (Photos by Jimmy Jones)

Scattered storms in the Hoover area (and I do mean scattered as three miles from Regions Park at team hotel no rain yet) has caused the first game of the day to be in an indefinite delay.

Auburn and Ole Miss were scheduled to start at 3 p.m. CT and that game will be delayed a minimum of 45 minutes until the tarp is pulled.

If you're planning to attend the Commodores' game tonight, you may call 205-380-3905 for status updates and game times as information becomes available.

(Update 4:20 p.m.: The grounds crew is pulling the tarp off the field. The new start time for the Auburn-Ole Miss game will be at 4:55 p.m. Vanderbilt-Florida will start 30 minutes after the conclusion of that game.)

Dores discuss LSU loss

by Travis Young (Photo by Jimmy Jones)

Quotes from head coach Tim Corbin, right fielder Joe Loftus, and left fielder Bryan Johns following Vanderbilt's 7-5 loss to LSU last night in the SEC Tournament. The Commodores will take on Florida in an elimination game Friday night at Regions Park.

HEAD COACH TIM CORBIN


On Austin Ross’ performance:
"He was good. After Yaz’s home run in the second inning, he had thrown basically a no-hitter up until Westlake's hit in the ninth. I thought he threw the ball down at the knees very very well."

On LSU's offense:
"(LSU's) swinging the bats well right now. They had 19 hits last night and 15 tonight, so they’re seeing the ball well. That’s a tough lineup to go through right now. I’ve seen this before with an LSU team, they’re getting it moving and they have some momentum right now. They’re probably going to be tough to beat, now that Ranaudo’s coming back a little bit and this guy (Ross) going. If they continue to hit like they are, they will be tough to beat."

On the balk situation in the ninth:
"(The umpires) said Bryan Johns put up his hand and that you can’t penalize the pitcher, but you know what, you can penalize the hitter because if they don’t call timeout, they sure can call a ball or strike. It was probably good that it didn’t happen because Johns hit a double down the line, so I should of shut my mouth to begin with and just let the kids play, but so be it."

Update on Connor Harrell’s injury:
"He was knocked out. He came into the dugout and was dizzy. That was the second time he has been knocked out this year. He ran into Yaz (on a play in the outfield) and then I think when we hit the home run he got banged again on the head. Even when he got the base hit he was kind of feeling a little tough. I hope he can play."

JOE LOFTUS

Thoughts on the offensive struggles lately:

"I’m not to worried about it but because Ross had a great night pitching and LSU is kind of on a roll right now. I’m pretty sure none of the guys are too worried about it because we know what we can do as a team. We just got a relax and I’m pretty sure we’re going to pull through it."

Thoughts on facing Florida:
"We’re going to come out tomorrow and act like it’s a new day. Tomorrow’s a new day so hopefully we can come out and swing the bats."

BRYAN JOHNS

On little ninth inning rally:
"Our team never gives up and we’ve had a lot of comeback wins during the season, so we expect to comeback everytime. Unfortunately, we fell a little short tonight."

Thoughts on LSU’s pitcher Austin Ross:
"He did a good job. He attacked the zone against us and he threw a lot of strikes. He kept the ball down all night and he mixed in his curveball and that really helped him out. He kept us off balance most of the night."

A little info on Florida

by SID

The Gators lost to the eighth seeded LSU Tigers on Wednesday, marking the fifth straight year the lowest seed in tourney has beaten the top seed.

Florida rebounded yesterday with a 5-4 win over Arkansas in an elimination game and will send freshman right-hander Hudson Randall to the mound.

UF (41-14) won the SEC regular season overall title with a 22-8 league mark and enter Friday night's game winners of 15 of its last 18 contests.

Randall is 6-3 with a team starter best 2.99 ERA. He has 52 strikeouts and 16 walks in 75.1 innings in 16 appearances, including 13 starts.

Against the Commodores on April 4, he allowed three runs, two earned, on seven hits in 5.2 innings with six strikeouts and a walk in the losing effort.

Since that game he has gone 4-0 with three no-decisions in seven starts. Randall allowed two runs on nine hits in 5.1 innings with three strikeouts in his last start against South Carolina on May 21. He did not factor in the decision as the Gators won the game 5-2 to clinch the regular season crown.

Video: Yaz goes deep vs. LSU

In the video below, Vanderbilt outfielder Mike Yastrzemski belts a two-run homer, his second career blast, against LSU pitcher Austin Ross at the 2010 SEC Tournament inside Regions Park in Hoover, Ala.

For the complete game recap, click here.

Photos: LSU 7, Vanderbilt 5

Click here to view Jimmy Jones' photos of Vanderbilt's 7-5 loss to LSU on day two of the 2010 SEC Tournament Thursday night.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Updated SEC Tournament Bracket

by Barca Blog (Photo by Jimmy Jones)

Friday's Schedule (Elimination Games)
TV: SportSouth; Online: ESPN3.com; XM: 199; Sirius 214
Game 9: No. 2 Auburn vs. No. 6 Ole Miss - 3 p.m. CT
Game 10: No. 1 Florida vs. No. 5 Vanderbilt - 30 min after

Saturday's Schedule
TV: First two games on SportSouth, last two on CSS
Online: ESPN3.com; XM: 199; Sirius 214
Game 11: No. 8 LSU vs. Game 9 winner - 9:30 a.m. CT
Game 12: No. 7 Alabama vs. Game 10 Winner - 30 min after
Game 13: If Necessary - 5 p.m. CT
Game 14: If Necessary - TBD

Thursday's Results
Game 5: Auburn 3, South Carolina 1 (12) (SC eliminated)
Game 6: Florida 5, Arkansas 4 (UA eliminated)
Game 7: Alabama 6, Ole Miss 3
Game 8: LSU 7, Vanderbilt 5

For complete coverage of the SEC Tournament, visit SECsports.com.

