The Arkansas Razorbacks and Vanderbilt Commodores have been atop the college baseball hierarchy for quite some time now.
However, the success Arkansas and Vanderbilt used to see in the NCAA Tournament has halted.
Both schools have failed to make a super regional in the past two seasons. For Arkansas, this is especially daunting considering that they have hosted regionals in both of the past two seasons in Fayetteville.
For Vanderbilt, it has been three seasons since they have made it past the regional round. It would seem that the Commodores are looking to get postseason magic back to Nashville.
Now, there is no reason to press the panic button if you are Arkansas and Vanderbilt with the 2025 season looming. These teams have reloaded in different ways to make the 2025 season a great one in the SEC.
Arkansas Boasts Possibly the Best Pitching Staff in the Country
The Razorbacks have a loaded pitching staff for this upcoming season. A great mixture of both incoming transfers and returning arms could really make some noise in 2025 on the mound for them.
Right-handed returner and long-time veteran Will McEntire will be a huge presence. In 2024, he finished with a 4.83 ERA and had 65 strikeouts in 54 innings of work. Another big arm coming back is Gabe Gaeckle. Last year, he was an anchor out of the bullpen with a 2.32 ERA. Despite being drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 20th round of the 2024 MLB Draft, he decided to return to Arkansas in hopes of winning a national championship.
A few southpaws from the transfer portal should play a major role as well. Zach Root was exceptional at East Carolina in 2024. In 11 starts, he greatly improved from 2023 with a 3.82 ERA.
Landon Beidelschies is a transfer from Ohio State and can also be impactful. In 2024, he had a 4.15 ERA in 15 starts.
The pitching that head coach Dave Van Horn has at his disposal gives Arkansas a good chance to make a run at claiming their first ever national championship. This kind of pitching depth can be very valuable not only throughout the season but also in making postseason runs.
Vanderbilt’s Recruiting Class and Returners Create a Solid Foundation for 2025
Although the results at the end of the season have not necessarily been there, the recruiting for Vanderbilt has been. In 2024, head coach Tim Corbin was able to bring a top ten high school class to Nashville. These freshmen should be a healthy ingredient to mix in with some of the talented returners the Commodores have.
In terms of familiar faces, R.J. Austin returns after a breakout sophomore season in 2024. He had a .335 batting average and a .402 on-base percentage. Jayden Davis is also a big returner who hit very well in 2024. He had a .315 batting average and had a .394 on-base percentage. Finally, Jonathan Vastine is another returner worth noting. He had the best season of his Vanderbilt career last season as he batted .299 and had a .545 slugging percentage.
Since last appearing in the national title series in 2021, it has been a rocky road in the postseason for Corbin and Vanderbilt. However, he has the incoming talent and returners to make 2025 a good season in Nashville and hopefully hoist the College World Series trophy for the first time since 2019.
WBN NCAA: https://worldbaseball.com/league/ncaa/
