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Vanderbilt baseball made a statement at Hawkins Field with a sweep over No. 5 Georgia, putting the Commodores on track to host a regional.
Vanderbilt won the three games by a score of 3-1, 13-7 and 5-2.
The first and third games were pitchers duels while Game 2 featured an offensive explosion from the Commodores (30-10, 11-7 SEC). Vanderbilt moved ahead of the Bulldogs (33-9, 10-8) and into fifth place in the SEC with the victory. Along with a No. 3 ranking in RPI, the Commodores will remain on track to host a regional with five wins in their final 12 conference games.
Here's what we learned:
A freshman who came to the Commodores as the No. 1-ranked player in Tennessee, Johnston had a ton of hype after his performance in the fall and early in the season, but he had struggled in SEC play. Coming into the series, he had just three hits in his previous nine SEC games. But Johnston put on a show in the first two games, breaking an early 1-0 Georgia advantage in Game 1 with a solo home run in the seventh inning and then hitting two home runs and a double in Game 2. He had nine RBIs on the weekend, including seven in Game 2.
"Watching freshmen that are like him, going back to (Pedro) Alvarez, I just think that after a while, they get beaten up enough that they start to understand how to hit a little bit more, how to be patient getting their swing off in the right situation," Tim Corbin said after Game 2. "More comfort, more confidence."
Johnston has struggled at times with plate discipline and with hitting SEC-quality offspeed pitches, but he's made improvements. If he can continue to hit well enough to let his power shine through, he could be the star bat Vanderbilt has desperately needed.
"I've just been been more relaxed at the plate and everything," Johnston said. "Just letting other guys pick me up really helped."
Johnston wasn't the only offensive producer from the series. Riley Nelson was 7-for-11 with two walks and hit a two-run home run in the finale. Braden Holcomb was also 7-for-11 and went 4-for-4 with a home run in Game 2. Colin Barczi hit a two-run home run in Game 2.
A YOUTHFUL ROSTER Can Vanderbilt baseball's younger rosters win in the SEC? A look inside the numbers
Georgia came into the series leading the nation in home runs, and while Vanderbilt did concede five home runs, the pitching staff gave up little else. All but one of the Bulldogs' runs came on home runs, and three of the five homers were solo shots.
"(We) did a nice job of just throwing strikes, just strikes. Solo home runs typically don't beat you, but you compound when you add players on base," Corbin said after Game 3. "And we didn't do that. We threw a lot of strikes. ... You want to beat a really good team, which we did, you have to keep them off base. Can't give them anything. And we didn't."
The highlight pitching performance came from JD Thompson in the opener. He allowed a leadoff home run to Slate Alford but nothing else in an eight-inning, 14-strikeout, 120-pitch performance. Thompson struggled a bit the past three weeks, but he showed again why Vanderbilt has tabbed him as its ace.
"It's just continuing to keep getting better," Thompson said. "I understand how how good I can be, and the level of stuff that I have can compete at a very high level, but it's all about having this sort of confidence and carrying it with me."
Sawyer Hawks collected saves in the first and third games, combining for three strikeouts and no walks in three innings. On the season, Hawks has an ERA of 1.26 with a team-leading six saves.
Connor Fennell returned to his role as the third starter after Vanderbilt had experimented with him in the bullpen. He pitched 5⅔ innings, allowing two runs with no walks and a career-high 11 strikeouts. On the season, Fennell has struck out 51 of the 106 batters he's faced.
"He competes well," Corbin said of Fennell. "He knows how to execute. He doesn't lose at-bats if he's behind. He finds a way to get back. He just has a way of focusing really well. But he competes ... as well as anyone you know on our staff, and the kids have a lot of confidence behind him too. ... He's just going to give you everything. He's going to compete, and he believes in this stuff."
Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. Contact her at [email protected] or on X, formerly Twitter, @aria_gerson.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Brodie Johnston, JD Thompson highlight Vanderbilt sweep of Georgia
Continue reading...
