Weather Delay - 10:25 a.m. CT start

by SID - Impending rain in the Hoover area has caused the teams to leave the field and the tarp crew is out ready to put it on. The game is now scheduled to start at 10:25 a.m. CT.

What this does mean, is that if necessary games are to be played, they will just be seven inning contests. The rain could cause even more havoc, creating a single elimination format if only two games can be played.

Vanderbilt vs. Arkansas starting lineup

by SID - Weather could be an issue throughout the day in Hoover. There is a 60 percent chance of thunderstorms in the area and the SEC has already made contingency plans. If rain interrupts either of the first two semifinal games, the if necessary games (if Vanderbilt or Georgia were to lose) would only be seven inning contests.

The lineup is basically the same as the first two days with one change: Joe Loftus will start in left in place of Alex McClure. In his only at-bat of the tourney, in a pinch hit role in the ninth against South Carolina, Loftus blooped a single into left.

1. Brian Harris ss
2. Jonathan White cf
3. Steven Liddle rf
4. Curt Casali 1B
5. Aaron Westlake dh
6. Andrew Giobbi C
7. Riley Reynolds 2B
8. Jason Esposito 3B
9. Joe Loftus LF
SP: Caleb Cotham (5-5, 5.00)

Yes, Caleb Cotham gets the start. He has seen limited action since tearing his meniscus in his left knee. He has been relegated to the bullpen for one or two inning stints, but his knee has been feeling better as of late. Cotham was dominant against the Razorbacks in Fayetteville earlier this year, holding the Razorbacks hitless through the first five innings. He ended up giving up giving up four runs on five hits in seven innings of work with 12 strikeouts and a walk.

Face-off: Giobbi vs. Westlake

by Barca Blog - Watch Vanderbilt baseball teammates Andrew Giobbi and Aaron Westlake face-off against each other after Friday's practice in Hoover, Ala.

Saturday's SEC Tournament schedule

Baseball Semifinals (All Times CT)

Game 11 10:00 a.m.
[7] Arkansas vs. [8] Vanderbilt (FSN)

Game 12 1:30 p.m.
[1] LSU vs. [6] Georgia (FSN)

Game 13 5:00 p.m. -- If Necessary
Winner G11 vs. Loser G11 (webcast only)

Game 14 8:30 p.m. -- If Necessary
Winner G12 vs. Loser G12 (webcast only)

Please Note: If Vanderbilt wins Game 11, they will advance to Sunday's tournament championship. If Arkansas wins Game 11, then the two teams would meet again at 5 p.m. CT for the right to play in Sunday's title game. The same goes for Georgia and LSU. The Tigers must beat the Bulldogs twice Saturday to advance to the finals. Click Here to visit SEC Tournament Central.

Video: South Carolina game highlights

by Barca Blog - Watch highlights (below) of Vanderbilt's 5-4 win over South Carolina at the SEC Tournament Thursday.

Vanderbilt to take on Arkansas

by SID - The Commodores will face No. 7 seed Arkansas on Saturday at 10 a.m. at Regions Park. The Razorbacks defeated Florida, 10-7, in an elimination game on Friday and will need to beat the Commodores twice tomorrow to go to the finals.

Some have wondered how the Commodores are facing an Arkansas team that was on the other side of the bracket. Well last season the conference decided to flip the bracket on Saturday because teams were complaining about just facing the same teams throughout the tourney. So the flip was made.

No. 6 seed Georgia went 2-0 like Vanderbilt and will face the winner of the No. 1 seed LSU/No. 5 seed South Carolina contest tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. If the Gamecocks would defeat the Tigers, it would mean the 5, 6, 7, 8 seeds would advance to the semifinal rounds.

More about Arkansas later today or early tomorrow.

Former 'Dore Rucker Taylor at practice

by SID - As Barca Blog posted earlier, the team practiced at nearby Samford earlier Friday afternoon. Former Commodore Rucker Taylor is the volunteer assistant for the Bulldogs and was around to make sure everything went okay during the team's time at the field.

Taylor graduated from Vanderbilt in 2006 and served as a graduate assistant at Samford the next year. He has spent the last two seasons as the volunteer coach and will be in attendance at tomorrow's semifinal game.

Scoreboard damage

by Barca Blog - After the Commodores finished practice, I headed over to Regions Park to catch the two SEC Tournament elimination games on Friday. Before I let intern Travis tell the story, I'll show you a a picture of what the scoreboard in right-center looks like (for those of you that have never visited the stadium). It's a pretty massive structure.. In fact, Aaron Westlake hit a moonshot off the signage on the right side during last night's win over South Carolina.

Anyway, when I first walked into the press box, I had two messages from Travis titled "That Just Happened." I'll let his emails tell the story.

