Indiana baseball will finish its four-game road trip Tuesday at Vanderbilt University. The Cream and Crimson battle the Commodores at Charles Hawkins Field in Nashville, Tennessee. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Vanderbilt comes into the midweek matchup with a record of 13-8. The Commodores were ranked No. 23 in the NCAA Division I preseason poll but have gotten off to a slow start. They are 2-1 in Southeastern Conference play with a series win over then- No. 13 Louisiana State University last weekend.
Despite its current record, Vanderbilt has one of the most successful programs in college baseball. The Commodores won the College World Series twice in 2014 and 2019. Vanderbilt went 43-18 (19-11 SEC) last year but lost in the 2025 Nashville Regional to the University of Louisville and Wright State University.
The Commodores’ offense this season is led by power hitting junior utility player Braden Holcomb, sophomore infielder Brodie Johnston and graduate student infielder Max Jensen.
Holcomb was named the SEC Player of the Week on Feb. 23 after he hit three home runs and had 10 RBIs in five games during the week. He’s appeared and started in all 21 games this season. The Orlando, Florida, native is batting .388 with a 1.277 on base plus slugging percentage (OPS) with 11 home runs, 33 RBIs and 14 walks.
Johnston was named the No. 1 overall prospect in Tennessee by Perfect Game and the No. 20 shortstop nationally heading into college as well as the No. 75 overall prospect. The Ooltewah, Tennessee, native was named to the Freshman All-SEC and Defensive Teams last year. He’s batting .388 with a 1.231 OPS in 80 at-bats this season with seven home runs and 21 RBIs in 20 games.
Jensen transferred to Vanderbilt after spending his first four years at Cornell University. The graduate is batting .273 with a 1.012 OPS in 22 at-bats this season. He’s made one error at third base but recorded 28 putouts in 32 chances.
Junior right-handed pitchers Connor Fennell and Luke Guth as well as sophomore right-handed pitcher Nate Taylor anchor a Vanderbilt pitching staff that has allowed an average of 4.90 runs per game in 21 contests.
Fennell is the ace for the Commodores. The 6-foot-1 right-hander was named to the Division 1 Baseball Preseason All-American Team and the Preseason All-SEC Second Team. He’s pitched 26.1 innings this season and holds a 2-0 win/loss record, yet his ERA ballooned to 5.47 after allowing seven earned runs in his last start against LSU on March 13.
In his sophomore season, Guth didn’t allow an earned run in 18 of his 19 appearances. He pitched 19.1 innings and finished the year with a 0.93 ERA and a 4-0 record. The Franklin, Pennsylvania, native has a 1-1 record this year with a 3.27 ERA. He’s pitched 11 innings across nine appearances.
Taylor transferred to Vanderbilt this year after spending his freshman year at the University of Georgia.
After recording a 1.08 ERA in nine appearances with the Bulldogs, the 6-foot-2 right-hander has 14 walks allowed in 19.1 innings pitched this year. Taylor allowed six earned runs in one inning in Vanderbilt's 16-9 loss to LSU on March 15.
Indiana, on the other hand, has struggled mightily to open the year, particularly the last two weeks. The Hoosiers are currently 7-12 (1-5 Big Ten). They most recently were swept by Oregon in Eugene.
Indiana’s offense has been led by sophomore infielder Jake Hanley who is batting .333 in 75 at-bats this year. He’s also tallied three home runs and 15 RBIs this season.
Indiana lost its first battle with an SEC opponent earlier this year. It fell to then-No. 2 LSU 14-7 in the Live Like Lou Jacksonville Baseball Classic on Feb. 20.
Tuesday’s game against Vanderbilt offers the Hoosiers an opportunity to stay undefeated in midweek games and defeat a premier opponent on the road. A win for the visitors would also snap a current three-game losing streak.
The starting pitchers for both programs are to be determined. The game will be streamed live on SECN+.
Follow reporters Elakai Anela (@elakai_anela and eanela@iu.edu) and Will Kwiatkowski (@WKwiatkowski_15 and wdkwiatk@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana baseball season.
