HOOVER, Ala. – May 24, 2025 – The Vanderbilt Commodores defeated the Tennessee Volunteers by a score of 10-0 in the Southeastern Conference Baseball Tournament at Hoover Met. The game, played on May 24, 2025, ended in the seventh inning by run rule.
Vanderbilt’s offense was potent, scoring 10 runs on 13 hits. The Commodores scored one run in the first inning, added four in the second, two in the third, and three in the sixth. Key offensive contributors for Vanderbilt included Rustan Rigdon (#19), who went 3-for-3 with 2 RBI, Riley Nelson (#32), who was 2-for-4 with 2 RBI, and Mike Mancini (#5), who finished 2-for-3 with 2 RBI. Vanderbilt coach Tim Corbin noted that the team scored their 10 runs off 13 singles, emphasizing their approach of “not trying to do too much at the plate” and using “the whole field”. Rustan Rigdon’s presence at the lead-off spot was highlighted by Riley Nelson, who called him a “special kid” and noted that if he gets on base, it feels certain they will score. Rigdon also stole two bases in the game.
Vanderbilt’s pitching was strong, holding Tennessee scoreless on just four hits. Cody Bowker (#55) earned the win for Vanderbilt, bringing his record to 3-4. He pitched 4.0 innings, allowing 3 hits and 2 walks while striking out 9. Bowker commented on his mindset during the first inning, stating he was initially “trying to be too perfect,” but after talking with catcher Colin Barczi (#44), he focused on “attacking guys and letting the defense work”. Connor Fennell (#39) earned the save, his second of the season, pitching the final 3.0 innings and allowing 1 hit, 1 walk, and striking out 2. Coach Corbin praised the pitching staff’s ability to get strikeouts, noting 28 punch-outs in their two tournament games so far. He also highlighted the team’s overall performance as “pretty complete in terms of pitching, defense and offense”.
Tennessee’s runs by innings was 0 across all seven innings. They managed four hits in total. Tennessee batters who recorded hits were Hunter Ensley (#9), Dean Curley (#1), Reese Chapman (#13), and Stone Lawless (#27). The Volunteers committed two errors in the game, while Vanderbilt had none. Tennessee left seven runners on base compared to Vanderbilt’s three. The loss for Tennessee was credited to Tegan Kuhns (#21), whose record fell to 2-4. He pitched 1.1 innings, allowing 5 hits and 4 earned runs. Tennessee coach Tony Vitello described the team’s effort as “poor” and acknowledged that Vanderbilt “outplayed us today”. He felt “a lot of things piled up” for Tennessee. Vitello also discussed his pitcher Tegan Kuhns, noting a “lack of conviction to off-speed pitches” and the need to be ahead in the count.
Hunter Ensley (#9) of Tennessee reflected on the week, stating it was a “productive week” overall despite the loss. He felt the team showed “more fight” in earlier games. He described Bowker as having “good stuff,” including a fastball with “a lot of riding around,” a cutter, slider, and changeup, and that he is “tough to hit”.
Riley Nelson (#32) expressed satisfaction in defeating the in-state rival, calling it the “best rivalry in college baseball right now”. Coach Corbin felt the team is “finding themselves” and has had a “good focus of just getting better”. He emphasized that trust among the players is a “difference maker”. Nelson echoed this, stating, “we all love each other, genuinely love each other. We’d do anything for each other”.
The game began at 10:02 am and lasted 2 hours and 26 minutes.
This post was generated with the assistance of an AI, drawing upon the provided source material.
