MLB Draft Recap: Day 1

Three Vanderbilt juniors, headlined by Pedro Alvarez, and three recruits were drafted on the first day of the MLB Draft.

Alvarez was selected with the second pick in the first round by the Pittsburgh Pirates. The third baseman had 49 career homers, tied with Scotti Madison for tops in school history, with 51 doubles and a .349 batting average. Read this great New York Times piece about draft day in the Alvarez house.

Shortstop Ryan Flaherty was selected by the Chicago Cubs with the 41st pick overall in the compensatory round. He had a career-high 14 homers and 63 RBI in 2008 and leaves Vanderbilt with a career .349 batting average along with 52 doubles, 20 homers and 169 RBI. The Pride of Maine was all smiles yesterday, and for good reason.

Pitcher Brett Jacobson was selected by the Detroit Tigers in the fourth round with the 133rd overall pick. He finished the year with four saves and 42 strikeouts in 46.0 innings and while he underachieved as a Commodore, major league teams love his potential.

Anthony Hewitt, a shortstop from Salisbury, Conn., was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies with the 24th pick in the first round. In Maurice Patton's story in The Tennessean, coach Tim Corbin says there is a chance Hewitt still enrolls in school.

"A lot of people think it's a slam dunk, he's going to sign," Corbin said of Hewitt. "And he may sign. But there's a lot that can happen in negotiations, and usually that process takes a little bit of time. If he gets what he financially wants to dismiss school, then we're going to wish him well.

"It's a tough decision for a kid. A lot of people would say, 'what's tough about it?' But it is tough. Professional baseball is not an easy life. College is not an easy life. But the thing you do when you come to college is, you don't say no to professional baseball. When you sign a professional contract, in a lot of cases, you're saying no to college. It's tough to go back and get your education."

Still, articles like this one make it seem inevitable that Hewitt will sign.

Ryan Westmoreland, a pitcher/outfielder from Portsmouth, R.I., was a fifth-round selection of the Boston Red Sox (172nd overall). He is a two-time All-State selection and two-time Rhode Island Gatorade Player of the Year. Westmoreland said he has a difficult decision to make.

Adam Milligan was a sixth-round selection (190th overall) by the Atlanta Braves. He recently completed his sophomore season at Walters State Community College, helping lead the team to a 55-9 overall record and the Junior College World Series. The outfielder batted .395 with 21 homers and 76 RBI. This is the third straight year the Braves have drafted him.

Perhaps the most important developments from day one, however, are the players that weren't drafted. The fact that only three recruits were selected means that most of them have made it clear that they plan to enroll in school, which is great news for Corbin.

Day 2 of the MLB Draft, which includes rounds 7-50, begins at 10:30 a.m. CT and you can follow it on draft-tracker here.

Video of the Day: Alvarez Highlight Reel

The Pittsburgh Pirates selected Vanderbilt junior Pedro Alvarez with the No. 2 pick in the 2008 MLB Draft. In this MLB.com piece, the Pirates say they are confident that Alvarez will be a Major League third baseman.

Also, make sure to check to this SI.com feature about the sacrifices that Pedro Jr. and Sr. have made over the years.

Lastly, enjoy this highlight reel put together by VU Commodores. Thanks for three great years, Pedro, and best of luck in the future. We'll be watching.

Pedro Alvarez goes No. 2 overall in MLB Draft

In what should come as little surprise to anyone, the Pittsburgh Pirates drafted Vanderbilt 3B Pedro Alvarez with the second overall pick in the 2008 MLB Draft. Alvarez was hurt for much of the 2008 season, but still managed 9 HR and 30 RBI in 40 games.

Alvarez will likely headline a relatively week Pirates farm system that hasn't produced a legitimate power hitting prospect in several years. Check back for more analysis later, and tune into ESPN to see where the rest of the Dores will go in the draft.

UPDATE: In his pick-by-pick analysis, ESPN's Keith Law said this about Alvarez:

"The pick makes sense for the Pirates, who have had a hard time developing power hitters and don't have a lot in their system. If he moved to first base, he'd have a clear path to the majors there. Same thing at third base. My only concern is that they didn't pick the best player on the board at this point. Justin Smoak would have made just as much if not more sense. But if everything clicks with Alvarez, the Pirates have a cleanup hitter for the next several years with 40-homer potential in the majors."