Email 1: Zack Cox of Arkansas just blasted a line-shot off the top of the letter "R" on the Regions Park scoreboard. It went at least 450 ft. maybe closer to 500 ft. No joke. The ball is stuck at the top and never came down.

Email 2: Just over heard that the top of the score board in right center is 65 ft. tall and he hit the very tip. Can we get a Steve Stone, "How far did it fly? ... 485 happy feet."

Upon hearing this news, I snapped two photos for the blog. You can see the damage to the 'R' in the picture above (click to make larger).

Then, I gave intern Travis a bottle of Deep Woods Off insect repellent and a bag of delicious Golden Flake chips (Dill Pickle flavor, Thin & Crispy). I ordered him and sidekick Marcus Hedgehog Shanks to lead a search committee of SEC Tournament volunteers to find the ball. I haven't heard from Travis for five hours. He's either searching left and right and leaving no stone unturned... or is still working on his postgame notes from Wednesday's win over LSU.

Workin' for the weekend

by Barca Blog - Even though it's technically an off day with the Commodores' already locked into tomorrow's SEC Tournament semifinals, there's still work to be done to bring home that triangular trophy that we all dream about.

I just returned from Vanderbilt's two-hour practice practice at Samford University (pictured above), which is about 10 miles from the Wynfrey Hotel in Hoover. The two-hour session included hitting and fielding drills plus a workout in the Bulldogs' weight room led by Gabe Teeple, VU baseball's strength and conditioning coach. If you've never been to Samford's campus, I highly encourage you check it out. Nice facilities and the staff is always great.

SID will blog later today about a former Commodore who visited the practice.

Audio: Post-South Carolina reaction

by Barca Blog - By the time we finished the presser after the South Carolina win, it was almost 2 a.m. CT inside Regions Park...so we weren't able to post all of our content immediately. Find out what Coach Corbin, Andrew Giobbi, Sonny Gray and Chase Reid thought about the Commodores' victory over the Gamecocks at the links below. Also, I'm going to work on some video highlights later tonight, as well as some other tidbits for the blog, so stay tuned.

Postgame Press with Coach Corbin

Postgame Press with Andrew Giobbi

Postgame Press with Chase Reid

Postgame Press with Sonny Gray

Audio: Fisher's morning update

by Barca Blog - Listen to Joe Fisher recap last night's win over South Carolina with the 104.5 Wake Up Zone. Click here to download the free segment.

Shaw Top 20 at State Open

By Weinman - Men's Golf Head Coach Tom Shaw earned a Top 20 finish in the 61st annual Tennessee State Open Championship presented by Coca-Cola at Gaylord Springs Golf Links. After making the 36-hole cut as one of the top 60 golfers in the field of 140, Shaw fired a four-under 67 in Thursday's final round to end the three-day event with a score of 214 (+1) to tie for 20th.

Shaw's final round included five birdies and was the third-best score of the day. Rising junior Ryan Haselden and assistant coach Justin Emil each took turns on the bag for Shaw, who advanced through a U.S. Open local qualifying event in Georgia earlier this month. Shaw will play in a sectional qualifying event beginning on June 1 in Memphis for the right to play in the 2009 U.S. Open at Bethpage (N.Y.) Black.

Photo gallery

by Barca Blog - View Jimmy Jones' photos of Vanderbilt's 5-4 victory over South Carolina Thursday at Regions Park.
Click Here

Commodores prevail

by Barca Blog - Stay with us over the next 24 hours for complete coverage of Vanderbilt's thrilling 5-4 win over South Carolina. Just because Friday is technically an off day since the 'Dores advanced to the semifinal round, that doesn't mean the blog will shutdown... The hours may be reduced, though, if approved by my superiors.
Photo by Jimmy Jones

IN PROGRESS vs. South Carolina

by Barca Blog - Follow the action online here.

I took the above picture (above) from the press box during pregame warmups. The big structure behind the centerfield wall with the SEC logo plastered on it is a speaker for all the music and announcements during the event.

I mention this because the person operating the in-game sound blasted the song "See you again" by Miley Cyrus about five minutes before first pitch. Not the typical pump-up song, but I'll let you decide. And no, there isn't any evidence of me tapping my foot to the tune. Remember, no emotion is allowed in the press box.. just ask my buddy, Shark.

Game time set for 9:45 p.m. CT

by Barca Blog - Joey Lewis' RBI fielder's choice in the bottom of the tenth just gave No. 6 seed Georgia a 2-1 victory over No. 7 seed Arkansas Thursday night at Regions Park.

Since that contest ran late, first pitch for Vanderbilt's matchup with South Carolina is now scheduled for 9:45 p.m. CT. The game will be televised by CSS. Fans can also listen to Joe Fisher's call on 560 AM or online at VUcommodores.com.

