Vanderbilt Commodores

Who Will Start Sunday's Series Finale for No. 17 Vanderbilt?

JD Thompson and Cody Bowker will once again lead the Commodores into its weekend SEC series, but Sunday's series finale starter remains a mystery.

Taylor Hodges

Vanderbilt pitcher JD Thompson (22) pitches against Arkansas during the first inning at Hawkins Field in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, March 28, 2025.
Vanderbilt pitcher JD Thompson (22) pitches against Arkansas during the first inning at Hawkins Field in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, March 28, 2025. / Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Last week, neither Vanderbilt nor Florida announced who their starting pitcher for Sunday’s series finale game would be. Some thought it might a bit gamesmanship between the two schools, but maybe it wasn’t.

No. 19 Oklahoma (23-9, 5-6 SEC) listed starting pitchers for all three games of its upcoming series against No. 17 Vanderbilt (25-8, 7-5 SEC) in the conference's list of probable pitching matchups (see below). However, for the second-straight week, the Commodores don't have a starting pitcher for Sunday’s game listed (for the record, Florida doesn't have a starting pitcher for its Sunday game this week either).

SEC Baseball Probable Starting Pitching Matchups For April 10-13.
SEC Baseball Probable Starting Pitching Matchups For April 10-13. / SEC Media Release

Brennan Seiber ended up starting the Sunday game against Florida. Connor Fennell, who had been Vanderbilt’s Sunday starter, was used as a relief pitcher during the series, pitching one inning in game two Saturday and 1.2 innings on Sunday.

No. 17 Vanderbilt at No. 19 Oklahoma Pitching Matchups

Game One

Vanderbilt pitcher JD Thompson (22) pitches against Xavier during the first inning at Hawkins Field in Nashville, Tenn.
Vanderbilt pitcher JD Thompson (22) pitches against Xavier during the first inning at Hawkins Field in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, March 7, 2025. / Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

LHP JD Thompson (2-2, 4.10 ERA, 41.2 IP, 50 SO, 12 BB, 19 ER, .221 opp b/avg) vs. RHP Kyson Witherspoon (5-2, 2.40 ERA, .98 WHIP, 45 IP, 68 SO, 11 BB, 12 ER, .199 opp b/avg.)

Game Two

Vanderbilt pitcher Cody Bowker handed off a three-run lead to its bullpen Sunday, but the Commodores ended up losing 7-6.
Vanderbilt pitcher Cody Bowker handed off a three-run lead to its bullpen Sunday, but the Commodores ended up losing 7-6 to Auburn on Sunday. / Vanderbilt Athletic

RHP Cody Bowker (2-2, 2.68 ERA, 40.1 IP, 50 SO, 14 BB, 12 ER, .195 b/avg.) vs. LHP Cade Crossland (1-2, 7.06 ERA, 1.64 WHIP, 29.1, 35 SO, 15 BB, 23 BB, .282 opp b/avg.)

Game Three

TBA vs. RHP Malachi Witherspoon (2-3, 5.06 ERA, 1.66 WHIP, 37.1 IP, 37 SO, 19 BB, 21 ER, .283 opp b/avg.)

Potential Vanderbilt Starters

(These are the only other Vanderbilt pitchers who have started a game, other than Austin Nye who is the team’s midweek game starter.)

  • Connor Fennell (2-0, 3.18 ERA, 17 IP, 35 SO, 4 BB, 6 ER, .194 opp b/avg.)
  • Brennan Seiber (1-0, 1.53 ERA, 17.2 IP, 22 SO, 10 BB, 3 ER, .148 opp b/avg.)
  • Ethan McElvain (1-2, 9.18 ERA, 16.2 IP, 30 SO, 20 BB, 17 ER, .313 opp b/avg.)

Vanderbilt Commodores On SI:

Published
Taylor Hodges
TAYLOR HODGES

Taylor Hodges is a staff writer for Vanderbilt Commodores On SI covering all-things Vanderbilt. Taylor brings more than a decade’s worth of award-winning sports writing, photography and video experience covering every level of sports — from Little League baseball to professional sports and other sports like hunting and fishing. Taylor is fueled by his lifelong passion for sports that began the same day Kirk Gibson hit his legendary World Series walk-off home run, Arkansas beat Texas in Austin and No. 4 Notre Dame beat No. 1 Miami in the Catholics vs. Convicts game.

Home/Baseball