Update: Saturday’s game has been moved to a 1 p.m. start.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Sixth-ranked Vanderbilt hosts third-ranked Ole Miss for a three-game SEC series beginning Thursday at Hawkins Field.
SERIES PREVIEW: Vanderbilt opens conference play winners of seven of the last eight games.
- Vanderbilt opens SEC action Thursday as defending national champion Ole Miss visits Hawkins Field.
- Game 1 on Thursday will start at 6 p.m. and air on ESPNU. Friday’s game is also at 6 p.m. and will air on SEC Network+. Saturday’s finale will be at 11 a.m. on SEC Network.
- Vanderbilt has won four consecutive SEC openers. This marks the third straight season the Dores will open the conference slate at home.
- Vandy and Ole Miss have met 137 times with the Dores trailing in the all-time series 72-63-2. Vandy met Ole Miss in the SEC Tournament last season, winning that game 3-1.
WEEKEND PROMOTIONS:
Thursday: BLACK OUT at The Hawk
- The first 1,500 fans will receive a free black VandyBoys t-shirt.
Friday: Bobblehead Night!
Kyle Wright Bobblehead Giveaway
- The first 1,000 Vanderbilt fans will receive a limited-edition Kyle Wright bobblehead. Giveaway is limited to one per person. Must be present to pick up.
- Every Friday from gate opening time until first pitch, we will offer happy hour specials on select food items and drinks.
Vandyville (Saturday only)
- Prior to every SEC Saturday home game, fans of all ages can kick off their game day experience with inflatables, tailgate games, arts and crafts and more! Vandyville will open at 9:30 a.m. in the McGugin lot and close at first pitch. Fans do not need a ticket to participate!
LAST TIME OUT: Vanderbilt beat Belmont 15-6 Tuesday at First Horizon Park, home of the Nashville Sounds.
- Vanderbilt is playing two All 4 Lou Showdown games at First Horizon Park this season with proceeds from both games benefiting the Live Like Lou Foundation. Vandy will play Lipscomb next Tuesday in the second matchup.
- Freshman RJ Austin totaled four hits on the night and junior Jack Bulger homered and drove in four runs.
- Enrique Bradfield Jr. worked four walks and stole three bases in the win.
A LEAGUE OF HIS OWN: Enrique Bradfield Jr. stole his 97th career base vs. UCLA (Feb. 26) to break the program record set by Charles DeFrance (1980-82).
- Bradfield leads all active players in NCAA baseball (I, II and III) with 105 career stolen bases.
- The junior outfielder’s 105 career stolen bases ranks sixth in SEC history. Tennessee’s Mike Basse (1989-91) holds the all-time record of 145. South Carolina’s Mike Curry is fifth at 122.
- Bradfield stole 46 or more bases in each of his first two seasons. He was 46-for-46 in 2022 after going 47-53 as a freshman in 2021.
ON THE MOUND: Vanderbilt’s pitching has been dominant over the last seven games.
- Vandy’s staff owns a 2.03 ERA with a no-hitter and a shutout over that span.
- The Dores are 6-1 and the arms have racked up 86 strikeouts while holding opposing hitters to a .160 average.
- Six Commodores combined for 24 strikeouts last Wednesday vs. Evansville in a 2-1, 17-inning win, breaking the program record for single-game strikeouts.
SUPERB SOUTHPAWS: Left-handed pitchers Carter Holton, Hunter Owen and Devin Futrell have anchored the weekend
starting rotation this season.
- Combined, the trio owns a 2.75 ERA with 65 strikeouts over 55.2 innings.
- Holton is 1-0 with a 2.21 ERA and 25 Ks. Owen is 1-0 with a 3.20 ERA and 24 Ks and Futrell is 3-1 with a 2.87 ERA and 16 Ks.
AT THE PLATE: A look at some of Vanderbilt’s top offensive
performers.
- Graduate RJ Schreck is hitting .421 (16-for-38) over the last 10 games. He has three homers, four doubles, a triple, 10 RBIs and 10 runs scored over that span.
- Freshmen RJ Austin and Chris Maldonado have made immediate impacts in the lineup. Austin has a team-high nine multi-hit games. Seven of Maldonado’s first 11 collegiate hits have gone for extra bases (six 2Bs, one HR)
- Enrique Bradfield Jr. is hitting .467 (7-for-15) with runners in scoring position.
NATIONAL RANKINGS: Where the Dores rank statistically among NCAA DI teams.
- 18th (1st SEC) – Double plays turned (15)
- 22nd – ERA (3.36)
- 6th – Hits allowed per nine (6.34)
- 5th (3rd SEC) – Shutouts (3)
- 17th – Strikeouts per nine (11.4)
- 20th (3rd SEC) – Triples (7)
- 15th – WHIP (1.16)
Individuals
- Nick Maldonado – 21st (T-1 SEC) – Saves (3)
- Enrique Bradfield Jr. – 11th (T-1 SEC) – Stolen bases (12)
- RJ Schreck – 35th (2nd SEC) – Triples (2)
NO-NO NOTES: Vanderbilt’s four no-hitters since 2019 is most in NCAA DI.
- Greysen Carter, Sam Hliboki, Ryan Ginther and Nick Maldonado combined for a no-hitter March 5 at Minnesota.
- Hliboki went 3.2 innings with eight strikeouts and earned the win.
- Vanderbilt is the only team to have a no-hitter in each of the last three seasons and each of the last four full seasons.
- All four of Vanderbilt’s no-hitters since 2019 have come against Power 5 opponents.
COMMODORE CHALLENGE: Vanderbilt has one of the nation’s toughest schedules in 2023.
- Vanderbilt has 11 opponents on the 2023 schedule that made the NCAA Tournament last season.
- Vandy is 5-2 against teams ranked by either D1Baseball or USA Today.
