Weather Delay

By Eric Jones

The game has been stopped for a minimum of 30 minutes as lightning was detected in the immediate area. The tarp is being put on the field as this is being posted. The start of the waiting period is 4:07 pm (eastern). So you are looking at the earliest possible time would be 4:37 pm.

No truth whatsoever to the rumor that Corbs told the umpiring crew that Vanderbilt would play through it.

Groundhog Day in Tallahassee

By Eric Jones

I will acknowledge that it may be an obscure reference to some (the title), but stay with me. In the 1993 movie Groundhog Day, Bill Murray plays a TV weatherman who is sent to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania to cover Groundhog Day and finds himself caught in a maddening loop where everyday he wakes up and relives that fateful day. The Commodores are hoping to live the same way today in the deciding game of the Super Regional Championship as they did yesterday...but in a good way.

Superstition has seemingly always been part of the game of baseball. Teammates have been known to assault the olfactory senses of teammates by wearing the same sweaty undershirts, socks and other unmentionables when on a hot streak. Undoubtedly some of these same things are going on within the Vanderbilt clubhouse, but you can't blame them.

Superstition was very evident at the team hotel this morning. Roommates took morning showers in the same order, they filed into the elevator to the lobby in the same order on their way to breakfast and several even called the same people on their cell phones. I was personally asked to hum and sing the same song I did yesterday morning on the way down the hallway to the elevator (Love of a Lifetime by the '80's hairband Firehouse and no, I have no explanation as to why I did it yesterday). When you are one game away from the College World Series you don't ask why, you just do it. Most of you would too.

So everyone does their part. I opened the player/pass gate at 11:03 local time (just like yesterday). The Commodores are the home team and in the first base dugout just like yesterday. Our fans' tickets are in the same places as yesterday, all in the hopes of helping the team in some small way to win this Super Regional.

A quick perusal of the pass list, finds interesting names like the Mark Lamm and Richie Goodenow creations of Charlie Clutchman and Alligator Suitcase. I don't know if they are fictional, but by being here in spirit they may have been part of the baseball karma. Attempts were made to find Bill Murray, a big baseball fan, but then we reconsidered as he is a huge Cubs fan. That's too much bad luck!

Armstrong tabbed to pitch Super Regional Championship

By Eric Jones

Tim Corbin announced that Jack Armstrong will be the starting pitcher for the Commodores tomorrow. Although Jack has had some tough luck thus far in the post-season, you might choose to look at the last time he pitched in his native Sunshine State. It was back on April 4, when Armstrong threw six shutout innings to get his fourth win while preventing the Dores from suffering a sweep by the Gators. Plus his hometown of Jupiter is just hours away, so Jack may have to get some extra tickets from his teammates.

Garvin Great in Post-Season

by Eric Jones

Maybe it was a good thing that Grayson Garvin didn't throw a pitch in anger before March 30. The seemingly innocuous scoreless inning that day against the Terriers with three strikeouts proved the lefty was ready to go. It was bigger still just four days later when Corey Williams took a ball off the kneecap versus Florida that required season-ending surgery while leaving the Commodores with just Richie Goodenow and freshman Sam Selman as the only other left-handed options for match-ups.

Rehabbing to be completely healthy proved to be a good thing, especially now in the post-season. In three post-season appearances including action today, G-Squared has been impressive allowing just three runs on 14 hits over 15.2 innings. The 1.72 ERA over that span, combined with 13 strikeouts have been huge.

The three-inning save today, Garvin's first as a Commodore, shows his versatility and is a glimpse that there may be even better things to come.

Geesh It's Hot

By Eric Jones (Photo by Ross Obley)

The funniest thing that I saw today as I made my way up from the Vanderbilt player/pass gate in the ticket office to the pressbox, was the guy dressed up like a devil, complete with red tights, horns and even a tail (the pitchfork didn't make it past security). He was at the front of a long line of fans at the Coke stand and asked loudly, "You're really going to charge me $2.00 for a cup of ice?!"

Yes, it is that hot here at Dick Howser Stadium. At 95 with a heat index of over 100 degrees, it makes you feel like you have stepped into a hot, wet blanket each time you go outside. Then again, this is Florida, imagine those poor souls at the Magic Kingdom. Still you have to wonder about the heat effect on this game.

One thing is for sure, the ball flies out of this ballpark. The Commodores have left the ballpark four times (Casali, Esposito, Loftus and Yastrzemski) and the Seminoles trail this homerun derby with three (Boyd, Johnson and just now McGee). The last time the Commodores hit four homeruns in the same game was back on April 26, 2009 against Mississippi State.