Vanderbilt won the three games by a score of 3-1, 13-7 and 5-2.
The first and third games were pitchers duels while Game 2 featured an offensive explosion from the Commodores (30-10, 11-7 SEC). Vanderbilt moved ahead of the Bulldogs (33-9, 10-8) and into fifth place in the SEC with the victory. Along with a No. 3 ranking in RPI, the Commodores will remain on track to host a regional with five wins in their final 12 conference games.
Here's what we learned:
Brodie Johnston might be becoming a star
A freshman who came to the Commodores as the No. 1-ranked player in Tennessee, Johnston had a ton of hype after his performance in the fall and early in the season, but he had struggled in SEC play. Coming into the series, he had just three hits in his previous nine SEC games. But Johnston put on a show in the first two games, breaking an early 1-0 Georgia advantage in Game 1 with a solo home run in the seventh inning and then hitting two home runs and a double in Game 2. He had nine RBIs on the weekend, including seven in Game 2.
"Watching freshmen that are like him, going back to (Pedro) Alvarez, I just think that after a while, they get beaten up enough that they start to understand how to hit a little bit more, how to be patient getting their swing off in the right situation," Tim Corbin said after Game 2. "More comfort, more confidence."
Johnston has struggled at times with plate discipline and with hitting SEC-quality offspeed pitches, but he's made improvements. If he can continue to hit well enough to let his power shine through, he could be the star bat Vanderbilt has desperately needed.
"I've just been been more relaxed at the plate and everything," Johnston said. "Just letting other guys pick me up really helped."
Johnston wasn't the only offensive producer from the series. Riley Nelson was 7-for-11 with two walks and hit a two-run home run in the finale. Braden Holcomb was also 7-for-11 and went 4-for-4 with a home run in Game 2. Colin Barczi hit a two-run home run in Game 2.
A YOUTHFUL ROSTER Can Vanderbilt baseball's younger rosters win in the SEC? A look inside the numbers
JD Thompson, Sawyer Hawks, Connor Fennell highlight strong pitching weekend
Georgia came into the series leading the nation in home runs, and while Vanderbilt did concede five home runs, the pitching staff gave up little else. All but one of the Bulldogs' runs came on home runs, and three of the five homers were solo shots.
"(We) did a nice job of just throwing strikes, just strikes. Solo home runs typically don't beat you, but you compound when you add players on base," Corbin said after Game 3. "And we didn't do that. We threw a lot of strikes. ... You want to beat a really good team, which we did, you have to keep them off base. Can't give them anything. And we didn't."
The highlight pitching performance came from JD Thompson in the opener. He allowed a leadoff home run to Slate Alford but nothing else in an eight-inning, 14-strikeout, 120-pitch performance. Thompson struggled a bit the past three weeks, but he showed again why Vanderbilt has tabbed him as its ace.
"It's just continuing to keep getting better," Thompson said. "I understand how how good I can be, and the level of stuff that I have can compete at a very high level, but it's all about having this sort of confidence and carrying it with me."
Sawyer Hawks collected saves in the first and third games, combining for three strikeouts and no walks in three innings. On the season, Hawks has an ERA of 1.26 with a team-leading six saves.
Connor Fennell returned to his role as the third starter after Vanderbilt had experimented with him in the bullpen. He pitched 5⅔ innings, allowing two runs with no walks and a career-high 11 strikeouts. On the season, Fennell has struck out 51 of the 106 batters he's faced.
"He competes well," Corbin said of Fennell. "He knows how to execute. He doesn't lose at-bats if he's behind. He finds a way to get back. He just has a way of focusing really well. But he competes ... as well as anyone you know on our staff, and the kids have a lot of confidence behind him too. ... He's just going to give you everything. He's going to compete, and he believes in this stuff."
Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. Contact her at [email protected] or on X, formerly Twitter, @aria_gerson.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Brodie Johnston, JD Thompson highlight Vanderbilt sweep of Georgia
Continue reading...