Additionally, Vanderbilt recruit Anthony Hewitt, a shortstop from Salisbury, Conn., went No. 24 to the Philadelphia Phillies, which means there is a good chance he will sign. Here's what Law had to say about Hewitt:

"Hewitt looks as good as anyone in a uniform in this year's draft. He's a five-tool package. He will put on a show in batting practice, but he's struggled in game situations against tough competition, like at the Area Code Games last summer. He projects more as a center fielder than as a shortstop. If everything clicks, he's a potential superstar. The problem is that he's about 4-6 years away unless he developmentally makes a quantum leap forward. He's high risk, potentially high reward."

Hewitt's comments to Baseball America suggest that he will not be joining the Commodores.

"All that hard work has paid off," he said. "I was kind of hoping I’d end up with Philadelphia. They have a good farm system and develop their players."

Photo [Associated Press]

MLB Draft gaining popularity

For the second straight year, the first round of the MLB Draft will be televised on Thursday on ESPN2 at 1 p.m. CT.

While there is no clear-cut No. 1 choice like David Price was a year ago, this draft is loaded with hitters and light on pitching. Among the top hitters is Vanderbilt third baseman Pedro Alvarez, who will most likely go No. 2 to the Pittsburgh Pirates. Check out Maurice Patton's story to see what other Commodores could be drafted.

The buzz surrounding the MLB Draft is nothing compared to the NFL or NBA, but it is changing nonetheless, according to St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Bryan Burwell, who makes an interesting point.

"I never quite understood why baseball didn't see the beauty in all the hype that goes with these drafts, particularly the NFL's version," he writes, "which has mastered the art of creating mountains of pomp and endless draftnik salivation for its selection party."

Furthermore, Burwell goes on to say that "the times are changing. Squint a bit and see if you can look into the future. I see a future that will have just as many baseball draft geeks as NFL draft geeks. I see a future where ESPN baseball draftnik Keith Law and his buzz cut will become as famous as Mel Kiper and his pompadour. I see a world where Baseball Tonight will conduct afternoon specials that will run endlessly in the weeks, days and hours leading up to the draft."

Tom Verducci of SI.com points out that teams are placing a greater emphasis on the draft than ever before. Why?

"The young player has become more valuable than ever," said Dodgers GM Ned Colletti.

The fact that so many young players are contributing at the major league level means that casual fans will begin to pay more attention to the draft because they realize that it may not be long before they'll see them play. Just look at how excited Tampa Bay was, and still is, over Price.

By the way, Price's stat line after three pro starts: 18 IP, 0 R, 8 H, 2 BBs, 19 Ks.

(Photo from MVN)

A look ahead to 2009

Yesterday, I put together a 2008 recap. Today, I'm taking a look at the future.

Assuming that juniors Pedro Alvarez, Ryan Flaherty, Jonathan White, Brett Jacobson and Nick Christiani do not return and assuming that redshirt sophomore Andrew Giobbi opts to come back for another season, here's a breakdown of the 2009 squad.

Note that Vanderbilt's 14 member recruiting class includes six pitchers and eight position players with 12 high schoolers and two junior college transfers (that list does not include Anthony Hewitt so make that 15). As long as the Dores don't lose many players to the MLB Draft, the class has the potential to be ranked No. 1 in the nation.

POSITION PLAYERS

Catcher
Curt Casali (FR)
Andrew Giobbi (R. SO)
Drew Fann (FR)
Dylan Pratt (JUCO Transfer)

Analysis: Casali is a star in the making and showed flashes of brilliance in limited action this season. He'll be playing for the Hyannis Mets of the Cape Cod League this summer and will take over for Shea Robin as the starter, while Giobbi should have no problem shifting from first base to behind the plate on occasion. Pratt, meanwhile, is a catcher/outfielder who played his freshman season at Walters State CC along with fellow recruit Adam Milligan.

First Base
Andrew Giobbi (R. SO)
Aaron Westlake (FR)

Analysis: Giobbi should hit in the middle of the order after a breakout season as the Commodores will look to Giobbi for increased production, as well as leadership, in 2009. Westlake, meanwhile, should be healthy after his season ended early due to a blood clot in his right shoulder.

