Dores vs. Razorbacks Up Next

#14 Vanderbilt Commodores (20-5, 4-2 SEC) vs. #2 Arkansas Razorbacks (23-3, 5-1 SEC)
Game 1: Friday, March 28 @ 7 p.m. CT • SEC Network
Game 2: Saturday, March 29 @ 2 p.m. CT • SECN+
Game 3: Sunday, March 30 @ 1 p.m. CT • SECN+

Weekend Preview: Vanderbilt hosts Arkansas for a three-game series beginning Friday at Hawkins Field.

• The Commodores trail the all-time series 33-35. Vandy won two of three the last time out against Arkansas in 2023.
• The Dores have won three consecutive series against the Razorbacks dating back to 2019.
• Vandy is off to a 16-0 start at home this season, the best home start in program history.
• The Dores have outscored their opponents 116-19 over the last 12 home games including seven run-rule victories.

Last Time Out: Vandy recorded its fifth consecutive midweek run-rule win, beating Eastern Kentucky 10-0 in eight innings on Tuesday.

• Rustan Rigdon led the Vanderbilt offense with four hits including the walk-off single in the eighth to put the Dores up by 10. Rigdon doubled, drove in a pair of runs and scored once.
• Vanderbilt swept Texas A&M at home last weekend, totaling 49 strikeouts as a pitching staff, the most in a three-game series since at least 2014.
• Vandy’s three starting pitchers in the series issued just one walk to 26 strikeouts.

On the Mound: Vanderbilt’s pitching staff boasts a 3.23 ERA, ninth best in D1 and second in the SEC.

• Vandy’s pitchers have reached double-digit strikeouts in 19 of 25 games this season.
• Vanderbilt leads the nation in hits allowed per nine innings (5.99) and is third in strikeouts per nine innings (12.7).
• The Dores’ four shutouts are tied for fifth in D1.

RJ Doing RJ Things: Junior RJ Austin is tied for most stolen bases in the SEC with 12.

• Austin enters the weekend batting .313 with a home run, three triples and eight doubles to go with 14 walks.
• Austin hit the go-ahead, two-run single in the seventh inning to help lift Vanderbilt past Texas A&M on March 22.
• He hit two triples in the win over Saint Mary’s on Feb. 21, the first Commodore since Tony Kemp in 2012 to do so.
• Austin’s nine multi-hit games this season is second on the team. His eight multi-RBI performances is most on the team.

Big Innings: Vandy has scored four or more runs in an inning 16 times this season.

• The Dores have scored seven or more runs in an inning five times including a nine-spot twice.

MLB Opening Day: Eleven Vanderbilt alumni made Opening Day rosters in the MLB this season. That mark is tied with Florida for most in the SEC.
JJ Bleday, Athletics
Walker Buehler, Boston Red Sox
Tyler Ferguson, Athletics
Sonny Gray, St. Louis Cardinals
Jack Leiter, Texas Rangers
Bryan Reynolds, Pittsburgh Pirates
Kumar Rocker, Texas Rangers
Collin Snider, Seattle Mariners
Dansby Swanson, Chicago Cubs
Kyle Wright [Injured List], Kansas City Royals
Mike Yastrzemski, San Francisco Giants