Vanderbilt Commodores

Vanderbilt Secures Double-Bye in SEC Tournament with Win Against Kentucky

Commodores won't have to play in Hoover, Ala. until either Thursday or Friday after clinching a top-four seed in the SEC standings.

Taylor Hodges

Vanderbilt catcher Colin Barczi (44) celebrates hitting a home run with Vanderbilt utility RJ Austin (42) during a NCAA baseball game between the Tennessee Volunteers and Vanderbilt Commodores at Lindsey Nelson Stadium on May 11, 2025.
Vanderbilt catcher Colin Barczi (44) celebrates hitting a home run with Vanderbilt utility RJ Austin (42) during a NCAA baseball game between the Tennessee Volunteers and Vanderbilt Commodores at Lindsey Nelson Stadium on May 11, 2025. / Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

No. 9 Vanderbilt pulled off a third-straight comeback win against Kentucky on Saturday and has secured a double-bye.

The Commodores’ (39-16, 19-11 SEC) exact seeding is still to be determined with other games still ongoing.

As it stands at the conclusion of the Commodores’ 5-3 win against Kentucky, LSU leads South Carolina and Arkansas leads Tennessee. That combination of results would put Vanderbilt as a No. 4 seed. But if LSU or Arkansas were to lose their games, the Commodores would be the No. 3 seed. To make things even more interesting, if LSU wins and Arkansas loses, Vanderbilt would be the No. 2 seed. But its unlikely many Vanderbilt fans will actively root for Tennessee.

Saturday saw Kentucky jump out to another multi-run lead with a pair of solo home runs in the third inning and an RBI single in the fourth that put the Wildcats ahead 3-0. Unsurprisingly, the Commodores mounted a comeback.

Riley Nelson got the first run on the board for Vanderbilt with an RBI groundout in the sixth inning and Colin Barczi followed up with a two-run, two-out double to right center field to tie the game. RJ Austin gave Vanderbilt the lead with a two-run double down the left field line and that would be all Vanderbilt needed to complete the series sweep.

Cody Bowker started the game for Vanderbilt and gave up two earned runs on four hits, no walks and six strikeouts in four innings. Connor Fennell entered the game to start the fifth inning and allowed just two baserunners (hit and hit-by-pitch). He finished off the game to secure the series sweep with just the two baserunners allowed and five strikeouts.

Depending on Vanderbilt’s final seeding, they’ll play either Thursday or Friday at the SEC Tournament in Hoover, Ala. The Commodores will need just three wins to win the conference championship.

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Taylor Hodges
TAYLOR HODGES

Taylor Hodges is a staff writer for Vanderbilt Commodores On SI covering all-things Vanderbilt. Taylor brings more than a decade’s worth of award-winning sports writing, photography and video experience covering every level of sports — from Little League baseball to professional sports and other sports like hunting and fishing. Taylor is fueled by his lifelong passion for sports that began the same day Kirk Gibson hit his legendary World Series walk-off home run, Arkansas beat Texas in Austin and No. 4 Notre Dame beat No. 1 Miami in the Catholics vs. Convicts game.

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