So it's been a while...

I apologize for the lack of posting over the last 5 days or so. I was swamped at the end of last week and I was out of pocket for the weekend. Let's get down to it.

Yes folks, it might be time to get concerned about the Commodore pitching staff after last weekend's nightmare in Oxford. In case you missed it, the 'Dores dropped all three games, two of which in blowout fashion, against Ole Miss this past weekend. While many anticipated the story of the weekend series would be the return of Vanderbilt's All-American third baseman Pedro Alvarez, it was the abysmal Commodore pitching that stole the headlines. Rain pushed Friday's scheduled start, setting up a double header on Saturday. The first game pitted Vanderbilt's Mike Minor (3-2) against Lance Lynn (4-0) in what turned out to be rocky starts for both pitchers. Vanderbilt batters blasted Lynn for 6 runs on 8 hits in 4 innings. Minor absorbed the loss after giving up 7 runs (6 earned) on 9 hits in 6.2 innings of work. Rebels' reliever Scott Bittle proved to be the difference maker after replacing Lynn. Bittle pitched 5 innings of shutout ball, striking out 9 and allowing only 3 walks and 1 hit. With the 'Dores holding a 6-4 lead in the sixth, the Rebels rallied to score 3 runs in the bottom half of the frame. Neither team would score again as Ole Miss held on to win the game 7-6.

The second game proved to be worse for the Commodores as they lost 8-0. They were blanked by Rebel pitchers Drew Pomeranz (2-1) and Justin Cryer (2-3) who gave up just 6 hits. Commodore starter Caleb Cotham (4-2) gave up 4 earned runs, 5 total, on five hits in 5 innings of work. Cotham also walked 3 and struck out 5. Giving up 8 runs and scoring none sounds like a losing plan to me.

The 'Dores fared no better on Sunday as the Rebels continued their hot hitting en route to an 11-6 shellacking of Vandy. Brett Jacobson (1-3) gave up six runs on seven hits in 3.1 innings with two strikeouts and two walks in the loss. Vanderbilt did manage to break its streak of 16 straight scoreless innings against the Rebels, which dated back to Saturday's first game when Dominic de la Osa hit an RBI double in the 5th to close the gap to 3-1. The 'Dores failed to capitalize further, as Parker Hanks and Shea Robin struck out with the bases loaded to end the inning.

Even with the return of Pedro, who jacked a two-run homer on Sunday, the 'Dores still struggled mightily on offense, as they went 16 consecutive innings without scoring a run. To add insult to injury, the Commodore pitching was even worse, giving up 26 runs in three games.

Suddenly, the Commodores find themselves in last place, and 3.5 games behind front runner Georgia, in a surprisingly competitive Eastern Division. Thus far, the older members of the pitching staff, namely Jacobson and Nick Christiani have not shown an ability to step up and lead this team, as indicated by their ERAs, which are 7.92 and 4.39 respectively. Also, I think it's fantastic that Pedro is back, but the team cannot rely on his offensive production alone to win games. In years past when Vanderbilt has experienced success, it has been a combination of power pitching complemented with offensive firepower. We cannot outscore our opponents night in and night out.

Finally, Senior second baseman Alex Feinberg took a 90-m.p.h. fastball to the face during the first game on Saturday. Feinberg suffered a broken jaw, which required surgery that was performed on Sunday. Feinberg released the following statement on Monday:


"I sincerely want to thank everyone who has supported me since my injury on Saturday. The cards I have received really mean a lot to me, and I just want everyone to know that I am doing well and should be back in action soon."

Fortunately, after all the doom and gloom surrounding this weekend, the 'Dores take on Western Kentucky this afternoon at 6, and then travel to Starkville, MS to take on Mississippi State (14-17, 3-9) this weekend. The 'Dores should be able to get back on track against Western and then take at least 2 of 3 from the Bulldogs this weekend.

Oh, by the way, due congratulations to the Kansas Jayhawks for taking home the hardware last night by topping Memphis 78-65 in OT. Rock Chalk?!

As Always,
Go 'Dores