#16 Vanderbilt Commodores (14-3, 0-0 SEC) at #25 Auburn Tigers (14-3, 0-0 SEC)
Game 1: Friday, March 14 @ 6 p.m. CT • SECN+
Game 2: Saturday, March 15 @ 6 p.m. CT • SECN+
Game 3: Sunday, March 16 @ 2 p.m. CT • SECN+
Weekend Preview: SEC action gets underway this weekend as Vanderbilt visits Auburn for a three-game series.
- The Commodores and Tigers first met in 1908 and Auburn leads the all-time series 99-77-1.
- Vandy is 34-14 vs. Auburn under head coach Tim Corbin.
- The Dores are 15-3 on SEC opening weekend since 2018, sweeping the opening series four of the last six seasons and each of the last three. Vandy swept Auburn to open SEC play in 2024.
- Both teams enter the week ranked by D1Baseball. Of Vandy’s 10 remaining weekend series this season, nine are against ranked opponents.
Last Time Out: The Commodores recorded back-to-back shutouts heading into conference play.
- Vandy swept Xavier over the weekend and blanked Valparaiso on Tuesday at Hawkins Field.
- Brodie Johnston was named SEC Co-Freshman of the Week after hitting two home runs in the same inning against Xavier on March 7, the first Commodore to do so since at least 2011.
- The Dores have held their opponents to five total runs over the last five games.
- Jacob Humphrey extended his hit streak to 13 games and is now hitting .439 on the season with a .558 OBP. Humphrey has 96 career stolen bases, leading all active NCAA D1 players.
On the Mound: Vanderbilt’s pitching staff boasts a 3.11 ERA with 211 strikeouts while holding opposting hitters to a .180 average.
- Vandy’s pitchers have reached double-digit strikeouts in six consecutive games and in all but two games on the season.
- Vandy’s 17 strikeouts Sunday vs. Xavier were the most in a nine-inning game since March 11, 2022, vs. Wagner. The Commodores recorded 18 strikeouts against Oklahoma State in the 2022 season-opener.
- For the season, Vanderbilt’s K/9 rate of 13.4 ranks second in the SEC and third nationally.
- The Dores’ three shutouts are tied for most in D1 and they rank third in hits allowed per nine innings (5.58).
RJ Doing RJ Things: Junior RJ Austin leads the SEC in stolen bases with 11.
- Austin enters the weekend batting .364 with a home run, three triples and five doubles to go with 11 walks.
- Austin hit two triples in the win over Saint Mary’s on Feb. 21, the first Commodore since Tony Kemp in 2012 to do so.
- On Tuesday vs. Valparaiso, Austin scored from second on a single to the second baseman.
Big Innings: Vandy has scored four or more runs in an inning 11 times this season.
- The Dores have scored seven or more runs in an inning four times including a nine-spot twice.
The Gauntlet: Of Vanderbilt’s 56 games this season, 30 are against opponents who made it to the NCAA Tournament last season and 12 are against opponents who made it to Omaha.
- Six of Vandy’s opponents were ranked in the D1Baseball preseason poll including five in the top 10, three in the top five.
- Nine of Vanderbilt’s 10 SEC series will be against an opponent currently ranked by D1Baseball.
- Among SEC teams, Vanderbilt has the second-toughest strength of schedule entering SEC play according to NCAA RPI.
