Midweek at No. 15 Vanderbilt Next Challenge for WKU

WKU Game Notes (PDF)
Game 32 Info: Video | Audio | Stats

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — WKU Baseball has an opportunity for its second ranked victory in four days when the Hilltoppers head to Nashville for a midweek contest at No. 15 Vanderbilt. First pitch of the Tuesday, April 10 matchup with the Commodores will be at 6:30 p.m.

In a 7-1 victory at No. 13 Southern Miss on Saturday, head coach John Pawlowski's club claimed its first win over a ranked team since a 7-3 game at No. 3 Louisville on April 22, 2015.

Series History
Vanderbilt leads the all-time series 62-33-2, with the first game between the two clubs a 2-0 WKU victory in 1913. In the 98th edition of the rivalry on the diamond, the Hilltoppers look to break a three-game losing skid dating back to 2014, when they defeated the Commodores 3-2 on Feb. 25.

On that day, host Vanderbilt was ranked No. 4 in the country, and WKU held on for the win after getting out to a 3-0 lead in the fifth. Scott Wilcox went 2-for-5 with two RBI, while Hunter Wood went 2-for-3 with the other RBI. Trevor Lowe went 3-for-4 and Philip Diedrick went 2-for-4, each with one run scored.

Starter Josh Bartley went a career-high six innings and allowed two runs, while allowing only three hits and striking out four. Then, the relief trio of Jackson Sowell, Brandon Allen and Ian Thompkins fired three scoreless to cap the game.

Los Angeles Dodgers top pitching prospect Walker Buehler started for the Commodores and took the loss, allowing three runs in six innings on nine hits, while striking out five. Atlanta Braves shortstop Dansby Swanson, who was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 MLB Draft, led off and went 1-for-3 with a runs scores, as well as two walks and one strikeout.

In the most recent matchup - on March 14, 2017 - Vanderbilt defeated the Hilltoppers by a score of 8-1, in a game that featured temperatures in the 30's with some snow flurries. WKU took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second with three consecutive singles by Kevin Lambert, Colie Currie and Ty Hogan.

But the Commodores struck for two unearned runs in the bottom half of that inning off starter Jeff Ciocco to take the lead for good. The hosts added one in the fifth, then five more in the seventh.

Midweek Preview
This year, No. 15 Vanderbilt stands with a record of 19-13, including 7-5 in SEC play. Before winning the final two games vs. Georgia this past weekend, the Commodores were on a six-game losing streak.

Vanderbilt has dropped four straight midweek games, although the most recent one was a bit hairy. On April 3 at Middle Tennessee, the Commodores were trailing 4-3 going into the eighth inning, then hit a grand slam in the top of the eighth to take a 7-4 lead. But before the bottom of the eighth could be completed, bad weather hit Murfreesboro and the Blue Raiders did not want to make an effort to finish the frame.

Therefore, the score reverted to the 4-3 mark from the end of the seventh inning, which would be the final.

Freshman lefty Jake Eder has started seven games for Vanderbilt this season, all of them midweek contests. He boasts a 4.08 ERA and a 1-3 record with 32 strikeouts in 28.2 innings, but also a .188 batting average against.

Outfielder J.J. Bleday leads the Commodores with a .372/.467/.526 sash line, but has missed the past seven games. Otherwise, utility player Austin Martin is slashing .340/.469/.437 with a team-high 26 runs and 13 stolen bases.

One of Vanderbilt's strengths is its team fielding, as the .984 percentage ranks second in the nation. The Commodores have made only 18 errors in 32 games, compared the 36 by their opponents.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Jeff Ciocco

Colie Currie

Ty Hogan

Kevin Lambert

Jackson Sowell

Hunter Wood