The Vanderbilt Commodores got a weekend sweep over the Georgia Bulldogs at Hawkins Field in Nashville this weekend. The key to their success came from great pitching performances across the board.
Georgia leads the country in home runs as they had 101 heading into the weekend. The Bulldogs were averaging around two and a half long balls per game alone. This makes them one of the best offenses in all of college baseball.
Vanderbilt was able to quell this dangerous lineup well with their lethal pitching. J.D. Thompson was excellent opening the series as he started for the Commodores on Thursday.
He finished with 14 strikeouts while walking just one batter and allowing one earned run. His start stretched through eight innings as Vanderbilt won 3-1.
On Friday, there was a lot more scoring as the game resulted in a 13-7 win for the Commodores. Starting pitcher Cody Bowker was able to strikeout six Georgia hitters in three and 1/3 innings, but was pulled after the Bulldogs rattled three runs in the fourth inning.
Relievers Alex Kranzler and Miller Green were the big stories for Vanderbilt pitching. The two pitchers together closed out the final five and 1/3 innings of the game.
Kranzler was credited for the win as he had four strikeouts. Despite giving up four earned runs, the Vanderbilt offense gave him a cushion to work with during his appearance.
Green did not allow a hit in the two and 1/3 innings of work he had to officially close the book on a series win.
Then, the Commodores earned the sweep on Saturday with a 5-2 win. Connor Fennell got the start and went five and 2/3 innings while striking out 11 of the Bulldog hitters. He gave up just three hits over that stretch and did not walk any batters.
Sawyer Hawks came in to close the game out with two strikeouts in two innings. It was his sixth save of the 2025 season.
The pitching all weekend from Vanderbilt put on display how gifted their staff is. The Commodores are a top five pitching team in the SEC with a 3.70 team ERA. They are also one of the best pitching teams in the country.
Up Next
Vanderbilt is now 30-10 overall and 11-7 in SEC play. Their next game is a midweek matchup against Middle Tennessee. Afterward, they will head on the road to play the Ole Miss Rebels in Oxford, Miss.
The game between the Commodores and Middle Tennessee on April 22 will be at Hawkins Field in Nashville. The first pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST.
WBN NCAA: https://worldbaseball.com/league/ncaa/
Photo: Vanderbilt pitcher Alex Kranzler against Dayton during an NCAA baseball game on Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/John Amis)
