#2 Sonny Gray Season 2008-09
RHP
Coach Corbin Quote: “Sonny is one of the most talented and competitive pitchers that I have coached. He had a very successful sophomore year and was able to represent our country for the second year in a row on the USA National Team. He has a special arm and array of pitches, but what makes him different is his ability to compete at a very high level. He will lead our team and staff again this year.”
2011: Pitched five innings to win his sixth game of the year at Auburn 4/1 to move into 10th place all-time alone… Struck out 12 and turned in his second complete game of the year in loss at Arkansas 3/25… Won his fifth game of the year to move into a tie for 10th all-time at VU and struck out 10 to move into eighth place all time in win over Mississippi State 3/18… Struck out nine over seven scoreless innings in fourth straight win, 36 strikeouts over last 20 innings, against UIC 3/11… Named SEC Pitcher of the Week for Week 3 performance against Brown… Turned in his second career complete game and struck out a career-best 15 with no walk in win over Brown 3/4… Out dueled fellow preseason All-American Mark Appel in win over Stanford 2/25 striking out six and allowing one run on three hits over six innings… Struggled in his first inning of the year allowing three runs but rebounded with 3.1 no-hit innings to win at USD on Opening Day 2/18… Named a preseason All-American by Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball.
2010: Second-team All-SEC selection… SEC All-Defensive Team selection… Went 10-5 with a 3.48 ERA in 19 appearances (16 starts) on the year… Led the team in strikeouts (113), innings pitched (108.2) and walks (48) while opponents hit .246… Ranked second in the SEC in strikeouts (113)… Struck out at least eight batters in seven starts on the year … Allowed two runs on seven hits with three strikeouts and three walks in six-innings, picking up 10th win of year against Florida State in game two of Super Regional (6/12)… Went 0-1 with a 6.75 ERA and 10 strikeouts in 9.1 innings (two appearances) at the NCAA Louisville Regional… Was phenomenal in only start of SEC Tournament, fanning eight batters while allowing seven hits in seven scoreless frames against Arkansas (5/26) to improve to 9-4 on the year… Allowed three runs on seven hits in eight innings with 9 strikeouts and three walks against Arkansas (5/20) in eighth win of the season… Allowed five runs scattering seven hits over five innings with five strikeouts and a walk, earning the win against Mississippi St. (5/14)… Earned first save of the season in series finale with LSU, allowing one run on two hits with three strikeouts in final 1.1 innings of relief (5/9)… Tied a career-high by giving up seven runs on seven hits in three innings, with four walks and three strikeouts in no-decision at LSU (5/7)… Notched second straight win with stellar outing against Tennessee (4/23), allowing one run on three hits while tying a season-high with 10 strikeouts in seven innings against the Vols… Earned fifth win of the season against Auburn (4/16), allowing three runs, one earned on seven hits in 6.1 innings with seven strikeouts and five walks… Earned the loss despite allowing only three runs on seven hits with five walks and eight strikeouts in nine innings (first complete game of career) vs. South Carolina (4/9)… Allowed two runs on four hits with five walks and seven strikeouts, earning the loss against Florida in series opener (4/2)… Earned SEC Pitcher of the Week honors for the second time in five weeks after throwing seven innings of four-hit shutout baseball to go along with six strikeouts and three walks in 7-0 win against Kentucky (3/26)… Earned second loss of the season, despite allowing only three runs, one earned, scattering five hits with four strikeouts and four walks in 5.2 innings against Alabama (3/19)… Allowed three runs on six hits with five strikeouts and three walks in 8.0 innings of work, earning third win of the season against Ohio (3/12)… Registered second win of the year against Kent State, allowing one run on five hits with three walks while striking out a career high 10 batters in 7-1 win over the Golden Flashes (3/5)… Earned first loss of the season after allowing six runs, five earned, scattering seven hits with six strikeouts and two walks against UCLA in Dodgertown Classic (2/26)… Earned SEC Pitcher of the Week honors after throwing 8.0 innings of three-hit shutout baseball to go along with eight strikeouts and one walk in 9-0 win over Niagara (2/21).
