Feb. 23, 2011

Weekly Release

Leading Off
• No. 8-ranked Stanford Baseball (3-1) fresh off a series win at No. 17-ranked Rice and a 3-2 Tuesday victory over No. 17-ranked Cal, head back to the Central Time Zone for the second time to face No. 3-ranked Vanderbilt (4-0 prior to Wednesday v. Belmont). Game times for the series will be 2 p.m. PT on Friday, noon PT on Saturday and 11 a.m. PT on Sunday. Sophomore RHP Mark Appel (0-0, 3.18 ERA) will start the opener for Stanford. All games will be on KZSU 90.1 FM, the internet at gostanford.com and on your iPhone by downloading the Stanford App and then listening to KZSU.

Stanford-Vanderbilt Series
(Feb. 25-27 at Vanderbilt)
• Series: Stanford 3-1; Last: 2-1 Stanford, 2009
The two teams last met in 2009 for the first three-game series in the teams’ history. In a closely fought contest, Stanford rallied from a 5-0 deficit to defeat the Commodores 6-5 in 10 innings in the opener, before Vandy evened the series with a 12-9 win in game one of a doubleheader. In game two, Stanford scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth to win 6-5.

• About the Commodores: Vandy opened the season 4-0 against the City of San Diego this past weekend, sweeping the Toreros (4-3, 3-1, 7-3) and also beating the Aztecs (7-3). On Sunday, senior RHP Taylor Hill gave up one run over 7.1 innings, while junior LHP Grayson Garvina carried a perfect game into the seventh, giving up three runs on five hits over 8.1 IP. Friday night starter Sonny Gray is projected by Baseball America to be the SEC Pitcher of the Year after going 10-5 with a 3.48 ERA and 113 Ks in 2010. Gray is also rated the fourth-best junior in the country. Vandy returns its top five hitters from last year and seven everyday starters from a 46-win team. Tim Corbin is in his ninth season, making the last five NCAA Regionals. Vandy hosts Belmont on Wednesday.

Pitching Shuts Down No. 17 Bears
• No. 8-ranked Stanford limited No. 17-ranked Cal to six hits to win its first midweek game of the season, 3-2. Jordan Pries went a predetermined 4.0 shutout innings, allowing just a first inning hit. A.J. Vanegas pitched the next three, allowing two runs in the fifth, before Scott Snodgress got his first save with two scoreless innings. Kenny Diekroeger drove in two of the three runs.

Bullpen Specialists
• The Cardinal bullpen has allowed just three runs in 15.2 innings this season. The bullpen opened the season by allowing just one run over 10.2 innings out of the pen with lefthander Scott Snodgress giving up an earned run in 3.1 innings of relief of Friday to earn the win; followed by A.J. Talt pitching for the first time in three seasons and no-hitting the Owls for the final 3.1 innings in a loss; and on Sunday, Danny Sandbrink giving up one unearned run to earn the save with 4.0 innings. Against Cal, the bullpen gave up two runs in five innings.