Goodenow continues to be great

By Eric Jones (Photo by Ross Obley)

Richie Goodenow was brought in to face FSU's Jayce Boyd with a runner on base. In typical Richie fashion, he gets a groundball doubleplay, gives up a hit to Devon Travis, then gets Rafael Lopez to strikeout swinging.

Although it is no complete game nine-inning shutout, still a nice follow-up to the Louisville Regional start which earned him Regional Tournament MVP honors. Low-keyed and unassuming, Richie is now the pitcher of record after Esposito's solo homerun in the top of the seventh to give Vandy the lead 7-6. The six-run deficit is eerily reminiscent of the Dore's come-from-behind win over UK earlier this year when they trailed 7-0 only to rally for a 9-8 win.

Video: Big Jack returns home...sort of

By Eric Jones

It's always good to have someone on every trip that acts as a navigator. You can't spell 'navigator' without 'gator' which is good considering we are in Florida. Yes, I know Vanderbilt is playing the Seminoles, but there is a gator reference right by campus here. The Burt Reynolds dorm is just a Aaron Westlake homerun from Dick Howser Stadium and Burt (or Turd Ferguson for all you SNL fans) did star in the movie "Gator."

Our navigator on this trip is Jupiter, Florida native Jack Armstrong and I had a chance to catch up with him after practice. Here is what Jack had to say.

Super Regional in Tallahassee, FL

By Eric Jones

The Commodores will be playing at Florida State in Tallahassee, Florida beginning on Friday at 11:00 am central time. Saturday and Sunday's games would be at 12:00 noon central time. First game will be televised on ESPN 2 and the next two on ESPN.

There will be some ticket availability through the Vanderbilt allotment for this best of three series. No information is available currently on pricing and National Commodore Club members will get first priority on tickets, as is part of the benefits package of becoming a member.

Stay tuned to vucommodores.com for the latest information. We will work hard to keep it current.

Wondering who is going to pitch?

By Eric Jones

By no means do I have any insight, so I will say that up front. As a fan, I am looking at our cumulative stat sheet in the after-glow of Richie Goodenow's longest career outing. While Corbs, DJ and Josh Holliday are relaxing in a sequestered area in downtown Louisville talking about real options.

Coach Corbin didn't tip his hand much at all in the post-game press conference when asked who he thought he would start tomorrow. For the record, every pitcher says they are ready to pitch. In lite of how the Cardinals bats were silenced, the knee-jerk reaction would be Grayson Garvin. Garvin threw 73 pitches in a dominating 4.1 innings of relief on Friday, so you have to ask, could he be as dominating against the UL lefty powerhitters on three days rest? The same could be said for Taylor Hill whose groundball tendencies didn't translate on Friday when he threw 76 pitches, but might be perfect for a big game. Then there is Chase Reid who threw three shutout innings after Hill and Garvin on Friday expending just 50 pitches. Sure, Chase threw an inning and a third today to help eliminate Illinois State, but needed just 23 pitches and that curveball would be nice to throw against good fastball hitters. Will Clinard is another guy that has thrown twice in the Regional, most lately today using 26 pitches in one inning.

Then again, Navery Moore and Russell Brewer haven't seen action at all in the Regional and would appear to be prime candidates for match-ups in the later innings. Brewer is chomping at the bit to try for his 19th career save to tie former Commodore Ryan Rote for the top spot. Navery Moore threw against Louisville in Nashville back on May 11 striking out three Cardinals in 1.1 innings. His fastball-curveball combination has never looked better than it did that long 17-inning night.

Everybody is geeked up about tomorrow's game, so naturally guys like promising Sam Selman and even the walking wounded in Corey Williams and "Cowboy" Mark Lamm are apt to throw their names in the hat. Everyone will want the ball tomorrow. We will all just have to see for ourselves who answers the bell.

Louisville announced tonight that there will be several hundred bleacher tickets that will go on sale tomorrow at the Louisville box office at 8am central time. They don't take phone orders, so you'll have to be here in person to buy. It should prove to be a tremendous showdown between two teams who both badly want to go to Omaha. Cue the Rocky III, "Eye of the Tiger" theme. It's going to be a streetfight.

Hayes finishing out career on scoreless streak

By Eric Jones (Photo by John Russell)

Drew Hayes has given up just one hit over his last 8.2 innings pitched (six outings) including two and two-thirds innings today against Illinois State.