How to follow VU / LSU game - 8 p.m. CT

by Barca Blog

No. 7 seed Alabama just advanced in the winners' bracket with a 6-3 win over No. 6 seed Ole Miss Thursday evening in the third game of the day at the 2010 SEC Tournament (view bracket).

First pitch for No. 5 seed Vanderbilt's contest with No. 8 seed LSU is scheduled for 8 p.m. CT at Regions Park. The game will be televised on CSS and online at ESPN3.com. Tom Hart (Play-by-Play) and Brian Jordan (Analysis) will provide commentary.

You can listen to Joe Fisher's radio call on 560 AM, VUCommodores.com, and XM Satellite Radio Channel 199 and Sirius Channel 214.

For score updates,  follow @VandyBaseball on Twitter, or track live stats at SECsports.com.

Starting lineup vs LSU

by SID

Another nice night in Hoover, temps in the high 70's, with very little wind.

The Commodores will use the same lineup, with one small order shift. Andrew Giobbi moves up to fifth, while Curt Casali drops a spot to sixth.

1. Brian Harris SS
2. Anthony Gomez 2B
3. Jason Esposito 3B
4. Aaron Westlake 1B
5. Andrew Giobbi C
6. Curt Casali DH
7. Joe Loftus RF
8. Connor Harrell CF
9. Mike Yastrzemski LF
SP: Taylor Hill (5-4, 3.68 ERA)

Hill had a masterful performance against the Tigers on May 8 in Baton Rouge, carrying a shutout into the bottom of the ninth, before giving up a two-run single with two outs in a 6-2 Vanderbilt win. He tossed his first career complete game, allowing the two runs on seven hits with eight strikeouts and a walk.

What was most impressive was that he stymied a LSU squad that pounded out 19 hits and scored 16 runs the previous night in a wild 16-15 win in 10 innings.

Another strong outing by Hill and the Commodores will have tomorrow off while waiting to face the winner of tomorrow's Auburn-Ole Miss elimination game. If VU were to lose tonight, they would face Florida tomorrow night in an elimination game.

First pitch is scheduled for 8 p.m. CT at Regions Park.

SEC Results: Game 5 & 6

by Barca Blog

No. 3 seed South Carolina and No. 4 seed Arkansas became the first two teams to be eliminated from the SEC Tournament on Thursday.

The Gamecocks fell to No. 2 seed Auburn 3-1 in the opening matchup of the day, and the Razorbacks dropped a 5-4 decision to No. 1 seed Florida.

The first of two winners' bracket games is in progress at Regions Park with Alabama leading Ole Miss 1-0 in the fifth inning. Vanderbilt and LSU will start 30 minutes after the conclusion of that game. Follow the action here

The eliminations games on Friday look like this so far... Auburn will play the loser between Alabama and Ole Miss at 3 p.m. CT, followed by Florida against the loser of the Vanderbilt and LSU game.

Five points on Thursday afternoon

by Barca Blog (Photo by Jimmy Jones)

Making their way

Cathaginian leader Hannibal Barca (248–183 BC), considered one of the greatest military tacticians ever, once proclaimed before battle: We will either find a way, or make one.

That quote came to mind when Vanderbilt manufactured their first run against Arkansas in the SEC Tournament last night after being held scoreless for the first five innings.

Aaron Westlake led off the the sixth with a walk, and then scored after a sacrifice bunt, ground out and wild pitch moved him across home plate.

The series of plays might not have been the most ideal way to get on the board -- especially without a hit -- but it resulted in the Dores' first lead of the game which proved to be the difference.

"The bunt by Curt (Casali) that moved me over to second base was huge," Westlake remarked. "We just pla­yed team base­ball, espe­cially in a park like this where it's hard to get a ball out of here. It’s more of a do­ubles, tri­ples ball­park. We’re a team of pitching and defense, and manu­fac­tu­ring runs the way we did that first time is just what we’re about."

Westlake went the conventional route in his next at bat with a towering solo home run to the right of the 405' sign in center field. It was his fourth consecutive game going yard, each time against the Razorbacks.

Two different methods of offense, same result.

Confidence booster

As Sonny Gray told me last night, winning the first game of a double-elimination tournament is huge, no matter if you're playing summer ball as a kid, or suiting up in front of thousands of fans at the SEC Tournament.

While teams have come out of the losers' bracket before to take the title (see 2007 Vanderbilt team), it's not recommended.

With a win over LSU Thursday night, the Commodores can stay in the driver's seat to make another appearance in the championship game, a place they've been in four of the last six seasons.

Web gem

The award goes to senior shortstop Brian Harris, who stole a base hit away from Kyle Atkins in the bottom of the third. Harris dove to his left to snare the sharply-hit ground ball, and then threw a strike to Westlake at first to get the out. Watch the Play

Tweet of the day

Professional scouts and writers from across the country were in attendance Wednesday to get a first-hand look at some of the best prospects in college baseball.

Aaron Fitt from Baseball America tweeted this about Gray's performance:

"Seen some great arms today, but Sonny Gray is most electric of all. He's 93-95, touching 96, with 82-85 slider. Used SL for 2 Ks in 2nd."

