March 5, 2015
#1 Vanderbilt Commodores (10-2) at #4 UCLA Bruins (11-1)
Friday, March 6 | 8 p.m. CT
Saturday, March 7 | at USC | 4 p.m. CT
Sunday, March 8 | #6 TCU | 1:45 p.m. CT [at Dodger Stadium]
VANDERBILT RE-VU
Vanderbilt walked off with a 9-8 win in 12 innings against Evansville on Tuesday night. Rhett Wiseman reached base seven times with a career-best four hits and three walks. The Commodores rallied from a 10-run deficit on Sunday to finish the sweep with a 16-10 over Illinois State. Zander Wiel’s second grand slam of the week sparked the comeback. Vanderbilt held off Illinois State to clinch the series with a 3-2 win on Saturday. John Kilichowski picked up his first career win. Carson Fulmer struck out a career-best 11 over six scoreless innings in the Commodores’ 16-1 win over Illinois State on Friday.
ON THE BUMP
Friday, March 6
RHP Carson Fulmer (2-0, 1.12) vs. RHP James Kaprielian (3-0, 2.84)
Saturday, March 7 – USC
LHP John Kilichowski (1-0, 3.29) vs. LHP Kyle Twomey (3-0, 1.33)
Sunday, March 8 – TCU
TBA vs. TBA
OFFENSE – ALIVE AND WELL
Vanderbilt’s offense has come alive over the team’s last six games scoring 70 runs. The Commodores scored exactly 26 runs over the team’s first six games this season. Vandy is 80-for-226 (.354) with 24 extra-base hits over the last six games. Through the first six games the Dores were hitting .291 (58-for-199) with 16 extra-base hits. VU has also cranked up the running game with 19 of the team’s 23 stolen bases for the year in the last six games.
FULMER, WIEL GARNER WEEKLY AWARDS
Juniors Carson Fulmer and Zander Wiel picked up weekly awards for their performances last week. Collegiate Baseball recognized Fulmer as one of the nation’s best last week after one of the best outings of his career. The right-hander struck out eight of the first nine batters he faced en route to a career-high 11 strikeouts. Fulmer allowed only one runner into scoring position over his six scoreless frames. Wiel picked up co-SEC Player of the Week honors after hitting two grand slams and driving in 11 runs in the Dores’ perfect 5-0 week. Wiel matched his career-high with five RBI vs. Western Kentucky on Wednesday to become the first Commodore since 2013 to drive in five runs when he did it in a win at Georgia. His three hits in Sunday’s come-from-behind win over Illinois State also matched a career-best. Wiel was also named TSWA Player of the Week.
CARDIAC COMMODORES
The Commodores have made a habit of coming back from early deficits this season, rallying five times to come from behind and win. Vanderbilt faced deficits of five and 10 runs last week after the fourth inning against Western Kentucky and Illinois State respectively before rallying to win both games. Zander Wiel blasted grand slams in both comebacks, smashing a shot off the left field scoreboard in the seventh inning on Wednesday to vault the Dores in front of the Hilltoppers. His slam on Sunday sailed over the scoreboard for the Commodores’ first four runs of the game. Penn Murfee pushed Tuesday night’s game against Evansville to extra innings with his first career home run before Ro Coleman scored the winning run on a wild pitch in the 12th. Vanderbilt had 12 comeback wins all of last season but none erased run deficits of more than two runs.
GOING BACK TO CALI
Vanderbilt returns to the west coast for the team’s annual road trip to take on UCLA, USC and TCU this weekend in the Dodger Stadium College Baseball Classic. The Commodores played in the Dodgertown Classic in 2010 against UCLA and USC splitting the two games before taking down Oklahoma State on Sunday inside Dodger Stadium. In the Dores’ game against the Bruins a pair of future first round picks squared off with Vandy’s Sonny Gray going against UCLA’s Gerrit Cole. That game in 2010 is the only time Vanderbilt has played UCLA. VU is 3-0 against USC all time and have never played TCU.