Vanderbilt Commodores will visit the No. 24 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide for a three-game baseball series beginning Thursday, April 29. The games are scheduled for Thursday and Friday at 6 p.m., and Saturday at 1 p.m., with broadcasts on ESPN2, SECN+, and radio coverage via 102.5 The Game.
The matchup is significant as both teams hold identical Southeastern Conference records of 10-11, making this series crucial for their standings. Vanderbilt trails Alabama in the all-time series but has held an advantage since 2011 with a record of 20-7-1 against the Crimson Tide.
Recent history between the two teams shows that Vanderbilt won two out of three games last season in Nashville, while Alabama took two out of three when they last played in Tuscaloosa in 2023. Vanderbilt’s most recent series win at Alabama was a sweep in 2019.
Sophomore Brodie Johnston stands out for Vanderbilt this season, ranking second in hits and among the top players in home runs, RBI, and batting average within the SEC. He leads his team with total bases and multi-hit games, as well as defensive runs saved among third basemen nationally according to D1Baseball’s Synergy Leaderboard. Johnston also set a freshman home run record for Vanderbilt last year.
Other notable performers include Mike Mancini—who leads the team in stolen bases—and Ryker Waite, recently named one of fifty semifinalists for the Brooks Wallace Award honoring college baseball’s top shortstop. Braden Holcomb leads with doubles while maintaining a nine-game hitting streak entering this weekend’s contest.
The Commodores have hit ninety-three home runs so far this season—third most nationally—and surpassed their previous year’s total by twenty-seven homers. Defensively, they lead the SEC with forty double plays turned and feature strong left-side fielding from Johnston and Waite.
Looking ahead to this important conference matchup, both teams will be seeking to improve their postseason prospects as regular season play winds down.
