Jan. 26, 2012Coaches tab Commodores 12th in ESPN/USA Today preseason poll
Vanderbilt will open the season ranked 12th nationally in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll. The Commodores are one of six Southeastern Conference teams in the poll’s Top 25 led by top-ranked Florida and second-ranked South Carolina. Arkansas is ranked eighth, LSU 14th and Georgia 25th. VU opens the season at No. 3 Stanford and will host No. 24 Louisville in May giving the squad 16 scheduled games against the preseason Top 25.
The Dores were ranked 10th earlier in the week by Baseball America and last month were tabbed 23rd by Collegiate Baseball to start the season.
Mewbourne going into TBCA Hall of Fame
Former Commodores head coach Roy Mewbourne will be inducted into the Tennessee Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame Saturday night. Mewbourne is Vanderbilt’s All-Time winningest coach amassing 655 wins in 24 seasons at the helm for the Dores. His 1980 squad captured the SEC championship and garnered him SEC Coach of the Year honors. His last season at Vanderbilt was 2002 when the team opened up Hawkins Field, which he was a catalyst in fundraising and planning to build.
Gray named Oakland’s third-best prospect
Former Commodore star Sonny Gray was named the Oakland Athletics third-best prospect earlier this week in Baseball America’s annual prospect rankings. The publication rates Gray’s curve ball the best in the organization’s minor leagues after the former Smyrna, Tenn. two-sport star dominated the Double-A Texas League with Midland. With the Rock Hounds Gray went 1-0 in five starts allowing one run over 20 innings with 18 strikeouts. His Baseball America scouting capsule says “he has a chance to pitch his way to Oakland by season’s end.” To read more check out this link at BaseballAmerica.com or pick up Baseball America’s Prospect Handbook (a must read for fantasy baseball gurus and baseball nerds).
Updated Bios
All the bios, including newcomers, on vucommodores.com have been updated. Click on the player’s name on the roster page to read his bio.
Corbin on the radio
Coach Corbin joined two Nashville radio shows this week to talk about the team and the upcoming season. Coach Corbin talked with 102.5 The Game’s Sports Revolution on Tuesday (listen here) and 104.5 The Zone’s Morning Zone Thursday morning (listen here).
Corbin sixth in Perfect Game’s Coach Power Rankings
Perfect Game’s Kendall Rogers released his power rankings with Coach Corbin sixth among the coaches.
We talkin’ about practice!
The Commodores start practice on Friday (Jan. 27) at 2:30 p.m. at Hawkins Field. The team will have four weeks to prepare for the opening weekend trip to No. 3 Stanford.
Updates on Twitter
With the season just around the corner and the team starting practice follow us on Twitter @vandybaseball for updates from practice and news about the team leading up to the season.