Second Base
Brian Harris (SO)
Riley Reynolds (Recruit)
Andrew Harris (Recruit)
Alex Hilliard (R. FR)

Analysis: This is probably Brian Harris' job to lose and I would be surprised to see anyone else starting at second to begin the season. However, if Hewitt, Esposito and Loftus all come to school, there will be a logjam on the left side of the infield, which means that one of them or possibly current freshman Gabe Ortiz could shift over to second. Also, word is that Hilliard is shifting back to the infield so it will be interesting to see how he fits into the Dores' plans.

Shortstop
Anthony Hewitt (Recruit)
Jason Esposito (Recruit)
Gabe Ortiz (FR)

Analysis: Hewitt is going in the middle of the first round in the recent mock drafts, which means that we may not ever see him in a Vanderbilt uniform. Hewitt is still somewhat raw, but he's got all the tools and a ton of potential. If he enrolls, Hewitt could possibly shift to the outfield (ala B.J. Upton). Esposito, meanwhile, is the Gatorade Connecticut Player of the Year and should be able contribute right away at either SS or 3B. The wild card is Ortiz, who redshirted in 2008.

Third Base
Jason Esposito (Recruit)
Joe Loftus (Recruit)

Analysis: No one will replace the production of Pedro Alvarez, but Corbin has to feel pretty good about his options at the hot corner. In addition to Esposito, the Dores welcome Loftus, who hit more homers than fellow Minnesotan Joe Mauer. Unless Esposito slides over to short, there should be a pretty good battle for the starting spot.

Left Field
Steven Liddle (R. FR)
Joey Manning (FR)
Jordan Wormsley (R. FR)

Center Field
Ryan Milligan (JUCO Transfer)
Ryan Westmoreland (Recruit)
Alex Hilliard (R. FR)

Right Field
Matt Marquis (Recruit)
Dylan Pratt (Recruit)

Analysis: Liddle is a potential star and should start every game in left field in 2008. After that, however, Corbin will have a number of choices to make. Matt Marquis has one of the prettiest swings I've seen and should see immediate playing time. Milligan is a power bat who should also be ready to contribute right away. Manning is a specimen and has the chance to start, while Westmoreland is an outfielder/pitcher who may not even make it to Nashville. If he does, Westmoreland is a prototypical leadoff hitter as he has a quick, smooth swing, bats from the left side and runs from home to first in four seconds flat. You know the Commodores are talented when we haven't even mentioned Hilliard or Wormsley, two redshirt freshmen who could start on many teams, or Pratt. Put simply, Vanderbilt is two-deep at every outfield position and should have little difficulty replacing Macias and de la Osa, although it may take some time given their inexperience.

In review, here's an early look at the 2009 Commodores:

C: Casali, Giobbi, Pratt, Fann
1B: Giobbi, Westlake
2B: Harris, Reynolds, Hilliard
SS: Hewitt, Esposito, Ortiz
3B: Esposito, Loftus
LF: Liddle, Manning, Wormsley
CF: Milligan, Westmoreland, Hilliard
RF: Marquis, Pratt

Now, for an extremely premature starting lineup:

1. Westmoreland (CF)
2. Liddle (LF)
3. Giobbi (1B)
4. Milligan (DH)
5. Casali (C)
6. Marquis (RF)
7. Hewitt/Esposito (SS)
8. Esposito/Loftus (3B)
9. Harris (2B)

I envision this team being similar to the 2006 team, at least from an offensive standpoint. They will be young, but very talented, and will get better as the season progresses. It's difficult to project how steep the learning curve will be for the freshmen, but I think it's safe to assume that they are going to make significant contributions early on, similar to Flaherty and Alvarez in 2006. Still, the only sure things are Liddle, Giobbi, Casali and Harris. It is certainly going to be a different lineup than we've grown accustomed to seeing the past three seasons, but very exciting nonetheless.

PITCHING STAFF

I'm sure Derek Johnson is already counting down the days until fall practice. That's because Johnson, one of the nation's finest pitching coaches, is going to love what he has to work with. I sincerely doubt Vanderbilt has ever had as many quality arms as it does right now.

The Commodores will probably lose Christiani and Jacobson, but that's it. And as we've discussed earlier, the two never did live up to the hype in their three years on West End.

So, here's a look at who is returning:

Mike Minor (SO, LHP)
Expect Minor to return to his freshman-year form and be the ace that the Dores need and expect, especially as he looks to improve his stock for the 2009 MLB Draft.

