In just a few short days, No. 19 Vanderbilt Baseball will make its official return to the diamond for the 2026 season at the Shriners Children’s College Showdown in Arlington, Texas. The Commodores will look to maintain the regular season success they found in 2025 while extending their postseason. Last year, the ‘Dores achieved an impressive 43-18 (19-11 SEC) overall record en route to hoisting their third SEC Championship trophy in six years. After winning nine of its last 10 SEC games, three of which were in the SEC Tournament, Vanderbilt earned the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament but fell in its own regional.  

Head coach Tim Corbin’s team lost some big names to the MLB Draft — both in the form of current and incoming players — such as first baseman Riley Nelson, shortstop Jonathan Vastine, centerfielder RJ Austin and weekend starters J.D. Thompson and Cody Bowker. They were able to maintain some key pieces of a relatively young team that they will heavily lean on in 2026. This team, like all of Corbin’s rosters, has a lot of depth, and The Hustler took a stab at who will be starting this weekend. 

First base: Max Jensen 

Written by: David Hernandez, Lead Sports Analyst

The Hustler’s projected starter at first base is Cornell graduate transfer Max Jensen. Although he will be coming off a season-ending knee injury sustained last spring, Jensen brings a blend of experience, plate discipline and offensive power to the Commodores’ lineup. In his four-year career at Cornell, Jensen held a .312 batting average, a .912 OPS and was a two-time All-Ivy League selection. He will be expected to fill the offensive gap left behind by Nelson, who led the 2025 VandyBoys in batting average and hits.  

Second base: Mike Mancini 

Written by: Henry Oelhafen, Sports Editor 

Mike Mancini projects to play at second base this year, where he played most of last season. The New York native had a solid 2025, hitting .269 with four home runs, but he struggled to hit for much power. Now with some extra weight built in the offseason, Mancini should hit some more balls out of the park and to the gaps. He also possesses lots of speed on the basepaths — as he swiped 18-of-20 bags last season — and is a premium infielder, as evidenced by his .949 fielding percentage last year. I expect Mancini to take a step up in terms of production in 2026 while providing a reliable presence on defense.  

Shortstop: Ryker Waite 

Written by: Grace Hall, Deputy Sports Editor 

The departure of Vastine after last year left a lot of question marks about who would fill the shortstop role for Vanderbilt. While there has been a visible competition for the spot since the fall, sophomore Ryker Waite is the favorite to slot into the starting position come opening day. Waite sat behind Vastine all last season and, as a result, had just eight appearances. Over the summer, however, he impressed with the Bourne Braves in the Cape Cod Baseball League. He logged 108 at-bats over 33 games while tallying 31 hits (8 extra base hits) and 17 RBI. While on the Cape, he played 29 of those games at shortstop. Corbin has lauded Waite’s hands and ability to keep the ball in front of him. The shortstop position in the SEC is no easy role to step into, but it seems Waite has what it takes to do just that.  

Third base: Brodie Johnston  

Written by: Eli Landers, Deputy Sports Editor

Brodie Johnston burst onto the scene as one of the VandyBoys’ best players as a first-year in 2025. The SEC Tournament MVP’s glove was incredibly reliable, as he earned a spot on the all-conference defensive team. He will almost certainly reprise his role as the team’s starting third baseman as a result. Offensively, Johnston had some great moments last year — including 15 home runs, one of which came in the SEC Championship game. Expect his already good batting to further improve in his second year, especially with power hitting, as Johnston looks to beat his 30 extra-base hits from last year.  

Left field: Rustan Rigdon 

Written by: Oelhafen

Rustan Rigdon will likely slot into left field for the Commodores this year after his breakout campaign in 2025. The Georgia native hit just .259 last year but made up for it with his high on-base percentage (.431) and speed on the basepaths (19 steals). He drew the most walks of anyone on the team (42) and became Vanderbilt’s leadoff hitter as the year progressed. In 2026, his role should only grow. The switch-hitter has supposedly put on some extra weight during the offseason, and while he’s not a true power-hitter, his contact-first approach should fit nicely into the top of Corbin’s lineup. Rigdon is a player we could see take a large freshman-to-sophomore-year jump in 2026.  