Starting lineup vs. South Carolina

by SID - If it isn't broke, don't fix it. That seems to be the approach by Vanderbilt head coach Tim Corbin who is using the exact same lineup he used in yesterday's 4-1 win over No. 1 seed LSU. It is unusually cool in Hoover, with temps in the high 60's with wind blowing from the east-northeast at 8 mph.

1- Brian Harris - SS
2- Jonathan White - CF
3- Steven Liddle - RF
4- Curt Casali - 1B
5- Aaron Westlake - DH
6- Andrew Giobbi - C
7- Riley Reynolds - 2B
8- Jason Esposito - 3B
9- Alex McClure - LF
SP - Sonny Gray (4-1, 5.14 ERA)

Gray will be making his third start of the season. He was outstanding in his first start against Georgia two weeks ago in Athens. He limited the Bulldogs to just one run on three hits in six innings of work. He did not fare as well in his last start against Tennessee a week ago today. He gave up four runs on eight hits in four innings of work in the no decision. With South Carolina throwing its hard throwing ace in Sam Dyson, this has the potential to be a nice pitching matchup.

'Dores waiting to play

by Barca Blog - The Commodores have arrived at Regions Park for day two of the 2009 SEC Tournament. The team is currently watching the second half of the Georgia and Arkansas matchup from the bleachers on the third base side of the venue. That matchup has been a pitcher's duel so far with the Bulldogs holding on to a 1-0 lead going into the eighth inning. Bryce Massanari's RBI double in the sixth has been the difference with both teams combining for only eight hits at the moment.

Vanderbilt's game with South Carolina will start approximately 45 minutes after that game concludes.

Alabama eliminated from SEC Tournament

by Barca Blog - No. 1 seed LSU bounced back from yesterday's loss to Vanderbilt by defeating No. 4 seed Alabama, 9-6, Thursday afternoon at Regions Park.

"We've only lost two games in a row one time the whole year," LSU head coach Paul Mainieri said. "We went over some things in the team meeting, but it's all a matter of the kids. They just hold each other accountable and I knew giving the ball to Anthony (Ranaudo) was going to give this team a lot of confidence because they enjoy playing behind him and giving him good defense."

Ranaudo pitched a solid 7.1 innings to pick up his eighth win while Derek Helenihi added a key pinch-hit three-run homer in the seventh to put the game out of reach. The Tide will now await their NCAA Tournament fate with their hopes of hosting a regional in jeopardy after going two and done in Hoover.

The winner's side of the SEC Tournament bracket will get underway at 5:45 p.m. CT when No. 7 seed Arkansas takes on No. 6 seed Georgia. No. 8 seed Vanderbilt and No. 5 seed South Carolina will meet approximately 45 minutes after the conclusion of that game.

Pregame interview with Brian Harris

by Barca Blog - Watch Eric Jones' pregame interview with All-SEC first team shortstop Brian Harris at the Wynfrey Hotel in Hoover, Ala. The Commodores will play South Carolina in the winner's bracket of the 2009 SEC Tournament later tonight.

Ole Miss eliminated

by Barca Blog - No. 3 seed Ole Miss became the first team eliminated from the 2009 SEC Tournament after the Rebels lost to No. 2 seed Florida, 12-2,Thursday morning.

The Gators fought back from an early 2-1 deficit and responded to score 11 unaswered runs to send the Rebels back to Oxford. The game was stopped after eight innings due to the 10-run mercy rule that goes into effect during conference tournament play.

"Obviously we are disappointed to be leaving," Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco said. "Today was more about how good Florida played. ... Their pitcher [Anthony DeSclafani] just shut us down. They continued to hit throughout the game and we just didn't have an answer for them. This shows why Florida has had such a great season, why they won the Eastern division and why we're going home."

Jonathan Pigott lead UF with two home runs and four RBIs while Preston Tucker added a game-high three hits and three RBIs including his 12th homer of the season.

LSU and Alabama are currently underway in the second elimination game of the day at Regions Park. You can follow the action at SECsports.com.

Interview with Hillary Scott in Hoover

By Barca Blog - You never know who you’re going to see at a Vanderbilt baseball game... We just happened to be lucky enough to bump into Hillary Scott of the award-winning group Lady Antebellum.

Scott decided to spend her break between concert dates by making the trip from Nashville to Hoover with long-time friend (and VU baseball administrative assistant) Graham Manning to watch the Commodores’ contest with LSU on Wednesday.

Scott -- who’s been a regular at Hawkins Field this year -- had to leave immediately after the game, though, to head back on tour with her band (along with Kenny Chesney) for a show in Greenville, S.C., Thursday night.

Watch Eric Jones’ interview below and thanks to Hillary for being kind enough to chat with us. If you want to catch Lady A in Nashville, then check them out at Wildhorse Saloon on Monday.

