VandyBoys Take Series Over NDSU, But Red Flags Show in Sunday Finale
Vanderbilt went 2-1 to take the series vs the North Dakota State Bison and move to 10-7 over the weekend. They run-ruled the Bison twice by scores of 14-2 and 10-0 but dropped the series finale 5-2 on a day where Vandy simply couldn’t get out of their own way.
Offensively, Brodie Johnston and Ryker Waite were the most consistent bright spots for the ‘Dores. Brodie went 5-12 on the weekend with a home run and 2 RBIs while Waite went 5-9 while also drawing 3 walks. Braden Holcomb, Logan Johnstone, and Chris Maldonado did not have their most consistent weekends, but all three blasted 2 home runs to continue the Vandyboys power surge.
Pitching-wise, Connor Fennell had a quality start only allowing 2 runs in 6 innings while striking out 11. Wyatt Nadeau was solid in his first ever start, only allowing 3 hits in 4 innings without allowing a run. Adria Casoliba, Luke Guth, and Brennan Seiber also threw shutout innings as Vandy held NDSU scoreless in their 2nd game. Nate Taylor continued to struggle in the Sunday starter spot, allowing 3 runs in 4.0 innings while walking the leadoff batter in 4 of 5 innings.
Game Recaps
Things got off to a hot start for the ‘Dores as Connor Fennell K’ed the side in his first inning of action and Brodie Johnston hit a 2 run blast, scoring himself and Logan Johnstone who had just walked. The two sides then traded scoreless half-innings before Vandy broke things open in the 3rd with 4 home runs. Rustan Rigdon and Logan Johnstone went back-to-back before NDSU recorded an out in the 3rd. Then, Braden Holcomb hit a 2 run blast, immediately followed by Max Jensen hitting his first ever home run for the Commodores. Vandy led 7-0 after 3 innings. Fennell struggled a bit in the 4th, allowing 5 baserunners in a row to reach (4 singles and a walk), but limited the damage to just 2 runs. Vandy responded, though, with singles from Logan Johnstone and Mike Mancini followed by a Braden Holcomb sac fly. Max Jensen was hit by a pitch before Chris Maldonado hit a 3 run blast, his 2nd homer in as many games for the ‘Dores, giving Vandy an 11-2 lead after 4. Neither team scored in the 5th or 6th inning, so Vandy went to bat in the 7th with a chance to end it. Chris Maldonado got hit by a pitch and Ryker Waite doubled down the right field line. Then, Aukai Kea was given his 2nd career AB and he blasted a monster home run to center field (his 2nd walkoff HR in as many career ABs) to end it 14-2.
Game 2
Things didn’t get off to quite as good of a start for Vandy as, despite Nadeau’s scoreless top of the 1st, they were held hitless in the bottom. Nadeau went 3 up 3 down in the 2nd, and Vandy took advantage this time. Holcomb hit a monster solo blast that hit 3/4ths of the way up the left field light pole before Waite and Korbin Reynolds hit back-to-back doubles, giving Vandy a 2-0 lead. Neither team scored in the 3rd but Vandy got back to it in the 4th. Max Jensen walked before Chris Maldonado hit his 3rd home run of the season, making it 4-0 through 4. The Vandy bats stayed hot in the 5th with a Johnston single, Mancini double, Holcomb RBI groundout, and Goodin single scored 2 more Commodores. It remained 6-0 through the 6th and 7th innings before Vandy finally ended it in the 8th. A Reynolds walk followed by Rigdon’s first triple of 2026 scored 1, then Logan Johnstone’s 5th homer of the young season made it 9-0. Johnston and Mancini both walked and a wild pitch advanced Brodie to 3rd. Holcomb then hit a fly ball a mile high to deep center field which easily scored Johnston, ending the game at 10-0.
Game 3
A thoroughly unenjoyable watch for all Vandy fans, Sunday’s game was the ultimate case of not being able to get out of your own way. Nate Taylor recorded 5 Ks and only allowed 4 hits through 4 IP, but he walked the leadoff batter in 4 of the first 5 innings. A leadoff walk followed by 2 weakly hit singles gave NDSU their first lead of the series in the 1st inning. Vandy couldn’t find a clutch hit as they stranded runners in scoring position in both the 1st and 2nd inning. In the 4th Taylor once again walked the leadoff batter and a bunt single followed by 2 groundouts allowed NDSU to double their advantage. Vandy once again stranded a runner in scoring position in the bottom of the 4th. In the 5th, Taylor again walked the leadoff batter, committed an error on a bunt, and then hit a batter to load the bases with 0 outs and end his afternoon. Jakob Schulz then came in and did very well to only allow NDSU to score 1 run on a groundout while K-ing 2 NDSU batters. In the bottom of the inning, Vandy finally found some offense with a Rustan Rigdon single followed by Mike Mancini’s 3rd home run of the year that went off the batter’s eye and made it 3-2 NDSU. The ‘Dores would strand another runner in scoring position later in the inning, though. Neither team scored in the 6th. Tyler Baird gave up 2 runs in the 7th, though, after giving up an HBP, walk, and 2 singles, making it 5-2 NDSU. Vandy would strand yet another runner in scoring position in the bottom of the inning. The Bison only recorded 1 hit in the final 2 innings, but it was a familiar story for the ‘Dores as they eventually fell by that same score of 5-2. Vandy stranded 2 runners in scoring position in the 9th as they simply could not find a clutch hit that would score them any runs.
Wrap-up
This weekend yielded better results for Vandy, even if it was not fully satisfying for the ‘Dores. It was good to see Vandy hit 11 home runs and once again find their power, albeit against a far inferior opponent. That said, the red flags are still readily apparent when you watch this team play. They find it nearly impossible to manufacture runs and the pitching staff sorely misses the strike throwers they lost in the offseason or to injury. Things will only get harder from here, as next week Vandy faces LSU in an extremely frontloaded SEC schedule.
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