Boots, a nickname given to him by his teammates that has nothing to do with footwear, has become this season's Jonathan White. J-White made the most of his final weeks last year in a Commodore jersey with red-hot hitting in the post-season.

Hayes has been heating things up with his 95 mph fastball and slider combination to strikeout 11 opposing batters down the stretch while showing some real emotion. Needing a groundball in the first game of the Regional against Illinois State to end an inning, he got the groundball to his infielders to get out of a jam. The sprint off the mound with a righthanded uppercut was a nice show of emotion in what has proven to be a difficult time mentally for the Commodores and their fans.

Up 9-4 in the top of the 8th now against Illinois State, there is still no word on potential arms available for a potential nightcap against Louisville. Stay tuned.

Where is Kenny Loggins when you need him

By Eric Jones

As frustrating as today's loss to Louisville still is, you now have a chance to reach back into your memories and remember that movie that always showed the hero with their back against the wall. Pick your movie scene. Rocky Balboa in Rocky III losing to Clubber Lang is probably my favorite. Although Ralph Macchio's Karate Kid ending remains a close second, with the forgettable but catchy song, "You're the Best Around" echoing in your head. For me, it's that Eye of the Tiger moment when Stallone's character seems to swell and rise to the occasion as the movie audience cheers at the screen.

Maybe the Commodores need Survivor or Kenny Loggins to write a quick song that ignites the offensive spark needed to turn around the bats here in Louisville. Nashville is Music City after all. Regardless, this team needs a big day tomorrow. Stay tuned or better yet, come up and be part of what could be that Rocky movement, but please no Frank Stallone references.

Slow Guy Revisited...at least for Giobbi.

By Eric Jones

It was a game that several people were wondering whether or not it would ever end. For the Commodores, the 13th inning was very lucky indeed, getting the 8-7 win over Illinois State. It seemed like just a day ago Andrew Giobbi was a featured player in a NCAA Regional preview video dubiously dubbed, "Slow Guys." Okay, actually it was just yesterday.

After the game, Gio was quick to point out after scoring the winning run that he didn't want to hear anymore about being slow. To his credit, Andrew did point out the nice fadeaway slide into home plate. Although admitting to having to keep up his energy (Power Bars and fruit) through tortuous heat, there is no doubt he is ready to build on this win and a 3-for-7 day at the plate with an RBI and that precious run scored at the end.

Corbs did not appear to hesitate Giobbi as he was running around the third base bag. Maybe he just knew Gio just wouldn't accept being thrown out at the plate. Slow or not, he was safe and that's all that really mattered.

A Day in Hollywood

by Eric Jones

I know, I hear the groans and can almost see some of you rolling your eyes, "It must be nice to get an all expense paid trip to Los Angeles." I won't lie to you, it has been nice and is one of the perks of working in athletics. So I won't disappoint you when I work in my experience in Hollywood. Thomas Samuel, former VU media relation intern Will Matthews and I decided to try our luck at star-gazing on Hollywood Blvd. We found some cheap parking (seriously, $5.00 for about an hour and half was awesome) and started wading through a serious tide of global tourists. Former Lipscomb University A.D. Steve Potts warned us the day before that "Every day is Halloween down on Hollywood Blvd," when we met him on a brief stop at Pepperdine the day before.

We stopped to walk through the Kodak Theater, while moving towards Grauman's Chinese Theater, and encountered (because we really had no desire to meet them) no less than one Superman, two Darth Vaders (with a variety of colored light sabers), Yoda, Michael Myers, a Tickle-Me Elmo that charged extra for laughing, and a bright blue body-painted girl that was either passing herself off as someone from Avatar or a Smurf. I honestly didn't think to ask. The saddest snapshot that I couldn't bring myself to take was of a guy dressed up like Charlie Chaplain waiting for the bus.

It was interesting to watch people of all ages and cultures walking along with their heads down on both sides of the street reading the stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. I was able to locate a couple of heroes of my youth (Journey and Motley Crue) and found myself constantly asking Thomas and Will, "How did that guy get a star?"

We cut the visit short or rather I volunteered as the only one of us with a real raincoat, to go get the car as it started to pour. My choice to wear shorts would turn out to be a poor one as I wouldn't dry out until sometime after Jason Esposito's homerun last night. We went in search of the mythical (at least to me) Whiskey-A-Go-Go where Jim Morrison and the Doors were discovered and signed by Elektra records in the late 1960's. It turned out to be off Sunset Boulevard and like many things I had built up in my mind, not at all what I expected. Not even one heavy metal hairdo waiting in line outside, just a sign that said, "Check us out online." What would Jim Morrison say about his old haunt.

