Commodore Nation, February 2013 by Vanderbilt Commodores

February 2013

SPRING PREVIEW

Baseball Lacrosse Tennis Track & Field

ALSO INSIDE: Corbin’s coaching staff Schrann’s success Odom on Seinfeld

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CONTENTS

SPRING PREVIEW P.9 Track and Field Growth of Keith’s group paced by junior jumper.

P.11

P.15

P.17

Baseball

Baseball Q&A

Senior Mike Yastrzemski is one of the cornerstones of Head Coach Tim Corbin’s Commodore baseball team, which was chosen as the third-ranked team in the nation according to Collegiate Baseball’s preseason poll.

Meet Corbin’s new assistant coaches.

P.18 Kady Schrann

Lacrosse

Sophomore embraces role.

Senior goalkeeper key for Swezey’s team.

P.12 Men’s Tennis Local product returns for Duvenhage’s Commodores.

P.2 Compliance Corner

P.3 National Commodore Club

P.7

P.24

Inside McGugin

My game

P.23

Basketball’s Rod Odom.

It’s my turn Rod Williamson’s monthly column.

P.13 Women’s Tennis Sophomore helps lead Macdonald’s young squad.

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C O M M O D O R E N AT I O N

Connect with the Commodores http://vucommodores.com Editorial

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Publisher: Vanderbilt University Editor-in-Chief: Chris Weinman

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COMPLIANCE

CORNER The Vanderbilt Athletic Compliance Office would like to thank everyone who reads Compliance Corner. We’re glad to be a resource for you. In order to better serve you, we’d like to extend the opportunity for you to submit topics to be covered in this section. Please contact us by email at ncaacompliance@vanderbilt.edu or on our Twitter or Facebook pages. We look forward to hearing from you! Thank you again for your time, and GO ’DORES! Follow Vanderbilt Compliance @VandyCompliance Like Vanderbilt Compliance facebook.com/VandyCompliance

Compliance questions? Please contact: Candice Lee George Midgett Director of Compliance Compliance Coordinator 615/322-7992 615/322-2083 candice.lee@vanderbilt.edu george.d.midgett@vanderbilt.edu John Peach Andrew Turner Compliance Coordinator Recruiting/Compliance Coordinator 615/343-1060 615/322-4543 john.w.peach@vanderbilt.edu andrew.turner@vanderbilt.edu

F e b r ua r y 2 0 1 3

Digital Image Specialist: Julie Luckett Turner

VU Photography:

Daniel Dubois Steve Green Lauren Holland Joe Howell Anne Rayner John Russell Susan Urmy

Contributors: Brandon Barca Andy Boggs Larry Leathers George Midgett Kyle Parkinson Weston Pletcher Emily Sane Michael Scholl Ryan Schulz Eric Single

Administrative

Chancellor: Nicholas S. Zeppos Vice Chancellor for University Affairs: David Williams II Vice Chancellor for Public Affairs: Beth Fortune

Vanderbilt University Student Athletics’ Mission Statement We prepare student-athletes to become leaders and champions in life by placing the highest values on integrity, character, sportsmanship and victory. Vanderbilt University is an equal-opportunity, affirmative-action university. ON THE COVER: Right-handed pitcher Tyler Beede will be an integral part of the Commodores’ rotation this season. Photo by John Russell, VU Photography. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to National Commodore Club, 2601 Jess Neely Drive, Nashville, TN 37212. SUBSCRIPTION: To subscribe, contact Chris Weinman by e-mail at commodorenation@vanderbilt.edu ADVERTISEMENT: To advertise with Commodore Nation, please contact Vanderbilt IMG Sports & Entertainment Properties. Jeff Miller, general manager 615/322-4468; jeff.miller@imgworld.com

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Commodore Tailgate

Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl

Commodore Tailgate

Finishing the

2012 season on a

HIGH NOTE Thank you for cheering on the Commodores to

a 38-24 victory over the NC State Wolfpack at the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl. You helped us fill Nashville with black and gold during the finals days of 2012 at our bowl events and bowl game. Vanderbilt players, coaches and administrators could not be more grateful for your enthusiastic support. Vanderbilt alumni and fans filled the Dec. 30 Bowl Kickoff Celebration at Wildhorse Saloon and Dec. 31 Commodore Tailgate at LP Field. Thanks again for your support.

ANCHOR DOWN for the 2013 season!

Bowl Kickoff Celebration

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Inside McGugin

By The Numbers

Notes from the athletic department

l Vanderbilt is once again accepting nominations for our Athletic Hall of Fame. Nominations are due by March 15 if you want your favorite Commodore to be considered. Log on to vucommodores.com and check out the “Hall of Fame” link under the “Athletics” tab to view the 40 individuals already inducted and the criteria for nomination. The Class of 2013 will be announced sometime in early summer, with Hall of Fame Weekend coming for our Austin Peay football game in early September.

