Feb. 13, 2015
VANDERBILT RE-VU
Vanderbilt enters the season as the top-ranked team in the nation. The top spot in the polls comes after the Commodores won the school’s first-ever men’s national championship in 2014, beating Virginia in the College World Series finals. The Dores topped off a 51-21 season with a 3-2 win over Virginia in Omaha to give Vandy it’s third 50-win season in the last four years. Vandy’s route back to Omaha included winning the Nashville NCAA Regional with a walk-off win over Oregon and a Super Regional win over Stanford. Vanderbilt endured a roller coaster regular season before bowing out early at the SEC Tournament. The Dores finished the SEC regular season 17-13 with series wins over LSU, Kentucky, Georgia, Missouri and league champ Florida.
ON THE BUMP
Friday, Feb. 13 – 4 p.m.
RHP Carson Fulmer (0-0, -.–) vs. RHP Jake Steffens (0-0, -.–)
Saturday, Feb. 14 – 12 p.m.
LHP John Kilichowski (0-0, -.–) vs. RHP Steven Wilson (0-0, -.–)
Saturday, Feb. 14 (30 minutes after conclusion of first game)
RHP Tyler Ferguson (0-0, -.–) vs. RHP Peter Hendron (0-0, -.–)
VANDY UNANIMOUS NO. 1 TO OPEN SEASON
Vandy opens the season as the unanimous No. 1 team in the nation marking the first time a Vanderbilt men’s team opens a season in the top spot of the polls. It’s just the second time in school history a Vandy team has been ranked No. 1 in the preseason joining the women’s bowling team in 2008 after the team won the school’s first-ever national championship in 2007. With the top ranking, the Dores have now spent time in the top spot of the polls in three of the last four seasons after ascending to No. 1 for the first time in school history in 2007.
CONSISTENT COMMODORES
The Commodores enter the weekend with an impressive streak on the line. Vanderbilt has not lost three straight games since early in the 2012 season when the team dropped five straight (March 16-23). Since that five-game losing streak the Dores have played 178 games without losing three straight going 133-45 (.747). Among major league baseball’s greatest teams only the 1902 National League champion Pittsburgh Pirates can match the Dores streak. The Pirates had no three-game losing streaks during their 103-36 campaign. The 1906 Chicago Cubs’ and 2001 Seattle Mariners’ teams that won 116 games apiece had one losing streak of at least three games something the 1998 (four losing streaks of at least three games) and 1927 (three) World Series champion Yankees could not accomplish.
VANDY ROSTER FEATURES FIVE PRESEASON ALL-AMERICANS
Five Commodores earned preseason All-American accolades led by juniors Walker Buehler, Carson Fulmer and Dansby Swanson. The trio have been selected as first team All-Americans by every media outlet that produces an All-American preseason team. Swanson was tabbed a second and third team All-American last season before capturing the Most Outstanding Player award at the College World Series. Sophomores Bryan Reynolds and Hayden Stone also picked up multiple preseason All-American nods after the duo earned Freshman All-American status last season.
VANDERBILT LID LIFTERS
Vanderbilt enters Friday’s game 8-4 in season lid lifters under Tim Corbin, including wins in each of the last two years. Stanford is responsible for two of the four Vandy losses in openers under Corbin.
BABY IT’S COLD OUTSIDE
Temperatures are expected to be a little chilly at Hawkins Field on opening weekend. The Commodores are used to the cold temps early in the season having played 10 games in 30-degree temps over the last two years. The average temperature at The Hawk early in the season has been a balmy 46.8 degrees over the last two seasons (42.4 in 2013 and 52 in 2014). Temperatures in Santa Clara are forecasted to be in the mid to upper 70s.
BUEHLER, FULMER, SWANSON ON GOLDEN SPIKES LIST
Juniors Walker Buehler, Carson Fulmer and Dansby Swanson are all on the Golden Spikes Award watch list making Vanderbilt the only school in the nation with three players on the 50-player list. The trio leads a pack of a national-best 12 players from the Southeastern Conference. David Price is the only Commodore to ever win the award, picking up the national honor along with many others for his spectacular 2007 season that saw him strikeout a school record 194 batters.
FIVE COMMODORES ON FIRST-EVER PRESEASON ALL-SEC TEAMS
Five Commodores landed on the first-ever preseason All-SEC teams with Bryan Reynolds, Carson Fulmer and Hayden Stone being placed on the first team. Dansby Swanson and Walker Buehler were picked as second team members. Fulmer and Swanson were first team All-SEC picks a year ago while Stone and Reynolds were Freshman All-SEC picks. All five players have been selected to various preseason All-American teams.
