FROM CBD NEWS SOURCE
Nashville, Tenn. – The Vanderbilt baseball team opens the 2013 season at Hawkins Field for the first time since 2010 as part of a 35-game home schedule.
The Commodores opening series against Long Beach State starts on Friday, February 15 and will be the first meeting between the two schools. The tradition-rich 49ers finished last season 28-27 as the third-best team in the Big West. The Dores travel across town to take on Atlantic Sun champion Belmont on February 19 in the first of two meetings between the two schools. Monmouth (February 22-24) and Illinois-Chicago (March 1-3) visit Nashville before Vanderbilt’s trip to Oregon (March 8-10) to take on the Ducks. Oregon hosted and won a NCAA Regional last season before falling one game short of the College World Series with a Super Regional loss to Kent State in Eugene, Ore.
Southeastern Conference play follows the Dores’ trip to Oregon with a visit to Auburn (March 15-17) on SEC Opening Weekend. Vanderbilt’s last trip to Auburn in 2011 produced the school’s first-ever sweep of the Tigers in Auburn. The Commodores open an eight-game home stand at Hawkins Field against Florida (March 22-24) and host Tennessee (March 29-31) the following weekend. The first home SEC series of the season has seen the Dores win three straight with series wins over Georgia, Mississippi State and Kentucky. Vanderbilt travels to Ole Miss (April 5-7) for the first time since 2008 before returning home to welcome new conference member, Missouri (April 12-14). The Tigers and Commodores have never played. Vanderbilt finishes league play with three of the final five series on the road starting with a trip to Georgia (April 19-21), where the Dores claimed a share of the SEC crown in 2011 on the final day of the regular season. SEC Tournament champ Mississippi State (April 26-28) comes to Nashville for a showdown of the two teams from last year’s SEC Tournament championship game. The Dores then start a tough two-week stretch with a trip to defending SEC East champ South Carolina (May 3-5) followed by a trip to Kentucky (May 10-12). Alabama (May 16-18) visits Hawkins Field to wrap up the regular season with the series starting on Thursday.
“Our schedule presents some large pre-SEC and mid-week challenges,” Vanderbilt Head Coach Tim Corbin said. “It is very understood throughout college baseball that you must play quality opposition, both on the road and at home to strengthen your RPI. Our conference schedule naturally affirms this, but our non-conference schedule helps to reassure it.”
In midweek, non-conference action, Vandy hosts Lipscomb March 26 in the first game between the two teams since 2010. The Commodores will renew their rivalry with Louisville in the Battle of the Barrel at Louisville April 23. Local rival Middle Tennessee State will play a home-and-home series with the Dores starting in Murfreesboro on March 20 and shifting to Nashville on April 2. Vanderbilt does not play SEC foe Arkansas during the regular season but will host a pair of schools from the Natural State when Central Arkansas (February 20) and Arkansas State (February 26) visit Hawkins Field. The Commodores and Red Wolves have played only one game in history coming in 2004. Eastern Illinois, the alma mater of Associate Head Coach/Pitching Coach Derek Johnson, comes to Nashville March 5. Coach Corbin’s head coaching career will come full circle when the Dores host Presbyterian May 8. Corbin’s first head coaching job came at Presbyterian, where he compiled a 106-138 record from 1988-93.
The Commodores host their annual Black & Gold series starting Thursday, October 25 at 6:30 p.m. The final two games of the three-game series will be Friday, October 26 at 6:30 p.m. and Sunday, October 28 at 1 p.m. For more information call 615.322.GOLD or visit vucommodores.com.
2013 Vanderbilt Schedule (PDF)
