Preseason Favorites

Baseball America tabs Commodores favorite to win it all

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The defending College World Series champions are favored to repeat.

Vanderbilt is Baseball America’s preseason No. 1 team, the publication announced Monday. The Commodores, who set an SEC record with 59 victories a season ago, are ranked No. 2 by Collegiate Baseball newspaper, D1Baseball and Perfect Game.

It marks the third time Vanderbilt has taken the preseason’s top spot by the publication with the other instances coming in 2015 and 2019. The 2015 Commodores reached the College World Series finals while last season’s club bested Michigan for the program’s second national title.

The SEC boasts seven teams in the Top 25. The Commodores are joined by Florida (No. 4), Georgia (No. 7), Mississippi State (No. 9), Arkansas (No. 11), Auburn (No. 13) and LSU (No. 14). Michigan, who Vanderbilt faces in the season opener, is ranked No. 8.

The Commodores open the season with a national title rematch at the MLB4 Tournament in Scottsdale, Arizona. Vanderbilt will face Michigan on Feb. 14 before taking on UConn and Cal Poly to cap the event. The Hawkins Field home opener is scheduled for Feb. 18 against South Alabama.