Caleb Cotham (R. FR, RHP)
Cotham was a pleasant surprise in 2008, emerging as a dependable No. 2 starter. He's got a plus fastball with good command and a solid breaking ball and should be even better in year two. Pitching on the Cape this summer will only help.

Russell Brewer (R. FR, RHP)
There was no better story this season than Brewer's. The former third baseman wasn't expected to contribute much if anything on the mound, but after an impressive summer and fall, Brewer found himself closing games. After a summer on the Cape, the right-hander should come back even stronger in 2009.

Chase Reid (FR, RHP)
I'm a big fan of Reid, whose curve ball is as good as they come. The right-hander had an impressive freshman campaign (42 Ks in 37.2 innings, 4.30 ERA) and should see an even bigger role as he improves his command.

Drew Hayes (SO, RHP)
Hayes flew under the radar somewhat in 2008, but I think he has a chance to be very, very good. In fact, he already is. It took Hayes some time to settle down, but once he did, Hayes was one of the Dores' best pitchers. He finished the season with a 3.51 ERA and had 53 strikeouts in just 41 innings (a sign that he's got great stuff). Furthermore, opponents hit just .212 against him. The only concern was the 29 walks, but I think that is easily correctable.

Taylor Hill (FR, RHP)
Of the true freshmen, sources told me that Hill has the biggest upside. He showed flashes of it in 2008, finishing 5-2 with a 4.60 ERA in eight starts. If the Dores had more depth, Johnson would have been able to bring Hill along more slowly. Instead, Hill was forced to learn as he went and still managed to hold his own.

Richie Goodenow, (R. FR, LHP)
Goodenow should be valuable as a left-handed specialist out of the bullpen.

Mark Lamm (R. FR, RHP)
I envision Lamm being a solid middle reliever or possible midweek starter for the Dores. He's got good stuff (3.98 ERA, 28 Ks and just 23 hits in 31.2 innings, .211 opp. BA) and should only get better.

Sean Bierman (FR, LHP)
Ben Blanton (FR, LHP)
Kellen St. Luce (FR, LHP)

I grouped these three left-handers together because they all redshirted in 2008. I'm not sure what to expect from them next season. Bierman chose the Dores over Virginia, Tulane and Arizona State and was ranked No. 172 by Baseball America. Blanton was a late signee in 2007 as was St. Luce, who "has a big, strong body that resembles Dontrelle Willis of the Florida Marlins," according to Perfect Game. I think all three will have an opportunity to contribute and it will be interesting to see how much they progressed over the past year, particularly St. Luce.

Now, onto the recruits:

Sonny Gray (RHP, Smyrna, Tenn.)
Gray is considered the best Tennessee High School prospect since David Price. Fortunately for the Dores, he is following in the same path, already telling major league teams not to draft him. Gray is a 5'10'' right-hander with a power arm that tops out around 96 mph and a dominant 84-86 mph slider, and has a chance to be a weekend starter right away.

Jack Armstrong (RHP, Jupiter, Fla.)
Armstrong, whose father pitched in the majors from 1988-94, is the top right-hander in Florida and the No. 28 player nationally by Perfect Game. He is 6'7'' and extremely athletic (a talented basketball player) with a low-90s fastball.

Navery Moore (RHP, Franklin, Tenn.)
Moore was considered one of the nation's top prospects before undergoing arm surgery last spring. He is fully recovered and should be able to pitch immediately thanks to his mid-90s fastball.

Grayson Garvin (LHP, Suwanee, Ga.)
Garvin is the top lefty in Georgia thanks to terrific command, a 86-90 mph fastball and a very good changeup. He is the No. 55 ranked high school prospect by Baseball America and has a lot of upside.

Will Clinard (RHP, Cross Plains, Tenn.)
Vandy does a great job recruiting in-state. Clinard is the fourth-ranked prospect in Tennessee. He's 6'4'' and consistently throws 88-92 mph.

Corey Williams (LHP, Huntsville, Ala.)
Williams, the No. 4 prospect in Alabama, has good command of three pitches. This year he sported a 1.92 ERA, while striking out 86 and walking 29 in 54.2 innings.

While it's too early to project what role each pitcher will have, there is no doubt that the pitching staff should be vastly improved in 2009. In fact, it could be a challenge for Corbin and Johnson to get enough innings for everybody, although that's a problem any coach would love to have.

