HOOVER, Ala. — Vanderbilt won the 2023 SEC Tournament championship with a 10-4 victory over Texas A&M on Sunday afternoon at Hoover Met.
The Commodores are tournament champs for the fourth time in program history, third under head coach Tim Corbin. Vandy is the first No. 4 seed since 2015 to take the title game.
We got what we came for. 🏆#VandyBoys | #AnchorDown pic.twitter.com/ypviXBGDmc
— Vanderbilt Baseball (@VandyBoys) May 28, 2023
Took care of business 🏆#VandyBoys | #AnchorDown pic.twitter.com/v65hCVLgFp
— Vanderbilt Baseball (@VandyBoys) May 28, 2023
The freshman duo of RJ Austin and Chris Maldonado were named to the all-tournament team with Austin earning MVP honors.
“For me, it’s the most fun I’ve ever had in my life.”@RjAustin14 & @Troy_LaNeve after winning the SEC Championship ⚓️ @VandyBoys pic.twitter.com/xnbk6Q9Grn
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) May 28, 2023
Texas A&M struck first with a run in the top of the second, but the Dores answered in the home half of the inning. Freshmen Chris Maldonado and RJ Austin hit back-to-back singles to put runners on the corners with one out. Troy LaNeve then launched a three-run homer 424 feet to right field to put Vandy on top 3-1.
That’s ANOTHER three-run homer for @Troy_LaNeve! 🤯#VandyBoys | #AnchorDown pic.twitter.com/CCBd61uiT2
— Vanderbilt Baseball (@VandyBoys) May 28, 2023
LaNeve now has three three-run homers in his last five games.
The Commodores added a fourth run with a string of two-out knocks in the third. Parker Noland singled and Maldonado followed with his second base hit of the game. Austin delivered the run-scoring knock with a single into center field to bring Noland home from second.
Texas A&M scratched a run across in the top of the fourth to trim Vandy’s lead back to two.
The Aggies pulled even with a two-out, two-run single in the top of the sixth to make it 4-4.
Vanderbilt wasted no time reclaiming the lead. LaNeve singled to lead off the bottom of the sixth and reached third on a single by Alan Espinal. Enrique Bradfield Jr. laid down a bunt that allowed LaNeve to score from third and give Vandy a 5-4 advantage.
The Aggies threatened in the top of the seventh with runners on the corners and just one out, but Thomas Schultz got a groundball to start a 5-4-3 double play to end the inning.
The Commodores pulled away late with a five-run eighth inning. Bradfield doubled and then scored on a wild pitch. Noland then drove in Davis Diaz and after a single and a walk, Calvin Hewett provided the big hit with a bases-clearing double to plate three more runs and put Vandy on top 10-6.