Commodore runners who placed in the Top 10 of the 3,000-meter race at the 2013 University of Kentucky Invitational.

26 John Russell

ational Signing Day is Feb. 6 (vucommodores.com/signingday), but the Commodore football team already received a major commitment when junior wide receiver Jordan Matthews decided to forgo his opportunity to enter the NFL Draft and return for his senior season. Matthews established a new Vanderbilt record with 1,323 receiving yards in 2012, and his 94-reception total was just four shy of breaking the team and SEC records set by former Commodore Keith Edwards in 1983.

Matthews with parents, Brenda and Roderick.

l Two former Commodores earned spots on Team USA 2013 at last month’s USBC (United States Bowling Congress) Team USA Trials. Assistant coach Josie Earnest advanced to the event’s semifinals before finishing third to guarantee a spot on the squad. Brittni Hamilton, a 2012 graduate, was an at-large selection. Team USA’s first competition of the 2013 schedule will be in the first week of August at the Tournament of the Americas in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. n

teams in this May’s NCAA women’s lacrosse championship, signifying the first expansion to the bracket since the field grew from 12 to 16 teams for the 2001 tournament.

years since the Commodore football team ended the season ranked in the Associated Press Top 25. Last year’s squad earned a ranking of No. 23 from the writers, while national coaches picked VU at No. 20.

2,462

career snaps played by offensive lineman Wesley Johnson, who has started for three seasons without being called for a holding penalty.

Calendar

February highlights

Feb. 15 Feb. 10 Women’s basketball vs. Kentucky The women’s basketball team will host its annual PINK OUT to raise awareness of breast cancer on Sunday, Feb. 10, when Kentucky visits Memorial Gymnasium (3 p.m.). All fans are encouraged to wear pink to the game, which will be televised nationally on ESPN2. The game also has been designated as Girl Scout Day and will include a pre-game Kids Zone, which opens 90 minutes before tip-off.

vucommodores.com

Feb. 13 Men’s basketball vs. Tennessee The Commodores and Vols will play twice in a 15-day span, with the Commodores hosting the second leg of the homeand-home series. The Feb. 13 matchup will take place in the middle of a full week at Memorial Gym, which plays host to five games in eight days between the men’s and women’s teams. Scheduled for a 7 p.m. tip, the game will be carried by the SEC Network.

Baseball vs. Long Beach State The baseball team’s 56-game regular season schedule begins on Feb. 15 when the ‘Dores open a three-game series at home against Long Beach State (4 p.m.). Vanderbilt will play its first 14 games in Nashville (including a February 19 matchup at Belmont) before heading to the west coast in early March to face Oregon.

Feb. 24 Lacrosse vs. Northwestern Head Coach Cathy Swezey’s Commodores open the 2013 season on Feb. 3 at Jacksonville and play host to games against Kennesaw State and Denver after that. But their 2013 American Lacrosse Conference slate does not start until a pivotal match against defending national champion Northwestern (1 p.m.) on a busy day in Nashville—men’s tennis, baseball and women’s basketball also host events.

C O M M O D O R E N AT I O N

F e b r ua r y 2 0 1 3

SPRING PREVIEW Track and Field

Brionne Williams

unior high jumper Brionne Williams has shown steady improvement every year as a Commodore. As a freshman, she qualified for the NCAA East Prelims and cleared 1.75 meters. As a sophomore, the Hoover, Ala., native again qualified for the NCAA Preliminary round while clearing 1.79 meters, the second-highest jump ever by a Vanderbilt athlete. That history is why Head Coach Steve Keith expects Williams to have an even more impressive 2013 season. “She’s had a steady progression every year,” Keith said. “She’s now at a national level, which is what you want for all your kids.” Williams got off to a solid start, clearing 1.82 meters (5 feet, 11.5 inches) for a new personal record at the Kentucky Invitational, the first meet of 2013. Her jump also places her among the top 10 nationally in the high jump. “The simplest way to put it is scoring at the conference (meet) and getting to nationals,” Keith explained. “The conference is super-competitive, but if you want to be the best you have to compete against the best.” Williams’ path through the indoor season sees just five meets before the SEC Indoor Championships are hosted by Arkansas Feb. 22-24. That could be followed by a Last Chance meet before the top 16 high jumpers in the nation will head back to Fayetteville for the NCAA Indoor Championships. “The consistency is what is going to help,” Keith says. “Her resume will break the ties, so that’s what we’re looking for over the next few weeks (of indoors).” In addition to her athletic performances, Keith is also proud of the leadership and determination Williams has shown for the stilldeveloping Vanderbilt track program. “She’s a quiet leader, but she’s driven by some pretty high goals and expectations of her own,” Keith said. n

“A class like this changes the culture.” —Steve Keith

on his freshman class of Sara Barron, Jennifer Cannon, Skyler Carpenter, Grace Corbett, Marika Crowe, Vanessa Valentine, Faith Washington and Lily Williams

