Nashville – Pros Sports Etc News Blog

Florida Gators Win Baseball Series from Vanderbilt 2-1

sportsguy — Thu, 19 May 2011 14:10:18 +0000

The #5 ranked Florida Gators came from behind to beat #2 Vandy at Hawkins Field 6-5 after a rain delayed Friday night college baseball game had to be finished on Saturday. With both teams bullpens depleted Vandy crushed Florida in the 2nd game 14-1. In the 3rd and deciding game the SEC leading Commodores took the lead once again in the early innings only to have the Gators tie the game up at three and force extra innings. Vandy had opportunities to win the game with runners in scoring position with zero or 1 out twice in extra innings but could not get the winning run home. Finally in the top of the 12 inning Florida’s Mike Zunino hit a 3-2 fast ball over the right field wall scoring 3 runs to win the game and holding Vandy scoreless in the bottom half of the inning. It was a hard fought series giving a glimpse into what is shaping up to be one of the best SEC Baseball Tournaments in recent years with South Carolina, Florida and Vandy all ranked in the top 5 of all College Baseball Polls.

Florida's Hudson Randall throws to 1st base on a pick off try

Tony Kemp Stealing 2nd Base leading off the 1st inning

Tony Kemp's speed beats throw to 2nd base by a whisker!

Tony Kemp safe at 3rd

Gator 3rd Baseman Jeff Moyer signals Fly Ball

Vandy Head Baseball Coach Tim Corbin giving instruction to Aaron Westlake

Sonny Gray winds up for the pitch to home plate

Vanderbilt's Sonny Gray keeps an eye on the runner at 1st Base

Vanderbilt's Hawkins Field, Nashville TN

The Hawkins Family enjoying the Vanderbilt Baseball Team at Hawkins Field

Florida 3rd Baseman dives for Fly Ball

Vandy Bench greets Mike Yastremski after scoring

It was a cold May Day at Hawkins Field

Jake Locker to wear #10 for Tennessee Titans

sportsguy — Fri, 13 May 2011 03:44:14 +0000

Jake Locker, the #1 Draft Pick of the Tennessee Titans will wear Jersey #10 as a Titan here in Nashville, Tennessee. Locker wore #10 while playing college football for the Washington Huskies. Vince Young has quarterbacked using jersey #10 during his playing career with the Titans. Titan Fans welcome the hard work ethic Jake Locker brings along with his hard nose style of play. New Head Coach Mike Munchak is quickly surrounding himself with hard working personnel to start his 1st year as Head Coach of the Tennessee Titans. The 2011 NFL Football Season looks to be an exciting year for the Titans if only the players and owners can agree to play football this fall. Welcome to Nashville Mr. Jake Locker!

Jake Locker will wear #10 for the Titans

Jake Locker's Name being sewn onto his new jersey

Canucks Edge Predators 2-1, Take NHL Playoff Series in 6

sportsguy — Tue, 10 May 2011 18:35:34 +0000

The Nashville Predators played their hearts out in game Six of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs last night hoping to force a Game 7 in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Vancouver Canucks scored two early 1st Period Goals to take a quick 2-0 lead. The Preds bounced back early in the 2nd period to pull 2-1 and Bridgestone Arena was rocking. As hard as the Predators tried to score on Power Plays the Canucks Defense was just too much to overcome. As the Vancouver Canucks celebrated their Stanley Cup Series win the Nashville Predator Fans stood and gave their much loved Preds a standing ovation for a great season. This marked the first time in Predator history that a team had advanced to the 2nd round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. It also marked the first time the Preds had won an elimination game in game 5. It’s great to be part of something as special as the Nashville Predators. We all know this is just the beginning of bringing a Stanley Cup Championship to Nashville someday soon! Great Job Preds!

