SERIES PREVIEW: Vanderbilt closes the regular season with a three-game series against Arkansas at Hawkins Field beginning Thursday.
- Vanderbilt is 31-34 all-time against Arkansas since the two sides first met in 1970.
- Vandy took two of three from the Razorbacks last season in Fayetteville. Enrique Bradfield Jr. hit a three-run homer in the top of the 10th to lead Vandy to a win in Game 1 last season.
- Vanderbilt will honor its seven seniors, along with two graduate students and two student managers, during the series this week.
LAST TIME OUT: Vanderbilt edged Louisville in 12 innings last Tuesday night for a 12-8 win in the Battle of the Barrel.
- Vanderbilt and Louisville combined to use 21 pitchers in the contest.
- Enrique Bradfield Jr. singled home two runs to start a four-run inning in the 12th to help lead the Dores past the Cards.
- After the midweek victory, Vanderbilt stumbled in a three-game series at No. 7 Florida over the weekend, dropping all three games to the Gators.
VANDY VS. SEC OPPONENTS: Vanderbilt is outscoring SEC opponents 185-139 this season.
- In SEC games, Vandy leads the league in fielding percentage (.986), is second in hitting (.283) and is third in pitching (4.96).
- RJ Schreck ranks top-5 in the league in slugging, on-base percentage and RBIs, the only player in the SEC to rank top-5 in all three categories. He’s also sixth in batting average and tied for third in doubles.
- Enrique Bradfield Jr. has scored the fourth-most runs (31) and leads the league with 14 stolen bases and is fifth in walks (23) in SEC play.
POSTSEASON AWARDS: Vanderbilt is well-represented on multiple award watch lists.
- Jonathan Vastine is one of 25 semifinalists for the Brooks Wallace Award, honoring the nation’s top shortstops.
- Enrique Bradfield Jr. was named this week to the 2023 SEC Community Service Team.
- Four Commodores earned CSC Academic All-District honors. Jack Bulger, Parker Noland, Patrick Reilly and RJ Schreck are each eligible for Academic All-America in June.
- Enrique Bradfield Jr. and Carter Holton are two of 45 players named to the Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List.
- Devin Futrell is one of 61 pitchers on the College Baseball Foundation Pitcher of the Year watch list.
- Nick Maldonado is one of 56 pitchers named to the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Midseason Watch List.
THIRD AND SHORT: Davis Diaz and Jonathan Vastine moved to third base and shortstop, respectively beginning March 3 vs. Nebraska. Since then the duo have committed just five errors combined.
- Vastine was recently named a semifinalist for the Brooks Wallace Award for the nation’s top shortstop.
COMMODORE CHALLENGE: Vanderbilt has one of the nation’s toughest schedules in 2023.
- Vanderbilt enters the week seventh in RPI with the 17th toughest schedule.
- Vandy is 13-6 against teams ranked by either D1Baseball or USA Today and 18-12 against top-50 RPI opponents.
- The Commodores have 27 wins against top-100 RPI opponents, second most in D1 behind Wake Forest’s 30.
HOME AT THE HAWK: Several Commodores have enjoyed hitting at Hawkins Field this season.
- Five of Chris Maldonado’s six home runs have come at home.
- Matthew Polk is hitting .351 at Hawkins Field and Enrique Bradfield Jr. is hitting .330.
- As a team, the Dores are batting .294 at home versus .274 overall.