Center field: Braden Holcomb 

Written by: Hernandez

While he doesn’t fit the mold of a traditional center fielder defensively, Holcomb is the best option considering the sheer amount of offensive output he can generate. In 2025, Holcomb posted a .281 batting average with 9 home runs, 34 RBIs and a .532 slugging percentage. He’s had his fair share of big moments as a Commodore, and with some improved contact, Holcomb can become an even bigger threat in 2026. While he likely won’t be as brilliant defensively as RJ Austin at center, his upside at the plate is undeniable.  

Right field: Logan Johnstone 

Written by: Claire Kelly, Staff Writer 

Logan Johnstone is a graduate student entering his first year at Vanderbilt. The California native is leaving the West Coast for the first time in his collegiate career after spending the past two seasons at Washington State, following his transfer from Gonzaga. In his final year as a Cougar, Johnstone batted .337 with a 1.010 OPS while appearing in all 54 games (44 in right field), earning a spot on the All-Mountain West Conference First Team. Over the summer, he appeared in 11 games for the Williamsport Crosscutters in the MLB Draft League, hitting an impressive .326/.396/.419 slash line. He has experience in all three outfield positions, but we expect him to primarily start in right field. 

Catcher: Colin Barczi 

Written by: Hall

Colin Barczi is primed to reprise his role as the Commodores’ centerpiece behind the plate after an impressive sophomore campaign. The Naperville, Illinois, native is another player with a large frame, standing at 6’3 and 217 pounds, making him a big presence both behind the plate and in the batter’s box. During the 2025 season, he appeared in 55 games, the majority of them at the catcher position for the Commodores, while holding a .996 fielding percentage and making just two errors on the season. Offensively, Corbin has stated that he will be in the middle of the batting order. This is well earned given that Barczi tallied 20 extra-base hits across 198 at-bats, while holding an average of .253 and an OPS of .746. These numbers don’t account for just how hard the junior can hit the ball, where his exit velocities are consistently in triple digits. Expect Barczi to make a big impact for the ‘Dores on both sides of the ball this year. 

Designated hitter: Mack Whitcomb/Colin Barczi 

Written by: Hall

Whitcomb comes to Vanderbilt after playing two years for Tennessee Tech, where he was a standout slugger. The Mokena, Illinois, native slashed .360/.649/1.134 last year with an impressive .485 on-base percentage, all while racking up 29 extra-base hits. He was named the Ohio Valley Conference player of the Year and an ABCA/Rawlings All-South Region First Team Selection. Expect Whitcomb to bring that same raw power and bat-to-ball ability he displayed at Tennessee Tech to Vanderbilt’s starting lineup this season, where he should make a solid addition to the DH spot.  

We also expect Barczi to DH for the Commodores when he is not catching, most likely during the midweek games. The now-junior followed this same routine last year, stepping into the DH spot when Mac Rose caught during the midweek games. 

Midweek starter: Brennan Seiber 

Written by: Hall

This position, along with the Sunday starter and closer positions, is where these predictions get the blurriest. Not because of a talent issue but because this pitching staff simply has so many options. All that being said, we expect Brennan Seiber to see some quality starts at the midweek starter position, especially early in the season, while the other younger arms begin to get more stretched out. Seiber enters his third year on a pitching staff that has asked him to log quality innings since the beginning. Although he has primarily come out of the bullpen in his past two seasons, he has gone 2-1 in his three starts. The right-hander has a large and lanky frame with reliance on the slider and sinker, which plays well into a starting role for the ‘Dores.  

Friday starter: Connor Fennell 

Written by: Oelhafen

There was perhaps no one more electrifying to watch in the 2025 season than Connor Fennell. From his iconic stare downs in heated rivalries to his confident and energizing walks off the mound, Fennell emerged as one of Vanderbilt’s strongest pitchers throughout the season. He quickly slotted into the Sunday starting position as the season went on, in large part due to his ability to pound the strike zone. He’s not a guy that will blow you away with his velocity — in fact, he rarely tops 90 mph on his fastball — but his unusual arm slot, pair of breaking balls and deadly changeup make him a tough matchup for any hitter. The New Hampshire native held a 2.53 ERA across his 17 appearances and 53.1 innings pitched last year for the VandyBoys, giving up just 11 walks while striking out 84. Fennell has already been named a Preseason Third Team All-American by D1Baseball, so expect him to make an immediate impact this season as the only returning weekend starter on the staff. 