Outside Bridgestone Arena before Game 6

Fans gather in Front of Bridgestone Arena before the Preds and Canucks game 6

Canuck Fans and Predator Fans enjoying pre game festivities

A Few Canuck Fans Happy to be in Nashville for Game 6

Canuck Fans seemed to enjoy visiting Nashville for the Stanley Cup Playoff Games

Ryan Suter skating hard giving it his all in Game 6

It did not take long for the first Fight to Break Out on the Ice

Canucks Score Early to take a 1-0 lead

Canucks Maxim Lapierre skating to the Puck

Canucks Score 2nd Goal Quickly in 1st Period of Game Six

Canucks Celebrate 2nd Goal

A Predator and Canuck Collide on the Ice

Preds & Canucks Chasing the Puck to win Game Six

Shea Weber doing his best to win Game 6

Cody Hodgson & Cody Franson Battling

Ryan Kessler had one of his best NHL Playoff Series against the Predators

Ryan Kesler passing the puck

Pred Colin Wilson Battling Canuck Maxim Lapierre

Predator Fans Cheering on their Boys!

Bridgestone Arena was sold out and loud

Alexander Edler in Pursuit of David Legwand

Dan Hamhuis taking a pass

Canucks Jannik Hansen & Raffi Torres

Aaron Rome & Roberto Luongo defending the Goal

Aaron Rome & Roberto Luongo Determined to Stop a Shot from the Preds

Joel Ward trying to stay in Position to make a shot

Raffi Torres & Dan Hamhuis putting on some Strong Defense

Christian Ehrhoff trying to shake a Pred

Canucks Defending their Goal

Patric Hornqvist jamming the defense in front of the net

Battles in front of the Net were fierce all night long

Daniel Sedin & Roberto Luongo Defending their Goal

Sedin & Weber Fighting for the Puck

Stand With US on Final Time!

Go Preds!!!

Shane O'Brien & Chris Higgins Battling for Position

Pekka Rinne Firing the Puck back up the Ice

Martin Erat desperately trying to get the Puck into Position for a Goal in Final Minutes

Canucks Celebrate Series Win

Old Teammates Embrace

Barry Trotz Congratulates Alain Vigneault

Preds Fans give their Nashville Predators a Standing Ovation for a great Playoff Series Run!

Fans leaving Bridgestone Arena after Game Six

Fans heading out of Bridgestone onto and down Broadway Night Life

Music City Marathon Pictures at Shelby Bottoms Mile Mark 22 & 23

sportsguy — Mon, 02 May 2011 17:32:30 +0000

The Music City Marathon ran it’s race through the streets of Nashville, Tennessee yesterday under near perfect weather conditions. I live just up the hill from Shelby Bottoms Park which is at mile marker 22 and 23 of the Marathon Race Course. Having run 3 Marathons myself I can identify with the pain each runner was feeling at this point in the marathon race. All sports athletes whether Pro Athletes or Amateur know the feeling when you hit the wall and feel you can go no further. Being a spectator for the final miles of a Marathon gives one a unique opportunity to cheer on each Marathon Runner as they dig deep within their soul to finish the race they have trained so long and hard for. I hope you enjoy these photographs taken on Saturday around the 4:30 time mark of the marathon race. It was great fun recording and cheering all the runners on as they pushed their tired bodies the last few miles.

Vandy Sweeps UT Vols with 19-3 Win at Hawkins Field

sportsguy — Mon, 02 May 2011 15:30:56 +0000

First Game Handshake with Umpires

After winning back to back 10 to 1 decisions the Vanderbilt Baseball team swept the Tennessee Volunteers at Hawkins Field in Nashville, TN 19-3. Tim Corbin’s Commodore Baseball team outscored the Vols 39 to 5 during the weekend 3 game series. While Vandy is playing with a high level of confidence you would have to say Tennessee is not playing with confidence as the 11 run 6th inning by Vandy on Sunday demonstrated. As Vandy focuses on the remaining games before the SEC Baseball Tournament you have to wonder if the Vols can win enough remaining games to make the trip to Hoover. Tim Corban seems to have his baseball team on a mission, you can see it by how Vandy is playing. I absolutely love watching Coach Corbin coach during games. He’s truly one of the great head coaches of college baseball. You can tell he knows what each of his players is capable of and executes plays during the game for each player to make. When it fails he goes into analyzing what went wrong.

