April 27, 2015
Overall Record: 33-12, 15-6 SEC
Streak: Won 4
Last Week’s Results (4-0)
Tuesday, April 21 vs. MTSU – Win 4-0
Friday, April 23 vs. #14 Missouri – Win 9-2
Saturday, April 24 vs. #14 Missouri – Win 12-2
Sunday, April 25 vs. #14 Missouri – Win 5-2
This Week (Times Central)
Tuesday, April 28 at Belmont – 5 p.m.
Friday, May 1 at Kentucky – 5:30 p.m. CT [SEC Network+]
Saturday, May 2 at Kentucky – 5:30 p.m. CT [SEC Network+]
Sunday, May 3 at Kentucky – 12 p.m. CT [SEC Network+]
Player of the Week Nominee
Zander Wiel, IF, 6-3, 225, Murfreesboro, Tenn.
Weekly totals: 4G/4GS, 15 AB, 6 R, 7 H, 1-2B, 3 HR, 8 RBI, 2 SB, 1.133 SLG%, .529 OBP%
Wiel posted hits in all four games during the Commodores’ perfect 4-0 week going 7-for-15 (.467) with RBI in all four games to drive in eight runs.
Against No. 14 Missouri, Wiel had two hits and scored two runs in each game of the Dores’ sweep going 6-for-12 with seven RBI and three home runs.
Belted home runs in all three games over the weekend during Vandy’s sweep of No. 14 Missouri to finish the weekend tied for the team lead with nine homers for the year.
His two-run homer on Friday night was one of two hits on the night.
Hit his third grand slam of the season on Saturday in his final at-bat and added a solo homer on Sunday in his second at-bat.
Pitcher of the Week Nominee
Philip Pfeifer, LHP, 6-0, 195, Knoxville, Tenn.
Weekly totals: 1G/1GS, W, 7.0 IP, 7 H, 2R/2ER, 2 BB, 13 K
Pfeifer dominated No. 14 Missouri in Saturday’s win in his first start since 2013, striking out a career-high 13 over a season-best seven innings.
Struck out the side in each of the first two innings, racking up seven strikeouts the first time through the lineup.
Allowed only one base runner past second base through the first six innings.
Recorded at least one strikeout in each of his seven innings.
Became the third Vanderbilt pitcher to strike out at least 10 batters, joining Carson Fulmer and Walker Buehler.
Freshman of the Week Nominee
Jeren Kendall, OF, 5-11, 180, Holmen, Wisc.
Weekly totals: 4G/4GS, 13 AB, 3 R, 6 H, 2-2B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 2 SB, .846 SLG%, .500 OBP%
Kendall recorded RBI in all four games during the week, driving in five runs while hitting .462 (6-for-13) with hits in all four games to extend his hitting streak to six games.
Crushed his third home run of the season with a two-run homer on Friday night as part of his third straight two-hit game.
Followed up on Saturday with a RBI-double and ended the weekend with a single and a sacrifice fly on Sunday as the Commodores swept No. 14 Missouri.
Collected two hits in Tuesday’s victory over MTSU driving in Vandy’s first run with a double in the fourth inning of Vanderbilt’s 4-0 win.
Commodore Notes
Vanderbilt went a perfect 4-0 during the week with a shutout of Middle Tennessee State on Tuesday and a sweep of No. 14 Missouri over the weekend… Ryan Johnson dominated over a career-long eight innings on Tuesday vs. MTSU not allowing a run in the Commodores’ 10th shutout of the season in a 4-0 win… Johnson scattered five hits and fanned three with Kyle Wright finishing off the blanking, which tied the school record for shutouts in a season with 10 set in 2004… Ro Coleman picked up three hits, including a two-run double in the eighth inning to put the game out of reach… The Commodores cruised by No. 14 Missouri on Friday night with a 9-2 win behind Carson Fulmer’s seven scoreless innings… The right-hander turned in his third straight scoreless outing to reach 23 straight scoreless innings… Fulmer struck out 11 and scattered three hits to push his total to 34 strikeouts over his 23 straight scoreless innings… Bryan Reynolds had three hits and Zander Wiel and Jeren Kendall hit two-run homers in the win… The Dores claimed the series on Saturday afternoon with a 12-2 blowout win over the Tigers… Philip Pfeifer struck out a career-best 13 over seven strong innings in his first start since 2013… The lefty punched out seven of the first nine he faced, including striking out the side in the first two innings… Zander Wiel belted his third grand slam of the season and Rhett Wiseman smashed his team-best ninth homer with a three-run shot in the third inning… Vandy finished off the team’s fourth series sweep with a 5-2 victory on Sunday over Mizzou… Dansby Swanson’s two-run single in the eighth inning broke up a tie game and proved to be the game-winner… Zander Wiel hit his third home run in as many days with a solo shot in the third inning… Ben Bowden worked two shutout innings out of the bullpen to notch his fifth win of the season… Walker Buehler struck out nine over seven innings of a no decision… Vanderbilt’s pitching staff struck out 41 over the three-game series vs. Missouri with Fulmer, Pfeifer and Buehler combining for 33 punch outs… The sweep pushes the Commodores into first place alone in the SEC East by two games over Florida and a half game clear of LSU for the overall league lead… The Commodores play four road games this week with a short trip to Rose Park to take on Belmont at 5 p.m. on Tuesday before travelling to Kentucky for a three-game series over the weekend… First pitch on Friday and Saturday in Lexington is set for 5:30 p.m. CT on SEC Network+ with the series finale scheduled for noon CT on SEC Network+.