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Vanderbilt Baseball hoists the SEC Tournament trophy, as photographed on May 25, 2025. (Vanderbilt Athletics)
Vanderbilt Baseball hoists the SEC Tournament trophy, as photographed on May 25, 2025. (Vanderbilt Athletics)
Vanderbilt Athletics

Baseball: Four thoughts from Vanderbilt’s SEC Tournament victory

The Commodores earned their third SEC title in the last six years.

The Commodores are SEC Champions once again.

Vanderbilt Baseball outlasted the gauntlet of SEC teams vying for the crown and earned one of the sweetest prizes in all of college baseball. As a shower of confetti rained down from above, fans rejoiced under the hot sun in Hoover, Alabama, excited about the victory and what lies ahead for Vanderbilt.

Still, head coach Tim Corbin knows this is just the beginning for his team. There’s a lot left to play for this season, including the ultimate goal of a College World Series title. 

The Commodores played three near-flawless games at the SEC Tournament. In the quarterfinals, Vanderbilt dominated Oklahoma, 6-1, backed by 11 strikeouts from starting pitcher JD Thompson. Vanderbilt then faced in-state rival Tennessee in the semifinals and run-ruled them 10-0 to reach their second SEC Championship final in the last three years. A final showdown with Ole Miss went in the Commodores’ favor, as they took down the Rebels, 3-2, to emerge as SEC Champions. 

Sitting at No. 1 in both RPI and KPI, this team is the king of all metrics. Some might call them an analytics darling, as they’ve quickly ascended up these statistical measures. With their elite RPI and clear dominance as of late, Vanderbilt might be in line for the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. 

As the NCAA postseason draws nearer, the pressure increases. But Corbin’s squad showed this week that they are built for the big moment and ready for whatever lies ahead. 

Bullpen brilliance

Vanderbilt’s bullpen has been under significant scrutiny this year. An array of blown leads early this season proved that this team was far from perfect. However, since the Oklahoma series ended on April 13, Vanderbilt’s relief arms have been nothing short of dominant. They’ve been the saving grace for an offense that is susceptible to the occasional drought. 

It was no different this week in Hoover. 

Vanderbilt’s entire pitching staff lit up the zone and stumped opposing batters, giving up just three total earned runs for the tournament. Starting pitchers Thompson and Cody Bowker put together strong performances, but it was the bullpen which blew everyone away. 

In the quarterfinals, Vanderbilt’s bullpen held the Oklahoma offense hitless behind strong performances from Luke Guth, Levi Huesman and Sawyer Hawks, who combined for six strikeouts and gave up just one walk each. Guth and Hawks have both lowered their ERAs beneath 1.50, sitting at 0.96 and 1.45, respectively. 

Connor Fennell — who many thought would be Sunday’s starter —  came out of the bullpen in the semifinal game against Tennessee on Saturday. The sophomore pitched three shutout innings, surrendering just one hit. Finally, on Sunday in the championship game against Ole Miss, Guth, Huesman and Hawks combined to allow just one hit — a solo homer by Ole Miss’ Isaac Humphrey. 

The entire bullpen gave up three hits over 11.1 innings this week — an incredible stat line against some of the best offenses in the country. If the Commodores’ key bullpen arms keep it up, they’ll be tough to beat.

Single file

Vanderbilt recorded a season-high 13 singles in the semifinal against Tennessee. The Commodores executed their small-ball approach to perfection, wreaking havoc on the basepaths after getting on. In fact, all nine of Vanderbilt’s batters earned at least one hit on the day. 

The Commodores have built a new offensive identity recently, learning to spray the ball all over the field to rack up hits. Corbin knows his team is disciplined and effective on the basepaths, so getting as many people on base is the key to success. This newfound opposite field approach led to Vanderbilt’s 28 hits for the week.

Jonathan Vastine hoists the SEC Tournament trophy, as photographed on May 25, 2025. (Vanderbilt Athletics) (Vanderbilt Athletics)

Vanderbilt’s pitch recognition was also exceptional. Vanderbilt batters struck out just 13 times this week. For reference, Vanderbilt’s pitching staff fanned 17 in just one game against Oklahoma. The Commodores are seeing the ball very well right now, allowing them to minimize their whiffs.

Corbin knows that his team won’t rack up 100+ home runs on the season, but he’s found other ways to beat teams. It was death by a thousand cuts for Tennessee on Saturday — all due to the Commodores’ approach at the plate. 

Unsung heroes

Everybody knows RJ Austin, Riley Nelson and Braden Holcomb on Vanderbilt’s roster. They are the stars the Commodores rely on, but it was Vanderbilt’s unsung heroes this week which won them games. Names like Rustan Rigdon, Mike Mancini and Jacob Humphrey were pivotal in the Commodores emerging victorious. 

Rigdon went 3-for-3 against Tennessee on Saturday, notching two RBIs en route to Vanderbilt’s run-rule win. Mancini has developed his skills as a master of bunts, perfectly placing one to load the bases against Oklahoma. Even Humphrey launched what would become the game-winning solo homer to put the Commodores up two runs against Ole Miss.

These players might not be flashy stars, but they play an extremely important role in Vanderbilt’s lineup. To win a College World Series, every player in the order must be firing on all cylinders, and this week in Hoover there were no deadweights. 

Riley Nelson celebrates after winning the SEC Tournament, as photographed on May 25, 2025. (Vanderbilt Athletics)

Eyes on Omaha

It’s officially NCAA Tournament time. On May 26, the NCAA Selection Committee will announce the 64 teams participating in this year’s tournament. Vanderbilt will receive a top-eight national seed — and perhaps the No. 1 overall seed — but a number next to its name doesn’t mean anything. The Commodores must continue to play their best baseball to advance another week. 

Still, with a high national seed, Vanderbilt will likely have an easier path to Omaha, Nebraska, than most other teams. Both its NCAA Regional and Super Regional will be held at Hawkins Field, and they’ll play a weaker seed in the Super Regional round. 

They can’t take these advantages for granted, though. The postseason is long and the road is hard.

The NCAA Tournament Selection Show will air on ESPN2 at 11 a.m. CDT on May 26, as the Commodores will learn which teams will join them in the Nashville Regional.

About the Contributor
Henry Oelhafen
Henry Oelhafen, Sports Editor
Henry Oelhafen (‘26) is a student in Peabody College majoring in human & organizational development and minoring in English. He previously served as Deputy Sports Editor and produced Live from West End, The Hustler’s sports podcast. He loves to talk about all sports, particularly professional and amateur golf. In addition to writing, he loves to hike, try new restaurants and play golf with friends. He can be reached at [email protected].
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