Click Here to read more of Fitt's analysis of Gray.

Video of the day

Since Vanderbilt will face LSU tonight, let's look back at the greatest Tiger of all-time (with a guest appearance by acting legend Jerry O'Connell). I love how the commercial had the "time to beat" graphic at the bottom of the screen... Like we were holding our breath to see if "Vern" could break the record.

Coach Mac Benefit Tonight in Green Hills

by Leathers

Got plans this evening before settling in front of the tube to watch the Vanderbilt-LSU baseball game?

If your looking an outing that combines Vanderbilt personalities (namely Bobby Johnson) with a great cause (George MacIntyre Flood Relief Fund), then drop by GreenBank in Green Hills (4205 Hillsboro Road) for an open house aimed at raising money for the Coach Mac relief fund.

Sponsored by former VU coach Fred Pancoast/Pancoast & Associates, the open house is from 5-7 pm. Coach Johnson should be there when it starts.

Members of the MacIntyre family will attend to thank the Nashville community for its incredible outpouring of support shown since the recent floods devastated their Bellevue home.

For info, call Pancoast & Associates @ 292-3400 or GreenBank @ 383-3809.

Hamilton Livin' A Dream

by Leathers

Former 'Dore captain Ryan Hamilton has just started livin' a dream. Just days after getting waived by the Saints, the former safety signed Wednesday as a rookie free agent with the Eagles (check here for more).

For Hamilton, a product of Wycombe, Pa., and a huge fan of all Philly pro franchises, nothing ranks higher than a chance to wear the Eagle colors.

The good fortune couldn't happen to a more deserving guy, a player that entered the '09 campaign with All-SEC expectations only to miss the final 10 games after tearing a pectoral muscle at LSU.

Without doubt, the Eagles will get the very best Hamilton has to give.

A little info on LSU

By SID

LSU leads all-time 50-33 in a series that dates back to 1954. This will be the fourth time over the last three years the teams have met in the tournament, with the Tigers winning two of the previous three.

Vanderbilt took the series in Baton Rouge (May 7-9), marking the third straight season series win over the Tigers (2006, 2007, 2010).

Today’s game is the sixth meeting all-time in the tournament with LSU holding a 5-1 record over the Commodores.

Last season the Commodores used a complete-game performance by Mike Minor (in my opinion his best ever outing at Vanderbilt) to defeat the Tigers 4-1 in the opening game of the tournament.

The Tigers "roared" back from the loser's bracket winning five straight games, including a 6-2 win over Vanderbilt in the SEC Tournament Championship game, to capture their second straight tourney crown. Of course LSU went on to win the whole thing, marking the sixth National Championship in the program's history.

With several of the starters back, LSU jumped out to a great start this year and on April 21st were 32-6 overall and 11-4 in league play. Since that time the Tigers have faltered, going 5-14 overall and 3-11 in SEC action.

The Tigers opened the second season with a convincing 10-6 win over No. 1 seed Florida last night and many media types are saying that they appeared to have their swagger back.

LSU will throw junior right-hander Austin Ross (4-4, 5.13 ERA) tonight. He allowed two runs on five hits in 5.1 innings with four strikeouts and no walks and did not factor in the decision in his start against Vanderbilt on May 9.

In his last outing against Mississippi State on May 21, Ross allowed three runs on four hits in seven innings with eight strikeouts and no walks in the 17-3 win. On the year he has posted 86 strikeouts and 17 walks in 73.2 innings pitched.

Download Game Notes

SECT: Day 2 schedule / Day 1 Results

by Barca Blog

THURSDAY'S SCHEDULE (All Times CT)
TV: CSS; Online: ESPN3.com; XM Radio:  199; Sirius 214

Losers' Bracket (Elimination Games)
Game 4 - No. 2 Auburn vs. No. 3 South Carolina - 9:30  a.m.
Game 5 - No. 1 Florida vs. No. 4 Arkansas - 30 minutes after

Winners' Bracket
Game 6 - No. 6 Ole Miss vs. No. 7 Alabama - 4:30 p.m.
Game 7 - No. 5 Vanderbilt vs. No. 8 LSU - 30 minutes after

WEDNESDAY'S RESULTS
Game 1: Alabama 7, Auburn 1
Game 2: Ole Miss 3, South Carolina 0
Game 3: LSU 10, Florida 6
Game 4: Vanderbilt 2, Arkansas 0

For complete coverage of the SEC Tournament, visit SECsports.com.

Highlights: Vanderbilt 2, Arkansas 0

For a complete recap of the game, click here.

Photos: Vanderbilt 2, Arkansas 0

Check out Jimmy Jones' photos of Vanderbilt's 2-0 win over Arkansas Wednesday night in the opening round of the 2010 SEC Tournament Wednesday night at Regions Park.

Click Here to View

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Vanderbilt vs. Arkansas - 8:30 p.m. CT

by Barca Blog

No. 8 seed LSU just knocked off No. 1 seed Florida, 10-6, in the third game of the day at the 2010 SEC Tournament.

First pitch for No. 5 seed Vanderbilt's tourney opener with No. 4 seed Arkansas is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. CT at Regions Park. The game will be televised on CSS and online at ESPN3.com. Tom Hart (Play-by-Play) and Brian Jordan (Analysis) will provide commentary.

You can listen to Joe Fisher's radio call on 560 AM, VUCommodores.com, and XM Satellite Radio Channel 199 and Sirius Channel 214.

For score updates,  follow @VandyBaseball on Twitter, or track live stats at SECsports.com.

