Skip to main content
All Aggies

Here’s What’s To Watch For In Texas A&M’s Series vs Vanderbilt

The Aggies host a huge series this weekend against the Commodores at Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park. 
Kolton Becker|
Jun 8, 2024; College Station, TX, USA; A general view of the stands during the game between Texas A&M and Oregon at Olsen Field, Blue Bell Park Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images
Jun 8, 2024; College Station, TX, USA; A general view of the stands during the game between Texas A&M and Oregon at Olsen Field, Blue Bell Park Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Get those bubbles ready.

This weekend in College Station, the Texas A&M baseball team hosts the Vanderbilt club in another clash in the SEC with massive implications for the standings and resume-building.

It will feature two high-powered lineups that can whack the baseball out of the park with ease and can be dominant on the rubber. The Aggies are riding a six-game winning streak into the weekend, while the Commodores are cruising with a five-game winning streak, so one or both of these will come to an end.

Pitching and Hitting

Heading into the weekend, there are a lot of questions about which one of these programs will figure out how to get their pitching staff going, as both have had their fair share of good and bad. A&M sits at a .444 ERA while Vanderbilt holds a .525 ERA, so both rotations have given up runs, so pitch selection will be important to limit the damage.

As a group, the Aggies are batting .326 as a team, so there haven’t been a lot of issues with getting production for whoever steps to the plate. As for the Commodores, it is hitting .300 as a unit and will need its players to make solid contact off the barrel to stay in the running to take the series.

Vanderbilt’s best batters have clearly been Brody Johnston, Ryker Waite, Mike Mancini, and Braden Holcomb, who are all batting over .300. Holcomb leads the boys with 11 home runs, 34 RBIs, 121 at-bats, and 31 runs, while Mancini is the leader in walks with 29. Johnston leads the team with the highest batting average at .367 and has the most hits and doubles out of any of his teammates.

A&M’s lineup consists of the quadruplets Caden Sorrell, Gavin Grahovac, Jake Duer, and Nico Partida, who have been reliable all season. Sorrell leads the team in hits, home runs, and RBIs, while his buddy, Grahovac, leads the team with 37 runs and has the second-best batting average at .365. Duer is tied for first with 10 doubles and is second in at-bats. Partida has accumulated the most at-bats with 107 appearances and has a 1.026 OPS.

Both programs have solid arms that can go deep in games and will likely need help from the bullpen. A&M’s rotation has featured Shane Sdao, Weston Moss, and Aiden Sims, while Vanderbilt’s has been Wyatt Nadeau, Connor Fennell and an alternate that has recently been Nate Taylor or Alex Kranzler. Expect to see a great battle between these arms and sluggers.

Game 1 and Game 2 will begin at 6 p.m., with the finale starting at 2 p.m.

Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations

Published
Kolton Becker
KOLTON BECKER

Kolton Becker is a journalist for Texas A&M Aggies and Houston Cougars On SI from Port Lavaca, Texas. He is a graduate from Texas A&M University with a degree in agricultural communications and journalism and a minor in sport management. As a former sports reporter with TexAgs and The Battalion, he has covered Texas A&M football, basketball, baseball, softball, volleyball, track & field, cross country, swim & dive and equestrian. In his spare time, he loves to hunt, fish, cook, do play-by-play announcing at high school sporting events, spend time with family/friends as well as be involved with his local church.

Share on XFollow kolton_becker
Home/Baseball