Vanderbilt Commodores (8-6, 0-0 SEC) vs. North Dakota State Bison (1-11, 0-0 Summit)
Friday @ 4:30 p.m. • SECN+ • 102.1 The Ville
Saturday @ 2 p.m. • SECN+ • 94.9 The Fan
Sunday @ 1 p.m. • SECN+ • 102.5 The Game
Weekend Preview: Vanderbilt got back in the win column Wednesday with a 4-1 win over Troy at Hawkins Field.
- The Commodores own a 7-1 record in home games this season and will welcome North Dakota State to West End for the first meeting between the two schools.
- Vanderbilt is in the midst of a 10-game homestand with upcoming contests against Indiana State, LSU and Indiana.
Power Surge: Vanderbilt’s 31 home runs is second among DI programs, trailing only Georgia’s 43.
- The Dores are slugging .581, good for third in the SEC and ninth nationally.
- Braden Holcomb leads the team with seven long balls followed by Brodie Johnston with six. Holcomb ranks seventh among Di players while Johnston ranks 16th. Johnston hit 15 out of the park last season to lead the team as a freshman.
- Colin Barczi belted three home runs in the season-opener against No. 10 TCU to become the first Commodore since Connor Kaiser in 2018 with a three-homer game. Barczi’s homers traveled a combined 1,340 feet with each surpassing 430 feet.
- Vanderbilt has hit four grand slams this season, already surpassing last season’s total.
- Six of Vanderbilt’s eight wins have come by way of the run-rule.
- The Commodores have homered 12 of 14 games this season.
SEC Player of the Week: Braden Holcomb was named the SEC Player of the Week last Monday.
- The center fielder hit .579 (11-for-19) over five games with five extra-base hits and 10 RBI.
- Holcomb belted three home runs and a pair of doubles to slug 1.158. He also scored nine times and worked three walks in 19 at-bats.
- Holcomb had four multi-hit games and helped power Vandy to four consecutive run-rule wins.
Brooks Wallace Award Watch List: Ryker Waite was named to the Brooks Wallace Award Watch List on Wednesday.
- Waite is one of 100 shortstops on the list. He is hitting .359 through 13 games this season with six extra-base hits, 13 RBI and 14 walks.
- The Arizona native has two homers, a triple and three doubles.
- He currently ranks third on the team in batting average and second in walks and OBP while starting all 13 games at shortstop.
- The award honors the nation’s top shortstop and will be presented by the College Baseball Foundation later this year.
MLB Spring Breakout: Eleven former Commodores were named to the MLB Spring Breakout preliminary 40-man player pools. The 27-man teams will be named on March 18.
- RJ Schreck (Blue Jays), Dom Keegan (Rays), Spencer Jones (Yankees), Patrick Reilly (Orioles), Enrique Bradfield Jr. (Orioles), Bryce Cunningham (Yankees), JD Thompson (Brewers), Cody Bowker (Phillies), Hunter Owen (Royals), Davis Diaz (Athletics) and RJ Austin (Orioles) are all in the preliminary pools for their respective clubs.
