NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Each week This Week on West End takes a closer look at what’s in store for the Commodores in the coming days.
Another busy week includes two Commodore basketball contests – one on the road and one back inside Memorial Gymnasium – and the start of Vanderbilt baseball’s preseason training.
Tim Corbin’s squad last played a competitive game in March and didn’t get a chance to repeat its 2019 national championship. Vandy is now scheduled to open the 2021 season in mid-February.
Vanderbilt women’s tennis and Vanderbilt men’s tennis each have a pair of matches this weekend, both at the Currey Tennis Center.
Here’s more of all the other happenings around West End this week:
Baseball
Beginning his 19th season as head coach in Nashville, Corbin will continue to mold and shape his unit over the next few weeks leading up to the season-opener Feb. 19. Vandy begins preseason training Friday at Hawkins Field.
The Commodores return pitchers Kumar Rocker and Jack Leiter, outfielders Cooper Davis and Isaiah Thomas, infielders Jayson Gonzalez, Tate Kolywck, Carter Young and Parker Noland and catcher CJ Rodriguez, among many others.
Vanderbilt will face Wright State for a three-game series to start the season and, a month later, opens SEC play against South Carolina.
Men’s basketball
The Vandy men’s basketball team will look to break a five-game losing streak when it first travels to Florida (8-4, 5-3 SEC) at 5:30 p.m. CT Wednesday (SEC Network) and then hosts South Carolina (3-5, 1-3 SEC) at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Florida and Vanderbilt have met already once this season, a 91-72 Gators’ win in Nashville on Dec. 30.
Jerry Stackhouse’s team dropped a 92-71 decision to Arkansas on Saturday and were without six student-athletes due to COVID-19 or injury.
Women’s tennis
The Vanderbilt women’s tennis team (ranked 15th nationally) will look to continue its early-season momentum when it welcomes Miami (Florida) to Nashville at 11 a.m. Saturday.
A 7-0 win at Middle Tennessee and 6-1 win over Memphis this past weekend has the Dores at 3-0 after three matches and 20-1 overall in those contests.
Marcella Cruz, Anessa Lee, Christina Rosca, Anna Ross and Holly Staff are all 3-0 so far this season.
Miami has had just one match this season, a 6-1 win over Florida Atlantic. The Hurricanes are also scheduled to face Ole Miss on Friday in Nashville.
Men’s tennis
The Vanderbilt men’s tennis squad will make its debut at noon Sunday when it hosts cross-town rival Belmont.
Vandy will look to be led by George Harwell and Max Freeman. Harwell is ranked 117th nationally.
Sunday’s match will also be the season-opener for the Bruins.