Great series win for the Commodores as they continue a three way tie for first in the SEC Baseball Standings with South Carolina and Florida.

Nashville Predators drown the Anaheim Ducks in Playoff Game 6

Randy Bailey — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 05:38:50 +0000

NASHVILLE PREDATORS beat the Anaheim Ducks in game 6 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee and head to the 2nd round. After a exciting last second goal by Shea Weber to tie the game and then overtime win by Jerred Smithson in Game 5, I didn’t think it could get any better. I was wrong. Playoff game 6 was taken to another level. I have been a Nashville Predators season ticket holder since day 1 and have experienced great, exciting games in the past, but Game 6 was the best in their 13 year history. Captain Shea Weber led his team for 60 minutes. After the Anaheim Ducks got on the board first, Nick Spaling answered quickly to tie it up and the fight got tougher. Pekka Rinne, Jordin Tootoo, Nick Spaling played exceptionally well. I believe each player stepped up their play during the entire series and Pekka Rinne played better than ever. As a Day 1 season ticket holder, I am very proud of our Nashville Predators and the way these young players have played against the long time veterans like Teemu Selanne and Ryan Getzlaf. Their intensity and determination has got Nashville buzzing and hockey fever is catching on. I took some pictures of game 6, and I hope you enjoy. Im looking forward to adding pictures from Round 2 playoffs as well. Let me know what you think. LETS GO PREDATORS!!!

Brigestone Arena Before Game Six

Pekka Rinne

Predator Defense

Preds Defense Strong

Preds Defense

Predator Fans

Preds Player

Almost a Goal!

Predators on the Attack

TooToo

Predator Fans Giving Some Love

Predators make History with Win

Predator Players Celebrate Win

Preds Celebrate

Predators Celebrating Win

Preds Celebrating after Win

Preds Celebrating Win in Nashville

Preds Celebrating on Ice

Smashville Celebrating Win

Fans Celebrating outside Bridgestone Arenas

Bridgestone Arena after Preds defeat Ducks

#3 Vandy Baseball Sweeps LSU Tigers to Win Weekend Series

sportsguy — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 18:03:04 +0000

Vanderbilt Baseball took 3 games from the LSU Tigers here in Nashville, TN. We had nice weather with each game sold out. Vandy took game two 10 to 1 and game three 10 to 7. The Commodores rang up 45 hits during the weekend series. With Vanderbilt’s weekend sweep of LSU the Commodores are now in a 3 way tie with South Carolina and Florida for 1st place in the SEC College Baseball Standings.

Here are some pictures from game 2 on Saturday at Vanderbilt’s Hawkins Field.

Hawkins Field Entrance

Vandy 3rd Baseman Jason Esposito

LSU 3rd Baseman Tyler Hanover

Vandy PItcher Grayson Garvin

Vandy Runner Rounding 3rd Base

LSU Pitching Conference

Another Vandy Hit

LSU Frustration Mounts

Vandy Runner Slides into 3rd

Coach Tim Corbin watches to see what LSU does next

Vandy First Baseman Ready for Play

Keeping Track of Vandy K's

Great Day at Hawkins Field

Vandy Runner Ducks at 3rd Base

Future Vandy Baseball Player Catches Foul Balls Outside Hawkins Field

Vanderbilt 11, LSU 3, Commodores Blow Past Tigers

sportsguy — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 16:38:27 +0000

The LSU Tigers Baseball team visited Vanderbilt’s Hawkins Field here in Nashville, TN this weekend in hopes of turning their season around in time for the SEC Baseball Tournament. LSU jumped out to a one run lead in the first inning off Vanderbilt’s Ace Pitcher Sonny Gray. Vandy answered quickly scoring 5 runs in the bottom of the first inning. The Commodores hammered out 12 hits against 4 LSU pitchers to win the first game.

