The best home start in Vanderbilt baseball history will be put to its stiffest test beginning Friday.
RJ Austin
The 14th-ranked Commodores (20-5, 4-2) are 16-0 at Hawkins Field this season following a run-rule, 10-0 battering of Eastern Kentucky in eight innings Tuesday.
Vandy’s next challenge is a big one, as No. 2 Arkansas (23-3, 5-1) will be in town for a three-game series. The Razorbacks lost 14-13 in 10 innings to Missouri State on Tuesday, but have scored at least 10 runs in seven of their last eight games.
Arkansas has hit 57 homers this season, third in the SEC, and has a team batting average of .334, second in the conference.
The Commodores will counter with a pitching staff that struck out 49 batters in a three-game sweep of Texas A&M last weekend at Hawkins Field. Vanderbilt pitchers have combined to hold opposing batters to a .188 average this season, striking out 294 in 209 innings while allowing 139 hits and 88 walks.
Vandy batters haven’t consistently overpowered opponents this season, as the Commodores have recorded 22 home runs in 25 contests. But the ‘Dores do have four lineup regulars hitting over .300 — Riley Nelson (.369), Jacob Humphrey (.364), Brodie Johnston (.346) and R.J. Austin (.313).
Nelson is new to the program this season, a transfer from Yavapai Community College. He leads Vandy with 31 hits and is tied for second with 22 RBIs.
Johnston, a freshman from Ooltewah, Tenn., leads the Commodores with five home runs and 25 RBIs. He and Jonathan Vastine (four home runs) are the only two Vandy players with more than two homers.
A pair of juniors, right-hander Cody Bowker and left-hander JD Thompson, have been Vanderbilt’s most consistent starters.
Heading into the Arkansas series, Bowker is 2-1 with a 2.64 ERA. He has pitched 30.2 innings, striking out 40 while allowing 19 hits and 10 walks.
Thompson is 2-1 with a 4.06 ERA. He has pitched 31.0 innings, striking out 42 while allowing 25 hits and seven walks.
Friday’s game starts at 7 p.m. CT and will be televised by the SEC Network. The teams meet Saturday at 2 p.m. CT and Sunday at 1 p.m. CT.