Saturday starter: Austin Nye 

Written by: Hall

Austin Nye is coming off a stellar freshman campaign where he was the primary midweek starter for Vanderbilt and held a 2-1 record with a 3.55 ERA across 50.2 innings of work. For his efforts, he was named a First Team Freshman All-American by Perfect Game and a NCBWA Second Team All-American. The Roseville, California, native showed that he has the poise and potential to pitch in big spots in the postseason when he got the start against Ole Miss in the SEC Championship game, where he allowed just one run on two hits across 4.2 innings. Now, as a sophomore, he will take a step up as a weekend starter. The right-hander is a strike thrower by nature, a common trait among Scott Brown’s pitchers, with a good mix of other pitches, including an impressive slider. Expect him to set the tone for Vanderbilt’s weekend series. 

Sunday starter: Nate Taylor 

Written by: Dan Desmond, Staffer-In-Training

Nate Taylor, a sophomore transfer from the University of Georgia, is a new addition to the Commodores and could see time this season both as a starter and out of the bullpen. Last year, Taylor had only nine appearances for the Bulldogs, all coming in relief. Still, in his limited 8.1 innings, Taylor posted a 1.08 ERA, 17 strikeouts and a .108 batting average against him. Over the summer, Taylor served as a starter for the Chatham Anglers in the Cape Cod League, posting a 2.93 ERA and 22 strikeouts in 15.1 innings. Taylor’s fastball has been up to 97 mph, and he pairs it with a changeup and slurve that he can throw against both lefties and righties. Coach Corbin has called Taylor “a durable strike-thrower,” which signals he could be in line to be a starter for Vanderbilt this year. Although the sample size is small, Taylor has been dominant in his collegiate appearances and will look to continue his success as a reliable arm for the Commodores. 

Top relievers: Alex Kranzler/Wyatt Nadeau 

Written by: Hall

Alex Kranzler has been a dependable arm since he joined the program. As a first-year player, he saw solid time, posting a  4.43 ERA across 14 appearances and 20.1 innings pitched. Last season, he took a jump up in his production, posting a 3.62 ERA across 37.1 innings and 18 appearances, finishing with three saves and a 6-1 record. This year, Kranzler is slated to be a leader in relief among a relatively young staff, and we expect him to take yet another step forward in his third year under Brown’s tutelage. 

I also expect Wyatt Nadeau to make an impact for the ‘Dores in relief. The first-year has a large frame, standing at 6’6 and 242 pounds, with a pitch selection that plays really well for a relief spot on Corbin and Brown’s staff. Where Nadeau stands out is the fastball, which can touch into triple digits reliably. This is paired with a high-80s slider as his secondary pitch. This sheer difference in velocity has the ability to be very challenging for hitters to see. The Maine native has continued to turn heads from fall ball and now into the spring as Brown and Co. have worked with him. Expect Nadeau, like much of Vanderbilt’s young pitching staff, to be called upon in crucial spots. He could be deadly coming out after someone like Fennell, who has nearly a 10 mph velocity difference. 

Closer: Miller Green/Jacob Faulkner 

Written by: Jack Frutkin, Deputy Sports Editor 

Miller Green has been a dependable relief asset for the Commodores, making 20 appearances in each of the last two seasons. The junior recorded a 3.80 ERA in 2025 and earned five saves. The Nashville native pitched 23.2 innings last season and struck out 28 batters while allowing 11 runs. Green finished second on the team in saves (5) for the Commodores just behind Sawyer Hanks in 2025. Corbin expects the 21-year-old to take on an even larger role this season as Green is slated to be a primary option in late-game situations.  

Jacob Faulkner joins the program after four years playing at Princeton, where he led the Tigers in innings pitched as a junior and senior. The sidearm pitcher made 65 appearances and posted a career ERA of 4.07 in his three years playing for the Tigers after he redshirted as a freshman. Faulkner is no stranger to closing out baseball games, leading Princeton in combined total saves over the last three seasons. The graduate earned six saves in his 2023 campaign, four in 2024 and two in 2025. Corbin raved about Faulkner’s development this summer and believes he can bring a level of experience and maturity to the Commodores’ relief pitching staff. The Venice, Florida, native has proven that he can be effective in a closer role and will attempt to transfer his success from the Ivy League into the SEC.