Vanderbilt Commodores

Three Grand Canyon Players to Watch For Against No. 16 Vanderbilt

Vanderbilt opens up the 2025 season in the spotlight on MLB Network against a veteran-laden Grand Canyon team looking to make a splash at home.
Taylor Hodges|
Vanderbilt Commodores pitcher David Horn Jr (38) reacts after pitcher Carter Holton (20) pitches out of the bottom of the eighth inning against the High Point Panthers in the Clemson Regional at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.
Vanderbilt Commodores pitcher David Horn Jr (38) reacts after pitcher Carter Holton (20) pitches out of the bottom of the eighth inning against the High Point Panthers in the Clemson Regional at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. | Ken Ruinard-Imagn Images

No. 16 Vanderbilt would be hard-pressed to find a bigger stage to open the 2025 season than the one it’ll be on Friday night.

The Commodores are the highest-ranked team in the MLB Desert Invitational and will cap-off the first day of the invitational with one of the best games of the weekend. They’ll face Grand Canyon University at the Antelopes’ home field with the game being televised nationally on MLB Network.

Vanderbilt enters this season ranked in every major poll, returns 22 players from last year’s team (including RJ Austin, Jayden Davis, Jonathan Vastine, JD Thompson and Ethan McElvain) as well as 21 newcomers, including an early favorite for SEC Freshman of the Year Brodie Johnston.

The expectations are always high for the Commodores and after watching their biggest rival win the Men’s College World Series last year, Vanderbilt could reassert itself as the nation’s best program.

First, though, they have to face Grand Canyon who is no slouch on the diamond. The Antelopes have won the Western Athletic Conference and advanced to the NCAA Tournament in three of the last four years and are a preseason favorite to do it again this year.

Here are three players the Commodores will have to pay the most attention in Friday night’s game against Grand Canyon (7 p.m., MLB Network):

Zach Yorke, 1B

2024 Stats: .285 BA, .868 OPS, .478 SLG, 58 GS, 65 H, 9 2B, 1 3B, 11 HR, 50 RBI, 49 R, 41 BB, 38 SO; .989 FLD

Named a mid-major draft prospect to watch and Preseason All-American by Baseball America and ranked as the nation’s No. 38 first baseman, Yorke, simply put, hits dingers. Vanderbilt has already announced Thompson will be Friday’s starting pitcher and he’ll have to be extra careful with Yorke.

Isaac Lyon, RHP

2024 Stats: 6-1, 3.97 ERA, 81.2 IP, 94 H, 42 R, 36 ER, 16 BB, 79 SO

Lyon was the only Grand Canyon pitcher to be named an All-WAC Preseason Team and will most likely be the pitcher the Commodores face on Friday night. He has a four-pitch battery featuring a two-seam fastball, change up, slider and cutter.

Eddy Pelc, OF

2024 Stats: .352 BA, .996 OPS, .526 SLG, 54 GS, 68 H, 15 2B, 2 3B, 5 HR, 50 RBI, 47 R, 43 BB, 29 SO; .983 FLD

Pelc is the returning leader hitter for Grand Canyon after posting a stellar 2024 campaign that finished second in WAC Player of the Year voting (behind teammate Tyler Wilson who is now in the New York Yankees farm system). However, Pelc went undrafted in last year’s MLB Draft which could make him extra motivated to put on a show against Vanderbilt.

Vanderbilt Commodores On SI:

Published
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.

Home/Baseball