There was a huge series in Knoxville over the weekend, as the number-5 Tennessee Volunteers hosted tthe number-2 Vanderbilt Commodores. I can't remember another matchup in any sport where UT and Vandy were both ranked in the top five, unless it happened in women's basketball back in the early 1990's. Anyway the Vol fans came out in huge numbers -- apparently they've cured COVID in Knoxville -- and these two ancient rivals had at it. Kumar Rocker pitched Vandy to a 5-0 win on Friday night, but UT jumped all over the Vandy bullpen for an 8-4 win on Saturday. The rubber match was Sunday, and Vandy's bats finally came to life -- blasting UT 10-4 to win the series and take sole possession of first place in the SEC East.
Here is D1 Baseball's top 10. This weekend, Vandy will host Mississippi State:
1. Arkansas: 30-6
2. Vanderbilt: 28-6
3. Texas: 30-8
4. Mississippi St: 27-8
5. Texas Tech: 26-8
6. Tennessee: 29-8
7. Louisville: 22-11
8. Texas Christian: 26-9
9. E. Carolina: 26-5
10. Notre Dame: 18-7
EXCELLENT, VANDERBILT!
ReplyDeleteUK is now hosting Louisville. The Cats are wearing blue hats, blue shirts with white lettering, and blue pinstripe pants. OK, but not nearly as good as their cream-colored uniforms. Louisville has red hats, red jerseys with the word LOUISVILLE done in an American-flag font, and white pants. Louisville always gets carried away with their uniforms. At least it's not black.
ReplyDeleteBoth teams are 22-11. But Louisville is 14-6 in the ACC, and UK is 7-8 in the SEC.
ReplyDeleteU of L loads the bases on a single, a hit batsman, and an infield single. Typical Cardinal baseball. Then the next batter is hit by the ball, and Louisville leads 1-0. In every sport, no matter what they play, UK is always lordly, and U of L is always scrappy.
ReplyDeleteI've seen many games in many sports where UK beat U of L. I've never seen UK out-hustle U of L.
ReplyDeleteI would say there's about half as many people at this game as there was at the Vandy/UT series. I don't think that has anything to do with fan interest -- it's just a difference in rules between Knoxville and Lexington.
ReplyDeleteThe next U of L batter walks, and Louisville leads 2-0 in the bottom of the first on a single, an infield single, two hit batsmen, and a walk.
ReplyDeleteNow a double down the line makes it 4-0, and a ground out to first makes it 5-0. The Cardinals have 5 runs on 3 hits.
ReplyDeleteWhen Vandy won it all in 2019, Louisville was their toughest opponent. Like UK, Vandy is not a scrappy team. But they beat Louisville in the College World Series by scores of 3-1 and 3-2, and both games were really painful to watch.
ReplyDeleteAfter the top of the first, it's Louisville 5, and Kentucky coming up to bat.
ReplyDeleteI should have known better. Louisville was wearing red batting helmets. Now that they're in the field, they are wearing white hats(!) with red bibs and the Cardinal logo in the same American-flag font as the letters and numbers on their jerseys. It's just too much.
ReplyDeleteThe teams I root for aren't very scrappy, but they usually have great uniforms.
ReplyDeleteIf I spent a week thinking about it, I couldn't come up with a hat this bad for Louisville. It would never occur to me to have an American-flag cardinal head on a white background.
ReplyDeleteLouisville's up 7-0 in the top of the 2d and I've seen enough. I'll watch Louisville again once we get to the NCAA Tournament.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, in Lubbock, ...
ReplyDeleteOn Tuesday night, Vandy beat Austin Peay 7-0, and their record is now 29-6. The Dores have a huge series at home against number-4 Mississippi State this weekend, but you won't be able to tell because the powers that be in Nashvegas won't let very many people come to the game.
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