NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Vanderbilt baseball team is set to hit the road this weekend for an SEC series with the Auburn Tigers.
The three-game series is set to begin with a 6 p.m. first pitch on Friday evening, followed by a 4 p.m. start in Saturday’s contest. The series finale between the two teams is scheduled for Sunday at 1 p.m., with all three games airing live on SEC Network+.
Probable Starting Pitching Matchups
FRIDAY: Vandy – Chris McElvain (Jr., RHP) vs. Auburn – Hayden Mullins (Jr., LHP)
SATURDAY: Vandy – Carter Holton (Fr., LHP) vs. Auburn – Trace Bright (Jr., RHP)
SUNDAY: Vandy – Patrick Reilly (So., RHP) vs. Auburn – Joseph Gonzalez (So., RHP)
Trending
• Vanderbilt got back into the win column on Tuesday with a 12-2 midweek victory over in-state foe Austin Peay.
• With the victory, the Commodores have won 27 consecutive midweek games at home, and eight consecutive midweek contests overall.
• Vanderbilt looks to turn things around in SEC play this weekend after dropping its last two conference series. The Commodores fell in the final two games at South Carolina before being swept by top-ranked Tennessee at home.
Series History
• Friday’s series opener will mark the 165th time that Vanderbilt and Auburn have met in the all-time history between the two programs.
• The Commodores trail in the all-time series, with a 66-97-1 record against the Tigers.
• Vanderbilt took all three games from Auburn in the last time the two teams met in the regular season in 2019 at Hawkins Field.
Anchoring the Midweek
• Freshman left-hander Devin Futrell has anchored the midweek starting spot for the Vanderbilt pitching staff.
• Futrell owns a 6-0 record on the campaign. His six wins tie him for first in the nation entering the weekend.
• He owns a team-best WHIP of 0.82, which places him sixth in the conference and 16th in the nation.
• The rookie southpaw notched a complete game against Lipscomb on March 29, allowing just one earned run. He became the fourth Vanderbilt player in the last four seasons to throw a nine-inning complete game.
Midseason Watch List
• The Vanderbilt trio of Enrique Bradfield Jr., Dominic Keegan and Chris McElvain were named to the Golden Spikes Award midseason watch list, announced by USA Baseball this week.
• The Commodores’ three selection tied for a national best, as Vandy joined Tennessee and Texas, who also each had three student-athletes represented on the list.
Middle Innings Matter
• The middle innings have proven to be a factor in the win column this year for Vanderbilt.
• Vandy is outscoring is opponents 83-21 across the fourth, fifth and sixth innings in games won this season.
• The Commodores have been outscored 19-8 in the middle innings in the team’s seven losses on the year.
What’s Next
• Following the series with Auburn, Vanderbilt will return home for a five-game homestand. The Commodores will host Western Kentucky in the midweek before welcoming Florida to town next weekend.