Lily Williams Steve Keith has trouble selecting just one freshman from his group of eight that could have an impact this season. “I can think of several who could score well at the conference (meet),” Keith explained. “Recruiting has been good, which makes it harder to single one out.” At middle distance, Lily Williams enters with a mile time of 4:42.79, while Sara Barron was a Michigan state champion in the 800 and 1600 meters. There is also a trio of freshmen in Faith Washington, Skyler Carpenter and Jennifer Cannon, who bring several prep state titles to the hurdles. Cannon will also compete in the multi-events and was sixth nationally as a high school senior in the heptathlon. “If you look at that freshman class, they have set no limitations on themselves. They come in and say ‘Why not me?’” Keith says.

vucommodores.com

Noteworthy On Feb. 1-2, Vanderbilt will be one of more than 100 collegiate teams to participate in the Armory Collegiate Invitational in New York City. The meet is at uptown Manhattan’s Armory Foundation, which since its opening in 1909 has had several uses, including as one of the top indoor track and field facilities since 1993.

C O M M O D O R E N AT I O N

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SPRING PREVIEW Lacrosse

Chelsea Pasfield

hile the 2013 Vanderbilt women’s lacrosse team will be known as a young squad, fans will see a number of familiar faces in the Commodores’ defensive third. Vanderbilt returns three starters on defense—senior Paige Cahill and junior captains Brandi Byner and Alyssa Dunlap. Behind that defense is another familiar face — senior captain Chelsea Pasfield. In her first three seasons as a Commodore goalkeeper, Pasfield has played in 21 games and earned nine starts. Head Coach Cathy Swezey expects big things in the Alexandria, Va., native’s final season in black and gold. “Chelsea is a pleasure to coach because she’s one of the most level-headed goalies I’ve ever been around,” Swezey said. “She doesn’t get overly emotional, doesn’t get down on herself when she’s scored on. She’s so solid and confident that I think she’s going to be a really capable leader for us. “She’s had plenty of starting opportunities where she has outplayed Natalie [Wills] in the past and earned the opportunity to start,” Swezey said. “And we anticipate that now that it’s her year, she’s really going to take off. We think good things are going to happen.” Pasfield will be backed up by sophomore Maddie Kratz, who made four saves in the 12 minutes of action she saw against Presbyterian last spring. “She’s talented, too,” Swezey said. “Chelsea was sick for a runthrough recently, and Maddie had to take all the shots in practice, and she was phenomenal. They get along well, but they’re ready to push and compete, as well. I think it’s a good combination. If anything were to happen to Chelsea, or if she were having an off day, I know Maddie could step up.” n

“While we’re a young team, I think there’s a lot to be excited about. We have a team that is fully committed. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a team lift and run as hard as they did in our fall season. We are probably more fit than we have been in years. I think good things are on the horizon.” — Cathy Swezey

Kelly Chandler Among the nine seniors who graduated last spring, the hole left behind by Ally Carey will undoubtedly be the hardest to fill. Carey led the Commodores in points, goals, draw controls and caused turnovers last season, and she is the school’s career leader in draw controls and ground balls. Replacing Carey in the center circle was one of coach Swezey’s biggest objectives this offseason. Coming into spring practice, Swezey planned to utilize a freshman on draws—Salisbury, Md., native Kelly Chandler. “She’s a very strong kid who can go up and get any ball,” Swezey said. “She probably had the best performance in terms of taking the draw [during fall training]. And then on the circle, you just need good stick kids … kids who are willing to block out a little bit.” Part of VU’s lauded 10-member freshman class that includes four 2012 US Lacrosse Girls’ High School All-Americans, Chandler was a four-year starter for Episcopal (Alexandria, Va.) High School.

vucommodores.com

Noteworthy The 2013 Commodores return less than one-quarter of their offensive output from last season (62 of 253 points), but the attack should get a boost when senior Courtney Kirk steps back onto the field. The Baltimore native redshirted last year after leading the 2011 squad with 53 points.

C O M M O D O R E N AT I O N

SPRING PREVIEW Men’s Tennis

Ryan Lipman

fter missing all of his junior season due to injury, Ryan Lipman is more than ready for the spring tennis season to get started. The redshirt junior has been one of the SEC’s top players ever since he stepped on a Vanderbilt court. In 2010, Lipman was named to the All-SEC First Team and SEC All-Freshman Team, while also earning Ohio Valley Rookie of the Year and SEC Co-Freshman of the Year honors. No Vanderbilt player had ever received those accolades as a freshman before Lipman. As a sophomore, he once again was recognized as a First Team All-SEC member. This year’s team will go as far as Lipman leads them. He is the oldest player on a team that features eight freshmen and sophomores. Lipman carries a career singles record of 57-29 with every intention of helping lead the team to an SEC title. Even without playing a single match last season, Lipman took advantage of the opportunity to see the game from a different perspective. That perspective helped him become the team leader of a squad that is full of youth. So far his redshirt-junior campaign is off to a promising start. The Nashville native won the USTA/ITA Ohio Valley Regional in October to earn an automatic bid to the ITA National Indoor Tournament, which was in New York. Even though he lost his first-round match in New York, the experience gave him ample confidence as the most important season is set to begin. Lipman finished the fall season with a 10-4 record in singles play and 3-3 in doubles play. He began the spring season ranked No. 17 in the ITA National Singles Rankings—the highest preseason ranking of his career after being ranked No. 29 in 2011 and No. 43 in 2012. n

