Dec. 22, 2014
Nashville, Tenn. – For the first time in program history Vanderbilt will open the season as the top-ranked team in the nation after garnering the top spot from Collegiate Baseball’s preseason poll.
The Commodores are coming off the team’s first national championship in 2014 and return a talented and experienced roster for the 2015 season. Collegiate Baseball named four Commodores to its preseason All-American team, including three first team members in Walker Buehler, Carson Fulmer and Dansby Swanson. Two starting pitchers (Fulmer and Tyler Ferguson) from last season’s weekend rotation return along with six starting position players (Swanson, Bryan Reynolds, Rhett Wiseman, Zander Wiel, Jason Delay and Karl Ellison). In all, 17 letter winners from the championship roster return to West End for 2015.
The No. 1 preseason ranking bests the program’s previous preseason high-mark of No. 2 in the Baseball America poll set in 2013. For the third straight season Vanderbilt will spend time at No. 1 in the nation having earned the top spot at various points in the in 2013 and 2014 seasons.
Vanderbilt leads the way for the Southeastern Conference, which placed three teams in the top ten and seven teams in the Fabulous 40 poll. The Commodores’ 2015 schedule features games against No. 2 TCU, No. 6 Florida, No. 10 UCLA, No. 12 Louisville, No. 21 South Carolina, No. 33 Tennessee and No. 36 Arkansas.
The Commodores open the season at Hawkins Field February 13 against Santa Clara at 4 p.m. The team’s annual banquet is set for January 31 at the Omni Hotel in downtown Nashville. A limited number of season tickets remain for the 2015 season. For more information on season tickets or the baseball banquet visit vucommodores.com or calling 615.322.GOLD.
Collegiate Baseball Fabulous 40 preseason poll
1. Vanderbilt
2. TCU
3. Virginia
4. LSU
5. Oklahoma St.
6. Florida
7. Texas
8. Houston
9. Texas Tech
10. UCLA
11. Florida St.
12. Louisville
13. Cal. Poly
14. Miami, Fla.
15. Oregon
16. U.C. Santa Barbara
17. Cal. St. Fullerton
18. Stanford
19. Arizona St.
20. Mississippi St.
21. South Carolina
22. Rice
23. Liberty
24. North Carolina
25. College of Charleston
26. Georgia Tech
27. Kennesaw St.
28. Clemson
29. St. John’s
30. Kent St.
31. Ball St.
32. Wichita St.
33. Tennessee
34. San Diego
35. Loyola Marymount
36. Arkansas
37. Maryland
38. Nebraska
39. U.C. Irvine
40. Illinois