White continues to work

by Barca Blog - You might say Jonathan White likes pressure baseball. For the second consecutive year, the fifth-year senior has turned it up a notch in the closing weeks of the season.

White has been playing so well of late that head coach Tim Corbin moved him into the second spot of the lineup for Vanderbilt's critical SEC Tournament opener against LSU last night. He hadn't hit higher than seventh all year.

The Shelbyville, Tenn., native responded to the challenge by going 2-for-4 with a double, a run, and a walk. He also displayed some extra pop in his bat, just missing two homers in the pitcher-friendly Regions Park.

"I wasn’t surprised (of my lineup placement)," White admitted after the 'Dores handled the No. 2 Tigers, 4-1. "The coaches feel I’m hot right now and I just want to help the team in any way that I can. So if putting me up there and shaking things up motivates the team and gets things started, then I’m all about it."

White entered May only hitting .213 and was struggling so much that he didn't even play in the series sweep of Mississippi State to end April. He's been on a tear since, though, hitting .293 (12-for-41) in his last 10 games with five RBI, four runs, three doubles, one home run, and two stolen bases.

In 2008, White also finished the year red hot, going 9-for-18 (.500) with five runs and two RBI in seven postseason games.

"I started off the beginning of this season kind of slow," White added. "I battled through some adversity when I was coming in and out of the lineup. I just kept trying to work through it. I know I’ve been playing this game a long time and success comes after work. I wasn’t going to be down on myself because you never know when coach is going to call your name.

"I have confidence right now. I always finish strong after a slow start. I feel like I’m peeking at the right time."

(Photo by Jimmy Jones)

Audio: Fisher's morning update

by Barca Blog - Listen to Joe Fisher discuss last night's win with the 104.5 Wake Up Zone. Click here to download the free segment.

Thursday's articles on SEC Tournament

by Barca Blog - Kendall Rogers posted a "bubble watch" breakdown on Rivals.com after Wednesday's action. The Commodores only helped their NCAA Tournament cause with a 4-1 victory over No. 2 LSU. See what Rogers has to say about it - click here.

I also found a collection of articles recapping VU's win last night... most are centered on Minor's spectacular performance, but there are some other tidbits.
Minor's major effort drops LSU
Strong defense aids Vanderbilt
Minor accomplishment
Minor surgery
Minor handcuffs LSU
Minor tosses gem

Thursday's Schedule in Hoover

2009 SEC Tournament at Regions Park
(TV: CSS; XM: 199; Sirius: 216)
10:00 a.m. CT - #2 Florida vs. #3 Ole Miss (Elimination Game)
1:30 p.m. CT - #1 LSU vs. #4 Alabama (Elimination Game)
5:00 p.m. CT - #7 Arkansas vs. #6 Georgia
8:30 p.m. CT - #8 Vanderbilt vs. #5 South Carolina
Click Here for Tournament Central

And the 'Dores will play....

by Barca Blog - Yes, it took until 2 a.m.... but we finally know who the Commodores will face in Thursday night's winner's bracket at 8:30 p.m. CT (drum roll please).... South Carolina. The Gamecocks scored four runs in the top of the 11th to outlast Alabama, 9-5, in a game with some late twists and turns.

First, Tide head coach Jim Wells was ejected in the bottom of the tenth, setting off an almost riot (okay, that might be a stretch) among the Bama contingent that filled the majority of the seats in Regions Park. Wells argued that his hitter, Brandon May, was beaned by Parker Bangs' offering, but the umpire ruled instead that the pitch had hit May's bat making it a foul ball.

Also, in a scary moment to close the night, Alabama's Jake Smith -- who was voted to the All-SEC first team -- was carted off the field by an ambulance after injuring himself while trying to leg out the final play of the game. Let's hope he's okay.

Well, one final note for the night... The four lower seeds were victorious on day one of the tournament and now hold the early edge to take home that triangular trophy. It just proves that anything can happen in postseason baseball... so stay with the blog while we're in Hoover!

Video: LSU game highlights

by Barca Blog - Watch highlights (below) of Vanderbilt's 4-1 win over LSU at the SEC Tournament Wednesday night.

Video: Postgame press conference

by Barca Blog - Watch video (below) of Vanderbilt's press conference following the Commodores' 4-1 win over No. 1 seed LSU on the opening day of the 2009 SEC Tournament. Participants include head coach Tim Corbin, pitcher Mike Minor, outfielder Jonathan White and catcher Andrew Giobbi.

Postseason baseball projection

by Barca Blog - Kendall Rogers of Rivals.com just released his latest NCAA Baseball Tournament projections... Click here to see if he thinks the Commodores will make the field of 64. Also, take a look at yesterday's posts to view SEbaseball.com's postseason predictions.