“I am so excited about this team. Our top two players are ranked in the top 20 in the nation, and while the rest of our team are all either freshmen or sophomores, they are highly motivated and they work very hard. I think this will be a great team.” — Ian Duvenhage

Marc van der Merwe Head Coach Ian Duvenhage added another talented member to his squad for the spring season when Marc van der Merwe arrived in time for the semester. The Stellenbosch, South Africa, native stands at an impressive 6’3” and oozes athletic potential. To fully understand van der Merwe’s athleticism, one need look no further than his other sporting endeavors: when not on the tennis court, van der Merwe was an avid surfer and played rugby all the way through high school. His high school’s (Paul Roos Gymnasium) calendar year ends in December, which is why van der Merwe arrived on West End in time to begin the second semester at Vanderbilt. The son of a former Auburn tennis player, van der Merwe comes from a tennis background. It didn’t take long for Marc to get his first victory at VU—he won his first collegiate match within two and a half weeks of arriving on campus. His match win at No. 4 singles versus Butler sealed the victory for Vanderbilt in the season-opening dual.

F e b r ua r y 2 0 1 3

Noteworthy Head Coach Ian Duvenhage is the dean of SEC men’s tennis coaches, with 28 years of head coaching experience on his resume. Before coming to Vanderbilt in 2005, he had coached the Florida men’s team and the Miami women’s team for a total of 20 seasons.

SPRING PREVIEW Women’s Tennis

Marie Casares

s another tennis season kicks into full gear, the Vanderbilt women will look to a sophomore to help lead the team toward another NCAA Tournament appearance. Having only one season of collegiate competition under her belt, Marie Casares looks primed to have a breakout season for the Commodores in 2013. The Quito, Ecuador, native has already shown that she can compete with the top talent in the SEC. During her freshman campaign, Casares put together a 23-9 singles record, including a 9-2 mark in SEC play. She spent a majority of her freshman season playing in the No. 3 spot, but look for her to be one of the top players this season for Head Coach Geoff Macdonald. It is clear that Casares plays like a savvy veteran, even though she is still learning the ins and outs of the collegiate game. Macdonald has often praised her work ethic and preparation before and after matches. A key ingredient to an athlete’s success that is often overlooked is how they take care of their body. Macdonald has compared Casares’ pre-match and post-match routines and tendencies to that of a pro tennis player. The 2012 Second Team All-SEC honoree finished the fall season with a 6-3 singles record, but her play in doubles also excited her coach and teammates. Casares paired up with Ashleigh Antal to put together an 8-2 record for the fall. Casares and Antal made an appearance in the USTA/ITA Ohio Valley Regional Doubles Championship in West Lafayette, Ind., where they fell to one of the top doubles teams in the country. Casares enters the spring season ranked No. 91 in the ITA National Singles Rankings. n

“I feel like we’re in a pretty good place. We’re conditioning well, the freshmen are adjusting, so I feel good where we are as a team. I think the team is learning more on concentrating and focusing. They are learning more about the competitive, tenacious mentality you need to have to play at this level. The practice sets have been the best we’ve had here in years.” — Geoff Macdonald

Courtney Colton With only one semester of collegiate tennis behind her, Courtney Colton has already made an impression on the Vanderbilt women’s tennis team. The Davie, Fla., native finished the fall season with an impressive 8-2 singles record. In her first collegiate tournament, the Roberta Alison Fall Classic, Colton won all three of her singles matches in straight sets. Her three opponents were from SEC schools: Mississippi State, Ole Miss and Auburn. In doubles, Colton split time with teammates Maggie Leavell and Lauren Mira, in which she went a combined 7-3 during the fall. Colton will look to carry over her fantastic play into the heart of the SEC season, which boasts some of the top players in the country. Based on the way she has already competed through the first part of the season, the spring should present her with ample opportunities to continue her success.

vucommodores.com

Noteworthy Under Head Coach Geoff Macdonald, the Commodores have finished no lower than No. 16 in 14 of the past 15 years, including a school record No. 2 ranking at the end of the 2004 season.

