April 5, 2011
Nashville, Tenn, – Advancing a base runner to third is a tricky task, but moving that person 90 more feet for a run is something coveted. This year, the Vandy baseball team has had a knack for getting base runners on third and an even better job getting them home, one of the many reasons why they are ranked No. 1 in the country.
So far this year, the baseball team has generated 156 RBI in 29 outings – which comes out to 5.37 per game. Of those 156, the Commodores have recorded 137 RBI when there is a runner on third base. Vanderbilt’s small ball approach, made even more prevalent this year due to the new bats, has paid off by its ability to move men around the base paths.
What’s most impressive is that Vanderbilt has put a man on third with less than two outs 108 times with the opportunity to drive him in. They have capitalized by batting in 68 runs in that position which converts to 63 percent. In contrast, Vanderbilt opponents have only been in a situation to advance a runner on third home 66 times and they have only batted in 31 (47%) of those runners.
The man leading the way for the Commodores is Anthony Gomez who thrives in this situation. The sophomore has had a team-leading 17 chances to drive in the man on third and he has done so 16 times. His 94.1 conversion percentage is number one on the team for batters who have had at least three opportunities. Gomez leads the team with 26 RBI and has become the most dominant player on the team at scoring runs by taking advantage of having his teammates get on base.