Starting lineup vs. Arkansas

by SID

Well if the trend continues Vanderbilt should be in good shape here in the final game of the day. So far the lower seed has won the first two games, with eighth-seeded LSU on top of No. 1 seed Florida 9-4 in the eighth.

The weather isn't bad at all, with temps in the low 80's and certain to decrease at night.

The Commodores lineup is basically the same it has been the latter part of the year. Freshman Mike Yastrzemski is getting the start in left, taking advantage of his defensive prowess in a huge outfield.

1. Brian Harris SS
2. Anthony Gomez 2B
3. Jason Esposito 3B
4. Aaron Westlake 1B
5. Curt Casali DH
6. Andrew Giobbi C
7. Joe Loftus RF
8. Connor Harrell CF
9. Mike Yastrzemski LF

SP Sonny Gray (8-4, 3.44 ERA)

Gray had a solid outing against the Razorbacks last Thursday, allowing three runs on seven hits in eight innings with nine strikeouts in the Commodores 4-3 win in the series opener.

SEC Results: Game 1 & 2

by Barca Blog (Photo by Eric SanInocencio, SECsports.com)

HOOVER, Ala. - The first two games of the 2010 SEC Tournament belonged to the lower seeds as No. 7 Alabama dropped No. 2 Auburn 7-1 and No. 6 Ole Miss shutout No. 3 South Carolina 3-0.

Fans jammed Regions Park as early as 8:30 a.m. CT, an hour before first pitch, and ended up setting a new Session 1 attendance record at 12,514, thanks in large part to the buzz around the in-state battle between the Tigers and Tide in the first game of the day.

Alabama pitcher Jimmy Nelson tossed a complete-game for a third straight week, surrendering only one run on five hits while striking out six to send the Tigers, who are making their first tourney appearance since 2003, into the losers' bracket.

The Tide will next face the Rebels, who moved into winners' bracket after ace Drew Pomeranz silenced the Gamecocks in Game 2, throwing seven scoreless innings while striking out seven to earn the win.

Also, it looks like the time modifications to the tournament have had a positive effect so far in reducing the length of games. Game 1 lasted 2 hours and 12 minutes while Game 2 went 2 hours and 39 minutes. Game 3 between No. 1 Florida and No. 8 LSU started at 4:36 p.m. CT. All three games either started on time or ahead of schedule, almost unheard of in my seven years of attending the event.

Game 4 between No. 5 Vanderbilt and No. 4 Arkansas (TV: CSS; Radio: 560 AM) will start 30 minutes after the conclusion of Game 3. Based on the times of the morning session, the contest won't start any earlier than 7:30 p.m. CT. For score updates, visit SECsports.com.

Office Junk: Finders, keepers

by Travis Young

Instead of showing up in one of the Cadillacs provided to each team for the SEC Tournament, I made my grand entrance into Regions Park yesterday with the help of an abandoned, rusty old grocery cart that I found in the parking lot outside the stadium.

I filled the empty cart to the max weight capacity with media guides, notes and SID's Wrestlemania DVD collection.

I'd like to report that the buggy's right rear axel was disengaged and lugnuts were missing, but it served its purpose and is now being looked at by an ASE certified professional at Jiffy Lube.

Necessary toughness

by Barca Blog

With the series split at one game apiece and a possible NCAA regional hosting bid on the line, Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn turned Tim Corbin's attention to the bigger picture prior to last Saturday's regular season finale.

"I was standing at home plate," Corbin recalled, "and he said, 'I don't care what happens today. All I care about is that we're in that tournament.'"

That tournament being the SEC championship, which gets underway today at Regions Park.

It's easy to take a conference tournament appearance for granted because the Commodores are making their seventh trip in eight years under Corbin. But we also must remember that nothing is ever guaranteed in the SEC. Prior to Corbin, the Dores had a seven-year postseason absence dating back to 1996.

"It's good to be in that tournament, because it's not easy to get there," Corbin added. "I think every coach of the eight that gets in feels that way.  It's a tough, tough league. I know a lot of leagues feel that way, but this one's a grind."

How tough?

Six squads currently rank in the Top 15 of the RPI with as many as 10 teams eligible to earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

Look at Auburn... they're playing in the tournament this week for the first time since 2003. Yesterday, I overheard one Tiger fan sheepishly remark, "So this is what Hoover is like."

Or take a glance at Georgia and Mississippi State, two programs that have been to Omaha in the last decade -- UGA four times and MSU once. Both squads won't be playing in the postseason after finishing in the cellar with 11 combined conference wins.

To top it off, defending national champion LSU limped into the field as the eighth and final seed by taking two out of three from Mississippi State. The Tigers spent three weeks at No. 1 in the polls, and 11 of the 14 weeks in the Top 10 this year before their late-season slide.

"Them being eighth kind of says everything," Corbin stated. "When we get asked the question at the beginning of the year about how tough the league is, there you go: World Series team, national champion, finishing eighth with most of their team coming back. That says it all."

Just another reminder of how hard it is to make it to Hoover.

Video of the Day: If you're going to make the tournament, then you might as well win it all. Thanks to Chris for submitting this inspirational video.

Video: Giobbi introduces Gomez to Hoover

by Barca Blog

Andrew Giobbi should know Regions Park as well as anyone playing in the SEC Tournament this week.

The fifth-year senior has experienced it all in Hoover from winning the championship in 2007 to being selected to the all-tournament team after hitting .533 with two home runs last season.