C O M M O D O R E N AT I O N

SPRING PREVIEW Spring 2013 Home Events MARCH

FEBRUARY 1 Men’s Tennis

MTSU

2 p.m.

1 Men’s Tennis

2 Swimming

AR-Little Rock

1 p.m.

2 Baseball

2 p.m.

3 Baseball

2 Men’s Tennis 2 Men’s Basketball

Tulane

Alabama

3 Women’s Basketball Ole Miss 9 Men’s Basketball 10 Lacrosse

Arkansas

Kennesaw St.

10 Women’s Basketball Kentucky

12 p.m. 3 p.m.

12:30 p.m. 1 p.m.

3 p.m.

13 Men’s Basketball

Tennessee

15 Men’s Tennis

Memphis

16 Lacrosse

Denver

1 p.m.

Texas A&M

5:30 p.m.

Central AR

4 p.m.

14 Women’s Basketball Missouri 15 Baseball

16 Baseball

16 Men’s Basketball

7 p.m.

2 p.m.

Long Beach St. 4 p.m.

Long Beach St. 2 p.m.

LSU

1 Baseball

UIC

3 Men’s Tennis

Arkansas

UIC UIC

5 Baseball

8 Women’s Tennis

9 Men’s Basketball 10 Women’s Tennis 13 Lacrosse 13 Baseball

Eastern Illinois

vs. Texas A&M

South Carolina Missouri

Notre Dame Buffalo

2 p.m.

1 Lacrosse

Harvard

2 p.m.

6 Men’s Tennis

Kentucky

1 p.m.

12 Women’s Tennis

4 p.m. 12 p.m. 4 p.m. 4 p.m.

12:30 p.m. 1 p.m. 3 p.m. 4 p.m.

15 Bowling

Columbia 300 Music City Classic

16 Bowling

Columbia 300 Music City Classic

15 Women’s Tennis 17 Bowling

Mississippi State

4 p.m.

Columbia 300 Music City Classic

17 Women’s Tennis

Ole Miss

1 p.m.

Monmouth N.J. 4 p.m.

22 Men’s Tennis

Georgia

2 p.m.

Indiana

12 p.m.

23 Track & Field

Black & Gold

Northwestern

1 p.m.

24 Baseball

26 Baseball

Arkansas St.

4 p.m.

26 Baseball

27 Baseball

Evansville

17 Baseball

20 Baseball

22 Baseball

23 Baseball

24 Men’s Tennis 24 Baseball

24 Lacrosse

Long Beach St. 1 p.m.

Monmouth N.J. 2 p.m.

Monmouth N.J. 1 p.m.

24 Women’s Basketball Texas A&M 27 Women’s Tennis 27 Men’s Basketball

Memphis Georgia

28 Women’s Basketball Auburn

4 p.m.

3 p.m.

4 p.m.

8 p.m.

22 Track & Field

22 Baseball

23 Baseball

26 Lacrosse 29 Men’s Tennis 29 Baseball 30 Baseball

31 Men’s Tennis 31 Baseball

Black & Gold

Florida

APRIL

6:30 p.m.

2 Baseball

9 Baseball 12 Baseball 13 Baseball 14 Baseball

14 Lacrosse

14 Women’s Tennis 16 Baseball

19 Track & Field

2 p.m.

MTSU

6:30 p.m.

UT-Martin

6:30 p.m.

2 p.m.

South Carolina

4 p.m.

Missouri

6:30 p.m.

Missouri

2 p.m.

Missouri

1 p.m.

Florida Florida

1 p.m.

Tennessee Tech

1 p.m.

6:30 p.m.

Vanderbilt Invitational

20 Lacrosse

North Carolina

12 p.m.

26 Baseball

Mississippi St.

6:30 p.m.

Mississippi St.

1 p.m.

20 Track & Field

27 Baseball 28 Baseball

Vanderbilt Invitational Mississippi St.

2 p.m.

MAY

Florida

2 p.m.

8 Baseball

Presbyterian

6:30 p.m.

Stanford

3 p.m.

16 Baseball

Alabama

6:30 p.m.

2 p.m.

18 Baseball

Florida

Lipscomb Auburn

Tennessee Tennessee Alabama

Tennessee

12 p.m.

14 Baseball

6:30 p.m.

17 Baseball

Belmont

Alabama Alabama

6:30 p.m. 6:30 p.m. 1 p.m.

6:30 p.m. 2 p.m.

12 p.m. 1 p.m.

