June 4, 2015
VANDERBILT RE-VU
The Commodores scored early and often in a 21-0 NCAA Regional clinching win over Radford. Zander Wiel drove in a career-best six runs with four hits, including his 13th homer. Dansby Swanson hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning to help beat Indiana 6-4 on Saturday night in the NCAA Regional. Vanderbilt opend the NCAA Tournament with a 9-1 win over Lipscomb. Carson Fulmer earned his 12th win of the season with his seventh game this season with at least 11 strikeouts. Vanderbilt won the SEC East division and finished second overall in the league going 20-10.
ON THE BUMP
Saturday, June 6
RHP Carson Fulmer (12-2, 1.92) vs. LHP Kevin Duchene (11-1, 1.46)
Sunday, June 7
TBA vs. TBA
Monday, June 8 – if necessary
TBA vs. TBA
10 STRAIGHT NCAA TOURNAMENTS
Vanderbilt enters the NCAA Tournament for the 10th straight year and 11th time under head coach Tim Corbin in his 13th season at the Commodores’ helm. Hawkins Field hosted Regionals for the fourth time in five years as the Commodores began defense of the team’s 2014 national title. Last year the Dores swept through the Nashville Regional with wins over Xavier and Oregon twice before taking two-of-three at The Hawk vs. Stanford to return to Omaha for the second time in program history (2011). Vandy beat Louisville, UC Irvine and Texas in the College World Series to advance to the championship series, beating Virginia twice to win the Vanderbilt’s first-ever men’s national championship. Vanderbilt is 42-29 in 13 previous trips to the NCAA Tournament.
SUPER DORES
The Commodores return to Super Regionals for the third straight season and for the fifth time in the last six years with the team’s sixth ever trip to the round of 16. Vanderbilt has advanced out of the Super Regionals twice in 2011 and last season when the team captured the school’s first-ever men’s national title at the College World Series. The trip to Illinois is the third Super Regional on the road for Vandy joining the school’s first-ever Super Regional at Texas in 2004 and Florida State in 2010.
THE ALL AMERICANS
Five Commodores have already earned All-American honors with Carson Fulmer and Dansby Swanson getting the nod from Collegiate Baseball and the publication naming Jeren Kendall, Will Toffey and Kyle Wright Freshmen All-Americans. Fulmer was tagged as a first team pitcher with Swanson earning second team shortstop honors. For Swanson it is his second straight All-American nod after earning All-American honors at second base last season. Kendall, Toffey and Wright join teammates Fulmer, Bryan Reynolds and Hayden Stone as Dores to earn Freshmen All-American status.
VANDY DUO MAKES UP HALF OF GOLDEN SPIKES FINALISTS
Carson Fulmer and Dansby Swanson make up two of the four finalists for the Golden Spikes Award joining fellow SEC players Andrew Benintendi of Arkansas and Alex Bregman of LSU on the list. Fulmer and Swanson become the fourth set of teammates to be finalists in the same season and third duo to make the final cut coached by VU head coach Tim Corbin. Fulmer and Swanson join former Commodores David Price and Pedro Alvarez as teammates to be finalists from 2007 when Price became the only Dore to ever win the award. Corbin also coached Khalil Greene and Jeff Baker in 2002 at Clemson when the pair made the finals.