"Gio" took it upon himself to give freshman teammate Anthony Gomez a brief history lesson following Tuesday's practice session.

Baseball canned food drive



by SID

Academic counselor extraordinaire Katie Feyes sent over some pics and info from the baseball team's recent canned food drive for the Second Harvest Food Bank.

Last season the team did a similar food drive for the Florida series and collected 792 pounds of food.

This season the team used the Georgia series as the designated weekend to collect items, but that was the weekend of the flood, cutting down the donation time to just the Friday opener.

The need for items remained and the food drive was added to the Louisville game on May 11 that was used as a benefit for flood relief efforts.

Fans responded in a big way as the donation to Second Harvest came in at 1,575 pounds of food.

The Vanderbilt baseball team thanks all those that brought in food that was, and is, much needed at this time.

Arkansas starting pitcher: Jeremy Heatley

by SID

As Barca Blog pointed out earlier, Arkansas is a little banged up heading into the SEC tournament and will not use their normal ace Drew Smyly in the opener tonight. Instead they will start senior right-hander Jeremy Heatley.

Heatley (5-0, 4.76 ERA) will be making his first ever start in a Razorback uniform, including 21 relief appearances this year and seven appearances out of the pen a year ago.

He transferred in from Northlake Junior College in 2009 after starting his career at Texas A&M Kingsville.

Early scouting reports from Levitron 2000 says that he is a side-arming right hander in the 85-88 miles per hour range.

Heatley's numbers overall include 37 strikeouts and just eight walks in 34.0 innings with two saves and opponents are hitting just .233 against him.

His numbers in conference play, however, have not been as good with a team worst 12.54 ERA in nine outings with eight strikeouts and six walks in 9.1 innings. SEC teams hit .357 against him.

He made his last appearance against South Carolina on May 16, recording one out while walking one. In his last extended showing against Louisiana Tech on May 11, he pitched three innings of one hit ball with three strikeouts.

Video: Baseball practice at Regions Park

By Travis Young

The Vanderbilt baseball team practiced for an hour at Regions Park from 5-6 p.m. on Tuesday to get familiar with the "pitcher-friendly" ballpark.

I was able to grab some video of the Commodores practicing as well as show a small virtual tour of the ballpark courtesy of Barca's flip cam.

The SEC banners and the team logos along the outfield fence and stadium concourse add a special feel to the 10,800-seat ballpark that has served as the home facility for the Chicago White Sox Double-A affiliate the Birmingham Barons since 1988.

Editor's note: I would also like to mention that those of you that have high speed internet capability shouldn't take it for granted because loading this video via a 33K dial-up modem in the lobby of the Wynfrey hotel at 3 a.m. was not ideal.


SEC tourney game preview and notes

by SID

Vanderbilt opens its second-season this week at the Southeastern Conference tournament in Hoover, Ala. The fifth-seeded Commodores will take on the fourth-seeded Arkansas Razorbacks on Wednesday night in a rematch of last weekend's regular season series finale at Hawkins Field. The game time for the contest is to be determined as it is the final contest of the four-game day. In the past the start time for that contest was listed at 8 p.m.

Click to Read Game Preview

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Photos: Commodores at Regions Park

by Barca Blog

The Commodores had their opportunity to get acquainted with Regions Park, the site of the 2010 SEC Tournament, on Tuesday evening.

On a nice, sunny day in Birmingham, the team spent one hour practicing on the field, followed by media interviews, and a kettlebell workout led by strength coach Gabe Teeple.

I captured 60+ photos of the practice session - click to view.

Check back for more updates from the road. We cut a good interview between Andrew Giobbi and Anthony Gomez that we'll post by early morning.

McGugin's Biggest Loser for 2010


For the second year, Team Gold and Team Black faced off in an all-out Battle Royale of Weight Loss over seven potentially grueling weeks. Truth be known, the Commodore student-athletes are not the only ones in McGugin that need an outlet for some intensely competitive activities.

The final results are in and Team Black redeemed itself after a loss in 2009 as the 12 person team shed a total of 62 lbs or 2.51% off the original weigh-in total. Team Gold lost 49 lbs or 2.07% from the first weigh-in. Brett Wulke (Operations) reprised his role as the Incredible Shrinking Man by losing 9.67% of his body weight to gain the Top Loser spot. Heather Warf Business Office) was the top female Loser melting away 3.69% of her total body weight. Both Heather and Brett received a prize pack from Glaceau and Coca-Cola and Chick-fil-A for a year courtesy of the Rivergate store.

Thanks to our fantastic sponsors: Glaceau, Coca-Cola and Chick-fil-A or Rivergate. Team Black members received a case of Glaceau SmartWater, a case of Coke Zero, and a free meal at Chick-fil-A in Rivergate featuring the new salads and wraps. Team Gold cashed in with a six-pack of SmartWater, a six-pack of Coke Zero and a free Chick-fil-A entree from Todd Hunley, owner and operator of the Rivergate store. Look for a new twist next year and stay active. Have a great summer.

All-SEC baseball honors announced

by SID

Vanderbilt freshman second baseman Anthony Gomez and sophomore right-hander Sonny Gray were named to the All-Southeastern Conference first and second teams respectively in a vote by the league's coaches that was released today by the conference office.

In addition to the All-SEC honors, Gomez and outfielder Connor Harrell were named to the SEC All-Freshman team, while Gray picked up SEC All-Defensive team recognition.

Click to read more

Counting time

by Barca Blog

The Southeastern Conference will attempt to speed up the pace of its tournament this week with modifications and changes to the routines of years past.