Tim Corbin greets Paul Mainieri

Vanderbilt's Hawkins Field in Nashville

LSU Scores 1st run of game

Vandy scores 5 runs to answer

LSU Catcher tries to calm LSU Pitcher in 1st inning

LSU's 3rd Baseman Tyler Hanover ready at 3rd

Night time at Hawkins Field

Vandy Scoreboard tells the story

Vandy runner scores another run

Another visit to the mound for LSU Pitching

#1 Vanderbilt Sweeps #24 Alabama Crimson Tide with 11-6 College Baseball Win

rbeagle — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 14:10:27 +0000

The Vanderbilt Commodores beat a determined Alabama Baseball team trying to win Sunday’s final game of the series in Nashville, TN at Vandy’s Hawkins Field 11-6. The Crimson Tide put on 2 strong hitting rallies in the final game tying the score at 3 in the middle innings and then scoring 3 runs in the eighth to pull within 4 runs at 10-6. The Dores 6 run 7th was too much for the Crimson Tide to overcome and sealed the win and sweep of the Vanderbilt Alabama college baseball weekend series in Nashville.

The Commodores won game one 11-3 and game two on Saturday 7-0. Vanderbilt Baseball Coach Tim Corbin has his baseball team ranked #1 at this point in the NCAA college baseball season. Vandy Fans are starting to think about the possibility of hosting a Super Regional for the NCAA Baseball Tournament. Here are some pictures we took at Friday and Saturday’s games. The weather was nice for the entire weekend baseball series.

These pictures are from Friday and Saturday’s Games at Vandy’s Hawkins Field in Nashville, TN

Friday Night Game Bama 3rd Baseman tries to make a play

Vandy Freshman Tony Kemp rounds 3rd to score

Alabama 3rd Baseman Brett Booth ready for play

Vandy's Corey Williams of Huntsville, AL Pitches

Alabama's Hunter Gregory gets his bat on the ball

Crimson Tide Baseball Bench watches game

Bama's Brett Booth makes play to first base

Pick Off Play Attempt to First Base

Vandy gets final out for Sweep of Series

Vandy Celebrates Win and Sweep

Nashville Predators shine brighter than Dallas Stars

Randy Bailey — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 17:22:32 +0000

WAY TO GO PREDSSSSS!!!! Last nights Nashville Predators vs Dallas Stars game was awesome. The Bridgestone Arena was rocking. The Nashville Predators was pumped up from the win against Anaheim Ducks and it definitely carried over to last night. This was a major needed win for making the NHL Playoffs and the boys got it done again. I thought Mike Fisher stepped up his game last night even before he scored. I do not think he is the only answer to our prayers but he brings a lot of intensity, leadership, and momentum to the hockey game. He makes a lot of other things happen to help Kostitsyn and others get the puck in the net. Pekka Rinne is definitely one of the best goalies in the National Hockey League right now. His spectacular play and efforts for our Nashville Predators has to have other teams fearing him. I hope he can uphold his role deep into the NHL playoffs. I have been a Predators season ticket holder since Day 1 and have watched a lot of players (good, average, poor) come and go, and as I don’t want to get my hopes up too high, I think this 2010-2011 Predator team including the injured players are one of the best overall teams in the Nashville’s NHL history. Every player from defense to offense has contributed in many areas this entire Hockey season. The young players such as Jonathon Blum, Nick Spalling and Blake Geoffrion have adapted to NHL play very well. Their intensity and excitement has pumped up the veterans like David Legwand, Joel Ward and Patrick Hornqvist. I am very excited for our Nashville Predators playoff run and hope they carry this intensity to Tuesdays game against Vancouver Canucks.