April 29, 2011
VANDERBILT RE-VU
The Commodores’ midweek game with Western Kentucky was washed out on Tuesday and the rescheduled game on Wednesday was as well. Vanderbilt swept LSU with a 10-7 win on Sunday. VU pounded out a season-best 20 hits en route to sweeping a series for the sixth time this year. Conrad Gregor led the way for the offense driving in two runs with a career-best four hits. The Commodores clinched the series with a 10-1 win Saturday. Grayson Garvin struck out eight over seven innings and Gregor drove in three runs. Vanderbilt hammered LSU 11-3 to claim the series-opener. Mike Yastrzemski drove in three runs and Curt Casali had three hits in the victory.
ON THE BUMP
Friday, April 29
RHP Sonny Gray (8-2, 2.00) vs. LHP Steven Gruver (4-4, 2.71)
Saturday, April 30
LHP Grayson Garvin (8-1, 2.32) vs. RHP Jon Reed (1-1, 4.11)
Sunday, May 1
RHP Taylor Hill (3-0, 3.38) vs. TBA
ESPOSITO ON A ROLL
Jason Esposito enters today’s game on a 21-game hitting streak. The Commodores’ hot corner is 30-for-82 (.366) during the streak with 20 RBI and 17 runs scored. The preseason All-American has been red-hot over his last eight games going 16-for-37 (.432) with six multi-hit games, five doubles, a triple and three home runs.
GREGOR TABBED SEC CO-FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
Conrad Gregor has been tabbed the SEC co-Freshman of the Week for his performance against LSU last weekend. The Carmel, Ind. native went 8-for-13 with six RBI to garner the award, including setting a career-best on back-to-back days with three hits on Saturday and four hits on Sunday. Gregor is the second Vanderbilt freshman to earn the honor joining Tony Kemp. The SEC has now honored five Commodores this season with pitchers Sonny Gray and Grayson Garvin and catcher Curt Casali joining the two freshmen.
OFFENSIVE LAST TEN
Vanderbilt is 8-2 over the team’s last 10 games with the offense leading the way with a .326 team average. The Dores are outscoring opponents 7.1 to 3.2 runs per game during the stretch. Mike Yastrzemski (12 RBI, 12 runs), Curt Casali (11 RBI) and Jason Esposito (10 RBI, 11 runs) have been big run producers while Conrad Gregor leads the team with a .480 average and .519 on-base percentage. Esposito has flexed his power over the last 10 games slugging .850 with 10 extra-base hits.
TAKING ON TENNESSEE
Tennessee visits Nashville for the first time since 2009 when the Volunteers swept the Commodores. That sweep marks the last time VU was swept in a home series by a SEC opponent. The Vols have won three of the last five series dating back to 2006 with the Commodores posting a 148-154-3 record all-time against UT. Vanderbilt Head Coach Tim Corbin is 16-12 against Tennessee since taking over in 2003. The Volunteers enter the weekend tied atop the league with 73 stolen bases, led by Khayyan Norfork’s league-best 25.
STRIKEOUTS PILING UP
Vanderbilt enters the weekend tops in the SEC with 366 strikeouts as a pitching staff. The Commodores are third nationally with 9.4 strikeouts per nine innings trailing only UCLA (10.3) and Virginia (10.2). Sonny Gray’s 80 strikeouts are second in the SEC, one behind Kentucky’s Alex Meyer, and tied for 10th nationally. At this rate (9.2 strikeouts per game) with 13 games remaining on the regular season schedule Vanderbilt will finish the regular season with 485 strikeouts.
DORES ON TV
For the sixth consecutive week Vanderbilt will play on television. The Commodores host Tennessee this weekend with Saturday’s tilt airing on CSS and ESPN3.com. Sunday’s game will be broadcast on national radio on Sirius XM College SportsNation (Sirius 122, XM 143).
GRAY MOVING UP
Junior Sonny Gray is on the move up the career all-time lists. The right-hander has moved into seventh place all-time with 265 career strikeouts. David Price (2005-07) holds the school record with 441 strikeouts. Gray is now tied for fourth place all-time with Jeremy Sowers, Matt Buschmann and Kyle Balch with 23 wins. Jeff Peeples (1970-73) holds the school record with 29 wins.
ESPOSITO RUNS INTO TOP 10
Jason Esposito moved into the Top 10 all-time for stolen bases in a career at Vanderbilt when he stole a base on Opening Day against San Diego. The junior third baseman has added to his total and now is in eighth place with 62 stolen bases. Next up on the list is Nick Morrow (1991-94), who had 65 steals in his career. Charles DeFrance (1980-82) holds the school record with 96 stolen bases. Esposito is tied for eighth all-time with Pedro Alvarez with 51 doubles in his career.