Vanderbilt Baseball Weekly Report – March 4, 2024
Overall Record: 10-3, 0-0 SEC
Streak: W5
Last Week’s Results (5-0)
Tuesday, February 27 vs. Indiana State – W, 20-4 (7 inn.)
Wednesday, February 28 vs. Evansville – W, 7-3
Friday, March 1 vs. Louisiana* – W, 7-4
Saturday, March 2 vs. Houston* – W, 3-1
Sunday, March 3 vs. Texas* – W, 14-11
* – Minute Maid Park – Houston, Texas
This Week (All times central)
Tuesday, March 5 vs. Eastern Michigan – 4:30 p.m.
Friday, March 8 vs. Illinois State – 4:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 9 vs. Illinois State – 1 p.m.
Sunday, March 10 vs. Illinois State – 1 p.m.
Commodore Notes
Vanderbilt went 5-0 on the week including three wins at the Astros Foundation College Classic in Houston over the weekend. Vandy’s 64 hits last week were tied with North Carolina for most in DI. The Commodores hit .376 over the five-game stretch, second best in the SEC and eighth nationally. Camden Kozeal led all DI hitters with 14 hits and received SEC Freshman of the Week honors.
Vanderbilt started things off with a run-rule victory in seven innings over Indiana State on Tuesday, a team that was previously unbeaten. The Dores put 20 runs on the board. Kozeal was one of five Commodores who drove in multiple runs Tuesday. The freshman went 4-for-5 with five RBI and hit his first collegiate homer, a three-run shot in the third inning. Jacob Humphrey and RJ Austin each drove in four runs. Troy LaNeve had a three-RBI night and Calvin Hewett drove in a pair as well.
The Dores then hosted Evansville and defeated the Aces 7-3. Ethan McElvain, Sawyer Hawks, Ryan Ginther and Alex Kranzler each tossed two innings for Vanderbilt and Brennan Seiber handled the ninth inning. The five pitchers combined to strikeout 10 batters and none allowed more than one hit. At the plate, RJ Austin went 3-for-5 and scored twice. The sophomore recorded three of Vanderbilt’s five stolen bases. The first five batters in the Vandy lineup each drove in a run led by Jayden Davis with two RBI.
The Dores then went on the road for the first time, traveling south to Houston to face three teams at the Astros Foundation College Classic at Minute Maid Park.
Vandy fell behind 3-0 to Louisiana on Friday before rallying back to win 7-4. Alan Espinal provided the go-ahead hit in the bottom of the seventh. With the score tied 3-3 and two runners on base, Espinal rocketed a three-run blast to the bleachers in left to put the Commodores in front 6-3.
Starting pitcher Bryce Cunningham turned in a career performance on the mound Saturday to help Vanderbilt defeat Houston 3-1. Cunningham struck out a career-high eight batters over 5.2 innings of work to collect his first win on the season. The righty held Houston to one run on four hits. Matthew Polk put on a show with his bat and glove, hitting his first home run on the season to give the Dores an early lead and making a leaping catch at the wall in the bottom of the seventh to save a run and take away an extra-base hit.
Sunday’s contest against No. 15 Texas was a thriller. Vanderbilt scored 11 unanswered runs to overcome an eight-run deficit and defeat the Longhorns 14-11. The Dores trailed 11-3 after four innings before scoring 11 consecutive runs, highlighted by a five-run seventh inning that gave Vandy its first lead on the day. Kozeal drove in three runs on a 4-for-5 day at the plate. LaNeve delivered the big hit, a three-run triple in the bottom of the seventh that tied the game. LaNeve finished with four RBI. Kozeal, Espinal and Jonathan Vastine each homered in the win.
Along with SEC Freshman of the Week honors, Kozeal was also named to the Astros Foundation College Classic All-Tournament Team along with Bryce Cunningham.
Sunday’s win brought head coach Tim Corbin’s career win total to 999.
The Commodores return home this week to host Eastern Michigan at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday at Hawkins Field. Vandy will play a three-game series against Illinois State this weekend, beginning Friday at 4:30 p.m.
Rankings
Team
- Batting average (.327) – 4th in SEC, 21st in DI
- Doubles (38) – 1st in SEC, 3rd in DI
- Fielding percentage (0.984) – 3rd in SEC, 15th in DI
- Hits (144) – 1st in SEC, 4th in DI
- Runs (112) – 5th in SEC, 18th in DI
- Stolen bases (29) – 2nd in SEC, 11th in DI
- Triples (4) – 3rd in SEC, 35th in DI
Individual
- Doubles
- Jayden Davis (6) – T-1st in SEC, 28th in DI
- Davis Diaz (6) – T-1st in SEC, 28th in DI
- Troy LaNeve (6) – T-1st in SEC, 28th in DI
- Jonathan Vastine (5) – 5th in SEC, 78th in DI
- Hits
- RJ Austin (19) – 4th in SEC
- Camden Kozeal (18) – 6th in SEC
- Runs
- RJ Austin (16) – 7th in SEC
- Stolen Bases
- RJ Austin (10) – T-1st in SEC, 7th in DI
- Calvin Hewett (8) – 3rd in SEC, 13th in DI
- Jacob Humphrey (6) – 5th in SEC
- Strikeouts
- Bryce Cunningham (20) – 9th in SEC
- Carter Holton (19) – 12th in SEC
- Strikeouts per nine innings
- Carter Holton (13.15) – 10th in SEC
