re: Vanderbilt Baseball Season (51-21): CWS Runner-Up: UMPS WIN!

quote:

---

Cal State Fullerton Titans – 39-23

Preseason prognostication:
The Titans had a difficult 2014 by their standards but they recovered late in the year and advanced their streak of consecutive NCAA Regional appearances to 23 straight … If Head Coach Rick Vanderhook can work his usual magic with this unproven lineup then the Titans could be a force in the postseason riding the strength of their two big arms.

David Olmedo-Barrera (Photo: Tim Porco)
How they got to Omaha:
Won Fullerton Regional (3-0)
Won Louisville Super Regional (2-1)

Why they got to Omaha:
For a team that was expected to have difficulty finding ways to score runs this season the red-hot Titans scored 38 runs in their six postseason games. Not surprisingly they have held their opponents to only 14 runs during that time. At midseason it looked as though the Titans may miss the postseason entirely for the first time since 1991, but they quickly regrouped and were dominant through Big West play, going 19-5 in conference games on their way to knocking off a very talented Louisville team in Kentucky.

Who's Hot:
Although he hasn't factored into the decision in either of his two postseason starts, Thomas Eshelman has continued his dominance at the college level, striking out 14 batters in nine innings in an extra-innings win over Arizona State in Regional play and delivering another seven strong innings opposite Louisville's Kyle Funkhouser in yet another extra-innings win, although he did record the save and secure the victory on Monday to advance to Omaha. Closer Tyler Peitzmeier picked up the win in all three of those contests, allowing just two runs in 13 innings of quality relief. At the plate designated hitter Davi Olmedo-Barrera has gone 9-for-13 in his last four games, which includes the two home runs he hit in their CWS-clinching win.

Concerns:
Although it hasn't affected them yet, losing three-year weekend starter Justin Garza could prove to be a big blow to the Titans. Freshman lefthander John Gavin has performed admirably all season, although he has only lasted 2 1/3 and 3 2/3 innings in his two postseason starts. Connor Seabold has picked up the slack, with six shutout innings to advance past Pepperdine in Regional play and another solid five innings of work in their final game against Louisville to advance, but uncertainty remains past ace Thomas Eshelman, especially if they're forced into the losers' bracket early in Omaha.

Marquee Matchup:
Fullerton's first game in the College World Series will be a fun one to watch as Eshelman will undoubtedly be handed the ball facing Vanderbilt ace Carson Fulmer. Eshelman has been particularly dominant down the stretch. His 8-5 record may not truly indicate that dominance, as he has gone the distance five times this year while allowing just seven walks, striking out 131 in 131 1/3 innings of work with a 1.58 ERA.

---

quote:

---

Vanderbilt Commodores – 47-19

Preseason prognostication:
As scary as it may sound for Vanderbilt’s opposition, their College World Series title run may have only been the first stage of what looks like a potentially blossoming dynasty under Head Coach Tim Corbin. Very few teams could lose a pitcher of the caliber of Tyler Beede, 2014 starting shortstop Vince Conde as well as Omaha hero, John Norwood, and still enter the 2015 season looking like an even stronger team than they were before.

Rhett Wiseman (Photo: Vanderbilt Athletics
How they got to Omaha:
Won Nashville Regional (3-0)
Won Champaign Super Regional (2-0)

Why they got to Omaha:
The offense has come alive for the Commodores during the postseason, including two huges wins in both Regional and Super Regional play; a 21-0 thrasing of Radford in their Regional to advance and a 13-0 win over Illinois in the first Super Regional game. Their wins included knocking off electric lefthander Tyler Jay, the sixth overall pick (Twins) on the first day of the draft, to punch their ticket to the College World Series for the second consecutive year. The starting trio of Carson Fulmer, Phlip Pfeifer and Walker Buehler have been steady, and they have a bevy of power arms to turn to out of the bullpen.

Who's Hot:
The team's Nos. 2 and 3 hitters, Rhett Wiseman and Dansby Swanson, are seeing the ball incredibly well during the NCAA postseason, going 11-for-20 (.550) and 7-for-20 (.350) respectively. Swanson, who was selected first overall by the Diamondbacks in Monday's draft, hit both a double and a home run off of Jay in their CWS clinching win over Illinois and is the heart and soul for the team's offense. Their 4-7 hitters – Zander Wiel, Will Toffey, Bryan Reynolds and Jeren Kendall – are also performing at a high level late in the season.

Concerns:
It's hard to identify a flaw on this team as the defending National Champions appear to be clicking on all cylinders at the perfect time of the year. Several of the team's pitchers, including Buehler, John Kilichowski and Jordan Sheffield, haven't seen much time in the past few weeks, so while their arms may be fresh, there also could be some concern with how crisp they may be if turned upon in a high-pressure situation.

Marquee Matchup:
As noted above, Carson Fulmer facing Cal State Fullerton ace Thomas Eshelman in Vanderbilt's first CWS game will pit two of the most accomplished college hurlers against one another. At 13-2 with a 1.82 ERA, Fulmer has struck out 152 batters in 114 innings this season. His postseason experience from a year ago, to go along with his competitive fire will lend themselves well in Sunday's highly anticipated matchup.

---

quote:

---

You guys yell at your TV for me.

---