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SPRING PREVIEW Baseball

Mike Yastrzemski

he 2013 Vanderbilt Commodores look a lot like the 2012 Commodores, but with one major difference: experience. A year ago the ‘Dores had an abundance of new faces, with 23 of the team’s 33 players registering as underclassmen. This season they bring back a total of 23 lettermen, including 10 players who started at least 10 games in 2012. The Commodores lost three pitchers to the draft (Sam Selman, Drew VerHagen and Will Clinard) and one of the best offensive players in Vanderbilt history in Anthony Gomez, but they have the depth to absorb the losses. Every position on the field and spot in the starting rotation returns at least one player with starting experience. “I like our group … we will be very competitive,” Head Coach Tim Corbin said. “We are a mix of strong senior leadership, with experienced juniors and sophomores and a group of mature freshmen.” Extremely talented freshmen and sophomore classes join a very experienced junior class, featuring preseason All-Americans Conrad Gregor, Tony Kemp and Spencer Navin. However, unlike last season the roster features prominent seniors in Mike Yastrzemski and Connor Harrell. Yastrzemski and Harrell turned down professional contracts to return to West End for one more run with the ‘Dores. Fifth-year seniors Andrew Harris and Jack Lupo add to the team’s leadership core. “We were very fortunate to return Yaz, Connor, Andrew and Jack for their final years,” Corbin says. “Those are four kids that could have signed or graduated. We also were able to keep most of our freshman class … this has enabled us to build quality depth in all four areas on the field. We will move one step at a time and see how far this group can bring us.” n

“We are fortunate that our outfield has stayed intact for the better part of four years. Once again, it will be the most experienced area of our team. With Connor [Harrell], Yaz, Jack [Lupo] and Tony Kemp, we have four athletes who have much experience, arm strength and can track down the baseball.” —Tim Corbin

Rhett Wiseman When discussing his wealth of experience in the outfield, Corbin singled out a freshman from Mansfield, Mass., who opted to become a Commodore instead of signing with the Chicago Cubs organization. “I like the development of Rhett Wiseman … we will need to get him some playing time to help his development, as well.” The Commodores’ 2013 freshman class is the second of back-to-back, top-ranked recruiting classes for Head Coach Tim Corbin. Collegiate Baseball and Baseball America tabbed this year’s 11-man group as the nation’s consensus top class, with seven of the 11 members turning down professional ball to come to Vanderbilt. The entire Commodore roster is flush with talent. Eighteen players have been drafted, either prior to their freshman year or after their junior campaigns (or in the case of Yastrzemski, twice), the most on any college roster in the country.

vucommodores.com

Noteworthy Senior Mike Yastrzemski turned down a professional contract from the Seattle Mariners last summer to return to Vanderbilt, where he has an ironman streak going of 137 consecutive starts for the ‘Dores. Yastrzemski has started every game for Vanderbilt since May 26, 2010.

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Q&Assistants When the Commodore baseball team opens its 2013 season on Friday, Feb. 15, against Long Beach State, Vanderbilt fans will get their first look at a pair of coaches in their first official game wearing the black and gold. Commodore Nation sat down with each new addition before the official start of spring practice. Travis Jewett was announced as the Commodores’ hitting coach and recruiting coordinator on Aug. 1 of last year. Jewett spent the past 11 seasons in the Pac-12 Conference, most recently as the associate head coach and recruiting coordinator at Arizona State. Commodore Nation: You’ve been at Arizona State the past three years. Are you a west coast guy originally? TJ: I’m actually from even further west. I’m from Tacoma, Washington, born and raised. I coached at both Washington and Washington State, and my wife’s from the northwest, too. CN: What made you look at coming to Nashville? TJ: Vanderbilt, Coach Corbin. I was fortunate to kind of have begun some communication with Coach Corbin [after] a good friend of mine was on his USA staff. I would stay in touch and always watched Vanderbilt from afar. I’d heard so many good things about it from people that had been around here. When the opportunity arose it made you scratch your head and think about it. Obviously, you see what choice we made. CN: Will your west coast ties change our approach to recruiting? TJ: Not really. If you look at the roster now, the lay of the land has been that there’s no place too near or far. We have a kid from Oregon on our team right now, Tyler Campbell. I just think it’s about the right fit—ability-wise, character-wise, academically. California, Washington, to south Florida. Wherever. And Vanderbilt has such a good reputation, obviously, for its academic standards, but also the guy two doors down (Coach Corbin). So people see Vanderbilt as a destination spot for academics and the best baseball in the coun try, so it’s a nice sell.

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CN: What is your approach to hitting? TJ: Practice real baseball. My wife calls me caveman—meat and potatoes, put ketchup on everything, so to speak.... Does the tee work for hitting? More for warming up and doing things before I show up. Maybe for working on a body position or something like that. But in terms of the SEC or the Pac-12 or whatever league at this level, it doesn’t just sit thigh-high right over any third of the plate. It’s got velocity, it’s got movement, those types of things. Trying to put [the hitters] in as much of a game-like environment as possible. Creating a system that we call around here, “checks and balances.” You can’t do it all. You can’t guess on five pitches that he’s got in his arsenal and think you’re going to hit them if you just stride and try to swing at the same time. Have a clear plan. If we’re executing our plan accordingly, whether we succeed or not, they’re going to get praised for it. I like my players, like being around them. And I think they know that we’re in this together. n Scott Brown was named Tim Corbin’s second pitching coach on Nov. 13. Brown spent nine successful seasons in a similar role at St. John’s before making the move to Nashville. Commodore Nation: You were hired after fall ball ended. How has the transition been? SB: I actually spent a couple of weeks here in November and early December just trying to learn as much as I possibly could about the guys: personality, skill set, work ethic, that type of stuff. We’ve just hit the ground running in the spring. There’s really no time; you just have to go with it and learn on the fly. We’ve been doing a pretty good job with that.

