Opening day has finally arrived for Vanderbilt Baseball.
Year 24 of Tim Corbin’s tenure in Nashville begins not with a tune-up, but with a litmus test. The Commodores open their season at the Shriners Children’s College Showdown, season in Arlington, Texas, where three formidable Big 12 opponents await. There will be no easing into 2026.
Friday’s game presents the biggest challenge on paper: a showdown with D1Baseball’s No. 10 ranked TCU. The Horned Frogs return a deep, powerful lineup headlined by highly touted draft prospect Sawyer Strosnider, along with an athletic pitching staff led by flamethrower Tommy LaPour, who gets the ball against Vanderbilt on Friday.
The Commodores projected lineup and rotation returns two key pitchers in junior Connor Fennell and sophomore Austin Nye, as well as a slew of key relief pitchers that fueled its pitching dominance last season. Joined by Georgia transfer Nate Taylor in the weekend rotation, Fennell and Nye will look to pick up where they left off last season in mowing down opposing hitters.
Offensively there’s plenty of intrigue as well. First-year hitting coach Jason Esposito —bringing both MLB experience and a Vanderbilt background — leads a lineup looking to take a jump. Brodie Johnston, Braden Holcomb and Colin Barczi return a year older and stronger, aiming to quiet questions about the Commodores’ power output. Newcomers Logan Johnstone, Mack Whitcomb and Max Jensen add versatility in the batter's box and around the diamond, and Rustan Rigdon, Mike Mancini, and Ryker Waite round out what projects to one of Corbin’s more flexible groups in years.
A fast start would go a long way towards washing out the bad taste left from last season’s early regional round exit. There’s no better opportunity than Day One against a top-10 opponent on a neutral field.
First pitch between Vanderbilt and TCU is set for 3:00 p.m. CST, streaming on FloSports.
Follow along below for live updates and inning-by-inning coverage throughout the afternoon:
FINAL: TCU 5, Vanderbilt 4: With the top of the order due up, Carter Johnstone struck out looking before Colin Barczi slugged his third homer of the game at 118.1 MPH off the bat. Brodie Johnston followed it up by lacing a double off the wall in left-center, setting Holcomb up with a chance to be the hero. The Center Fielder struck out, bringing up Tommy Goodin with two outs, but the sophomore popped out to end the game. The Commodores come up just short.
Top 9: Vanderbilt 3, TCU 5: Bryan came back out for the ninth, setting the first two Horned Frogs down. Jack Bell singled to put a runner on with two outs, but Lucas Franco lined out to end the frame. The Commodores have three more outs to mount a rally.
Bottom 8: Vanderbilt 3, TCU 5: Nate Stern, coming on in relief, struck out Rigdon looking before walking Jensen and bringing Waite up as the tying run. Back-to-back strikeouts from Waite and Logan Johnstone left Jensen stranded.
Top 8: Vanderbilt 3, TCU 5: Returning to the mound in the eight, Guth struck out Jack Bell before Luke Franco laced a ball into the gap which Holcomb misplayed, and Lucas Franco ended up with a triple. A Cole Cramer double brought Franco into score, knotting the game at 3. Intentionally walking Strosnider, Guth spiked a wild pitch and gave way to England Bryan with one out and two runners in scoring position. Bryan induced a weak fly ball and strike out in the dirt, but Barczi threw the ball away on the dropped third. Corbin's argument that Franco obstructed Barczi's throwing lane was to no avail, and TCU takes a 5-3 lead in the eighth.
Bottom 7: Vanderbilt 3, TCU 2: It looks like a breakout party for Barczi, as the righty slugged his second homer of the day well into the stands in left field. Johnston, Holcomb, and Tommy Goodin — pinch-hitting for the righty Whitcomb — went down in order, but not before the Commodores took the lead.
Top 7: Vanderbilt 2, TCU 2 Back on the mound for the seventh, Schulz struck out Franco before being relieved by junior right-hander Luke Guth. An infield single put Rob Liddington on, but Guth stranded him there after two quick outs.
Bottom 6: Vanderbilt 2, TCU 2: Chasing LaPour out of the game after five innings, Jensen and Waite went down quickly on strikeouts, but Logan Johnstone clubbed a double into the left-center field gap to put a runner in scoring position for his brother. A groundout to shortstop ended the sixth with the game still tied.
Top 6: Vanderbilt 2, TCU 2: Lucas Franco led off the inning with a no-doubt home run to right field off of Fennell, tying the game at two apiece. After Fennell seventh strikeout of the afternoon, Corbin made the move to the bullpen, opting for southpaw Jakob Schulz to face the lefty Strosnider. Schulz struck the power-hitter out looking on a cut-fastball and picked off Chase Brunson at first base after walking him aboard.
Connor Fennell's day is done. The final line:
5.1 IP, 2 ER, 2H, 7 Ks, 1 BB.
Jakob Schulz the first man out of the bullpen for Vanderbilt.
Bottom 5: Vanderbilt 2, TCU 1: Picking up where he left off last season, Brodie Johnston clubbed a fastball over the right center field fence to give the Commodores the lead. Strikeouts from Holcomb and Whitcomb and a groundout from Rigdon ended the frame with Vanderbilt leading 2-1.
Brodie Johnston just went oppo off a 96 MPH heater from Tommy LaPour.
It’s only Game 1, but this middle of the order looks completely different than a year ago.
Power from Barczi and Johnston has been the difference through five.
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Top 5: Vanderbilt 1, TCU 1: Fennell set down the Horned Frogs in order despite some hard contact on a deep fly ball from Brady Dallimore and a line shot from Jack Bell, which was snagged by a diving Waite at shortstop out of the air. The sophomore looks to be picking up where Jonathan Vastine left off with the glove.
