Braden Holcomb is no stranger to the big moment. 

He thrives on a mix of pressure and nerves to play his best baseball and ignite his team. Tattooed on his bicep are the words, “Pressure is a Privilege,” a phrase he lives by day in and day out. That mindset has shaped his identity and fueled his success this season.

In the deciding rubber match against Alabama on May 4, Holcomb stepped up to the plate with the game tied up at 7 apiece. With two outs and an 0-2 count, Holcomb mashed a high fastball to deep center field to earn the walk-off win. His jersey was promptly ripped off by his teammates as fireworks lit up the cloudy Tennessee sky. 

Just four days later in Game 1 against Kentucky, history repeated itself. Holcomb once again rose to the occasion and launched a home run in the bottom of the ninth to seal the victory and cement himself as one of Vanderbilt’s top power bats. 

Clutch isn’t just a trait for Holcomb — it’s written into his DNA. He doesn’t see pressure-packed at-bats as traps for failure but as stages for triumph. However, his rise to success isn’t defined by these recent memories. It’s been years in the making. 

Baseball has been in the Florida native’s blood since before he can remember. His parents were coaches for his sister, Samantha, who played softball at the collegiate level. Seeing his sibling succeed at a high level inspired Holcomb to reach his full potential. Each day as a kid, Holcomb was sent to the baseball diamond with a glove in hand. These hours on the field crafted a determined champion. 

“I grew up in a really baseball-heavy family,” Holcomb told The Hustler. “I was constantly surrounded by it, and I was pretty much playing every day [as a kid].”

Holcomb’s raw talent was evident from a young age. His parents decided to move to Orlando so that he could play for a more competitive high school and travel ball program. It was these sacrifices by his loved ones that allowed Holcomb to excel as a young player. 

“I was always with my mom, whether it was going to the softball tournaments late at night or her being with me at the baseball tournaments,” Holcomb said. “[And] I would always go hit with my dad. It was such a blessing growing up to have those two in my life, just pushing me.”

Ranked as the No. 38 recruit in the Class of 2023, there was no shortage of interest from college coaches. At 6’4 and 215 pounds, he had big power potential from the right side, which projected very well at the next level. 

“My recruiting process started pretty young. I started getting interest [from] schools when I was probably in eighth grade,” Holcomb said. “I was always a big kid, and I had a few schools offer me really young, [but] I really hadn’t even thought about Vanderbilt yet.”

However, Holcomb was encouraged by his mom to attend Vanderbilt’s summer baseball camp. Being from Florida, he was set on attending the powerhouses in his home state — Florida State or the University of Florida. Once he met head coach Tim Corbin and his staff, things quickly changed.  

“My mom was like, ‘Before you commit anywhere, I want you to go to Vanderbilt because I already paid for a camp,’” Holcomb said. “I knew nothing about Vanderbilt. I just knew, at that time, they were one of the top dogs. I really just fell in love with the place. I loved everything about it. I loved the facilities, the coaching staff and coach Corbin. Everything about it just seemed like the right fit for me.”

Corbin took notice of Holcomb’s raw talent and immediately knew this was a guy he needed in his program. The pair connected by phone, and a week later, the righty was committed to the Commodores.

Holcomb arrived on campus like any other wide-eyed freshman. But unlike most settling into life on Vanderbilt’s Ingram Commons, he brought with him a rare gift — the kind that sends baseballs 420 feet into the Tennessee sky. 

In his freshman campaign, he batted .252 with five home runs — a solid start to his Commodore career. Still, he struck out in 43 of his 103 at-bats for the year. His pitch recognition was slow at times and he was often caught swinging at pitches out of the zone. Corbin remained confident in Holcomb’s ability, sticking with him even after some rough games. He learned some valuable lessons in the process as Vanderbilt went 0-2 in its NCAA Regional. 

“I thought we [Vanderbilt] had a little bit of a down year last year,” Holcomb said.

In the era of the transfer portal and NIL, Holcomb could have gone to a host of other schools to gain more recognition or money after his freshman season. Instead, he remained loyal to Corbin and the Commodores. He knew that Vanderbilt was the best place for his development, both as a person and player.

“The transfer portal is crazy,” Holcomb said. “[Corbin] focuses a lot on just [building] better people, and working on the character of his players. It’s the little things, like showing up to class and the way [one] presents [themself].”

Just as Corbin trusted Holcomb throughout his freshman campaign, Holcomb repaid it with an unwavering commitment to the Commodores. The combination of facilities, a world-class education and the potential to play meaningful postseason baseball made it an easy decision.

“One of the big reasons [I decided to stay] was coach Corbin, as he gave me a lot of chances,” Holcomb said. “He really helped me get better. I had no desire to go anywhere else. All of my friends and teammates were coming back. All the resources [I needed] to get better were at Vanderbilt.”

Now in his sophomore season, Holcomb has emerged as a star. He’s hitting .289 for the year with nine home runs, with most of those coming in the last two months. He’s hit multiple walk-off home runs and is batting over .300 in his last 10 starts. Holcomb is well aware of how far he’s come since arriving on West End — and the results have improved with his growth.

“My swing has gotten better, and I’ve gotten better with pitch recognition,” Holcomb said. “[Those] just come with getting at-bats in this league. It’s just getting more consistent reps. But I would say the main thing for me was just getting up there and [being] confident.” 

Holcomb is as confident as ever right now, and he will continue to be a leader for the Commodores. He’s still young, but he’s trending in the right direction. Whether it’s going to the MLB or becoming a coach, Holcomb knows baseball will forever be a part of his identity.

“I want to play the game as long as I can,” Holcomb said. “I could see myself playing for a while, and even if I don’t have that opportunity, I feel like I will still stay in the game in some way, whether it’s a coaching position [or] an agent.”

For now, though, he’s focusing on his teammates and the relationships he’s forging during his time in Nashville. He understands these years are precious, and the camaraderie on this year’s team is like nothing he’s experienced before.

“This is a really special group of guys, probably one of my favorite teams,” Holcomb said. “We gel really well together. There’s no drama on this team. We all just love each other.”

As the NCAA Tournament begins, the pressure builds. But Holcomb knows that pressure is indeed a privilege — it’s tattooed on his bicep as a reminder. 

“Every time I look down at [my tattoo], it just reminds me that what I’m doing could be a little anxiety-inducing [at] the moment, but it truly is a blessing,” Holcomb said.

No matter how this season ends for Vanderbilt Baseball, one thing is certain: Holcomb is built for the big moment.