Inside Connor Fennell's Return To Vanderbilt, In Which He Has A Big Goal
NASHVILLE—Ryker Waite picked up the phone thinking he was gone, heading to Arizona to sign his deal and begin his minor league career in the Chicago White Sox system. Then, Connor Fennell delivered the news after a summer in which he’d kept all of Vanderbilt’s returning players on pins and needles waiting on his decision.
Fennell told Waite that he was coming back to Vanderbilt despite being drafted in the 20th round by the White Sox. Waite had texted and called all summer in hopes of this moment, but often wondered if it’d ever happen.
But, it did.
There Fennell was walking up to the Hawkins Field home plate gate on Thursday morning waiting for his turn to speak to the group of media members on hand for Vanderbilt’s first fall-ball media availability of the year. Fennell appeared buffer and more confident when he stepped in front of the group for his first public appearance since opting to return to school.
Fennell’s nine-plus minutes in front of the media were interesting in themselves, but their significance paled in comparison to the idea that Fennell was there at all. He could be an afterthought and a what if for this program, but he’s now a significant factor in its 2026 hopes.
“That was huge for us,” Waite said in regard to Fennell’s return. “He’s the ultimate winner, he’s always gonna give us a chance to win on Friday night. That’s just how he is.”
That’s why Fennell wasn’t merely there on Thursday to discuss his decision to return as if he’d arrived. Fennell wanted to talk significantly about what he still hasn’t accomplished, what he’s doing to accomplish the things that he’s never accomplished before as a Vanderbilt baseball player.
Fennell spent extensive time at Cressy Sports Performance–a one-stop developmental shop run by New York Yankees director of health and performance Eric Cressy–and made major changes in hopes of improving after a college season that gave him his first real taste of baseball’s cruelty. Fennell posted a 4.96 ERA and a 4-2 record as Vanderbilt's Friday-night starter in 2026 after a breakout 2025 season in which he posted a 2.53 ERA and 6-0 record. He appeared to believe that may be his last chance at being a college baseball player, but his return allows him to right his wrongs.
It appears as if Fennell knew he was in need of an internal audit and declared Thursday that he was and still is open to any feedback that could help him improve. Fennell is backing up his claim by adding a sweeper, adding a gyro slider, improving his cutter, guarding against tipping and making significant mechanical changes in the lower half that allowed him to get up to 92 miles per hour last Wednesday. There’s been significant college baseball rule changes that have made things difficult on Fennell as he intends to work quickly but he believes he’s in for a significantly better 2026 than 2025.
That’s not what Fennell came to talk about on Thursday, though. That’s not why he says he came back to Vanderbilt.
“Definitely national championship,” Fennell said in regard to his 2026 goal after declaring that he has unfinished business at Vanderbilt. “One of my dreams is playing into Omaha, and I thought Vanderbilt has always been the school to do it. I want to be a part of it, and as big a part of it as I can be. I know that this team is due to get back to Omaha and we're gonna do that.”
Vanderbilt had hopes of getting back to Omaha a year ago and appeared to have some legitimate belief that it could do it, but its season went awry and it missed the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 19 seasons–not counting the Covid season, which didn’t include a tournament. That didn’t sit right with Fennell–who likely didn’t make his decision solely because of unfinished business, but clearly had a chip on his shoulder on Thursday.
Fennell knows he wasn’t good enough in 2026 and knows Vanderbilt wasn’t either. He’s open about the idea that he didn’t have a season that lived up to his individual standard. He believes that he could be better for what he’s been through, though.
Perhaps Fennell wouldn’t be in this hallway at Hawkins Field on this Thursday afternoon if he’d lived up to his self standard. Perhaps he never would’ve made the necessary mechanical and arsenal changes to unlock his full capabilities. Perhaps he would’ve settled for merely being taken–which may not have been plausible because of the White Sox’ financial situation–rather than taking an extra year to improve his stock.
Fennell won’t say it, but he likely held onto some level of disappointment that he didn’t land in a situation that was more conducive to signing and turning pro. If he’s discouraged or doesn’t believe that his unconventional skillset will translate, though, he’s not talking like it.
“A lot of teams, obviously, have faith that I'll be a big leaguer. I have a lot of faith that I'll be a big leaguer one day, but right now, it's far away. So, right now, I'm just focusing on getting better every single day and helping this team get a national championship,” Fennell said. “It was a dream come true. I've wanted to get drafted since I was in high school, and I never knew while throwing 84 in New Hampshire, that it would ever be possible, but I’ve come a long way, so it was really cool to see that.
“I thank the White Sox so much for doing that and showing me interest. But at the end of the day, this place is home to me, and another year at this place to get that national championship and get that degree is something that's really hard to turn down.”
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Joey Dwyer is the lead writer on Vanderbilt Commodores On SI. He found his first love in college sports at nearby Lipscomb University and decided to make a career of telling its best stories. He got his start doing a Notre Dame basketball podcast from his basement as a 14-year-old during COVID and has since aimed to make that 14-year-old proud. Dwyer has covered Vanderbilt sports for three years and previously worked for 247 Sports and Rivals. He contributes to Seth Davis' Hoops HQ, Basket Under Review and Mainstreet Nashville.
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