Schedule Update: Friday’s game will begin at 4 p.m. CT.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Vanderbilt baseball begins a three-game series at Mississippi State Friday at Dudy Noble Field in Starkville, Miss.
SERIES PREVIEW: Vanderbilt heads to Starkville, Mississippi, winners of 10 of its last 11 games to face Mississippi State for a three-game SEC series.
- Vanderbilt and Mississippi State have met 130 times with Vanderbilt trailing the all-time series 54-74-2.
- This weekend’s series is the first meeting between the two schools since the 2021 College World Series.
- Vanderbilt will be playing in Starkville for the first time since the 2018 season.
LAST TIME OUT: Vanderbilt swept defending champion Ole Miss last weekend at Hawkins Field.
- Vanderbilt’s pitching was dominant in the series as the Commodores outscored the Rebels 27-4.
- The Dores run-ruled Ole Miss in eight innings in the opener on Thursday. Hunter Owen then tossed a complete-game shutout Friday and Vandy scored seven unanswered runs Saturday to complete the sweep.
- Hunter Owen was named SEC Co-Pitcher of the Week after throwing Vandy’s first nine-inning, complete-game shutout since Jack Leiter in 2021. He struck out a career-high 11 and retired the final 23 batters he faced. He needed just 96 pitches in the win.
SUPERB SOUTHPAWS: Left-handed pitchers Carter Holton, Hunter Owen and Devin Futrell have anchored the weekend starting rotation this season.
- Combined, the trio owns a 2.50 ERA with 83 strikeouts over 75.2 innings.
- Holton is 2-0 with a 2.39 ERA and 30 Ks. Owen is 2-0 with a 2.20 ERA and 35 Ks and Futrell is 4-1 with a 3.05 ERA and 18 Ks.
A LEAGUE OF HIS OWN: Enrique Bradfield Jr. stole his 97th career base vs. UCLA (Feb. 26) to break the program record set by Charles DeFrance (1980-82).
- Bradfield leads all active players in NCAA baseball (I, II and III) with 108 career stolen bases.
- The junior outfielder’s 108 career stolen bases ranks sixth in SEC history. Tennessee’s Mike Basse (1989-91) holds the all-time record of 145. South Carolina’s Mike Curry is fifth at 122.
- Bradfield stole 46 or more bases in each of his first two seasons. He was 46-for-46 in 2022 after going 47-53 as a freshman in 2021.
ON THE MOUND: Vanderbilt’s pitching has been dominant over the last 10 games.
- Vandy’s staff owns a 1.86 ERA with a no-hitter and two shutouts over that span.
- The Dores are 9-1 and the arms have racked up 109 strikeouts while holding opposing hitters to a .157 average.
AT THE PLATE: A look at some of Vanderbilt’s top offensive performers.
- Graduate RJ Schreck is hitting .395 over the last 10 games. He has three homers, four doubles, 11 RBIs and 10 runs scored over that span.
- Freshmen RJ Austin and Chris Maldonado have made immediate impacts in the lineup. Austin has a team-high nine multi-hit games. Nine of Maldonado’s first 16 collegiate hits have gone for extra bases (seven 2Bs, two HR)
- Jack Bulger is hitting .500 (9-for-18) with runners in scoring position.
- Davis Diaz has reached base safely in 14 consecutive games. He’s one of five Dores to have reached safely in each of Vandy’s last 10 contests.
NATIONAL RANKINGS: Where the Dores rank statistically among NCAA DI teams.
24th (1st SEC) – Double plays turned (18)
10th – ERA (3.09)
33rd (4th SEC) – Fielding percentage (0.979)
3rd (2nd SEC) – Hits allowed per nine (6.09)
4th (3rd SEC) – Shutouts (4)
19th – Strikeouts per nine (11.0)
8th – WHIP (1.09)
Individuals
Chris Maldonado – 10th SEC – Doubles (7)
Hunter Owen – 3rd SEC – ERA (2.20)
Carter Holton – 9th SEC – ERA (2.39)
Nick Maldonado – T-1 SEC – Saves (3)
Enrique Bradfield Jr. – 10th (1st SEC) – Stolen
