Vanderbilt Commodores Have ‘Path to Omaha’ Per National Publication

The Vanderbilt Commodores baseball team is hoping to bounce back from last year’s middling performance in the SEC.

May 31, 2024; Clemson, SC, USA; Vanderbilt University Head Coach Tim Corbin during the top of the second inning against Coastal Carolina during the NCAA Clemson Regional baseball game at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. | Ken Ruinard-Imagn Images

Vanderbilt Commodores baseball coach Tim Corbin has built a monster in Nashville.

The long-time boss is closing in 1,000 victories at Vandy. With him at the controls the program is a two-time national champion, having claimed the Men’s College World Series in both 2014 and 2019. The Commodores were also runners-up in 2015 and 2021 and have been to Omaha five times since 2011.

But last year was somewhat unsettling. The Commodores only went 38-23, went 13-17 in SEC play and didn’t host its own regional for only the fourth time in the last 10 years. That prompted Corbin to make changes to his coaching staff.

With that, the Commodores were ranked No. 15 in the Baseball America Preseason Top 25. The rankings are awash with SEC teams, with Texas A&M leading the way at No. 1.

For the Commodores to get back to Omaha, the publication writes, they must solve an offensive imbalance that kept them from scoring runs consistently. For instance, their two NCAA Tournament games they were outscored, 23-13.

The Commodores seem to have solved that with player development, quality recruiting and key pulls from the transfer portal.

Commodores shortstop Jonathan Vastine is considered one of the country’s best shortstops after he slashed .299/.384/.545 with 10 home runs and 42 RBI. Among those home runs was a three-run shot against then-No. 1 Tennessee during the SEC Tournament.

Middle infielder RJ Austin should take another step forward this year. The MLB draft-eligible junior is coming off a season in which he slashed .335/.402/.471 with five home runs and 54 RBI. Notably, he stole 28 bases. 

Two freshmen should make an immediate impact — infielders Brodie Johnston and Rustan Rigdon. Baseball America points to Johnson as a potential SEC freshman of the year candidate after his summer in the Appalachian League, where he slashed .284/.351/.479 with six doubles, six triples, five home runs and 47 RBIs.

There is also pitching. Starter J.D. Thompson returns after he went 5-2 with a 4.15 ERA in 14 games (12 starts), with 74 strikeouts and 18 walks in 52 innings.

Left-hander Ethan McElvain enters his sophomore season after he made 11 appearances (four starts) last season. He went 1-2 but kept his ERA at a manageable 3.24. He struck out 29 and walked 15 in just 25 innings.

Vanderbilt’s first regular season games will come at the MLB Desert Invitational in Phoenix from Feb. 14-16. The Commodores’ home opener is against Air Force on Feb. 18.