Vanderbilt Commodores

No. 14 Vanderbilt Wins Midweek Game, Setting Up Important SEC Showdown

The Commodores extended their home winning streak to 16 games with a shutout win against Eastern Kentucky on Tuesday.

Taylor Hodges

Vanderbilt’s Rustan Rigdon (19) runs to third base during the fourth inning of an NCAA college baseball fall intrasquad game at Hawkins Field Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn.
Vanderbilt’s Rustan Rigdon (19) runs to third base during the fourth inning of an NCAA college baseball fall intrasquad game at Hawkins Field Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. / Mark Zaleski / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Neither of Vanderbilt’s basketball teams will play this weekend, but the baseball team has a chance to put on a performance that rivals March Madness.

No. 14 Vanderbilt (20-5, 4-2 SEC) won its midweek game against Eastern Kentucky 10-0, extending its home win streak to 16 games this season and will face its first top five ranked SEC opponent, No. 2 Arkansas.

The Commodores did the bulk of their damage in the fourth inning. Brodie Johnston, making his first collegiate start at shortstop, gave Vanderbilt a 1-0 lead in the first inning with a solo home run (his fifth of the season) to give the Commodores a 1-0 lead headed in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Mac Rose recorded the first RBI of the inning on a groundout to second base and Rustan Rigdon followed him up with a RBI double to left field, giving Vanderbilt a 3-0 lead.

RJ Austin added a run to the lead after he was hit by a pitch with runners at second and third base and Rigdon scored an unearned in the following at-bat. Austin extended the Commodores’ lead in the sixth inning to 7-0 with a full-count double to left, centerfield.

The Commodores would secure their run-rule win with three more runs in the eighth inning, including Rigdon’s second RBI of the game to score the 10th run.

Austin Nye did his part with a solid start on the mound for Vanderbilt. Nye allowed just one hit in the first four innings and struck out three batters. Levi Heusman, got the win (1-0), struck out all three batters he faced in the fifth inning and Brennan Seiber allowed just one hit in two innings of work and Bryan struck out three batters in the eighth inning, but also gave up two walks.

READ MORE: Is Vanderbilt a National Seed for the NCAA Baseball Tournament?

Vanderbilt look to defend its 16-0 record at home this season this weekend against No. 2 Arkansas. The weekend series will begin at 7 p.m. Friday on the SEC Network. Here’s the complete weekend schedule:

No. 2 Arkansas at No. 14 Vanderbilt Schedule

  • Game 1: 7 p.m. Friday, SEC Network
  • Game 2: 2 p.m., Saturday, SECN+
  • Game 3: 1 p.m., Sunday, SECN+

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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.

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