April 19, 2010
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Vanderbilt baseball will open a six-game road trip this week, starting with a pair of midweek games against Lipscomb and Middle Tennessee.
The Commodores will face the Bisons on Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Ken Dugan Field, before traveling to Murfreesboro to take on Middle Tennessee on Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Reese Smith Field.
Vanderbilt is 29-9 overall and 8-7 in Southeastern Conference play after taking two of three against Auburn over the weekend at Hawkins Field. They claimed the series in dramatic fashion as first baseman Aaron Westlake belted a walk-off solo homer in the bottom of the ninth in Sunday’s 3-2 win.
Senior right-hander Drew Hayes will take the mound on Tuesday for VU. Hayes is 4-0 on the year with a 4.59 ERA and is coming off his best outing of the year in the start against Middle Tennessee last Tuesday. Hayes threw 6.2 innings of four-hit shutout baseball with four strikeouts and two walks.
The Bisons are 13-24 overall and 5-7 in Atlantic Sun play after dropping two of three to Florida Gulf Coast at home over the weekend.
Senior outfielder Lee Wilson leads Lipscomb with a .367 batting average along with four homers, 10 doubles and 23 RBI. Junior infielder Cory Hale is the top power source with 10 homers and 39 RBI. As a team LU is hitting .294 with 36 homers and 273 runs scored (7.4 per game).
Lipscomb’s probable starter is to be determined. As a team, the Bisons have a 7.55 ERA with 292 strikeouts and 208 walks in 330 innings of work.
Vanderbilt leads the all-time series 45-10 and has won the last five meetings dating back to the 2007 season, including a 10-4 decision on March 23.
The Blue Raiders are 22-14 overall and 11-7 in Sun Belt play after taking two of three at Troy over the weekend.
Sophomore outfielder Justin Guidry leads the team with a .423 batting average with five homers and 41 RBI. Junior second baseman Justin Miller is the top power source with 12 homers, 14 doubles and 46 RBI to got with a .305 batting average. As a team MTSU has a .322 batting average with 59 homers and 291 runs scored (8.1 per game).
Junior preseason All-American Bryce Brentz missed 12 games with an ankle before returning against Vanderbilt last Tuesday in a pinch hitting role. He was the designated hitter at Troy and hit a solo homer on Friday, before going 3-for-5 with a homer and seven RBI in Saturday’s game. Brentz is now hitting .344 with 10 homers and 25 RBI entering a Tuesday game against Tennessee Tech,
Freshman right-hander Hunter Adkins (1-1, 6.83 ERA) will take the mound for the Blue Raiders on Wednesday. He threw 2.1 innings of two-hit scoreless relief with a strikeout and a walk in the team’s 13-9 win over Troy on Saturday. On the season he has 24 strikeouts and 18 walks in 29.0 innings.
The Blue Raiders pitching staff has a 5.89 team ERA with 214 strikeouts and 136 walks in 320.2 innings of work.
The Commodores starter on Wednesday is to be determined.
Vanderbilt leads the all-time series 84-41 and has won the last two matchups via shutout, including a 1-0 decision last Tuesday.