ESPN loves Pedro Alvarez too

In less than 24 hours, Vanderbilt junior third baseman Pedro Alvarez will fulfill a lifelong dream. He will most likely be selected No. 2 overall by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 2008 MLB Draft.

Tomorrow will undoubtedly be a special day for not only Alvarez and his family, but also for the entire Washington Heights community, who calls Pedro their native son.

You can read Amy Nelson's story from ESPN.com here.

A look back on the 2008 season

As Tim Corbin said last week, the Vanderbilt baseball program has reached a point where it does not rebuild; it reloads. Looking ahead to next season (and beyond), there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic.

Sure, the Commodores lose nearly all of their starting position players in catcher Shea Robin, second baseman Alex Feinberg, shortstop Ryan Flaherty, third baseman Pedro Alvarez, center fielder David Macias, right fielder Dominic de la Osa and possibly catcher/first baseman Andrew Giobbi, who is a draft-eligible sophomore.

However, with the exception of juniors Brett Jacobson and Nick Christiani (neither of whom ever lived up to the hype), Vanderbilt returns its entire pitching staff, including weekend starters Mike Minor and Caleb Cotham.

More importantly, Corbin and assistant coach Erik Bakich have assembled an absolutely loaded recruiting class. This summer will be pivotal as major league teams will attempt to pry a number of recruits away from their Vanderbilt commitments. Super-talented Sonny Gray has said he will follow David Price's route and enroll in school, but will others do the same? With the exception of a couple, it appears that they will.

But, before we get into the future (that will be tomorrow), here's my quick take on the 2008 season: nothing ever quite clicked. We kept waiting and waiting for everything to come together and it never did. Was it a disappointment? Most definitely. I think Corbin and his team would be the first to admit that they underachieved.

In February, we gushed at the potential of the offense. The Commodores, after all, had three potential first-team All-Americans in their lineup (Alvarez, de la Osa and Flaherty) along with a premier leadoff hitter (Macias), reliable seniors (Feinberg and Robin) and a few talented underclassmen (Steve Liddle, Giobbi and Curt Casali).

On paper, there are few teams in the nation that compare. Why, then, did Vanderbilt struggle to find any sort of consistency? Forget about the pitching for a second. This lineup had the potential to out-score every opponent, regardless of who was on the mound.

After comparing the numbers from 2007 to 2008, it appears as though Vanderbilt's stars let them down. I attribute a lot of this to Alvarez's injury, but facts are facts nonetheless.

Macias
2008: .356, 9 HR, 40 RBI, .943 OPS
2007: .300, 0 HR, 26 RBI, .790 OPS

Feinberg
2008: .312, 2 HR, 35 RBI, .832 OPS
2007: .317, 4 HR, 44 RBI, .815 OPS

Alvarez
2008 (40 games): .317, 9 HR, 30 RBI, 1.017 OPS
2007: .386, 18 HR, 68 RBI, 1.147 OPS

Flaherty
2008: .324, 14 HR, 63 RBI, .954 OPS
2007: .381, 4 HR, 57 RBI, .969 OPS

De la Osa
2008: .297, 10 HR, 50 RBI, .916 OPS
2007: .378, 20 HR, 62 RBI, 1.179 OPS

Robin
2008: .309, 4 HR, 33 RBI, .832 OPS
2007: .286, 2 HR, 35 RBI, .710 OPS

Giobbi
2008: .332, 3 HR, 42 RBI, .856 OPS
2007: .312, 1 HR, 25 RBI, .787 OPS

The Commodores got career years out of Macias, Robin and Giobbi, while Feinberg's numbers were nearly identical to 2007. Yet, take a look at the numbers for Alvarez, and particularly de la Osa. That's an 80-point drop in batting average, 10 less homers, 12 less RBI and dramatic 263-point drop in OPS for de la Osa. As for Flaherty, he saw a tremendous increase in power, yet his batting average was signficantly lower and his OPS actually decreased.

Put simply, Vanderbilt needed its three best players to duplicate or improve upon their 2007 seasons to make up for the thin and inexperienced pitching staff and they failed to do so. As a result, you end up with a very good, NCAA Tournament-qualifying team, instead of a great, Omaha-bound team.

As for the pitching staff, we knew that it wouldn't be as good as it was in 2007. That's why it should come as no surprise to learn that in 2007, only three pitchers had an ERA above 4.11 and none were key contributors (Rhoden, Shao, Zeid), while in 2008, only three pitchers had an ERA below 4.11 and none were starters (Hayes, Brewer, Lamm).

