May 6, 2011
VANDERBILT RE-VU
Vanderbilt finished off the team’s seventh sweep of the year in a big way with a 19-3 win over Tennessee Sunday. The Dores’ win was the largest margin of victory over UT since 1899. The Commodores clinched the series with a 10-1 win on Saturday. Aaron Westlake hit two home runs in the win. Vanderbilt claimed the series opener with a 10-1 win over Tennessee Friday night. Sonny Gray earned his ninth win of the year with eight solid innings. 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.
ON THE BUMP
Friday, May 6
RHP Sonny Gray (9-2, 1.91) vs. RHP Alex Meyer (4-5, 3.32)
Saturday, May 7
LHP Grayson Garvin (9-1, 2.26) vs. LHP Corey Littrell (5-4, 5.80)
Sunday, May 8
RHP Taylor Hill (4-0, 3.03) vs. TBA
ESPOSITO ON A ROLL
Jason Esposito enters today’s game on a 24-game hitting streak. The Commodores’ hot corner is 38-for-97 (.392) during the streak with 25 RBI and 21 runs scored. The preseason All-American has been red-hot over his last 11 games going 24-for-42 (.462) with nine multi-hit games, seven doubles, a triple and three home runs.
ROAD WARRIORS
The Commodores visit Kentucky this weekend with an 11-3 road record on the year. Tony Kemp leads the team with a .404 batting average away from Hawkins Field. Anthony Gomez and Aaron Westlake have each knocked in 10 runs on the road with Westlake and Esposito hitting three home runs apiece. Vanderbilt is hitting .268 as a team on the road and holding the home team to a .221 team average. Starter Grayson Garvin is a perfect 4-0 in four road starts this season.
GOOD WEEKENDS
Over the last two weekends against LSU and Tennessee, Vanderbilt is hitting .403 as a team and outscored the Tigers and Vols by a combined score of 70-16. Jason Esposito has 11 RBI and is 14-for-28 over the last two weeks while Aaron Westlake has scored 13 runs.
AGAINST KENTUCKY
The Commodores return to the road for the first time since losing the team’s only series of the year at South Carolina with a trip to Kentucky this weekend. The Dores’ last trip to Lexington resulted in a series loss, dropping two-of-three in 2009. Vanderbilt is 107-118-3 in the all-time series against Kentucky dating back to 1924. VU Head Coach Tim Corbin is 13-10 against UK in his tenure at Vanderbilt. Alex Meyer, who leads the league in strikeouts, and Thomas McCarthy, who leads the league in doubles, pace the last place Wildcats.
NOTHING MOORE
Commodores’ closer Navery Moore has given the opposition nothing virtually all season. The right-hander has not allowed a run over his last 11 games (11.0 innings) and has allowed only four hits, including none over his last four outings. The junior has nine saves on the season, which is already tied for the second-most in a single season in VU history. Moore needs two more saves to match Ryan Rote’s single season record set in 2004.
DOUBLE UP
Riley Reynolds has raised his double output over his last six games collecting four two-baggers. The junior had just one double in his first 31 games of the year and had three all of last year. Anthony Gomez has four doubles in his last three games after playing the first 40 games of the year and hitting just five.
GRAY MOVING UP
Junior Sonny Gray is on the move up the career all-time lists. The right-hander has moved into sixth place all-time with 271 career strikeouts. David Price (2005-07) holds the school record with 441 strikeouts. Gray is now tied for third place all-time with Mike Willis (1969-72) with 24 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 sixth all-time with Cam Hazen (1985-88) with 53 doubles in his career.