After dropping its annual Battle of the Barrel game to No. 20 Louisville on the road, No. 11 Vanderbilt Baseball packed its bags once again and headed to Knoxville, Tennessee, to take on the No. 15 Tennessee Volunteers for its penultimate SEC series. The Commodores prevailed, winning Games 2 and 3 to get their first series win in Knoxville since 2021.
Rivalry weekend was in full swing as soon as the first pitch was thrown. After a heartbreaking 3-2 loss in Friday’s opener, the Commodores rebounded with a 10-6 win on Saturday to set up a decisive rubber match. After starting at 2 p.m. CDT, Sunday’s deciding game finished five-and-a-half hours later, interrupted by a nearly two-hour weather delay in the middle of the sixth inning. Tensions flared between the teams, but ultimately Vanderbilt held on for a 7-5 victory.
This was one of the most complete road series the Commodores have played this year, and there are several takeaways that can be gleaned from it as the postseason creeps nearer.
Three up
Complete offense
Since the beginning of the season, many have lamented how the power that was promised over the offseason has been nowhere to be found. A home sweep at the hands of Arkansas was a smack in the face with an obvious message: something needs to change. And for the most part, it did. Now, we are seeing an offense that represents the best of both worlds: one with a significant power threat and one that can use a small-ball approach to score runs reliably. Its leader, head coach Tim Corbin, has seen a difference, too.
“I think we grew 10 years after that game,” Corbin said after Game 3. “Win or lose, that game is going to do something for you later on. I don’t know if we’ve responded in that matter in quite some time. This was a different personality today that I was interested in seeing.”
Vanderbilt’s newfound offensive success is due to a combination of two factors: the power is finally showing and the right lineups are falling into place. At the beginning of the year, I mentioned that the home run statistics were not exactly there but the raw power was. We are finally seeing this come to fruition — Vanderbilt is hitting the ball hard and around opposing players. Vanderbilt combined for 10 extra-base hits and six home runs this weekend, manufacturing plays even when players like Brodie Johnston had uncharacteristic nights at the plate.
The offensive success is also a result of Corbin and Co. finding the right lineup card. Rustan Rigdon, who played second base this series, has become a permanent staple at the top of the order. Riley Nelson, Johnston and Braden Holcomb — Vanderbilt’s three biggest power threats — have been strategically placed third, fourth and fifth in the lineup, making things difficult for opposing pitchers. Colin Barczi, who has always hit the ball hard, had a single-game career-high two home runs on Sunday, propelling the ‘Dores to the series win.
This team still has plenty of Corbin’s signature small-ball style in it, but paired with the power surge seen recently, Vanderbilt has quietly developed one of the most complete offenses in the SEC.
Bullpen delivers
The Hustler staff has repeatedly highlighted the strength of Vanderbilt’s starters — the trio of JD Thompson, Cody Bowker and Connor Fennell is one of the nation’s best weekend rotations. This week, however, the bullpen deserves some glory. Vanderbilt got only 48% of the weekend’s innings from its starters, forcing it to use eight different bullpen arms over the weekend, who combined to allow just six earned runs.
Most impressive were sophomores Luke Guth and Ethan McElvain. Guth — who often falls under the radar amongst a stellar pitching staff — earned two wins on the weekend, as he saw just over one inning of work but did not allow a hit. Guth’s performance on Sunday was also interrupted by a weather delay which cut his relief stint short.
McElvain was excellent this weekend despite pitching in low-leverage situations for the Commodores recently. The Tennessee native held off the Volunteers in one inning of work in Game 2 before entering a tight 6-5 game in the eighth inning of Game 3. McElvain gave the Commodores a clean eighth inning and came back in the ninth for the save opportunity. He quickly found himself in a jam with the bases loaded and two outs after allowing two hits and issuing a walk. Vanderbilt pitching coach Scott Brown asked Corbin if he wanted to pull McElvain, but Corbin remained confident in his decision.
