Vanderbilt Commodores

Game Preview: Vanderbilt Facing Elimination After Offensive Struggles Return

The Commodores' offensive struggles from earlier this season came back to life Saturday night in a 3-2 loss to Louisville. Now, they need two wins to survive another day.
Taylor Hodges|
Vanderbilt’s Brodie Johnston (9) slides safely into third base ahead of the tag by Louisville's Jake Munroe (20) after a single hit by Braden Holcomb as head coach Tim Corbin watches during the sixth inning of the Nashville Regional NCAA Baseball Tournament game at Hawkins Field Saturday, May 31, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn.
Vanderbilt’s Brodie Johnston (9) slides safely into third base ahead of the tag by Louisville's Jake Munroe (20) after a single hit by Braden Holcomb as head coach Tim Corbin watches during the sixth inning of the Nashville Regional NCAA Baseball Tournament game at Hawkins Field Saturday, May 31, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. | Mark Zaleski / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Which version of Vanderbilt will we see today?

Will it be the version that went 9-1, won the SEC Tournament and got the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament? The one with great pitching and an offense that produced a hit or home run whenever it needed one.

Or will we get the version of the Commodores that had one of the lowest batting averages in the SEC and lost games with just a handful of hits and base runners?

We know Vanderbilt will play great defense in the field. We know the pitching will be great (even if Saturday’s failed gamble put the staff in a tough spot). The question, as it always has been, is the offense.

The Commodores’ play the last month has helped many forget about what was holding this team back earlier in the season. And those issues sprung back to life like a horror movie villain in the final showdown.

We’ll be finding out soon enough.

Vanderbilt Commodores Starting Lineup

  1. Rustan Rigdon, 2B
  2. RJ Austin, CF
  3. Riley Nelson, 1B
  4. Brodie Johnston, 3B
  5. Braden Holcomb, LF
  6. Colin Barczi, C
  7. Jonathan Vastine, SS
  8. Jacob Humphrey, RF
  9. Mike Mancini, DH

Wright State Raiders Starting Lineup

  1. Hunter Warren, 2B
  2. Patrick Fultz, 3B
  3. Gus Gregory, DH
  4. JP Peltier, LF
  5. Boston Smith, C
  6. Luke Arnold, SS
  7. Cam Gilkerson, RF
  8. Conlan Daniel, CF
  9. Will Cook, 1B

Pitching Matchup

LHP Griffen Paige (1-3, 8.90 ERA, 31.1 IP, 41 SO, 17 BB, 31 ER, .315 b/avg.) vs. RHP Austin Nye (2-0, 2.90 ERA, 49.2 IP, 58 SO, 22 BB, 16 ER, .215 b/avg.)

Weather Forecast

There is potential for a thunderstorm in the middle of today’s game. AccuWeather’s forecast has a thunderstorm arriving around 3 p.m. Temperatures will be in the lower 80s and winds will be at eight mph and gusts up to 17 mph.

How to Watch: Wright State vs. Vanderbilt

Who: Wright State Raiders (39-20, 25-5 Horizon) vs. Vanderbilt Commodores (42-17, 19-11 SEC)

When: 2 p.m., Sunday

Where: Hawkins Field; Nashville, Tenn.

TV: ESPN+

Radio: Live Radio

Stats: Live Stats

Vanderbilt Commodores On SI:

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Taylor Hodges
TAYLOR HODGES

Award-winning sports editor, writer, columnist, and photographer with 15 years’ experience offering his opinion and insight about the sports world in Mississippi and Texas, but he was taken to Razorback pep rallies at Billy Bob's Texas in Fort Worth before he could walk. Taylor has covered all levels of sports, from small high schools in the Mississippi Delta to NFL games. Follow Taylor on Twitter and Facebook.

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