How Far Did Vanderbilt Rise in Latest Baseball Rankings?

Find out if the Commodores trip to the desert paid off in the latest college baseball rankings from Baseball America and D1Baseball.com.

Vanderbilt's Rustan Rigdon celebrates a double to center field in the sixth inning of Sunday's 9-8 win against UC Irvine at the MLB Desert Invitational. | Vanderbilt Athletics

Vanderbilt’s desert journey wasn’t perfect, but good enough to see the Commodores receive a slight bump in two major college baseball polls.

The Commodores moved up one spot in Monday’s D1Baseball.com Top 25 Poll to No. 15 and two spots in Baseball America’s Top 25 Rankings to No. 13.

At the MLB Desert Invitational, Vanderbilt won a pair of one-run games against Grand Canyon, 4-3, and No. 21 (Baseball America) UC Irvine, 9-8. Vanderbilt fall in the middle game against Nebraska, 6-4.

BACK IN FRONT!@rileynelson033's first HR as a Commodore is a grand one. pic.twitter.com/XC7BhVhLtq

— Vanderbilt Baseball (@VandyBoys) February 16, 2025

RJ Austin and Riley Nelson had great weekends at the plate. Austin went 6-for-14 with a home run and four RBIs and Nelson went 6-for-13 that includes the game-winning grand slam Sunday against UC Irvine.

Pitching-wise, JD Thompson picked up a solid win in the season-opener, allowing only three hits and striking out six batters. Cody Bowker had six strikeouts of his own against UC Irvine while allowing only two hits in four innings pitched.

Vanderbilt will be back action Monday against Air Force. First-pitch is set for 4:30 p.m. on SEC Network+.

Home Opener

⌚️ 4:30 PM CT
💻 SEC Network+
📻 @1025TheGame pic.twitter.com/0vcDSriqQq

— Vanderbilt Baseball (@VandyBoys) February 17, 2025

Here are the complete top 25 rankings from D1Baseball.com and Baseball America:

D1Baseball.com Top 25

1. Texas A&M (3-0)

2.       Virginia (2-1)

3.       LSU (3-0)

4.       Tennessee (3-0)

5.       Arkansas (3-0)

6.       North Carolina (3-0)

7.       Oregon State (3-0)

8.       Georgia (3-1)

9.       Florida State (3-0)

10.   Florida (3-0)

11.   Oregon (3-1)

12.   North Carolina State (3-0)

13.   Wake Forest (4-0)

14.   Clemson (2-1)

15.   Vanderbilt (2-1)

16.   Texas (2-1)

17.   Duke (1-2)

18.   Mississippi State (3-0)

19.   Oklahoma State (1-2)

20.   Dallas Baptist (3-0)

21.   UC Santa Barbara (3-0)

22.   TCU (3-0)

23.   Nebraska (2-1)

24.   Troy (3-0)

25.   Cincinnati (2-1)

Desert Invitational ✅
Home Opener 🔜 pic.twitter.com/rW3YSNaYfl

— Vanderbilt Baseball (@VandyBoys) February 17, 2025

Baseball America Top 25 Rankings

1.       Texas A&M (3-0)

2.       LSU (3-0)

3.       Tennessee (3-0)

4.       Arkansas (3-0)

5.       Florida State (3-0)

6.       Florida (3-0)

7.       Virginia (2-1)

8.       Clemson (2-1)

9.       Oregon State (3-0)

10.   North Carolina (3-0)

11.   Georgia (3-1)

12.   Texas (2-1)

13.   Vanderbilt (2-1)

14.   North Carolina State (3-0)

15.   Wake Forest (4-0)

16.   Mississippi State (3-0)

17.   Oklahoma State (1-2)

18.   Duke (1-2)

19.   Oregon (3-1)

20.   Dallas Baptist (3-0)

21.   UC Irvine (2-1)

22.   UC Santa Barbara (3-0)

23.   Kentucky (1-1)

24.   TCU (3-0)

25.   Michigan (3-0)