Vanderbilt Commodores (11-3, 0-0 SEC) vs. Illinois State Redbirds (5-5, 0-0 MVC)
Game 1: Friday, March 8 @ 4:30 p.m. CT • SECN+
Game 2: Saturday, March 9 @ 1 p.m. CT • SECN+
Game 3: Sunday, March 10 @ 1 p.m. CT • SECN+
Nashville, Tenn. • Hawkins Field
Series Preview: Vanderbilt heads into the weekend on a six-game win streak after beating Eastern Michigan 6-2 on Tuesday.
- Vanderbilt hosts Illinois State for a three-game series this weekend at Hawkins Field. All three games will stream on SECN+.
- Vanderbilt and Illinois State have met 14 times previously with the Commodores leading the series 10-4. Vanderbilt took two out of three in 2019, the last time the two sides met.
Last Time Out: Head coach Tim Corbin picked up his 1,000th career win Tuesday. Corbin is one of only 10 active DI coaches with 1,000 wins.
- Vanderbilt went 3-0 over the weekend at the Astros Foundation College Classic in Houston.
- Vandy beat Louisiana on Friday, Houston on Saturday and rallied from an eight-run deficit to beat Texas on Sunday.
- Camden Kozeal was named SEC Freshman of the Week after leading all DI student-athletes with 14 hits. The freshman also led the SEC in RBI (11) and was tied for the lead in doubles (3) and total bases (23). Kozeal hit .583 (14-for-24) with three doubles, two home runs and 11 RBI.
- Kozeal and Bryce Cunningham were named to the Astros Foundation Classic All-Tournament Team.
Stat Spotlights: Vanderbilt ranks top-10 in NCAA DI in hits, doubles and stolen bases entering the weekend.
- Vandy leads the SEC in doubles (38) and stolen bases (35) and is second in hits (150). Nationally, Vandy is fifth in doubles, seventh in stolen bases and 10th in hits.
- RJ Austin’s 10 stolen bases is ninth in DI and second in the SEC.
- Jacob Humphrey’s 85 career stolen bases is third among active DI student-athletes.
1,000-Win Club: Vanderbilt head coach Tim Corbin reached 1,000 career wins on March 5 vs. Eastern Michigan.
- Corbin is six wins away from 900 victories at Vanderbilt.
- Among active coaches, Corbin ranks 10th by most wins. He is second in the SEC behind Arkansas’ Dave Van Horn (1,220).
Versatility: RJ Austin has played five different positions (1B, 2B, 3B, LF, CF) for the Commodores this season.
Newcomers Contributing: Vanderbilt has used 12 newcomers in the first 14 games of the season, including eight freshmen.
- Jayden Davis, a transfer from Samford, is tied for the team lead in doubles (6) and is tied for third with 12 RBI.
- Freshman Camden Kozeal was named SEC Freshman of the Week (March 4) after leading all DI hitters with 14 hits the previous week. Kozeal’s 14 RBI is tied for the team lead.
- Jacob Humphrey, a transfer from UMass Lowell, hit his first home run as Commodore in his second start Feb. 27 against Indiana State. Humphrey then made a diving catch to retire the first batter of the game Feb. 28 vs. Evansville. The play was No. 3 on SportsCenter’s Top Plays.
- On the mound, freshmen pitchers Brennan Seiber, Miller Green, Ethan McElvain and Alex Kranzler have tossed a combined 31.1 innings of work with a 2.58 ERA and 31 strikeouts.
Streaking: A pair of Dores, Jayden Davis and Alan Espinal, have reached base safely in every game they’ve played this season.
- Espinal has reached base safely in 18 consecutive games after finishing the 2023 season on a five-game hit streak. He has a hit in all but one game this season.
- Davis recorded a 37-game hit streak last season at Samford.
- Camden Kozeal owns the team’s current longest hit streak at six games entering the weekend.
