Previewing the SEC Teams Inside the Top 25

Number 6, Vanderbilt University

The Vanderbilt Commodores are starting the year off as the sixth ranked team in college baseball. Last season, the Commodores finished with a record of 42-20 while going 19-11 in conference play. This was good enough for Vanderbilt to finish the season in second place in the east side of the Southeastern Conference.

A season ago, the Commodores were led by their pitching staff which earned them a conference championship victory. They return multiple left-handed pitchers and a strong infield that will lead this team back for a run in the conference tournament.

Carter Holton has been a consitently good starter for the Commodores in his first two collegiate seasons. Despite battling injuries last year, Holton is ranked as the 49th best draft prospect according to MLB Pipeline. In two seasons with the Commodores, Holton has posted a 3.51 earned run average in 130.2 innings pitched with 153 strikeouts. He also has a 1.14 WHIP.

Another left-handed pitcher for the Commodores is Devin Futrell. Futrell has been consistently good for the Commodores, which has made him an under the radar arm in college baseball. In two seasons, Futrell has an earned run average of 3.43 in 147 innings pitched with 136 strikeouts. His WHIP is very low at 1.07.

Offensively, the Commodores return a solid first-baseman in Chris Maldonado. Maldonado led the team in batting average by batting .310. He also had eight home runs with 32 runs batted in and an OPS of .943.

Overall, the Vanderbilt Commodores are returning a solid team this year. They are led by their pitching staff this year with two very dominate left-handed pitchers. The pitching will be very good, but it is up to the offense to determine whether or not the Commodores can repeat as SEC Champions.