Vanderbilt University’s baseball team announced on April 13 that it finished the past week with a split record, going 2-2 in its most recent matchups. The Commodores currently hold an overall record of 21-16 and are 7-8 in Southeastern Conference play, with a two-game losing streak.
The team’s performance last week included a shutout win against Eastern Kentucky University on Tuesday, followed by a victory over No. 16 Oklahoma on Thursday. Vanderbilt’s pitching staff combined efforts in the EKU game, with Jacob Faulkner earning the win after three innings of work and Tyler Baird securing the save. In Thursday’s matchup against Oklahoma, Mike Mancini contributed significantly at bat with three hits—including two home runs—and six runs batted in. Connor Fennell pitched over seven innings without allowing a walk and struck out ten batters.
However, Vanderbilt dropped its next two games to Oklahoma, losing by scores of 13-11 on Friday and 6-5 on Saturday. The team will look to rebound as it faces Lipscomb University on Tuesday evening before beginning a three-game series at Kentucky starting Friday.
Within conference play this season, Mancini has been leading offensively for Vanderbilt. He is hitting .321 through fifteen SEC games and leads the league in home runs and OPS while ranking fourth in RBI. Brodie Johnston also stands out among SEC hitters, placing second in base hits and eighth in batting average.
The upcoming schedule provides opportunities for Vanderbilt to improve its conference standing as it approaches critical matchups both at Lipscomb and during its weekend series against Kentucky.
