No. 9 Vanderbilt Baseball followed up its thrilling series victory last weekend against Tennessee with another electric performance back on West End. After falling behind in each game, the Commodores roared back to complete the sweep and secure their third-straight series win before entering the postseason. The VandyBoys edged Kentucky 8-7 on Thursday and 9-8 on Friday with back-to-back walk-offs, then clawed back once more en route to a 5-3 victory in the series finale.
There was a special feeling in the air this weekend, as the Vanderbilt fanbase couldn’t help but sense a hint of that familiar, historic magic creep back into Hawkins Field. With its confidence sky-high, manager Tim Corbin’s squad is playing its best baseball of the season at the perfect time.
Three up
Cardiac Commodores
The Cardiac Commodores certainly lived up to their nickname this weekend — one Jonathan Vastine coined last season after his walk-off double against FAU — with a string of heart-stopping finishes at Hawkins Field.
On Thursday, it was Braden Holcomb smashing a 3-run homer with the Commodores down to their final strike. On Friday, Vastine played the hero, bailing out the bullpen with an opposite-field home run to secure the team’s third-straight walk-off win at Hawkins, dating back to the Alabama series. Holcomb’s Game 1 blast was Vanderbilt’s first walk-off home run while trailing since 2020, and it’s been a lot longer than that since they’ve pulled off such drama on back-to-back nights. A pair of clutch 2-RBI hits from Colin Barczi and RJ Austin did the trick on Saturday, as the team erased an early 3-0 deficit with ease.
“If they’re in a corner they know how to respond,” Corbin said after Friday night’s thriller.
This isn’t a coincidence anymore — it’s a pattern, and maybe even an identity. The Commodores are thriving in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings, and their late-game resilience makes them as dangerous as any team in the country down the stretch.
Flipped the switch
The VandyBoys have clearly turned a corner on offense after their early season struggles. With its opposite-field approach, the Vanderbilt lineup is putting together consistently good at-bats, and the results are showing. The Commodores have scored seven or more runs in 7 out of their last 10 SEC games — a winning recipe, especially with the strength of their pitching staff. Corbin points to the third game against Oklahoma — where Vanderbilt exploded for 13 runs after being shut out the day before — as the turning point.
“That Sunday [game against Oklahoma], it felt like collectively and as a team, they just decided to do something different,” Corbin said on May 16. “Ever since that point, we’ve been pretty good offensively.”
Holcomb’s power and consistency in the lineup has certainly helped, but the surge goes far beyond just one bat. Vastine is hitting .391 over his last six games. Barczi is hitting .333 in the same time frame.
Ready to roll
With the regular season officially over, the Black and Gold are in a better position than even the most optimistic fans expected when the team began the season. After going 8-7 in the first half of SEC play, the Commodores went 11-4 the rest of the way, capped off by this weekend’s sweep.
Vanderbilt has now secured a fourth-place finish in the SEC, good for a double-bye in the SEC tournament in Hoover, Alabama. This means the Commodores’ first game will be on Thursday in the quarterfinals, giving them ample time to rest before the home stretch. Vanderbilt only needs to win three games in the new single elimination format to win the conference championship for the second time in three years.
Three Down
SEC wake-up call
Corbin decided to shake things up in the rotation for the last regular season series of the year, giving usual midweek starter Austin Nye his first chance against an SEC offense. This move allowed JD Thompson and Cody Bowker to keep their regular seven-day rest while Connor Fennell, who labored a bit in his start against Tennessee, remained fresh. Nye learned very quickly that pitching to mid-major hitters is a lot different than an SEC lineup, though. The freshman recorded only two outs on the day, allowing five earned runs before being pulled for Brennan Seiber.
Nye consistently lived in the center of the plate in that first inning, allowing two walks, four hits and two home runs before exiting. While it was certainly a humbling moment for the freshman — who has thrived all season in the midweek role — it isn’t too much of a cause for concern. So long as he doesn’t let this one blip on his resume impact him too much mentally, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him get some big outs over the next few weeks. Corbin has committed to the freshman as his fourth starter, and he will certainly be called upon for some big innings down the stretch.
Closer concerns
Vanderbilt seemed on its way to appointing Ethan McElvain as its new closer after his heroic performance last Sunday against Tennessee. The sophomore was less impressive this week, however, as he allowed two home runs, albeit aided by the wind, and gave up the lead late in Saturday’s contest. As a result, Corbin and pitching coach Scott Brown are likely still looking for an answer. Sawyer Hawks has been by far the Commodores’ best relief pitcher, but he’s often been deployed in a multi-inning role rather than as a traditional closer. McElvain, with his high-riding fastball and desire for the big moment, is still well fit to take on this role. When given another shot, I’d put my money on the lefty flamethrower to bounce right back.
However, this team doesn’t need a defined closer. Its bullpen is so deep that deploying its relievers on a situational basis might be the best solution. Arms like Levi Heusman and Luke Guth have emerged as high-leverage options, adding to the mix of Hawks, McElvain and Alex Kranzler. Even Miller Green — who struggled early in the season — has pitched much better as of late. With this many options at the team’s disposal, there is no need to designate someone to the traditional closing pitcher role.
A limp and a launch
You wouldn’t know it from the box score, but Vastine rolled his ankle on a play at second base in the first inning on Friday night. The lefty stayed in the game and went on to homer twice — including the dramatic walk-off — but was clearly still bothered by the injury. By Sunday, the effects were more visible, as Vastine struck out three times and noticeably winced or limped after several big swings. The senior essentially hobbled to second base on his eighth inning double but insisted on remaining in the game to run the bases.
“Don’t take me out of the baseball game,” Vastine said to Corbin after reaching base.
Though it doesn’t seem like a serious issue, Vastine’s ankle is at the very least something to monitor going forward.
Vanderbilt will begin its run at the SEC Tournament in Hoover, Alabama, where it will face the winner of Georgia and Kentucky/Oklahoma on Thursday, May 22 at 6:30 CDT.