We finished the day on a great note, sharing a quick dinner at La Barca mexican restaurant in homage to the Barca Blog's namesake before heading to USC's Rod Deadeaux Field. The afternoon deluge caused a 30 minute delay in the game, but thanks to the LA Fire Department, the field was dried in a trial by fire...literally. No pictures were allowed to be taken or mention made on the broadcast, but LAFD took a page from my old little league coach by soaking the dirt with gas then lighting it on fire. Bottom line, it worked and allowed the Commodores to smoke the Trojans 10-1.

And to think, we were told we would be rained out. Don't stop believin'.

Flip It: Rainy day in SoCal

by SID

The weather isn't particularly great outside today with gray overcast skies and intermittent rain so far on Saturday.

The forecast calls for a 100 percent chance of rain the rest of the day and only going down to around 70 percent by 9 p.m. tonight. It should clear up for a nice sunny tomorrow at Dodger Stadium, but tonight's game against USC is in jeopardy.

Many of the players are studying for midterm exams or doing homework in the hotel. Eric Jones caught up with a few of them Saturday morning.

Office Junk: Stooche's new 'do

by Travis Young

With the Vanderbilt baseball team preparing for its west coast swing, Eric Jones got himself a new ‘do so he could blend in with all the young surfers in Cali. Check out "The Stooche" in HD (below) to see what the “critics” and EJ himself think of the new “wave”.

Also, be sure to tune into the Commodores this weekend as they will square off against UCLA, USC and Oklahoma State in the 2010 Dodgertown Classic. Tonight’s game features two of the nation’s top righthanded pitchers in VU’s Sonny Gray and UCLA Gerrit Cole. Stooche will have the call on www.vucommodores.com starting at 8 p.m. CT.

For more Office Junk, Click Here

Baseball in LA

by SID

The baseball team arrived in LA around 11:30 a.m. PT and practiced at UCLA's Jackie Robinson Stadium tonight.

The team should be able to get plenty of rest overnight and tomorrow as Friday's game against UCLA is not till 6 p.m. local time (8 p.m. back in Nashville).

Aaron Fitt of Baseball America did a preview of the matchup between the top two sophomore pitchers in the country, VU's Sonny Gray and UCLA's Gerrit Cole.

The weather calls for cloudy skies and 70 degrees.

We may be back with some potential video from Andrew Giobbi (if he didn't lose the camera) at some point this weekend and a special appearance from Stache Jones, last seen interviewing Richie Goodenow while the leaf blowers drowned out the answers.

Video: Postgame with Richie Goodenow

Complete Recap: Vanderbilt 2, Austin Peay 1 (11)

Junior reliever Richie Goodenow talks with Eric "Stooche" Jones following Vanderbilt's 2-1 win over Austin Peay in 11 innings Tuesday night at Hawkins Field.

Video: Postgame with Yastrzemski

Complete Recap: Vanderbilt 9, Niagara 0

Freshman outfielder Mike Yastrzemski talks with Eric Jones following Vanderbilt's 9-0 season opening win over Niagara Friday night at Hawkins Field.

Video: Interview with Ryan Flaherty

by Barca Blog

In the video below, Eric "Stooche" Jones catches up with former Vanderbilt infielder Ryan Flaherty, who spent part of the offseason training on campus.

Flaherty will enter his third season in the Chicago Cubs organization and is ranked by Baseball America magazine as the Cubs #9 overall prospect. His 20 home runs ranked first in the Chicago minor league system in 2009.

Commodore fans will get to know another Flaherty as Flash's younger brother Regan, a freshman, will compete for playing time this season.

Video: Baseball schedule cards

by Barca Blog

Prior to the men's basketball game on December 5, the Vanderbilt baseball team spent time handing out schedules and mingling with fans to promote the upcoming season.

Eric Jones was able to catch up with sophomore outfielder Joe Loftus in the Gym lobby during the event. Loftus was one of the featured student-athletes in last year's season ticket commercial... but did his photo make it onto the 2010 schedule card and poster? Jonesy gets the scoop in the video below.

For those of you interested in supporting the Commodores at Hawkins Field, season tickets will go on-sale to the general public in both the reserved infield grandstand and the outfield annex starting on Monday, January 4. Until then, the ticket office is only taking renewal requests. Call 615.322.GOLD for more information.



(For those of you scoring at home, Drew Hayes, Andrew Giobbi, Brian Harris and Sonny Gray are the players on the schedule card)