Vanderbilt Shuts Out Valparaiso Ahead of SEC Opening Weekend
This year’s batch of SEC baseball teams are, once again, some of the best in the nation and the 16 teams will start to play one another this coming weekend. So, it’s important for those teams to begin conference play on a high note.
No. 16 Vanderbilt did just that Tuesday night in a dominating 12-0 win against Valparaiso in Nashville, Tenn. The win improves the Commodores’ record to 14-3 and they’ll begin SEC action against Auburn with a five-game win streak.
The Commodores scored one run in each of the first four innings against Valparaiso to quickly build a 10-0 lead before adding two more runs in the sixth inning to secure the 12-0 victory.
Four Vanderbilt batters recorded multiple hits in Tuesday’s win. RJ Austin was 2-for-3 with an RBI and run scored, Riley Nelson was 3-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored, Brodie Johnston was 2-for-4 with an RBI, double and one run scored, and Collin Barczi was 2-for-3 with an RBI, double, walk and three runs scored.
Barczi was the beneficiary of a somewhat questionable balk call in the first inning. Barczi had hit a ground out to end the first inning without any runs scored, but was called back onto the field after a balk on Valparaiso pitcher Josh Cottrill. Barczi ended up hitting one-run double off the left field wall after the second-chance opportunity that put Vanderbilt up 2-0.
While the Commodores’ bats were hot, their pitching arms were just as good.
In the second and third innings, starting pitcher Austin Nye and his immediate relief, Seiber, escaped bases loaded situations without allowing any runs. Furthermore, after Nye and Seiber’s turns on the mound, Valparaiso wouldn’t record another hit all game.
Vanderbilt will hit the road for its SEC-play opening weekend series against No. 25 Auburn. Game one will start at 6 p.m. Friday, followed by game two at 6 p.m. Saturday and game three on Sunday at 2 p.m. All games will be streamed on SECN+.
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