#9 Vanderbilt Commodores (36-16, 16-11 SEC) at Kentucky Wildcats (29-20, 13-14 SEC)
Game 1: Thursday, May 15 @ 6 p.m. CT • SECN+
Game 2: Friday, May 16 @ 6 p.m. CT • SECN+
Game 3: Saturday, May 17 @ 2 p.m. CT • SECN+
Weekend Preview: Vanderbilt concludes its regular season with a three-game set against Kentucky at Hawkins Field beginning Thursday.
- Vanderbilt is 156-152-5 all time vs. Kentucky since 1905. The Commodores swept the Wildcats last time the two teams met in Nashville in 2023.
- Vandy has won 12 of 14 series vs. Kentucky since 2010 including all seven home series over that span.
- Entering the final weekend of the regular season, Vandy currently holds the four-seed in the SEC Tournament, owning the tiebreaker over Auburn and Georgia in a three-way tie.
- The Commodores have won back-to-back SEC series over Alabama and Tennessee. Vandy has won eight of its last nine home SEC contests.
Last Time Out: Vanderbilt took the final two games over Tennessee last weekend to win the series in Knoxville.
- Vandy’s offense came alive in Game 2 on Saturday, posting 10 runs on 10 hits. Vandy scored in five different innings including a four-spot in the sixth to take control of the contest.
- The Dores stole eight bases in the game and five pitchers combined for 11 strikeouts with Luke Guth earning his first win on the season. RJ Austin and Braden Holcomb paced the offense with three RBI apiece and Riley Nelson went 3-for-5 at the plate with a double, RBI and two runs scored.
- In Sunday’s rubber match, Colin Barczi launched two home runs with the second preceding a two-hour weather delay. After the delay, Jonathan Vastine homered to go back-to-back with two hours in between homers.
- Ethan McElvain recorded the save, striking out the final batter on three pitches with the bases loaded.
On the Mound and Behind It: Vanderbilt’s pitching staff leads the country in strikeouts per nine innings at 11.9.
- The Dores are sixth nationally in hits allowed per nine innings (7.25), second in the SEC, and rank fourth in the SEC in ERA at 3.82.
- Vandy’s pitchers have reached double-digit strikeouts in 38 of 52 games this season and in 14 of the last 17 games.
- The Dores’ seven shutouts are second in the SEC and seventh nationally.
- Defensively, Vandy owns the sixth best fielding percentage in DI (.982), third in the SEC.
- JD Thompson’s 65 strikeouts in SEC games ranks fourth in the SEC. Sawyer Hawk’s six saves on the season is tied for fifth.
- Connor Fennell has made 10 appearances in SEC action, going 3-0 with 62 strikeouts to just nine walks in 37.0 innings. Fennell has 62 strikeouts in league games, tied for seventh in the SEC.
Big Finales: Vanderbilt is 7-2 in its nine SEC series finales this season, outscoring opponents 75-38 in those games.
- Jonathan Vastine is hitting .486 with three homers and 11 RBI while Colin Barczi is hitting .484 with five homers and 14 RBI. Riley Nelson has also homered five times in Game 3’s, hitting .474 with 11 RBI.
- Vandy’s pitchers own a 3.97 ERA in SEC series finales, totaling 96 strikeouts to 24 walks over 77.0 innings.
Hitter Spotlights: Riley Nelson continues to swing a hot bat, owning a .370 average in SEC play, fifth highest in the league.
- Nelson is hitting .359 on the season to lead the team. He has six home runs, five of those coming against conference foes.
- Braden Holcomb hit a triple, solo home run and walk-off, two-run homer in his final three at-bats vs. Alabama on May 4. Holcomb is hitting .338 in SEC games with seven homers and 22 RBI. He’s third in the SEC in slugging (.718).
- Brodie Johnston leads the team in home runs with 11. The freshman’s 23 RBI in SEC games also leads the team. Johnston is the first Commodore since Pat DeMarco in 2018 to hit 11 home runs in his freshman season. He leads all SEC freshman in home runs and is second in RBI.
Big Innings: Vandy has scored four or more runs in an inning 22 times this season.
- The Dores have scored seven or more runs in an inning five times including a nine-spot twice.
Johnny V: Vanderbilt shortstop Jonathan Vastine has been one of Vanderbilt’s best hitters in conference play to compliment his premier defense.
- The Florida native was named to the midseason watch list for the Brooks Wallace Award recently, recognizing the country’s top shortstop.
- Vastine is hitting .308 in SEC games with five home runs, two doubles and 16 RBI.
- In nine Game 3’s in SEC series this spring, Vastine is 17-for-35 (.486) with three homers, a double and 11 RBI. Vandy is 7-2 in those games.
- He led the team in doubles (18) last season and, after leading Vandy with 18 doubles in 2023, became the first Commodore since Dansby Swanson to lead the team in doubles in back-to-back seasons.
- In D1Baseball’s 2025 preseason position rankings, Vastine came in at No. 10 among all shortstops.
- According to D1Baseball’s Synergy stats, Vastine’s 11.27 defensive runs saved last season was good for eighth nationally and ranked first among SEC shortstops.
