FROM CBD NEWS SOURCE
Nashville, Tenn. – Vanderbilt will host 34 home games at Hawkins Field in 2014 after opening the season at Long Beach State on February 14.
“Our schedule is very challenging and will most certainly give us a realistic indicator of where we are prior to the start of the SEC season,” head coach Tim Corbin said. “We have always tried to measure ourselves early against proven opponents and this year will be no different.”
The Commodores open the 2014 season on the west coast once again with a three-game set at Long Beach State. The Dirtbags visited Nashville last year to open the season with the Commodores taking two-of-three. The Dores then return home to host Lipscomb on February 19 to begin a 10-game home stand at Hawkins Field. Illinois-Chicago will be Vanderbilt’s first weekend series at home February 21-23. Former Commodore Jack Lupo returns to Nashville but will be in the other dugout after joining the Flames as the team’s volunteer assistant coach.
Midweek games vs. Western Kentucky (Feb. 25) and Evansville (Feb. 26) lead into a weekend showdown against national and Pac-12 power Stanford (Feb. 28 – March 1). The Cardinal return to Hawkins Field for the first time since 2011 when VU won the series. The two teams renew a series that was last played in 2012 in Palo Alto, Calif. to open the season. The Dores wrap up the home stand with the team’s annual game against Tennessee Tech March 4. The game vs. the Golden Eagles also kicks off the Commodores second straight five-game week with a trip to Middle Tennessee State on March 5 and a three-game series vs. Winthrop (March 7-9) to conclude Vandy’s non-conference weekend series.
The Commodores host Eastern Illinois March 11 before opening Southeastern Conference play vs. LSU (March 14-16). The SEC opening weekend series is a rematch of last year’s SEC Tournament Championship Game that saw the Tigers rally by the Dores in an epic game. Vanderbilt swept LSU the last time the two teams played in Nashville in 2011 and the Dores have won five straight series vs. the Tigers dating back to 2006. The following week brings four road games as the Commodores face cross-town rival Belmont at Rose Park March 18 and travel to 2013 national runner-up Mississippi State for a three-game weekend series March 21-23. Vandy beat the Bulldogs four times last season but return to Starkville, Miss. for the first time since 2012 when the Bulldogs claimed the series.
Belmont repays the visit on March 25 at Hawkins Field as the Commodores’ midweek game before Kentucky comes to Nashville for the weekend of March 28-30. The Dores swept the Wildcats last season to clinch the SEC title outright with one week left in the regular season. The last time UK visited Hawkins Field in 2012, Vandy took two-of-three from the then top-ranked Cats. Vanderbilt opens the month of April with a road trip to Tennessee April 4-6. The Commodores have won three straight series vs. the Volunteers and are 8-1 against UT in the last three years.
Texas A&M makes its first-ever trip to Hawkins Field April 11-13. The two schools had never played until meeting twice in the SEC Tournament last season and splitting the two games. Vandy hosts Middle Tennessee State April 15 before heading to Arkansas April 18-20 to take on the Razorbacks. The trip to Fayetteville, Ark. will be the first for the Dores since 2011 when VU took two-of-three from the Hogs. The two teams have not played since a 3-2 Vandy win in the SEC Tournament in 2011.
Vanderbilt returns to The Ballpark at Jackson (formerly Pringles Park) in Jackson, Tenn. to take on Memphis April 22. The Commodores have not played the Tigers since 2008 when the two teams met at Pringles Park. Georgia heads to Hawkins Field for the weekend of April 25-27. The Dores have won four straight series vs. the Bulldogs dating back to 2009.
The Commodores start a tough seven-game stretch with the team’s first-ever trip to Missouri May 2-4. Vandy swept the Tigers last season outscoring Mizzou 29-10 over the weekend in the first meeting between the two schools. The Battle of the Barrel returns to Hawkins Field May 6 when Louisville visits. The Commodores have won both editions of the Battle of the Barrel, taking last year’s game 10-2 at Louisville. Another tough weekend road trip wraps up the Dores’ road portion of league play at Florida May 9-11. The Commodores took the series against the Gators last season for the first time since 2009.
Vanderbilt concludes the regular season with four games at home – a midweek game against Southeast Missouri State (May 13) and a weekend series vs. South Carolina. The Commodores won all three games against the Gamecocks in 2013, winning twice in Columbia, S.C. and once at the SEC Tournament.
The Commodores are set to open fall practice on Monday, October 14 with the Black & Gold Series scheduled for November 14, 15 and 17.
