SEC Tournament Preview: Can Vanderbilt Go All The Way In Hoover?

Vanderbilt is coming into the tournament on a roll, but faces a tough path to a SEC Tournament Championship. Can the Commodores win three games against top-ranked teams?

Vanderbilt's JD Thompson (22) pitches during their game against Alabama at Vanderbilt’s Hawkins Field Friday, May 2, 2025. | Alan Poizner/For The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

After No. 12 seed Oklahoma took out No. 13 seed Kentucky in the first round of the SEC Tournament Tuesday, it set up a matchup where No. 4 seed Vanderbilt awaits the winner between the Sooners and No. 5 seed Georgia.

The SEC Tournament is a gauntlet for every team, and the champion at the end of the week is always in the mix for a long postseason run in the NCAA Tournament. While a double-bye certainly eased the path for Vanderbilt to win a SEC Tournament Championship to a degree, it did not make the path they will have to go through any less difficult.

So, do the Commodores have the ability to go on a championship run?

First, let's review the path Vanderbilt would have to go through to get there. Vanderbilt will start its trip in Hoover with a date against either Oklahoma, who Vanderbilt lost two of three against, or a rematch with Georgia, where the Bulldogs are vying for a Top 8 national seed so that they can host the first two rounds of next week’s NCAA Tournament. 

If Vanderbilt were to win, it would set up a semifinals date against either No. 1 seed Texas or the winner of No. 9 seed Alabama versus No. 8 seed Tennessee, who is the defending SEC Tournament and College World Series champion.

If the Commodores stayed alive until Sunday’s championship game, they would likely play either No. 2 Arkansas or No. 3 seed LSU.

One advantage Vanderbilt has going into its first game would be the available arms they have. The Commodores will have their full pitching room ready to throw, while both Georgia and Oklahoma would have at least one less pitcher available. 

If higher seeds advanced, a game with the top-seeded Longhorns would be all but easy. Vanderbilt and Texas never met in the regular season, but Texas ripped through their first season in the SEC gauntlet, going 22-8 in conference play. The Longhorns are at the top of the SEC in ERA and opposing batting average, but Vanderbilt is not too far behind, placing fourth and second in the respective categories.

A game against Arkansas in the championship would be a revenge game for Vanderbilt. The Commodores were swept by the Razorbacks in convincing fashion in late March, but both teams have improved since then. Arkansas would have the clear edge on offense, but Vanderbilt would have a slight advantage on the mound.

To answer the question of whether Vanderbilt can win a SEC Championship, it is certainly possible. In a win-or-go-home scenario for each game, anything can happen and any team can get hot, especially in a conference like the SEC.

Vanderbilt will take on Georgia or Oklahoma Thursday at approximately 6:30 p.m. CT.