Vanderbilt Walks Off Arizona, Will Face N.C. State in College World Series Winners Bracket
Kumar Rocker didn't have his best stuff, but the Commodores just wouldn't go away. It wasn't easy, but Jayson Gonzalez and the Vandy Boys got it done. Gonzalez got a base knock with the bases loaded to break a 6-6 tie. It took 12 innings, but a win is a win, especially in Omaha. Arizona's […]
Kumar Rocker didn't have his best stuff, but the Commodores just wouldn't go away. It wasn't easy, but Jayson Gonzalez and the Vandy Boys got it done. Gonzalez got a base knock with the bases loaded to break a 6-6 tie. It took 12 innings, but a win is a win, especially in Omaha.
Arizona's bats showed up in flashes, but the backend of Vandy's bullpen got the outs when they needed to in the late innings. Vanderbilt stranded thirteen runners over the course of the game, including the bases loaded in the 11th. Defensively, they had some miscues, too, as they made three errors. Regardless, they overcame it – like they often do.
Now, the challenge mounts as Vanderbilt gets set to play maybe the hottest team in the tournament. N.C. State is fresh off another rout of another good team in Stanford. Not to mention, they're the team that eliminated top-seeded Arkansas in Super Regionals. It is a hungry, determined team full of confidence.
The good news for the Commodores is that they'll have their fellow ace to Rocker starting on Monday evening, Jack Leiter. Leiter will be facing a team that knows how to manufacture runs and get the big hits when they need them. The Wolfpack have one of the deepest and consistent lineups in the country. That only makes for an even more interesting game with Leiter on the mound. Vanderbilt could really use six or seven strong innings from their stud starter.
Johnny Butler and Tyler McDonough headline the N.C. State lineup. Butler has hit .385 with 14 home runs and 53 RBI. His teammate has a .341 average with 15 long balls and 45 RBI. Where the Wolfpack shines with their lineup depth, they do not have quite that glimmer with their bullpen depth. Evan Justice is one of the best bullpen arms in the country, but there is a lot of unproven after him. Their arms have performed well throughout most of the postseason, though. It is something to keep an eye on if their starter struggles early on in this game.
For Vandy, most of their arms will be available as well. No one is sure yet if Nick Maldonado or Luke Murphy will be available after throwing around 50 pitches each on Saturday. Chris McElvain, Hugh Fisher, or Thomas Schultz could be the first options for Tim Corbin in Monday's matchup.
Vandy's offense shares N.C. State's knack of finding production throughout their lineup, but that has been inconsistent at times during the postseason. The Commodores will need that in order to win this game as well as make their run back to the Championship Series.
The Vandy Boys won the ever-important first game of their CWS path. Can they extinguish the Wolfpack's hot streak? Or will N.C. State continue their magical run?
Find out at 6 P.M. CT on ESPN.
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