Changes include:

*The implementation of a 20-second clock between pitches when the bases are empty, and a 108-second limit between half innings. Teams that fail to meet the time requirements will be assessed a ball or strike.

*There will only be 30 minutes between games, instead of 45. Teams will take infield at another site to save time, and pregame player introductions have been canceled.

*The start time of the first games on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday have been moved from 10 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. CT. On Saturday, the if necessary games will shortened to seven-inning contests.

With four games scheduled on each of the first two days, the modifications make sense. The final game of the night regularly goes past midnight, which doesn't help fans, teams or television.

Vanderbilt head coach Tim Corbin supports the changes, and doesn't think it will impact the overall play.

"From a ticket standpoint the SEC wants fans, and I don't blame them," Corbin said. "When you start a game at 10 or 11 o'clock at night, you have some issues. There was a lot of dead time that everyone cut down. I do think you'll see quicker games, but I do not think it will have a bearing on the game itself."

Video of the Day: With the installation of the pitch clock, I'll be asking the person sitting next to me in the press box the same question all week long: "What time is it?" Only one response will suffice, thanks to the Spin Doctors.

Tuesday's baseball articles

by Barca Blog

Articles from around the web to keep you updated on the 2010 SEC Baseball Tournament...

Jeff Lockridge of the Tennessean breaks down Vanderbilt's success in Hoover since 2004 - Dores usually play well

David Boclair of The City Paper takes a closer look at senior shortstop Brian Harris - The consistent man

SECsports.com held their annual coaches teleconference prior to the start of the tournament - Listen to Audio

Also, SECsports.com will broadcast an online audio show with Aaron Fitt from Baseball America from noon to 2 p.m. CT today. The All-SEC team will be announced during the program. Listen Live

Hanging with Mr. Hoover

by Barca Blog

The Commodores arrived at the luxurious Wynfrey Hotel in Birmingham last night, two days prior to the start of the 2010 SEC Baseball Tournament.

The 15-floor hotel, which is only minutes away from Regions Park in Hoover, will once again accommodate the eight teams in the tournament for the rest of the week. The Compound (as I like to call it) is the perfect lodging choice with everything you need inside the venue. One of the best features is the Riverchase Galleria Mall, which is connected to the main lobby. Also, Shula's Steak House is located at the front of the building... it will serve as my eating establishment twice per day (Thanks, Vanderbilt).

The only downside to previous trips? The hotel didn't have the cable channel that carried the tournament games. With four games on Wednesday and Thursday, it would be nice to watch the action without having to go to the park to see every pitch. Keeping my fingers crossed this year.

A couple of other notes...
SID, Travis and I journeyed down I-65 in a separate vehicle last night while listening to the tunes of A R Rahman.

I packed for five people to account for each personality. My excess luggage earned me the nickname Princess Vespa, a character from the movie Spaceballs. Hey, you never know what the weather will be like in Hoover (blistering hot 99% of the time).

By the way, this is my seventh year at the tournament, so I decided to bring extra snacks for the week to maintain a healthy lifestyle on the road. Well, Intern Travis ate two of my granola bars (box of five) during the three-hour trip, so our rations are depleted already. I guess I need to pack more items next time.

Finally, Travis took one for the team when he nominated himself to be the hall monitor. With every team in the same hotel, extra security is a must. Instead of resting in his comfortable queen-sized bed, Travis set up camp in the hall with his lantern, sleeping bag and issue of Highlights magazine. He spent the night pacing up and down the floor in camouflage to keep spies from infiltrating the barracks. Only two housekeepers got past the first line of defense. These are the things you don't see in the box scores.

Stay with us during the week for blog updates from the road. Fans are invited to Regions Park today to watch the Commodores' practice session from 5-6 p.m. CT.

Monday, May 24, 2010

Video: Tim Corbin, Sonny Gray Interviews

By Travis Young

Vanderbilt head baseball coach Tim Corbin and staff-ace Sonny Gray talked with the media on Monday before practice. In the interviews, Corbin and Gray answer questions about starting postseason play, including its upcoming game with Arkansas in the first round of the 2010 SEC Tournament on Wednesday. Click the videos below to hear what they had to say.




Arkansas battling injuries

by Barca Blog

Robbie Neiswanger of Arkansas News is reporting that three key players for Arkansas might not play in the Razorbacks' game against Vanderbilt on Wednesday night on the first day of the SEC Tournament.

Head coach Dave Van Horn discussed the injuries to third baseman Zack Cox (back), center fielder/pitcher Brett Eibner (hand), and No. 1 starting pitcher Drew Smyly (blister) during the SEC Coaches Teleconference on Monday morning.

Click here to read more

Gray scheduled to start Wednesday

By Barca Blog

Some coaches treat the SEC Baseball Tournament as an opportunity to rest their top arms with the risk of going home early to prepare for the NCAA Regional.

Don't put Tim Corbin in that category. His philosophy has always been to play to win it all, no matter what the circumstances.

That's why Corbin will go with sophomore ace Sonny Gray (8-4, 3.44 ERA) against Arkansas in the opener on Wednesday night at Regions Park.

"This tournament means a lot to us, and it will always mean a lot to us," stated Corbin, who has led the Commodores to the SEC championship game in four of the last six years. "Just because a regional is down the road, we never would go down to Hoover to get through it. You win tournaments by playing in tournaments. This is a tournament that we can actually practice playing in a regional or super regional." 

