June 1, 2015
Over Early
Vanderbilt made sure to take all the drama out Monday’s NCAA Regional Championship early by scoring nine runs in the first three innings and 10 more in the fifth inning en route to a 21-0 shellacking of Radford Monday at Hawkins Field.
The Commodores rattled the Highlanders early with three runs in the first inning and forced Radford to use three pitchers over three innings. In those innings, Vanderbilt had seven hits, including a double, triple and home run. Radford didn’t help its cause, issuing three walks, hitting two batters and committing two errors.
Things only got more lopsided in the fifth inning when Vanderbilt put 10 runs on the board. When it was all said and done, the Commodores tied the largest margin for a shutout in NCAA Tournament history and Vanderbilt’s largest since a 24-0 shutout of Valparaiso in 1991.
“It was an offensive show for our guys form the get-go,” Vanderbilt Head Coach Tim Corbin said. “I don’t think you would ever dream a game would play out that way.”
Radford finished the game with just three hits and used eight pitchers, while surrendering 20 hits.
“To win a game like that, I thought they did it with class,” Corbin added. “They are just a classy group of kids, how they handle themselves and playing the game appropriately and respecting the game for what it is and keeping the integrity of it. I’m proud of them for a lot of different reasons.”
Monday’s win was Vanderbilt’s seventh straight in regional play and sends the Commodores to the NCAA Super Regionals for a school-record third straight year. The Commodores will travel to Champaign, Ill., to face Illinois next weekend after the Illini defeated Wright State Monday to sweep through their regional.
It is Vanderbilt’s sixth time in the NCAA Super Regionals and fifth time in the last six years. The victory makes Vanderbilt one of just three schools to advance to Super Regionals five times in the last six years. The other two schools are Florida State and Virginia. No team has made Super Regionals six straight years.
Players Receive Memorable Final Ovations
It’s not something you see very often in baseball, and it made Monday that much more memorable for Commodore fans in attendance.
Beginning in the sixth inning, Tim Corbin began to make in-game substitutions, allowing Vanderbilt fans a final opportunity to salute a number of players who likely have played their final game at Hawkins Field.
“I’m glad they got the moment because they are deserving of it,” Corbin said. “I thought in the back of my mind if we could create that moment for them, I was going to try to do my best to do it, but you have no control of the game.”
Starting pitcher Walker Buehler was the first to exit to a loud ovation and was soon followed by right fielder Rhett Wiseman. After a single in the top of the seventh inning, Zander Wiel was removed after going 4-for-6 with a triple, home run and six RBIs.
“It was definitely emotional,” first baseman Zander Wiel said. “Just so many memories in my years here, a lot of success and I am just so thankful for the fans and just being around this great group of guys for this period in my life. It is definitely very emotional. To have that moment was special.”
The biggest ovation came in the bottom of the seventh inning when starting pitcher Carson Fulmer made a surprise appearance in left field. He played in left for two at bats before he and shortstop Dansby Swanson were replaced in the inning. Both received loud cheers and embraced one another at second base before tipping their caps to the crowd.
“It is a special moment and I honestly couldn’t thank Coach for a better person to go off the field with than Carson,” Swanson said. “He is my best friend and being able to do it with him is emotional.
“When we were coming off the field, the fans have been incredible to us the past few years and coming off with Carson and seeing all the guys, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t tear up.”
In following suit with Fulmer’s final appearance at Hawkins Field, Corbin put starting pitcher Philip Pfeifer in left field in the bottom of the ninth. He played left field for two outs before being replaced by Karl Ellison.
The Definition of a Tough Out
Leadoff hitter Ro Coleman set the table as well as anyone can throughout NCAA Regional play by reaching base in 13 out of 16 plate appearances over three games.
Coleman began the regional by reaching base in his first seven plate appearances
On Monday, the Chicago native reached base all six times and was 4-for-5 in the game with four runs and an RBI. He finished the weekend with a .615 batting average and scored seven runs.
Falling Records
Vanderbilt’s offensive outburst set or tied numerous NCAA postseason and school records. The Commodores obliterated the school’s previous NCAA runs record of 12 set last year against Stanford with 21 runs against Radford.
The 21 runs scored were the most since 2010 when Vanderbilt also scored 21 against Niagara. Additionally, Vanderbilt also tied the NCAA record for the largest postseason shutout.
Additionally, Vanderbilt tied a school record with four triples and set a new postseason mark with 20 hits and 20 RBI.
Individually, Wiel’s six RBI were were a Vanderbilt NCAA postseason record, as were Coleman’s four runs. Tyler Campbell’s seven at-bats tied a school record.
NCAA Postseason Streak Among Nation’s Best
Vanderbilt is participating in its 10th straight NCAA postseason, a feat that puts it among only a handful of schools that can make the same claim.
Since 2006, only seven schools have made the NCAA Tournament each year.
Those schools are:
Arkansas
Cal State Fullerton
Florida State
Miami
Rice
Vanderbilt
Virginia
Pitching, Pitching and More Pitching
It was another dominant postseason pitching outing for the Commodores on Monday as Walker Buehler tossed five innings, allowing two hits and striking out seven. On Friday, Carson Fulmer pitched seven innings, allowing four hits and one run. The Commodores outscored opponents 36-5 in the regional.
In 22 NCAA postseason games since 2013, Vanderbilt has allowed 74 runs for an average of 3.36 per game.
In NCAA Regional play, Vanderbilt has been even more dominant, allowing just 20 runs in 10 games for an average of 2.0 per game.
Dominating Regional Play
Vanderbilt has now won seven straight NCAA Regional games dating back to 2013. Over that time, the Commodores have outscored opponents 82-20. Vanderbilt is also 18-6 all-time in NCAA Tournament play at Hawkins Field.
Looking at Illinois
Illinois advanced to NCAA Super Regionals for the first time in school history after going 3-0 in the Champaign Regional. The Illini are the No. 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament and are 50-8-1 overall after going 21-1 in the Big Ten.
The teams last met in 2013 when the Commodores hosted Illinois in NCAA Regional play with Vanderbilt defeating the Illini, 10-4.
“Everyone is just confident in where we are,” Swanson said of Vanderbilt’s mentality heading into next weekend. “It is the time of year where the intensity and focus gets built up a little more with the types of games that are being played. I think everyone is in focus and with the right approach and going into things the right way.”
Individually, Illinois is paced by Big Ten Pitcher of the Year Tyler Jay and Big Ten Player of the Year David Kerian. A reliever, Jay has a .60 ERA with 70 strikeouts in 60.1 innings of work. Kerian, a first baseman, leads the team with a .376 batting average to go along with 16 home runs and 52 RBIs.
All but four of Illinois’ players are from the Land of Lincoln. The only Commodore from Illinois is Ro Coleman, who hails from Chicago.
Champaign, Ill., is located approximately 380 miles north of Nashville.