CN: Has your family joined you in Nashville yet? SB: They got here about a week and a half ago. My son is ecstatic. He’s just loving Nashville. He’s going to school at Woodmont Christian, and he’s been to practice a few times. My two daughters—twin girls—are starting to finally sleep at night. My wife is really happy here and feels very comfortable. CN: What made you want to come to Vanderbilt? SB: Coach Corbin: the culture that he presents here really piqued my interest. At St. John’s, there were some opportunities to make some moves during the tenure, but I just never really felt 100 percent comfortable with the place to live, to raise my family, or the culture. St. John’s was really a great place to work and I really enjoyed working with Coach [Ed] Blankmeyer and the staff, but when I came down here for the interview, I just felt great about it. I felt like it was the right place at the right time and the right situation for my family. CN: What is your coaching philosophy with pitchers? TJ: We’re going to do whatever it takes to make the individual pitcher better. And I really stress “individual,” because I think every pitcher is different. We have 16 different pitchers on the staff, we’ll have 16 different, individual plans. So I’m almost like a pitching coach for every one of them rather than the coach of a staff. The philosophy is real simple. We’re just going to do what it takes to make that individual better so that they can reach their goals—because everybody has personal, individual goals—and ultimately win as many games as possible. n

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Schrann fits role with ’Dores By Chris Weinman

Standing 5’9” tall, sophomore Kady Schrann is five inches shorter than the average student-athlete at the top of the Southeastern Conference’s women’s basketball field goal percentage chart. So how is a guard shooting well over 50 percent from the floor in the SEC? Schrann is quick to credit teammates—from senior post Tiffany Clarke, the team’s leading scorer, to junior guards Christina Foggie and Jasmine Lister—for giving her that opportunity. “It’s the other girls, actually,” Schrann said. “With Tiff being our No. 1 scorer right now, we’re trying to get the ball in to her. And when teams double up on her, it leaves me or Foggie or Jas wide open. And then there’s Jas constantly getting to the rim, and that forces the other team to crash into the middle, which opens up shots for other people, too.” Despite shooting nearly 58 percent through her first 14 games of the 2012-13 season, you would not find Schrann’s name on the list of SEC field goal percentage leaders midway through the year since her number of attempts does not meet the league minimum. That can happen on a team where the league’s reigning scoring champion is not even the squad’s top scorer

“I played point guard for the main three years,” Schrann said. “But then my senior year I actually went more toward the wing because there was another girl on my team who could play the point. So we’d go back and forth, but I played more on the wing. Learning the point guard position, you have to know where everyone is supposed to be. It’s more information, but it helps you to distribute and to look for your own shot.” Having Schrann looking for her own shot is something that her coaches and teammates

“Kady is one of those players that just does whatever the team needs.” —Christina Foggie continue to encourage. While Schrann is the epitome of a team player, Foggie, for one, realizes the importance of having Schrann as another scoring threat in Vanderbilt’s arsenal. “Kady is one of those players that just does whatever the team needs,” Foggie said. “We want her to be more aggressive. She’s been doing that and scoring a little more this year. She’s very important for us. When she attacks that helps all of us, [because] it gets the defense shifted.” Schrann says her aggressiveness is best seen in practice—her drives into traffic in the paint against her teammates caused her to miss a game this season when she injured an ankle—

Kady Schrann started 27 games as a freshman in 2011-12.

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Joe Howell

(Foggie averaged 17.7 points per game last season, but Clarke holds a slight edge over her this season). A top-50 recruit according to ESPN’s Hoopgurlz ratings, Schrann was listed as the 10th-best point guard in the nation coming out of York Catholic High School in Pennsylvania. Her transition to playing the wing for the Commodores— and backing up the point behind Lister, who leads the SEC in assists and is second in minutes played—was made easier by her experience with switching positions in high school. Schrann still appreciates how her knowledge of the point allows her to see the court.

