On Sunday, the Vanderbilt Commodores took home the SEC Tournament title after defeating the Ole Miss Rebels, 3-2. It is the 5th SEC Tournament championship in program history and the second one in the last three seasons.
The SEC Tournament championship this season for Vanderbilt has continued a streak as well. The SEC trophy will remain with one of the schools in the state of Tennessee for the fourth straight season.
Four Seasons, Four SEC Tournament Championships
Despite being in the midst of a growing college baseball rivalry, Tennessee and Vanderbilt have been the ones taking the hardware from the other SEC teams in the early parts of the postseason this decade.
Back during the 2022 season, the Tennessee Volunteers won the SEC Tournament championship in Hoover, Ala. They would accomplish the same feat again in 2024.
And what happened two seasons ago in 2023? Vanderbilt won their program’s fourth SEC Tournament championship.
The two college baseball giants in the Volunteer State have gone back and forth, winning the SEC Tournament and leaving the rest of the league out to dry.
Therefore, between Tennessee and Vanderbilt, there have been four SEC Tournament championships won this decade. Before this decade, the two schools had combined for only six titles.
NCAA Tournament Success?
Has this combined success at Hoover led to NCAA Tournament success for Tennessee and Vanderbilt? The results have been mixed.
In 2022, the Volunteers won a total of 57 games, which included the SEC Tournament title. However, Notre Dame would upset them in the super regional round, keeping them out of the College World Series that season.
But, Tennessee’s next SEC Tournament title in 2024 led to the Volunteers winning their first-ever national championship in program history.
As for Vanderbilt, the aftermath of the 2025 SEC Tournament title remains to be seen.
Their SEC Tournament championship in 2023 led to them being knocked out in the regional round by Xavier.
Up Next
Vanderbilt and Tennessee are both hosting NCAA regionals in Nashville and Knoxville, respectively.
The Commodores are the number one national seed in the NCAA Tournament. Meanwhile, the Volunteers are the number 14 national seed in the Tournament as they look to defend their national championship.
Vanderbilt will begin their tournament run with a game against the Wright State Raiders on Friday, May 30. The first pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. EDT at Hawkins Field. The matchup can be watched on SEC Network.
Tennessee’s first game of the NCAA Tournament will be against the Miami (Ohio) Redhawks at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. The first pitch for that game on Friday, May 30, is scheduled for 6 p.m. EDT. This matchup can be watched on ESPN+.
