Vanderbilt Baseball and Basketball Teams Face Challenges in Early February

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Vanderbilt baseball triumphed over Air Force 3-1 in its home opener on February 17, 2025, at Hawkins Field, showcasing a strong performance from both pitching and defense.

The Commodores held the Falcons scoreless for the first eight innings. Freshman Austin Nye made his collegiate debut and did not surrender a hit in three innings while striking out five. Connor Fennell, a transfer from Dayton, came in relief, throwing 2.1 scoreless innings and also striking out five, earning his first win with Vanderbilt.

In the sixth inning, Luke Guth struck out three batters, and Alex Kranzler sealed the victory with a save in the ninth. Vanderbilt scored its first run in the fourth inning due to a balk, and Colin Barczi later added two more runs with his first career triple in the seventh inning, driving in Riley Nelson.

JD Rogers capped off the scoring in the eighth with a 406-foot home run, closely watched by fans as it cleared the right field bleachers. The Falcons managed to score an unearned run in the ninth due to a Commodore error, preventing a shutout.

Vanderbilt holds a 3-1 record while Air Force falls to 0-4. The teams will meet again on February 18 at 1 p.m. CT, broadcasted live on SEC Network+.

Meanwhile, the Vanderbilt men’s basketball team faced a tough loss on February 11, 2025, against No. 1 Auburn, resulting in an 80-66 defeat. Despite the setback, the Commodores showed resilience under first-year head coach Mark Byington, managing to out-rebound the Tigers 37-29.

Auburn’s Denver Jones led all scorers with 21 points, showcasing a remarkable performance from beyond the arc, including five successful 3-point attempts. Chaney Johnson contributed significantly for Auburn with 20 points on a dazzling nine-of-10 shooting.

Vanderbilt maintained a two-point lead with just over 14 minutes remaining in the game but was unable to keep pace as the Tigers closed with a dominant 32-19 run.

Jason Edwards led Vanderbilt with 13 points, though he struggled with accuracy, making only five of his 11 shots. AJ Hoggard and Devin McGlockton added 10 points each. The Commodores’ team struggled from 3-point range, hitting just three of 17 attempts, which hindered their chances of pulling off an upset against the top-ranked Tigers.

Vanderbilt’s challenging schedule continues this Saturday as they travel to Knoxville to face No. 5 Tennessee at 12 p.m. CT.