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Joe HoweLl

but it’s something she’s working to bring into games more often. The sophomore has also been hard at work on her outside shooting, which has hovered around 50 percent after being 37 percent last year. As a freshman, Schrann started 27 games and was named to the SEC All-Freshman team. Her breakout offensive game came at the end of last January against LSU. With the Lady Tigers keying on Foggie on the heels of her 34-point performance to beat No. 15 Georgia, Schrann exploded for 29 points on 11-of-16 shooting from the field. She was named the SEC’s Freshman of the Week for her performance, which followed up a sixassist game against the Lady Dawgs. But Schrann only scored in double-figures on seven occasions last season—a number she had reached by her second league contest of 2013. This year, as only a sophomore, she also is using her experience to help her younger teammates. Six freshmen joined the Commodores’ roster this season. “Last year, I always put in the back of my mind what I wish I would have known,” Schrann

Schrann was an SEC All-Freshman selection last year.

said. “So now I try to put that ahead for the freshmen this year and tell them ahead of time. “I know last year there were a lot of times I would catch myself getting frustrated quickly, even in practice. So I just tell them to have patience with themselves and things are a lot easier to handle.” After learning so much as a freshman, Schrann is eager to give back. Off the court, she also hopes to get back into community service. She served as a mentor in Big Brothers-Big Sisters in high school, but felt that her freshman year did not allow such a time commitment. Now Schrann feels like she’s in the perfect position to add more to her plate. “I didn’t do it last year, because there were a ton of transitions,” Schrann said. “So I didn’t want to busy myself that much, but this year I have more time to do it, so when the opportunity comes around I’m going to grab onto it.” Schrann has quietly carved out a niche for herself in Head Coach Melanie Balcomb’s lineup and certainly will be a key component of the Commodores’ late-season run. n

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It’s My Turn By Rod Williamson

here’s a bull market on West End. It’s not insider trading to whisper that the best time to buy Vanderbilt Commodore stock was a few years ago. And hooray for the wise investor who bought in a decade ago, those stocks have split. Yes, the market is up on many fronts, and forecasts expect even more. By the time you are reading this, we fully expect that football will have had its most bountiful harvest of high school talent in many years. That is in keeping with baseball’s fall recruiting class, which was rated No. 1 in the nation by respected national publications. Our women’s basketball signing class hit the jackpot with a Top 5 effort, and many of our Olympic sport teams are on a roll. Our Athletic Development office says giving has increased over the past year. The National Commodore Club reports revenue is up six figures for the annual fund, and that doesn’t consider the millions of dollars raised to renovate and build facilities or the hundreds of thousands of dollars generated by the relatively new NCC Excellence Fund programs —which give our friends an opportunity to contribute gifts earmarked for a specific program.

We are expecting an upbeat spring of Olympic sport progress with several Commodore teams being national contenders. Not surprisingly, royalties from our licensed merchandise are up significantly, and that marker came in before anyone could calculate the tsunami of black and gold apparel purchased during the football and holiday seasons. Area merchants said our stuff was their top seller, probably the first time that was the case in decades. We are expecting an upbeat spring of Olympic sport progress with several Commodore teams being national contenders. We just got news that nine of our 16 varsity programs rated in the nation’s Top 10 percent in the Academic Progress Report (APR), an important NCAA statistic in which we typically furnish half of the Southeastern Conference’s perfect scores. We have much to celebrate, but should you drop by McGugin Center you won’t find any party hats or confetti. Far from it, our coaches and administrators are “Anchored Down” and zeroed in, making certain that our bull market stays bullish. We are pressing for more. Take your eye off the target for a moment in this brutally competitive league and the next “Johnny Football” will pop out from nowhere. Success is a participatory sport. We realize that when we mention $100,000 or millions for new facilities that nearly everyone following along could conclude there is little they can do to help the cause. Wrong on several counts! First off, with the league’s smallest alumni base we can never have enough fans or enough financial support. Every cheer—and every penny—helps! More importantly, what is really soaring these days is something we can’t measure, buy or create, and that is morale. Commodore fans are standing tall for good reasons. That is the heart and soul of the real Bull Market. n

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My Game

Rod Odom

ith 10 starts to his credit and 70 games played, junior Rod Odom entered the 2012-13 season as the senior member of the Vanderbilt men’s basketball team. The Central Islip, N.Y., product has tripled his scoring output in his third season in the Black and Gold. Odom talked with Sports Information Director Andy Boggs about the T.V. show both consider his favorite. Commodore Nation: I’ve heard Seinfeld is your favorite show. Have you seen every episode? Rod Odom: I’ve seen them all. I’d say I probably haven’t seen every one twice, but some of them I’ve seen multiple times. CN: What drew you to the show? RO: My parents like it, so I always watched it with them, and it grew on me from there. And the New York flavor has something to do with it. CN: Do you have a favorite character, and why? RO: George. He’s just really animated and over the top with everything. And the ridiculous lies. You have to come up with something on the spot, and the things that he comes up with make it funny. CN: And your favorite episode?

PHOTO BY JOe Howell

RO: The one with the calzone. George has to get Steinbrenner a calzone, and he messes it up because he steals the money from the tip jar. I like Steinbrenner a lot, too, so having him interact with George (Constanza) makes it really funny. n

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