Vanderbilt Baseball Notebook: Searching for Strikes, Signs of Life, A Defining Weekend Ahead

NASHVILLE — Vanderbilt baseball got a much-needed victory Tuesday at Hawkins Field, defeating Tennessee Tech 15-5 to snap a five-game losing streak. The Commodores were swept by Mississippi State over the weekend and found themselves tied for the worst overall record in the SEC entering Tuesday’s game.

While Tim Corbin’s squad has run into some bad injury luck, it’s also failed to produce at a consistent level when on the field. Vanderbilt’s polarizing offense has had games where it’s looked dominant, but has also been held to four or fewer runs in 11 out of 26 games. The pitching has been even more of a question mark, as Scott Brown has seen his staff ravaged by injuries and has been forced to consistently throw inexperienced arms in high-leverage spots. Take Sunday for example, when freshman Tyler Baird — who’s thrown just 14.2 innings at the collegiate level — was forced into a starting role against one of the best offenses in the country in a hostile environment. Baird failed to record an out, departing the game after allowing three runs and leaving two more on base.

Vanderbilt got more sobering injury news Tuesday, when Corbin announced that sophomore starter Austin Nye will be out for the season with an injury — a massive blow to an already shorthanded pitching staff. Still, more help may be on its way. When it arrives, there’s no reason to think Vanderbilt can’t make a late-season push. It needs to keep its head above water for now, though.

Searching for Strikes

Before Tuesday’s game, Vanderbilt’s pitching had allowed 127 earned runs in 25 games. That’s 15 more than LSU, the next closest team.

Let that sink in for a minute. A program that’s long been known for competitive pitching — even when matched up against more talented hitters — has surrendered 15 more runs than any other team in the conference. Yikes.

To be clear, this isn’t a stuff issue. It’s not a talent issue, either. Sure, Vanderbilt could have — and probably should have — done more in the offseason to bring in some higher floor bullpen arms. Perhaps securing a surefire third weekend starter would have been a worthwhile investment. But when it comes down to it, Vanderbilt’s problem has been simple: it hasn’t thrown enough strikes.

Entering the game against Tennessee Tech, Vanderbilt was second-to-last in the SEC in the percentage of pitches thrown in the zone, and that’s also led to the second-most walks in the conference. For a program that typically doesn’t roster a lot of high-velocity, high-stuff pitchers, command is the essential ingredient for success. The old adage “solo home runs don’t beat you” is especially true in the college game, but by walking hitters, those solo home runs turn into game-crushers increasingly often. Vanderbilt will need to throw more strikes if it wants to remain competitive against the conference’s top teams. Tuesday wasn’t a great sign of a turnaround, as the staff allowed seven combined walks.

Signs of Life

Despite the pitching struggles, it hasn’t been all bad for the Commodores. The offense showed signs of life on Tuesday after a largely dormant weekend against a loaded Mississippi State pitching staff. Vanderbilt’s batting order scored 15 runs on 18 hits against the Golden Eagles’ pitching staff, with much of the production coming from the bottom of the order. Freshman Korbin Reynolds — who's stepped up in a big way behind the plate — had his best day of the season at the plate, driving in two runs in the first four innings on two hard-hit balls, one of which went for a triple. Rustan Rigdon also hit a couple of balls hard and was on base three times in the contest. Ryker Waite launched three extra-base hits — including a triple of his own — and scored three runs.

Those are promising signs for a lineup that initially looked like it may need to be carried by the top of the order. That’s proven to be false recently, with the bottom of the order picking it up as Brodie Johnston and Braden Holcomb have fallen back to earth after their scorching hot starts to the season.

Mike Mancini, batting in the leadoff spot for the first time this season, laced two doubles of his own and leads the team in OPS (OBP + SLG%). The former JMU standout has flown under the radar during his second season on West End, but he’s made a big impact while playing solid left field defense as well.

“I’m not trying to be perfect,” Mancini said after the game. “My approach is, you know, f*** it. Just go up there and see a good pitch to hit. We know we’re good, and we have a good mindset at the plate.”

Counting Vanderbilt’s offense — which remains second in the SEC in home runs and SLG% behind Georgia — out this early would be a mistake given the ceiling of this lineup when it’s clicking.

Now or Never in Nashville

Vanderbilt still has time to dig itself out of the early hole it's made, but it needs to start this weekend. The Commodores play host to their cross-state rival Tennessee Volunteers beginning Friday in a high-stakes clash for both teams.

A year after Vanderbilt swept the Vols in Knoxville in a series that had no shortage of fireworks between Andrew Fischer’s jawing at Vanderbilt’s infield when rounding the bases and Connor Fennell’s high-tempo gamesmanship, the Commodores will take on a Tennessee team led by someone other than Tony Vitello for the first time in eight seasons. Still, Josh Elander’s squad is fresh off a series win against Missouri and will be looking for revenge from a year ago. Tennessee’s pitching — led by Friday night starter Tegan Kuhns — is top five in the conference in ERA and rarely allows free passes. Vanderbilt will need to come out with energy and pop at the plate if it wants to turn its season around.

“We’re really not trying to beat our opponent; we’re trying to beat the game,” Mancini said. “But it’s always fun to whip up on our rival, so that’s our goal.”

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