2009: Went 5-1 with a 4.30 ERA in 22 appearances … Struck out 72 in 58.2 innings of work… Led the team in saves with five… Started the year as a closer and recorded four saves before moving into a starter[apos]s role against Georgia on May 8… Named to Louisville Slugger[apos]s Freshman All-American team… Struck out three and allowed one hit in 1.2 innings of scoreless relief against Louisville (6/1)… Scattered seven hits while striking out 10 batters in season-high eight shutout innings against Indiana (5/30)… Allowed four runs scattering eight hits and three walks while striking out a season-high 11 batters in seven-inning start against South Carolina at the SEC Tournament (5/21)… Allowed four runs scattering eight hits and no walks with four strikeouts in four-inning start against Tennessee (5/14)… Held Georgia to one run and three hits while striking out seven batters, earning fourth win of the season in first collegiate start at Georgia (5/8)… Allowed a career-high seven runs and eight hits with four strikeouts in four innings of middle relief against South Carolina (5/3)… Picked up the save against Mississippi State on (4/26), allowing three hits and one earned run, while striking out a career high six batters in 2.2 innings of work… Gave up two hits and a walk in two innings of work against Louisville on 4/22… Took loss against Alabama on 4/17, allowing six earned runs, six hits, and two walks… Picked up the win with one run and one walk in 1.2 innings of work vs. Middle Tennessee on 4/14… Named SEC Freshman of the Week (4/6) after picking up a win and save in the series win over Florida … Pitched two innings of one-hit scoreless relief with three strikeouts in win over Gators (4/5) … Picked up fourth save of year, closing out Florida (4/4) with an inning of one-hit scoreless relief with a walk and strikeout … Allowed three runs on three hits in 1.2 innings of relief against Auburn (3/29) … Threw final inning, allowing no runs and no hits against Wright State (3/25)… Tossed three innings of scoreless relief, allowing three hits and two walks while fanning two in Sunday game against Kentucky (3/22)… Earned his third save of the season in series finale with UK… Allowed one run and two hits with three strikeouts in 3.2 innings of relief, earning the win in the second game of doubleheader against Ole Miss… The win against Ole Miss was the first of his collegiate career… Picked up second save of the year with 0.2 innings of work in ninth inning against UIC (3/7)… Allowed one run, zero earned, on one hit with one strikeout and one walk in second game of UIC series (3/5)… Threw a scoreless ninth with two strikeouts in 10-3 win over Lipscomb (3/3)… Notched first career save with scoreless ninth inning, scattering one hit with one strikeout against Western Kentucky (2/25)… Struck out one and hit one in an inning of work against Cal (2/23)… Made first career appearance in first game of the season at Stanford (2/20)… Allowed three hits and one walk with three strikeouts in 3.0 innings of scoreless relief vs. Stanford (2/20)… Spent the summer pitching for the USA National Team, going 3-1 with a 0.75 ERA in eight appearances. Struck out 27 in 24 innings while opponents hit only .139 off him.
High School: Named to the AFLAC All-American game… Helped Smyrna H.S. baseball team to a No. 3 ranking in Tenn., during junior year… As a quarterback, led his team to back to back football state championships… Drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 27th round of the 2008 First-year Draft… Ranked as the No. 52 draft prospect by Baseball America… Ranked as the 67th best draft prospect by Perfect Game… Went 4-0 with a 0.79 ERA and 78 strikeouts in 35 innings. Hit .518 including three home runs during senior season… Was a four-year letterwinner and starter in baseball, and a three-year letterwinner and starter in football… Was the football captain for two years, and the baseball captain his senior year…Voted Best All-Around and Homecoming King by his peers… Also played for the Brentwood A’s.
Personal: Sonny Douglas Gray… Born 11/07/89… Son of Barry and Cindy Craig and the late Jesse Gray… Nickname is Hace Sol … Has four siblings, Jessica, Katie, Donovan and Celtain… A sociology major… Lists David Price as his favorite pro athlete in baseball… Other favorites include the movie Sandlot, the TV show Rob N Big, Denzel Washington, Tiger Woods, sushi, and the musical group Lady Antebellum… Would be a football player if he weren[apos]t playing baseball… If he could change one thing about his sport it would be to change from aluminum to wood bats… Ten years from now he hopes to be playing major league baseball… His advice to youngsters is to speak softly but carry a big stick… Chose Vanderbilt because of the great coaching staff, fans and friends.