March 14, 2011
Overall Record: 16-1; SEC: 0-0Streak: Won 9
Last Week’s Results (5-0)
Tuesday, March 8 vs. Wofford W12-1 (Hawkins Field)
Wednesday, March 9 vs. Kennesaw State W9-5 (Hawkins Field)
Friday, March 11 vs. Illinois-Chicago W5-1 (Hawkins Field)
Saturday, March 12 vs. Illinois-Chicago W9-8 (10) (Hawkins Field)
Sunday, March 13 vs. Illinois-Chicago W2-1 (Hawkins Field)
This Week (Times Central)
Tuesday, March 15 vs. Purdue 4 p.m. (Hawkins Field)
Friday, March 18 vs. Mississippi State 6 p.m. (Hawkins Field)
Saturday, March 19 vs. Mississippi State 2 p.m. (Hawkins Field)
Sunday, March 20 vs. Mississippi State 1 p.m. (Hawkins Field)
Freshman of the Week Nomination
T.J. Pecoraro, RHP, 5-11, 160, Dix Hills, NY
– Weekly totals: 1G, 5.0IP, 3H, 1R/1ER, 0BB, 8K
– Notched his second win of the year in just his second start for Vandy with win over Wofford.
– Struck out a career-best eight batters in win.
– Did not issue a walk for the first time in his career.
– Fanned five straight batters in the second and third innings.
Pitcher of the Week Nomination
Sonny Gray, Junior, RHP, 5-11, 195, Smyrna, Tenn.
– Weekly totals: 7.0IP, 2H, 0R/0ER, 3BB, 9K
– Dominated on Friday turning in his first scoreless outing of the year to earn his fourth win in four starts.
– Scattered a season-low two hits.
– Allowed only five baserunners.
– Over his last three starts he has allowed two runs on eight hits with 30 strikeouts in 22 innings.
Player of the Week Nomination
Curt Casali, C, 6-2, 225, New Canaan, Conn.
– Weekly totals: 5G/5GS, 16AB, 5R, 8H, 2-2B, 1HR, 5RBI, 4BB
– Reached base in nine straight plate appearances over the weekend.
– Hit his first round tripper of the year and team’s first grand slam this season on Friday night to begin on base streak.
– Back-to-back three-hit games on Saturday and Sunday.
– Raised his batting average 73 points over the week.
Commodore Notes
Vanderbilt improved to 16-1 on the year with three come-from-behind victories last week… In the polls the Commodores stayed at #2 in Baseball America’s poll, Perfect Game’s poll and #3 in the Collegiate Baseball poll but moved up to #2 in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches’ poll… The Commodores beat Wofford 12-1 on Tuesday, rallied to beat Kennesaw State 9-5 on Wednesday and swept Illinois-Chicago to run the team’s winning streak to nine games… Anthony Gomez extended his hitting streak to 12 games with two hits on Sunday, including the game-winning hit in the ninth… Taylor Hill pitched a season-best eight innings allowing only one run on five hits in a no decision against UIC Sunday… Vanderbilt rallied from a six-run deficit on Saturday to win 9-8 in 10 innings… Mike Yastrzemksi was the hero driving in Tony Kemp from first base with a double into the right field corner… Navery Moore notched the first of his two wins on the weekend on Saturday and earned the win again on Sunday… Sonny Gray dominated in the Commodores’ win on Friday night striking out nine over seven scoreless innings to pick up his fourth win of the year… Curt Casali’s grand slam in the sixth inning propelled the offense… Casali’s slam was the first of the year for VU… Casali had a monster week going 8-for-16 with three extra-base hits, five RBI and reaching base in nine straight plate appearances beginning with Friday night’s grand slam… On Wednesday, Vandy rallied for the first of three come-from-behind wins on the week to beat Kennesaw State 9-5… the Dores scored three in the sixth and two more in the eighth to beat the Owls… On Tuesday, Vanderbilt pummeled Wofford 12-1 behind the strong pitching of T.J. Pecoraro… 22 different Commodores saw action in the blowout including four freshmen receiving their first collegiate playing time.