Exclusive: USC Transfer Gavin Lauridsen Breaks Down Commitment to Vanderbilt Baseball

Vanderbilt baseball coach Tim Corbin adds a high-upside arm in Gavin Lauridsen, who Vandy on SI caught up with on Saturday night.

Gavin Lauridsen is a high-celing addition for Vanderbilt baseball heading into the 2027 season. | USC Athletics

NASHVILLE—Gavin Lauridsen was ranked as the No. 39 freshman in the country prior to the 2025 season and had a high school body of work as impressive as just about any pitcher in the country. Yet, one opportunity evaded him. 

Lauridsen was happy enough with his decision to commit to USC that he bypassed the MLB Draft despite being selected in the 13th round by the Milwaukee Brewers, but he felt as if a change suited him best after his freshman season. When he entered the transfer portal, the landscape looked different for him than the first time he was recruited. 

Vanderbilt pushed for Lauridsen, and he didn’t take it for granted. 

“Vandy was definitely a dream out of high school but the opportunity wasn't quite there yet,” Lauridsen told Vandy on SI on Saturday night. “I always watched Vandy baseball and followed along throughout the years, so I definitely had aspirations of coming here and getting a chance to be a part of an awesome culture.” 

Lauridsen pitched one season at USC, finished third on the team in innings pitched–while starting two games–and posted a 4.73 ERA as well as three saves. He struck out 40 and walked 27 while posting a 3-1 record. Vanderbilt clearly believes there’s more out there for Lauridsen as he joins a staff with a wide open race for weekend and high-leverage relief roles. 

VandyBoys have their first pitching addition of the portal cycle.

USC Rising Sophomore RHP Gavin Lauridsen announced his commitment to Vanderbilt on Instagram. Lauridsen posted a 4.73 ERA over 45.2 IP with 40 Ks, 26 appearances, 2 starts and 3 saves. pic.twitter.com/sRc22kCpTb

— Peter Porker (@peterporker714) June 27, 2026

The three-pitch arsenal–which includes a mid-90s fastball, curveball and changeup–Lauridsen relies on indicates that there’s significantly more out there for him, and while he didn’t cement himself as a weekend guy as a freshman, he believes he’s better off for what he went through while at USC. He believes he’s more ready for what he’ll see at Vanderbilt as a result. 

“My freshman season was great, I got to be a part of an amazing pitching staff and a winning team and loved every moment of it,” Lauridsen said. “Super grateful for all the opportunities I got. I definitely learned how to fail and how to bounce back after, and how to navigate college baseball. This next year I'm looking to move into a bigger role and continue to build my confidence on the mound and take it into the SEC.”

Any struggles that Lauridsen may have had didn’t deter evaluators as they ranked him a top 100 available player in the transfer portal as well as the No. 8 available underclassman arm. He’s Vanderbilt’s first top 100 transfer portal arm addition since Cody Bowker committed a few summers ago. Lauridsen is also Vanderbilt’s first pitching addition in the 2026 portal cycle–and he likely won’t be the last. 

Lauridsen will join a Vanderbilt staff that struggled for stretches of the 2026 season–in which Vanderbilt snapped a long NCAA Tournament streak–and was in need of help heading into 2027. As Lauridsen arrives on Vanderbilt’s campus, it appears as if he’ll be in the mix for just about any role he can imagine. He’s that important and timely of an addition for a staff that needs it. 

It appears as if his Saturday commitment meant as much to him as it did to Vanderbilt, too. 

“Committing to Vandy was obviously a big deal for me,” Lauridsen said. “A huge part of this decision had to do with Coach Corbin and Brown as well the entire Vandy staff. They are really good at developing players into major league talents and have the resume to show it.”

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