Week One (2/25-2/27): vs. Army

Friday @ 4:30pm CT on SECN+

Saturday @ 2:00pm CT on SECN+

Sunday @ 1:00pm CT on SECN+

2021 Record: 28-25 (15-11 Patriot League). The cadets from West Point were better in conference than out in 2021, opening their season being swept by Air Force and North Carolina Central University, sandwiched around a 2-1 series win over Austin Peay. Their best wins of 2021 all came in The Patriot League Conference Tournament, which they won. They didn’t play anyone else of note all year until the tourney. They promptly went 2 and Que in the Lubbock Regional (home of Tom’s WITSEC handler).

2022: Record: 1-2. This year, they have an 8-0 victory over Richmond, a 3-4 loss to Air Force, and a 6-10 loss to The Ball State Fightin’ Lettermans in some sort of season opening tourney down by my mom’s house.

Player to Watch: #5 Jr. 1B Ross “Dress for Less” Friedrick. The big lefty is slashing .385/.467/.462 with a double and 4 RBI through three games.

Anchor of Gold Tiger Beat Hottest Player: #44 So. LHP Connely “Cuyler” Early, who went 5 IP 4 H 0 BB 6 K in their lone win of the season last Friday.

Confidence Level: High, but I’m not going to crow about it. It’s the US Military Academy, and even I know there’s a time and place for jokes. That time will be this Sunday, and that place will be Hawkins Field, as we get to observe the quizzical stares by the cadets while the Diamond Dores—and not the kids from West Point—wear military fatigue inspired uniforms.

On the Mound

Friday @ 4:30pm CT on SECN+

#35 Vanderbilt Jr. RHP Chris “McBain” McElvain (1-0; 0.00 ERA)

vs. #44 Army So. LHP Connely “Cuyler” Early (1-0; 0.00 ERA)

Saturday @ 2:00pm CT on SECN+

#20 Vanderbilt Fr. LHP Carter “Southpaw Sonny Gray” Holton (0-0; 9.00 ERA)

vs. #6 Army Sr. RHP Anthony “Lil’ Tony Rico Suave” Loricco (0-0; 0.00 ERA)

Sunday @ 1:00pm CT on SECN+

#29 Vanderbilt Jr. RHP Nick “Where’s Maldo?” Maldonado (0-1; 4.50 ERA)

vs. #22 Army So. RHP Matthew “Ebaum’s Ronn” Ronnebaum (0-0; 11.25 ERA)

The Lineup

1 cf 51 Enrique Bradfield Jr L .182

2 dh 16 Jack Bulger R .333

3 rf 34 Spencer Jones L .467

4 c 12 Dominic Keegan R .143

5 2b 6 Tate Kolwyck R .308

6 ss 9 Carter Young B .143

7 3b 11 Davis Diaz R 1.000

8 lf 2 Javier Vaz L .429

9 1b 25 Parker Noland L .133

See you in the comments.