As for the rotation after Wednesday's game, Corbin said that he would go with the pitcher that presents the best matchup. He intends to use Taylor Hill and Jack Armstrong during the week, but also mentioned that there may be some wild cards in the equation. Corbin specifically noted that southpaw reliever Grayson Garvin has the potential to start, especially against a left-handed hitting team.

Arkansas hasn't announced if they will go with Drew Smyly (8-1, 2.58 ERA), their No. 1 arm, against the Dores. Gray outdueled Smyly last Thursday in Vanderbilt's only win over the Razorbacks. Smyly could be held out, though, due to a blister on his finger which nagged him during that five-inning outing.

Gray has one previous career start in the SEC Tournament. As a freshman in 2009, he earned a no-decision after allowing four runs in seven innings while striking out 11 in the Commodores' 5-4 victory against South Carolina.

Fann named to SEC Community Service Team


By Travis Young

Vanderbilt catcher Drew Fann was awarded for his efforts in the community on Monday, when he was one of 12 players from the Southeastern Conference to be named to the SEC Baseball Community Service Team.

The Community Service Team looks to highlight an athlete from each school who gives back to his community in superior service efforts.

Off the diamond, Fann has donated his spare time participating in the ALS Charity Walk, Vanderbilt Athletics Christmas party for local elementary students, Vanderbilt baseball canned food drives and served as a first-grade mentor at Eakin Elementary School. A native of Murfreesboro, Tenn., Fann has also worked at pitcher/catcher camps at Bethel University.

In the classroom, the sophomore backstop sports a 3.37 cumulative GPA while majoring in Human and Organizational Development. Last year, Fann was named to the SEC Spring Academic Honor Roll.

This year, Fann has been one of the most improved players on the team and his numbers make that case. Fann is hitting .380 with six doubles and seven RBI in 31 games this year, including 15 starts. The former Oakland High prep standout is one of the catchers for a team that leads the SEC with a 3.66 team ERA.

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.

SEC Baseball Tournament ticket update

From SECsports.com

Tickets for Vanderbilt's game against Arkansas on Wednesday in the 2010 SEC Tournament in Hoover, Ala., are available in both the reserved and general admission sections.

The game is a part of session two, which also includes Florida vs. LSU at 4:30 p.m. CT. The Commodores and Razorbacks will play immediately following that matchup.

Reserved singles are $17 each, and General Admission singles are $12 each. Additionally, a limited number of Reserved Books (all sessions) are still available for $100, and General Admission Books (all sessions) are still available for $75.

Session one tickets for Alabama vs. Auburn (9:30 a.m. CT) followed by Ole Miss vs. South Carolina are only available in the general admission sections.

All tickets can be purchased by logging onto secsports.com or calling (800) 732-4849. Fans may also purchase tickets at the Regions Park box office.

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Corbin Call-in Show Sunday night

by Barca Blog

Just a reminder... the final baseball call-in show of the season will air tonight from 6-7 p.m. CT inside the Commodore Grille at the Holiday Inn Vanderbilt.

You can also listen to the program locally on 104.5 the Zone and online at VUcommodores.com.

If you have a question for Coach Corbin, call the following phone numbers during the show: (615) 737-1045 or Toll Free at 866-492-ZONE.

Click Here to listen online.

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Commodores present check to Red Cross

(Photo by John Russell - click image to enlarge)

Prior to Saturday's game, the Vanderbilt baseball team along with David Williams, Vice Chancellor for University Affairs and Athletics, presented a check to the American Red Cross totaling $24,689.82 to go to flood relief efforts in Middle Tennessee. Monetary donations as well as clothing and food items were collected at the Commodores' game against Louisville on May 11.

SEC Baseball Tournament bracket

by Barca Blog

The seedings for the eight teams in the 2010 SEC Tournament were finalized shortly after Vanderbilt's 7-5 loss to Arkansas on Saturday afternoon. The double-elimination bracket will start on Wednesday morning at Regions Park in Hoover, Ala.

Game 1: No. 2 Auburn vs. No. 7 Alabama - 9:30 a.m. CT

Game 2: No. 3 So. Carolina vs. No. 6 Ole Miss (after game 1)

Game 3: No. 1 Florida vs. No. 8 LSU - 4:30 p.m. CT

Game 4: No. 4 Arkansas vs. No. 5 Vanderbilt (after game 3)

Download Printable Bracket

For more information, visit SECsports.com.

Video: Scheduling time for fans

by Barca Blog

If you came to the baseball series this weekend, you might have noticed some familiar faces from the gridiron on your way into the stadium.

The Commodore football team spent time interacting with fans, handing out schedule cards, and signing autographs to help promote 2010 season tickets.

"We had a lot of fun out here doing this," rising sophomore tailback Zac Stacy said about the experience. "We're looking to improve on last season, which was a big disappointment for us."

You can reserve your tickets to the seven-game home schedule starting at only $125... click here to purchase.

Watch intern Travis' interviews (below) with Stacy, Dexter Daniels, Eric Samuels and Akeem Dunham.



Friday, May 21, 2010

Vanderbilt's SEC tourney opponent will be ...

by Barca Blog

SEC baseball tournament: What we know
The eight-team tournament field is set. Vanderbilt will open against (you guessed it) Arkansas next Wednesday night, May 26, at Regions Park in Hoover, Ala. The winner of Saturday's regular season finale will get the No. 4 seed, while the loser will be the No. 5 seed.