Of course, the Dores missed David Price and Casey Weathers, but don't overlook the losses of Cody Crowell (4.05 ERA in 66 IP) and Ty Davis (3.12 ERA in 49 IP). They were an integral part of the team's success in 2007, particularly in the SEC Tournament where depth is a must.

Still, I think the Commodores' young arms performed admirably considering the fact that many of them were thrown into the fire prematurely and given much larger roles than Corbin and pitching coach Derek Johnson would have liked. Furthermore, the experience they gained should pay dividends in the future.

But, like the offense, the reason the pitching staff underachieved slightly stems from the fact that its "stars" actually regressed from 2007.

Minor
2008: 4.28 ERA, 103 IP, 99 H, 28 BB, 101 K, 9 HR, .261 OBA
2007: 3.09 ERA, 90.1 IP, 76 H, 19 BB, 88 K, 6 HR, .226 OBA

Christiani
2008: 4.97 ERA, 76 IP, 85 H, 25 BB, 65 K, 10 HR, .284 OBA
2007: 4.11 ERA, 70 IP, 71 H, 36 BB, 57 K, 6 HR, .271 OBA

Jacobson
2008: 5.09 ERA, 46 IP, 48 H, 20 BB, 42 K, 3 HR, .271 OBA
2007: 3.15 ERA, 74.1 IP, 83 H, 15 BB, 58 K, 4 HR, .283 OBA

After an outstanding freshman campaign, Minor went through somewhat of a sophomore slump. His ERA increased by more than a run, his WHIP went from 1.05 to 1.23 and opponents hit for a much higher average (35-point increase) against him.

But, even more discouraging was the performance of Jacobson, who was never as good as scouts expected him to be coming out of high school. Jacobson's stuff is so electric that he is still expected to be a high draft pick despite having mediocre numbers, although that's hardly a consolation for the Dores, who expected to him evolve into a weekend starter, or at least a dependable reliever. He was neither.

In 2008, his ERA was above 5, his WHIP was close to 1.50 and he pitched just 46 innings (one less than Taylor Hill) compared to 74 in 2007, further proof that Vandy could not count on him. With such a young staff, Johnson never should have had to waste time worrying about Jacobson. The sad thing about it all was that few worked harder than Jacobson to succeed. He cared so much about the team and wanted so badly to contribute, and it's unfortunate that he could never put it all together.

As for Christiani, it's hard to be too upset with the junior right-hander, who gave it his all every time out. Sure, his numbers weren't spectacular, but they weren't bad for a No. 3 starter.

Overall, Vanderbilt was probably one or two arms short. It also needed Minor to repeat or improve upon his 2007 performance (no easy task) and absoultely had to get quality innings out of Jacobson in order to become a serious contender. With that said, next year's staff looks extremely promising.

To wrap things up, the best way to describe the 2008 season is frustrating. It was frustrating for the players, who for one reason or another, couldn't recreate the magic of 2007. It was frustrating for the coaching staff, who watched as experienced players made inexcusable mental mistakes and generally underachieved. And it was frustrating for the fans, who have come to expect greatness from this program.

With that said, nothing should diminish the impact that these upperclassmen have had on this university. It is going to be awfully difficult to replace the likes of Flaherty and Feinberg and Macias and Alvarez, not only as athletes, but as people. It has been an absolute joy watching these guys for the past three seasons and it's going to be a strange feeling next March when I look out on Hawkins Field and see a new cast of characters. So, to every Commodore who has played his last game in the black & gold, I say thanks.

Video of the Day: Aaron Baker wins it for the Sooners

Well, there it is. In the bottom of the ninth, Oklahoma's Aaron Baker belted a 2-2 pitch from Russell Brewer out of the park to end Vanderbilt's season.

Oklahoma ends Vandy's season

Vanderbilt's season came to a devastating end Sunday afternoon as Aaron Baker’s two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning lifted Oklahoma to a 11-10 win over the Commodores in an elimination game in the Tempe Regional.

Vanderbilt rallied from a 9-8 deficit with two runs in the top of the ninth to take a 10-9 lead.

“All I can say is the season is over,” said Vanderbilt head coach Tim Corbin.

That's all we can say either. Check back tomorrow for some more thoughts and analysis.