#9 Vanderbilt Commodores (30-11, 11-7 SEC) vs. #23 Ole Miss Rebels (29-12, 10-8 SEC)
Game 1: Friday, April 25 @ 6:30 p.m. CT • SEN+
Game 2: Saturday, April 26 @ 5 p.m. CT • SEC Network
Game 3: Sunday, April 27 @ 1:30 p.m. CT • SECN+
Weekend Preview: Vanderbilt heads to Mississippi to face Ole Miss for a three-game series beginning Friday.
- Vanderbilt is 66-72-2 all-time against Ole Miss since the first meeting in 1900.
- Vandy has won each of the last four meetings, including a sweep over Ole Miss in Nashville in 2023.
- The Dores enter the series with their highest D1Baseball ranking of the season at No. 9 while Ole Miss sits at No. 23.
- This series marks Vandy’s fifth against a ranked opponent in the last seven weeks
- Each of the Commodores’ next two series are also against ranked opponents (vs. No. 18 Alabama; at No. 6 Tennessee).
Last Time Out: Vanderbilt has won four consecutive SEC games after sweeping then-ranked No. 5 Georgia in Nashville last week.
- The Dores dropped their first midweek game on Tuesday, falling at home for just the fourth time this season with a 5-3 defeat to Middle Tennessee.
- Over the last six games, Riley Nelson is 12-for-23 (.522) with two homers, a triple, double, five RBI and seven runs scored.
- In that same span, Braden Holcomb has also been hot, hitting .458 with three home runs, a double and 10 RBI.
- Brodie Johnston’s 12 RBI leads the team over the last six games. Johnston also has three home runs to go with three doubles.
On the Mound and Behind It: Vanderbilt’s pitching staff boasts a 3.69 ERA, 10th best in D1 and best in the SEC.
- Vandy’s pitchers have reached double-digit strikeouts in 30 of 41 games this season.
- Vanderbilt ranks second nationally in hits allowed per nine innings (6.90) and is third in strikeouts per nine innings (12.0).
- The Dores’ five shutouts are tied for most in the SEC.
- Defensively, Vandy owns the fourth best fielding percentage in DI (.983), second in the SEC.
Johnny V: Vanderbilt shortstop Jonathan Vastine has been one of Vanderbilt’s best hitters in conference play to compliment his premier defense.
- The Florida native was named to the midseason watch list for the Brooks Wallace Award recently, recognizing the coutnry’s top shortstop.
- Vastine is hitting .323 in 18 SEC games with three home runs, a double and 11 RBI.
- He led the team in doubles (18) last season and, after leading Vandy with 18 doubles in 2023, became the first Commodore since Dansby Swanson to lead the team in doubles in back-to-back seasons.
- In D1Baseball’s 2025 preseason position rankings, Vastine came in at No. 10 among all shortstops.
- According to D1Baseball’s Synergy stats, Vastine’s 11.27 defensive runs saved last season was good for eighth nationally and ranked first among SEC shortstops.
Big Innings: Vandy has scored four or more runs in an inning 19 times this season.
- The Dores have scored seven or more runs in an inning five times including a nine-spot twice.
Stopper of the Year: A pair of Commodores were named to the midseason watch list for the NCBWA Stopper of the Year this week, awarded to the top reliever in college baseball.
- Sawyer Hawks and Miller Green were two of 56 relief pitchers on the watch list.
- Hawks has six saves this season and boasts a 1.34 ERA over 33.2 innings of work. He has 46 strikeouts to seven walks and is holding opposing hitters to a .152 average.
- Green has five saves and a 3.71 ERA over 13 appearances. In 17 innings, the southpaw has 20 strikeouts to six walks and is limiting hitters to a .213 average.
