April 17, 2012
VANDERBILT RE-VU
Vanderbilt won the series with an 11-2 win over Auburn Sunday. Tony Kemp and Anthony Gomez combined for six hits, four runs and four RBI to lead eight different Commodores in the victory. The Tigers claimed an early lead and topped the Commodores 5-2 Saturday. Connor Castellano’s pinch hit, two-run homer was all for the Dores. Vanderbilt held off a late rally from Auburn to win the series opener 5-4 Friday night. Spencer Navin’s three hits and two RBI coupled with Jack Lupo’s two hits and two RBI led VU to victory. The Commodores shut out Belmont 7-0 Wednesday night to earn the team’s fourth shutout victory of the season.
ON THE BUMP
Tuesday, April 17
LHP Sam Selman (3-3, 5.29) vs. LHP Cody Tollison (0-1, 4.70)
Friday, April 20
RHP T.J. Pecoraro (0-0, 3.00) vs. TBA
Saturday, April 21
RHP Tyler Beede (1-4, 4.53) vs. TBA
Sunday, April 22
LHP Kevin Ziomek (2-6, 5.49) vs. TBA
SCORELESS SAM
After a rough start to his season (0-3, 10.12 in first four starts) tonight’s starter Sam Selman has been solid since taking over the midweek starter’s role in late March. Over his last three starts, Selman is 3-0 and has not allowed a run over 16 innings. He has walked two batters and struck out seven in all three outings while allowing only five hits, including five no-hit innings against UT-Martin.
ON A ROLL
Spencer Navin enters tonight’s game having reached base in 16 straight games. The Commodores’ catcher has at least one hit in 14 of the 16 games, hitting .375 (21-for-56). Anthony Gomez has an eight-game hitting streak, going 17-for-37 (.460) with six runs scored and nine RBI. Gomez has also reached base in 15 straight games.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WINNING AND LOSING
In Vanderbilt’s 16 wins this season the Commodores are averaging 8.8 runs while hitting .336 with a 2.25 team ERA. In the Dores’ 20 losses, the squad is scoring an average of 3.35 runs and hitting .222 with a 6.15 team ERA.
BATTLING THE BLUE RAIDERS
Vanderbilt hosts Middle Tennessee State in the first of two games against the Blue Raiders within a week. The Commodores beat MTSU twice last season winning 9-1 at Hawkins Field and 1-0 in Murfreesboro. In the first meeting, Anthony Gomez had two hits and one RBI as T.J. Pecoraro picked up his fifth win of the year. The top-ranked Dores posted the team’s fifth shutout of the season in the second game behind Pecoraro. Mike Yastrzemski’s RBI-double in the sixth produced the game’s only run. Vanderbilt holds the all-time edge 87-41 in a series dating back to 1926.