What Can Be Gleaned From No. 16 Vanderbilt's Performance in the Desert Invitational?

Talk about an up-and-down weekend, right?

After the Vandy Boys had a so-so start against Grand Canyon University en route to a one-run win, fans hoped that the 'Dores would come out in their next game with a bit more fire underneath them. Instead, the team suffered a loss to Nebraska following a poor start from Ethan McElvain.

All of that came to a head on Sunday, when it seemed like the lineup finally put it together to deliver multiple crooked numbers in various innings in the team's 9-8 win over UC Irvine. The driving force of that win, though, was a monstrous grand slam from Riley Nelson.

So, after that roller coaster of a three game stretch, what can the squad improve upon before its next matchup against Air Force back in Nashville on Tuesday.

Pitching Concerns

The main area of content thus far has been on the bump, and rightfully so. By and large, the Vanderbilt rotation has been solid, but when they've gotten shelled, it's been emphatic. McElvain was the first to get rung up this weekend, but earlier today, freshman RHP Hudson Barton and Matthew Shorey joined him in those pursuits, as they gave up 6 runs in 1.1 IP.

Is this the end of the world as Vandy fans know it? Absolutely not. The Vandy arm stable is still one of the best in the country, and one rough outing in a young season isn't enough to put someone in purgatory going forward. However, it does mean that there are a few players who the staff believe to be key contributors that need to be put under the microscope in the coming weeks.

Lineup Slumps

Before exploding for 9 runs today, the Dores only managed to scratch across a total of eight in their last two games combined.

Truthfully, those numbers should come along. Vanderbilt didn't get the lift it needed out of the heart of its lineup against a really good Nebraska team, but the group responded when it mattered against Irvine. Air Force is no scrub, though, and if the lineup can keep seeing competent pitching as much as possible before conference play, it will only help as the summer slowly creeps towards us.

The trick is going to be mature plate appearances. In the loss against Nebraska, the team only drew five walks as a whole. Part of that came as a result of the Nebraska staff throwing some really great ball, but often times, it was key pieces of the Vanderbilt lineup watching hittable pitches go by or swinging out of their shoes. Again, nothing a little time at the plate can't fix, but it's something to be aware of going forward.

Overall, the Vandy Boys should be just fine. Now at 2-1, the hopes for an undefeated season may be dashed (pun intended), but if a team wins two out of every three games it plays, it tends to end with quite the dog pile in Omaha.