June 1, 2009
Vanderbilt Postgame Notes
* For the fifth time in seven seasons under head coach Tim Corbin, Vanderbilt (37-27) concluded its year at the NCAA Tournament, dropping a 5-3 loss to Louisville in the championship game of the Louisville Regional. The Commodores are 12-10 at the NCAA Tournament under Corbin and 15-16 in school history.
* Five Commodores were named to the Louisville Regional All-Tournament team, including right-hander Caleb Cotham, catcher Andrew Giobbi, second baseman Riley Reynolds, third baseman Jason Esposito, and designated hitter Aaron Westlake.
* Vanderbilt’s three errors against Louisville on Monday were the most in a game by the Commodores since giving up three in a 9-8 loss at Austin Peay (4/21). Vanderbilt had committed only one error in the Louisville Regional entering Monday.
* Designed hitter Aaron Westlake’s solo home run to centerfield to lead off the second inning was Vanderbilt’s fifth in five games at the Louisville Regional. Westlake recorded his 10th homer of the season and the second of the regional. The freshman also hit a solo home run in the second inning of the Commodores’ 6-0 victory over Middle Tennessee (5/31).
* Center fielder Joe Loftus knocked a home run over the left field wall in the fifth inning to pull the Commodores within a 3-2 margin. The homer was Loftus’ fourth of the year and first since the series finale against Auburn (3/29), a span of 35 games.
* The Commodores hit 12 home runs in nine postseason games this season. Vanderbilt homered at least once in eight of those contests. The Commodores hit long balls in each of four games at the Southeastern Conference Tournament and four of five games at the Louisville Regional (Indiana, second Middle Tennessee game, and both contests against Louisville.
* Jonathan White concluded his Commodore career with a strong finish. The fifth-year senior had two doubles as part of a 3-for-4 effort against Louisville on Monday. He ended the Louisville Regional batting .350 (7-for-20) with one home run, three doubles, a triple and three RBI. White entered the month of May with a .213 batting average, but wrapped up the season, hitting .324 (24-for-74) with three home runs and 10 RBI over his final 18 contests.
* Vanderbilt saw itself trailing for the first time since the opening game of the Louisville Regional when Cardinal right fielder Ryan Wright hit a 3-run home run to center field in the fourth inning. The Commodores dropped their first game of the regional to Middle Tennessee, 5-4, on Friday.
* Commodore starter Mike Minor allowed eight earned runs in the Louisville Regional, all coming off home runs. Minor surrendered two home runs in Vanderbilt’s 5-4 loss to Middle Tennessee (5/29) and a three-run shot against Louisville. Minor finished his outing against the Cardinals, giving up four hits and two walks to go along with four strikeouts.
* Minor’s four strikeouts against the Cardinals gave the left-hander 114 strikeouts on the season. The effort moved the junior past Jeff Peeples (113) for sixth on Vanderbilt’s single-season list. Minor ranks fourth on the Commodores’ career strikeout list with 306, behind David Price (441), Mike Willis (350) and Jeremy Sowers (327).
* The Commodores lead the all-time series against Louisville 14-3. Vanderbilt forced today’s regional-deciding game with an 8-4 win on Sunday. Earlier this season, Vanderbilt defeated host Louisville 4-3 in 10 innings on April 22.