KEY PIECES, EXPERIENCE BACK FOR DORES
An experienced roster takes the field for the Commodores this season with 17 returning lettermen on the 33-man roster. Vanderbilt returns a majority of the core of the national championship team from a year ago led by All-Americans Walker Buehler, Carson Fulmer, Bryan Reynolds, Hayden Stone and Dansby Swanson. Reynolds and Swanson led the team in hitting in 2014 with the 2015 roster bringing back 65% (426/655) of the team’s hits from last season. The Dores were one of the leading teams in the country in doubles and return 105 of the team’s 145 from last year (72.4%) along with 69 of the team’s 120 stolen bases (80%) in 2014. On the mound, the trio of Buehler, Fulmer and Stone lead the way for a pitching staff that returns 60.2% (383/636) of the team’s strikeouts, 60.7% (31/51) of the team’s wins and 341.2 innings.
THE HOCKEY GUYS
Vanderbilt’s roster is littered with multi-sport athletes but three freshmen on the team were standout hockey players prior to coming to West End. Tyler Green, Jeren Kendall and Will Toffey all had opportunities to play hockey past high school but chose the Black & Gold instead, including Toffey who turned down 2014 national champ Yale to attend VU.
CHAMPIONS’ TOUR
Vanderbilt’s national championship team was honored at multiple places in Nashville during the offseason. The team was recognized at a Tennessee Titans’ game with Coach Corbin serving as the honorary 12th Titan. Vandy was also recognized at the Nashville Sounds, Nashville Predators and by the metro city council with a city resolution. CWS Most Outstanding Player Dansby Swanson was honored in his hometown of Marietta, Ga. with his own day and a key to the city.
COMMODORES PICKED TO WIN SEC
The coaches of the Southeastern Conference picked the Commodores to win the league in 2015 with 11 of the league’s coaches picking Vanderbilt. Florida (2) and LSU (1) each received votes to claim the SEC title. The predicted order of finish in the SEC East: Vanderbilt, Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Kentucky and Missouri. In the West division, LSU was picked to be the top team followed by Alabama, Texas A&M, Arkansas, Mississippi State, Ole Miss and Auburn.
VIVA LA DOMINICANA
The Commodores traveled to the Dominican Republic during Thanksgiving break last fall for a week of cultural emersion and baseball. The team played seven games against professional teams and spent time in a sugar cane village giving a clinic for the local children as well as doing community service. Vandy went 5-2 on the trip playing games against MLB Domincan Academy teams and two Dominican Winter League teams.
SEC NETWORK BRINGS NEW ERA
The SEC Network brings a new era to college baseball with over 450 games on the family of ESPN networks. For the Commodores, 35 games will air on SEC Network+ including 26 Vanderbilt home games. The Dores will also be featured on ESPNU, ESPN2 and the SEC Network’s linear channel a total of 12 times during the regular season. Kevin Ingram and former Commodore Andrew Harris are slated to call the action for Vanderbilt’s SEC Network+ games this year.
DORES ON THE AIR MORE THAN EVER IN 2015
Vanderbilt’s flagship station WNSR 560 AM/95.9 FM is set to broadcast 51 games in 2015, the most ever. Only five games of the team’s regular season slate will not air on the radio with all five games coming in the first two weeks of the season (Feb. 15, 18, 21, 22 and 28). Once again Eric Jones will call the team’s games until The Voice of the Commodores Joe Fisher concludes the Commodores’ men’s basketball season. Audio of all 56 games on the Dores’ schedule will be available on the team’s Vanderbilt Game Day app and vucommodores.com for free.
National Commodore Club Ticket Exchange
The National Commodore Club will continue the NCC Ticket Exchange program for the 2015 Vanderbilt Baseball season. The program aims at keeping the seats filled with Vanderbilt fans and serves as a great benefit to National Commodore Club members. By donating tickets, members accrue face value priority credit that applies toward their NCC priority rank for seating, parking and postseason ticket purchases. Tickets are then allocated to National Commodore Club members who make requests based on availability and in priority rank order. This exciting program allows members who can’t make it to games the benefit of accruing more NCC credit while ensuring other Commodore Club members the opportunity to watch the Commodores and fill the infield seats.
**A member of the National Commodore Club includes any current donor to Vanderbilt Athletics.**
To donate tickets:
1. Please call the National Commodore Club office at (615) 322-4114 and provide your name, seat location and games you would like to donate tickets for.
2. Mail all original donated tickets to the NCC Office at 2601 Jess Neely Drive, Nashville, TN 37212. Members will receive priority credit in the amount of the face value of the tickets. Original tickets must be returned for the member to receive priority credit.
4. Tickets will not be accepted to exchange for different seats or for different games.
5. Any member caught selling donated tickets will not be allowed to participate in the ticket exchange program in any capacity.
To request tickets:
1. Current NCC members can contact the NCC office at (615) 322-4114 to indicate the games and number of tickets (maximum of 6) that you are requesting for each game.
2. The week of the game, the NCC priority list will be run and those that fall within the range for existing tickets will be notified of ticket availability via email and phone.
3. Tickets can be picked up at the Gate 3 Ticket Booth two hours prior to first pitch on game day or at the McGugin Center Box Office on the Friday before the game.
If you have questions, would like to renew your membership or join the NCC to take part in the ticket exchange process, please call the NCC Office at (615) 322-4114.
