Six-Team Music City Challenge Starts Friday in Nashville 2/27/02

Complete Pregame Information

The inaugural six-team, three-day Music City Challenge, featuring three Middle Tennessee college baseball teams - Vanderbilt, Belmont and Lipscomb - begins Friday in Nashville. Three visiting schools, Connecticut, Iowa and Saint Louis will battle each local school once during the weekend.

Vanderbilt will not play Lipscomb nor Belmont during the challenge. Vanderbilt (5-2) looks to string a series of victories together after their four-game win streak was snapped at Louisville last weekend. The Commodores lost the first two meetings of the series before outfielder Worth Scott's third-inning grand slam and left-hander Jeremy Sowers' pitching led Vanderbilt to a 6-5 victory on Sunday. In his collegiate debut, Sowers struck out 10, gave up four hits, all singles, walked two and hit two batters. He was named the Southeastern Conference Pitcher of the Week. Sowers is scheduled to make his Hawkins Field debut Saturday against Iowa (weather pending).

Connecticut, Vanderbilt's opponent Friday at 3 p.m., enters the Music City Challenge with an 0-3 record. The Huskies lost matchups with Armstrong Atlantic (9-8), Georgia (7-4) and North Carolina (13-5) last weekend in Savannah, Ga.

Iowa opens its 2002 campaign in Nashville. After entertaining Belmont at Greer Stadium on Friday, the Hawkeyes face Vanderbilt at Hawkins Field Saturday at 1 p.m. Saint Louis comes to Nashville with a 3-0 mark. The Billikens swept Western Illinois (7-5, 8-4, 7-6) over the weekend.

Saint Louis plays Vanderbilt Sunday at 1 p.m. Belmont holds a 7-1 record in 2002, while Lipscomb is 2-8 this season.

Music City Challenge Schedule
Friday, March 1 Game Site Time
Connecticut at Vanderbilt Hawkins Field 3 p.m.
Iowa at Belmont Greer Stadium 3 p.m.
Saint Louis at Lipscomb Dugan Field 2 p.m.

Saturday, March 2 Game Site Time
Iowa at Vanderbilt Hawkins Field 1 p.m.
Saint Louis at Belmont Greer Stadium 1 p.m.
Connecticut at Lipscomb Dugan Field 2 p.m.

Sunday, March 3 Game Site Time
Saint Louis at Vanderbilt Hawkins Field 1 p.m.
Connecticut at Belmont Greer Stadium 1 p.m.
Iowa at Lipscomb Dugan Field 2 p.m.

Press Box Phone Numbers:
Vanderbilt - 320-0436; Belmont - 243-1705 or 423-9420; Lipscomb - 279-5874