Highlight reel play from Ryker Waite at shortstop.
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Bottom 4: Vanderbilt 1, TCU 1: After a leadoff walk, Waite was stranded at first after three quick outs from Carter and Logan Johnstone and Barczi. Both pitchers are settling into a groove here heading into the 5th inning.
Top 4: Vanderbilt 1, TCU 1: Clearly pitching around Strosnider after his first-inning home run, Fennell surrendered his first walk of the game to open the fourth. A ground ball back to Fennell and two more slick plays from Holcomb in center field ended the frame. Despite sitting at 89 mph, Fennell has garnered 11 whiffs through four.
Bottom 3: Vanderbilt 1, TCU 1: Barczi led off the inning with a monster solo home run to the upper deck at Globe Life Field, hit 452 feet to make it 1-1. Johnston and Holcomb's back-to-back rocket singles to follow showcased the explosiveness and potential of the middle of Vanderbilt's order. Strikeouts from Rigdon and Whitcomb and a groundout from Jensen left the pair stranded, but not before the Commodores tied the game at one apiece.
Colin Barczi just absolutely murdered a ball into the upper deck at Globe Life Field.
452 feet and 112 MPH off the bat. Both of his batted balls so far have been 112 MPH+.
Is this the start of a breakout season for the backstop?
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Top 3: TCU 1, Vanderbilt 0: Fennell picked up where left off in the second, striking out his fifth and sixth batters of the game, with a Lucas Franco barreled fly ball that was tracked down by Holcomb sandwiched in between. So far, so good for the junior making his collegiate debut in center field.
Braden Holcomb looked like he's been playing center field his whole life tracking down this flyball.
Vanderbilt may have found its center fielder:
pic.twitter.com/vDF03TPdFf
Bottom 2: TCU 1, Vanderbilt 0: Whitcomb opens the home half of the second with Vanderbilt's first base hit of the season, a bloop single to right field. LaPour then clipped Rigdon on the elbow, and a Jensen groundout moved the pair into scoring position. A Ryker Waite infield popup and Logan Johnstone walk brought the younger Johnstone up with two outs and the bases load, but a hard lineout stranded the three runners.
Top 2: TCU 1, Vanderbilt 0: Fennell appears to be settling in the mound, setting the Horned Frogs Down in order with two strikeouts, both again on high fastballs. He's induced seven whiffs through seven batters.
Bottom 1: TCU 1, Vanderbilt 0: Carter Johnstone and Colin Barczi led off Vanderbilt's offensive season with two ground ball outs. Brodie Johnston became the Commodores' first baserunner of the season after a throwing error from Jacob Bell. With one on and two out, Braden Holcomb struck out looking to end the frame.
Highly touted draft prospect Sawyer Strosnider took Connor Fennell deep to the opposite field.
Fennell quickly bounced back with two strikeouts. Fastball up to 91 mph early.
Mid 1; TCU 1, Vanderbilt 0
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Top 1: TCU 1, Vanderbilt 0: We're officially underway in 2026 as Connor Fennell's second pitch to Cole Cramer is a ground ball to Max Jensen at first. Sawyer Strosnider then took a Fennell changeup over the wall in left field to give TCU a quick 1-0 lead. Fennell bounced back with two strikeouts on high fastballs to escape the inning.
Vanderbilt will be the home team for today's game, with Connor Fennell taking the mound to kick things off here in Arlington.
First pitch has been moved to 3:35 p.m. CST.
Vanderbilt
1. Carter Johnstone 2B
2. Colin Barczi C
3. Brodie Johnston 3B
4. Braden Holcomb CF
5. Mack Whitcomb DH
6. Rustan Rigdon LF
7. Max Jensen 1B
8. Ryker Waite SS
9. Logan Johnstone
TCU
1. Cole Cramer 2B
2. Sawyer Strosnider CF
3. Chase Brunson RF
4. Noah France LF
5. Rob Liddington Jr. 1B
6. Nolan Traeger CF
7. Brady Dallimore DH
8. Jacob Bell 3B
9. Lucas Franco SS
Connor Fennell (Vanderbilt) vs. Tommy LaPour (TCU)
Friday’s pitching matchup is perhaps the best of the entire weekend in Arlington, with two borderline elite pitchers who have complete opposite approaches on the rubber.
Fennell came out of nowhere for the Commodores last season, taking over as the Sunday starter in the middle of SEC play and never looking back. The junior pitched to a 2.53 ERA across 7 starts and 53.1 innings, striking out 84 batters and walking just 11. Fennell’s success comes from a deceptive arm slot and high-ride fastball that allow him to consistently fool hitters despite barely touching 90 MPH on the radar gun. With a big breaking slider and funky changeup, Fennell’s goal will look to keep the Horned Frogs off balance throughout the afternoon.
LaPour, on the other hand, brings premium velocity and more stock release traits to the mound. Capable of touch triple digits on the radar gun, the right-hander leans on a powerful fastball that can overwhelm hitters up in the zone, pairing it with a sharp slider and changeup to keep hitter’s guessing. The right-hander is tall and athletic, and his ability to go deep into games and maintain poise on the mound make him one of the Big 12’s very best arms.
Dylan Tovitz is a sophomore at Vanderbilt University, originally from Livingston, New Jersey. In addition to writing for Vanderbilt on SI, he serves as a deputy sports editor for the Vanderbilt Hustler and co-produces and hosts ‘Dores Unlocked, a weekly video show about Commodore sports. Outside the newsroom, he is a campus tour guide and an avid New York sports fan with a particular passion for baseball. He also enjoys listening to country and classic rock music and staying active through tennis and baseball.
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