Tennessee Vols at Vanderbilt Commodores Baseball Preview 2026
Vols hit the road looking for a series win on West End
Tennessee (#20/21, 18-7, 3-3 SEC) enters the weekend on a three-game winning streak following a hard-fought series victory over Missouri and a dramatic midweek walk-off win against USC Upstate. The big news heading into Friday is a shakeup in the starting rotation: head coach Josh Elander is moving redshirt junior left-hander Brandon Arvidson into the Game 1 starter role, replacing sophomore Tegan Kuhns. Arvidson has been a force out of the bullpen this year, posting a 3.52 ERA with 21 strikeouts in just over 15 innings.
Offensively, the Vols are led by Henry Ford, who is pacing the team in hits (33), home runs (8), and RBIs (25). Stone Lawless has also found his groove, leading the team in almost every offensive category during the Missouri series, including a massive 1.250 slugging percentage.
This weekend the Vols travel to Nashville to take on Vanderbilt (14-12, 2-4 SEC). The VandyBoys are desperate to right the ship after a rough start to conference play. The Commodores are coming off a disastrous weekend in Starkville where they were swept by Mississippi State, including a 17-7 run-rule loss in the finale.
Despite their struggles, the Commodores possess elite power, ranking second nationally with 56 home runs. Braden Holcomb leads their attack with 11 long balls. However, Vandy’s pitching staff is reeling. They currently rank dead last in the SEC with a team ERA of 5.58. To make matters worse, they recently lost standout sophomore pitcher Austin Nye for the remainder of the season due to a bicep injury.
Previously on Vols vs. Dores
While the series dates all the way back to 1897, the recent history favors the Big Orange. Tennessee leads the overall series 189-170-2 and has won the past two series played at Hawkins Field, posting a dominant 5-1 record in those games. Vanderbilt has won three in a row overall against the Vols, but those came at the end of last season, including a run-rule win in the 2025 SEC Tournament.
Key Matchups to Watch
The Friday Night Duel
LHP Brandon Arvidson (1-0, 3.52 ERA) vs. RHP Connor Fennell (2-1, 5.74 ERA). Arvidson is making his first career SEC start, and he’ll need to navigate a Vandy lineup that hunts the long ball. Fennell was electric in 2025 but has struggled this season, allowing 20 earned runs in 31.1 innings.
Vol Pitching vs. Vandy Power
The Tennessee pitching staff leads the nation in several strikeout categories and has racked up double-digit strikeouts in 20 of 25 games. They will face a Vanderbilt team that has homered in all but six games this season.
The “New” Hawkins Field Dimensions
If the shadows from Dudley Field seem a little longer this season, it’s because Vanderbilt made significant changes to their ballpark in the offseason, bringing the right field fence in by 15 feet to a distance of just 315 feet. Hawkins is now the second smallest ballpark in the SEC behind just Lindsey Nelson Stadium, showing that once again they tried to be like us and failed at it.
Game Times & Starters
Game 1: Friday, March 27 (8 p.m. ET, ESPNU) Tennessee RS JR LHP Brandon Arvidson (1-0, 3.52 ERA) vs. Vanderbilt JR RHP Connor Fennell (2-1, 5.74 ERA)
This marks Arvidson’s first career SEC start, as he replaces sophomore Tegan Kuhns in the series-opening role. Fennell was a preseason All-American but has struggled this season, allowing 20 earned runs in 31.1 innings
Game 2: Saturday, March 28 (2 p.m. ET, SEC Network) Tennessee SO RHP Landon Mack (3-2, 3.38 ERA) vs. Vanderbilt FR RHP Wyatt Nadeau (1-1, 3.27 ERA)
Mack has recorded 39 strikeouts over 32 innings this season. Nadeau was recently named SEC Freshman of the Week after recording 10 strikeouts in a win against LSU.
Game 3: Sunday, March 29 (12 p.m. ET, ESPN2) Tennessee SR LHP Evan Blanco (2-2, 2.73 ERA) vs. Vanderbilt TBA
Blanco leads the Vols’ rotation in nearly every major category, including strikeouts (44) and ERA. Vanderbilt’s Sunday starter remains a big question mark following a season-ending bicep injury to sophomore Austin Nye. Freshman Tyler Baird started for the Commodores in the previous Sunday finale against Mississippi State