The first day of the tourney looks like this...
Game 1: No. 2 Auburn vs. No. 7 LSU/Alabama - 9:30 a.m.
Game 2: No. 3 South Carolina vs. No. 6 Ole Miss - after game 1
Game 3: No. 1 Florida vs. No. 8 LSU/Alabama - 4:30 p.m.
Game 4: No. 4/5 Vanderbilt vs. No. 4/5 Arkansas - after game 3

LSU and Alabama clinched the final two spots on Friday, while Kentucky and Tennessee were eliminated. The Tigers hold the tie-breaker over the Tide.

Friday SEC Results (view game recaps)
Arkansas 4, Vanderbilt 3
Florida 5, South Carolina 2
Auburn 18, Ole Miss 4
LSU 17, Mississippi State 3
Alabama 4, Tennessee 2
Georgia 20, Kentucky 0

Florida captured the SEC regular season championship, and Auburn won the SEC West title.

Updated SEC Tournament Standings
CONF. W-L (Overall)GB
1. Florida* 22-7 (40-12) ---
2. Auburn* 19-10 (38-17) 3.0
3. South Carolina 20-9 (42-13) 2.0
4. Vanderbilt 16-11 (40-14) 5.0
5. Arkansas 17-12 (39-16) 5.0
6. Ole Miss 16-13 (36-19) 6.0
7. LSU 14-15 (36-19) 8.0
8. Alabama 14-15 (33-21) 8.0
------------
ELIMINATED
9. Tennessee 12-17 (30-25) 10.0
10. Kentucky 12-17 (30-25) 10.0
11. Georgia 5-22 (16-36) 16.0
12. Miss. State 5-24 (22-33) 17.0

*For the SEC tournament, the divisional champion with the highest conference winning percentage is the first seed and the remaining divisional champion is the second seed. All other teams are seeded 3-8 by conference winning percentage.

Marina Alex named NGCA First Team All-American


By A. Boggs

At National Golf Coaches Association banquet, where Marina Alex was named a first team All-American.

Congrats to Marina, who had the best season stroke average in the history of Commodore women's golf. She joins Jacqui Concolino and May Wood as the only first teamers to ever don the black and gold.

Commodores post 18-over par, currently in seventh


By A. Boggs

Vanderbilt is in the clubhouse with an 18-over par, 1170 (296-292-291-291) and are currently in seventh position as of 5:48 EST. UCLA is one stroke in front of the Commodores, but the Bruins still have a few holes left to play.

Brooke Goodwin led VU with a one-under par, 71, in her final round as a collegian. The senior from Fuquay-Varina, N.C., was tied for 13th in the last individual update that was available on Golfstat.com, which has been acting up all day and been very inconsistent.

Picture above is of Brooke Goodwin signing her last collegiate scorecard.

Stay tuned for more information on vucommodores.com as they become available.

Notes: Postseason baseball in the air

by Barca Blog

A couple of notes on Vanderbilt's 4-3 win over Arkansas on Thursday night...

Playoff intensity


Even though it was technically a regular season game last night, the intensity on the field mirrored that of a postseason showdown.

Just ask starting pitcher Sonny Gray if his adrenaline was running high. The sophomore righty reared back and hit 99 mph on the radar gun twice in the top of the first.

And that's the way it should have been with both squads fighting for the chance to host a NCAA Regional. You could feel the significance and impact of every pitch with the possibility of momentum shifting at any moment.

In the end, Gray and the rest of the Commodores showed their true toughness by buckling down to take game one of the series.

"We talked about this being the start of a playoff situation," head coach Tim Corbin said. "We thought this was the start of regional-type baseball. That was the feeling we had all along. It was a tight ballgame, well-pitched and defended by both sides for the most part. You knew it was going to come down to a swing or a pitch or a play, and that's what it did."

Brewer held out with 'sore arm'

With a 4-3 lead going into the bottom of the 9th, Corbin opted to go with Chase Reid to relieve Gray, instead of Russell Brewer, who leads the team with six saves (and ranks second all-time in school history.) Reid recorded the final three outs to pick up his first save of the season.

"(Brewer) has a sore arm," Corbin explained. "He just wasn't feeling good. He didn't really feel good against Mississippi State. We're just trying to give him some time to bounce back. He's fine, though. We extended him three times in a row, so we just want to give him a little more time if we can."

Corbin said Brewer was available in the bullpen if needed, but he probably would have been third in line after Reid and Richie Goodenow. Reid had two prior career saves, both during postseason play last year.

Regional debate

Corbin gave his thoughts on the Commodores' chances of hosting a regional following the victory.

"We just have to do what we can do," Corbin said. "We're 40-13 with an RPI of 13. We're in the hunt, but it doesn't necessarily mean you get one. I think if we finish third or fourth in the SEC, we give ourselves a chance. If we finish third, I think we give ourselves a real chance.

"Our body of work has been very impressive in my mind ... I think what we've done over the course of time, if we're able and fortunate enough to win the series, we'll see what happens."

Streak ends

Jason Esposito's streak of reaching base safely came to an end when he struck out looking in the fifth. Esposito, who extended the streak to 17 with a double in the first and infield single in the third, finished one shy of the NCAA record set by Cal State Northridge's Shaun Larkin in 2002.

Seniors to be honored pregame Friday

Vanderbilt will recognize the careers of eight seniors prior to Friday's game: Andrew Giobbi, Brian Harris, Russell Brewer, Richie Goodenow, Drew Hayes, Jordan Wormsley, Mark Lamm, and student assistant Alexander Levitt. The ceremony will start at 5:45 p.m. CT.