Week Thirteen (5/13-5/15): at Arky

Friday @ 6:30pm CT on SECN+

Saturday @ 6:30pm CT on SECN+

Sunday @ 2:00pm CT on SECN+

Record: 36-12 (16-8 SEC). The Woo Pig Sooies are coming off a 2 games to 1 series victory in which they averaged nearly 8 runs per game. They also lost to Missourah State (spits) last Tuesday, so anything can happen. They’ve lost series to Florida and aTm, and even lost a game to Missourah (spits), but they also swept LSU (and even shut out The Gumbo Bengals’ powerful offense once). They can be gotten to, but we will have to be firing on all cylinders. Think the Ugga series if Ugga had a dominant bullpen and some better hitters.

Player to Watch: #7 So. 3B Cayden “Marcellus if his parents were from Utah” Wallace (.304/.398/.490 16 2B, 1 3B, 6 HR, 39 RBI, and 10-11 steals). The Woo Pig Sooie leadoff man is their tone-setter, so let’s keep him off the base paths in this one. He’s likely a relatively early pick in this draft (like top 2-3 rounds). I’d also watch out for the Michael Turner Overdrive, and even though Robert Moore is having a Carter Young-style down year in his draft year, he is talented.

Anchor of Gold Tiger Beat Hottest Pitcher: The entire freaking Hog bullpen. Like Vanderbilt this year, when you manage to chase the Arky starter, it’s not exactly good news. #25 Fr. RHP Brady “The Tygart King” Tygart (2-2, 1.48 ERA) leads the team with 7 saves, #88 RS SR RHP Zebulon “Old Prospector” Vermillion (2-0, 2.66 ERA) is still seeking his fortune up on them thar hills, and Saved by the Bell: The College Years is doing a gritty, baseball themed reboot, as #32 Jr. LHP Zack Morris (4-0, 0.87 ERA) has been using his early 1990s cell phone that can stop time to great effect.

At least Dave Van Horn can no longer “call the Kopps” in like the 3rd inning for each game of this series, as he has taken his jelly-arm to San Antonio to play for the Double A Missions in the Padres organization.

Confidence Level: No freaking clue. I mean, Arky is 28-5 at Baum-Walker this year, and we’re giving a freshman the biggest game of his life on Friday. This series is going to come down to the rubber-match, methinks, so a win on Friday would juice my confidence up quite a bit. We probably have to win this series to be a Regional host, and they’re the #4 team playing at home, so... you know... no pressure.

On the Mound

Friday @ 6:30pm CT on SEC+

Vanderbilt #95 Fr. LHP Devin “The Future” Futrell (8-1, 2.03 ERA)

vs. #13 Arky Sr. RHP Connor “Can Lose” Noland (5-3, 2.99 ERA)

Saturday @ 6:30pm CT on SECN+

#35 Vanderbilt Jr. RHP Chris “McBain” McElvain (5-3; 3.48 ERA)

vs. #33 Arky Fr. LHP Hagen “The Dazs” Smith (6-2, 3.79 ERA)

Sunday @ 1:00pm CT on SECN+

#20 Vanderbilt Fr. LHP Carter “Rev. Holton Heat” Holton (6-3; 3.82 ERA)

vs. #22 Arky So. RHP Jaxon “Gus Chiggins” Wiggins (6-1, 5.40 ERA)

The Lineup

1 cf 51 Enrique Bradfield Jr L .297

2 3b 11 Davis Diaz R .239

3 rf 34 Spencer Jones L .386

4 1b 12 Dominic Keegan R .392

5 c 16 Jack Bulger R .283

6 lf 2 Javier Vaz L .270

7 dh 25 Parker Noland L .232

8 2b 6 Tate Kolywck R .269

9 ss 9 Carter Young B .208

See you in the comments.