March 26, 2018
Vanderbilt Baseball Weekly Report
Overall Record: 17-7, 5-1 SEC
Streak: W1
Last Week’s Results (2-2)
Wednesday, March 21 vs. Belmont – Loss 8-5
Friday, March 23 vs. LSU – Win 4-2
Saturday, March 24 vs. LSU – Loss 6-2
Sunday, March 25 vs. LSU – Win 1-0
This Week (Times Central)
Tuesday, March 27 vs. Lipscomb – First Tennessee Park – 6:30 p.m.
Friday, March 30 at Florida – 5:30 p.m. [SEC Network+]
Saturday, March 31 at Florida – 11:00 a.m. [ESPNU]
Sunday, April 1 at Florida – 11:00 a.m. [SEC Network]
Freshman/Pitcher of the Week Nominee
Mason Hickman, RHP, 6-6, 230, Hendersonville, Tenn.
Weekly totals: 1G/1GS, 1-0 W-L, 7.0IP, 2H, 0R/0ER, 2 BB, 9 K
Blanked No. 19 LSU as part of a seven-inning, complete game performance to clinch a 1-0 victory and series win against the Tigers on Sunday.
Did not allow a hit after the second inning, retiring 16 of the final 18 batters he faced including sitting down 12-straight at one point.
Hickman’s nine strikeouts marked a career-high while the seven-inning shutout was the first for a Vanderbilt player since Nick Christani accomplished the feat against Belmont on May 5, 2009.
The nine punch outs were also the most by a pitcher against LSU this season.
Commodore Notes
Vanderbilt captured 2-of-3 from No. 19 LSU over the weekend, bouncing back from a midweek defeat to Belmont on Wednesday.Commodore pitching posted a 2.88 ERA, limiting LSU to a .244 batting average. Vandy allowed a season-high eight runs Wednesday night, falling 8-5 to Belmont. The Commodores surrendered six walks and committed two errors in the loss while the Bruins overcame three errors and snapped a brief two-game losing streak in the series. Belmont scored five runs on three hits, three free passes and a Vanderbilt error against a trio of Commodore pitchers in the fifth inning, jumping ahead 6-1. Vandy rallied from an early two-run deficit thanks to a pair of two-run home runs to win the series opener 4-2 over No. 19 LSU at Hawkins Field on Friday night and improve to 4-0 in the Southeastern Conference for the first time since 1972. Pat DeMarco led the way for the Commodores with his team-best 10th two-hit game of the year. With his three walks Friday, Connor Kaiser reached base for the 25th straight game dating back to last season. The Dores stole six bases in the win with Kaiser and Ethan Paul swiping two each. LSU scratched back to take the middle game, 6-2. The matchup, which was suspended Saturday night due to inclement weather in the bottom of the eighth, saw the Tigers pounce for 11 hits and three runs apiece off starter Patrick Raby (2-3) and reliever Paxton Stover. LSU took a 3-0 lead after two innings and added three more between the seventh and eighth innings. Vanderbilt scored single runs in the sixth and seventh courtesy of two-out RBI-singles from JJ Bleday and Alonzo Jones. Mason Hickman offered up a lights-out performance, leading eighth-ranked Vanderbilt to a 1-0 victory and series-clinching win against No. 19 LSU on Sunday afternoon. The freshman pitched a seven-inning, complete-game shutout while limiting the Tigers to two hits. Hickman (5-0) stranded LSU runners in scoring position in the first and second innings but did not allow a hit the remainder of the way, retiring 16 of the final 18 batters he faced including sitting down 12-straight at one point. Vanderbilt returns to action on Tuesday, facing off against Lipscomb at Nashville’s First Tennesee Park. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. The Dores look to snap a three-game losing streak in midweek games. Vandy hits the road for the second time in SEC play and first time against an Eastern opponent, visiting rival Florida this weekend. Friday’s first pitch is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. CT on SEC Network Plus. Saturday’s middle game is set for 11 a.m. on ESPNU while Sunday’s finale is slated for 11 a.m. on the SEC Network.