“No,” Corbin said. “He’s our guy, [and if] we’re going to win it [or] lose it, he’s going to do it.”
The sophomore remained composed, though, striking out Cannon Peebles on three pitches and securing the win for Vanderbilt. McElvain’s success is encouraging and exactly what Vanderbilt’s bullpen needs. Although his emotional presence on the mound may have hindered his success as a starter, it plays perfectly into the raw emotion and energy you want from a high-leverage reliever. Furthermore, his pitch refinement and pure stuff are some of the best on the team.
Vanderbilt’s starting rotation has gotten much praise this year, and deservingly so, but look to its bullpen to be the difference-maker when postseason play begins.
Hosting chances
Vanderbilt was ranked No. 11 nationally by D1Baseball and No. 5 in the RPI rankings coming into the weekend. This gave the ‘Dores a predicted No. 8 overall seed for the NCAA Tournament, meaning that Hawkins Field would host not just a Regional but also a Super Regional.
The projected No. 9 seed was Tennessee, which, after the loss to Vanderbilt, is sliding. The Volunteers have now lost five of their last six weekend series and are 8-7 at home in SEC play. For the Commodores, on the other hand, they have won four of their last six series and are 11-4 at home in conference play. The committee typically favors teams that are hot and have a good resume — and Vanderbilt checks both of these boxes. The Commodores have almost solidified a top-eight seed with this road series victory and, with it, retained home-field advantage until Omaha.
This is notable for a few reasons. First, Vanderbilt will have its best crowd at home, where season ticket holders will occupy the majority of the relatively small Hawkins Field. Second, Hawkins Field is one of the most pitcher-friendly stadiums in college baseball. Hosting both a Regional and a Super Regional at home plays to Vanderbilt’s biggest strength: its pitching.
Three down
Free bases
For as good as Vanderbilt’s pitching was against Tennessee, the amount of free passes it allowed was concerning. Over the weekend, the pitching staff issued six walks and hit four batters, three of which came on Sunday. The Volunteers were unable to capitalize on the free bases, but allowing free baserunners can be particularly dangerous for this team. Vanderbilt is a high strike-throwing staff as a whole, meaning it is more susceptible to the long ball. While Corbin and Co. are unfazed by solo homers, free base-runners increase the likelihood of a two or three-run homer. There is no reason to panic just yet, but this is something to monitor in Vanderbilt’s series against Kentucky this coming week.
Injury and outfield questions
While Vanderbilt has fared better than in the past several seasons injury-wise, outfielder Jacob Humphrey has been in and out of the lineup as of late. The senior was put in concussion protocol after suffering an injury during the Ole Miss series. He returned to the lineup this weekend but was pulled in Game 3 when he felt dizzy after a strikeout.
While there is no official status on Humphrey, this potential absence would be a big loss for the ‘Dores. The Maine native is slashing .316/.431/.477 with 19 stolen bases, one of the best stat lines on the team. Not to mention Humphrey is a dynamic outfielder — Vanderbilt has essentially two center fielders in him and RJ Austin. Vanderbilt plays its best baseball when Humphrey is on the field, and his presence, or lack thereof, will have large implications for postseason success.
Long rest
I typically dislike the narrative of long rest being a down point, especially at this point in the season, but it’s important to mention here. Rivalry week is a mental challenge and tensions were high, to say the least, during the Tennessee series. An exhilarating series win on the road in such a high-tension series can have implications for a team going forward. While a midweek matchup can help to curb the high associated with a big series win, Vanderbilt does not have one on schedule. It will have to rely on itself to bring it back to earth and center its players. Kentucky, just like any SEC opponent, is no small foe, but still, you can count on Corbin to have his team prepared for the Wildcats.
Vanderbilt will finish its regular season by hosting Kentucky for its final weekend series. The first pitch for Thursday’s game is slated for 5 p.m. CDT.
