Feb. 19, 2007
NEW (8:14 p.m. Feb 19): Free Video Interviews Following the Number One Ranking Announcement:
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Vanderbilt baseball program achieved a historic milestone today as Collegiate Baseball newspaper and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers ranked the Commodores No. 1 in their weekly polls, a first ever in baseball.
Last week Collegiate Baseball had VU ranked No. 3, besting the previous high of No. 6 set in March of 1973.
The baseball ranking joins women’s basketball and women’s golf as the only NCAA sports to achieve a No. 1 ranking at Vanderbilt. The 1993 women’s hoops squad was ranked No. 1 by the AP for six weeks, including the final regular season poll prior to postseason play. The women’s golf team was ranked No. 1 for a time in 2004.
Several teams have achieved a No. 2 ranking including men’s basketball, bowling, men’s tennis and women’s tennis.
Not only has Vanderbilt raced to a perfect 6-0 start, but the Commodores have beaten highly regarded Rice, Arizona St. and Baylor. During the past weekend, Vanderbilt swept a three-game series against Ohio and only surrendered one earned run in 26 innings.
On the season, the Commodores are hitting .340 as a team with six homers and 17 doubles while the pitching staff has a microscopic 1.83 ERA. The strikeout to walk ratio is nearly 5:1 with 54 strikeouts in six games and only 14 walks.
In addition to the team ranking, junior southpaw David Price was named a National Pitcher of the Week and SEC Pitcher of the Week. Price struck out 12 batters in 6.1 innings of work yesterday against Ohio. At one point, he retired 16 consecutive batters, 11 via strikeout. It is the fifth time he has picked up the National award over the last two years.
The “Collegiate Baseball” newspaper poll is the oldest college baseball poll. Its birth took place during the 1957 college baseball season.
