Mizzou baseball returns to Columbia this weekend looking for a needed rest, and its opponent coming into Columbia — the Vanderbilt Commodores — are trying to navigate their own late‑season slide.
The Tigers will have to tangle with the Commodores this upcoming week in a three-game weekend set. Mizzou is in search of an SEC sweep, an achievement by the past two seasons under coach Kerrick Jackson. The three-game sweep in College Station against the Texas A&M Aggies was the lone three SEC victories
picked up by Jackson’s squad in the 2025 season. They’ve crossed that mark this season and are looking to add on more down the home stretch in 2026.
The Tigers recently dropped all three games at No. 5 Georgia, a series that swung on early missed chances for Missouri and late big innings for the Bulldogs. Mizzou (21–26, 4–20 SEC) opened the weekend with one of its best pitching performances of the year, and the Bulldogs batted around in the final two matchups, closing the set with a pair of run‑rule victories.
Vanderbilt arrives after being swept at Alabama, a result that effectively shut the door on any postseason path outside of the SEC Tournament. The Commodores did respond with a midweek win over Louisville, while their SEC form has been uneven for several weeks.
ROUGH WEEKEND IN ATHENS
The story for Mizzou last Friday was Josh McDevitt. The right‑hander worked deep into the game, scattered four hits, and kept Georgia’s power‑heavy lineup quiet until the middle innings. Missouri put traffic on the bases several times but couldn’t turn those opportunities into runs, and Georgia eventually broke through late.
McDevitt has been a bright spot for the staff all season, consistently holding opponents to four hits or fewer in nine of his 12 starts. According to MU Athletics, the right-hander has eclipsed 10 strikeouts or more in 10 of his outings.
“You can’t ask for anything more against one of the top offensive teams in the country,” Jackson said to Tiger-Radio post-game last Friday. “He comes out and does his job, and we can’t scratch any runs across its not acceptable.”
Saturday brought more offense for the Tigers and ultimately the same outcome. Brady Kehlenbrink struck out six in four innings, and the Tigers answered with solo home runs from Kam Durnin, Donovan Jordan, and Jase Woita. Georgia countered with steady scoring of its own and pulled away in the seventh and eighth innings in its dominant 13-3 eight-inning run-rule victory.
Sunday’s finale unraveled more quickly. Keyler Gonzalez made his first start as a Tiger and opened with a scoreless inning before Georgia stacked nine runs across the next two frames. Durnin homered twice, giving him three in a five‑at‑bat span, and Jordan and Woita each drove in a run, but the Bulldogs kept control the rest of the way.
Across the weekend, Durnin didn’t go unnoticed in his 5-for-10 clip with three home runs. Woita earned his 50th hit of the season and earned at least one hit in each game in Athens.
VANDERBILT’S CURRENT SITUATION
The Commodores enter COMO at 27–22 overall and a 10–14 mark in SEC play, a tumultuous season for the program. Their three-game sweep at Alabama pushed them out of NCAA at‑large consideration, and the finale in Tuscaloosa summed up their recent issues: a five‑run first inning allowed by starter Wyatt Nadeau, followed by a scramble from the staff to keep the game within reach. Colin Barczi’s three‑run homer provided a spark, and Braden Holcomb and Ryker Waite added RBIs while N0. 19-ranked Alabama ultimately stayed in front throughout.
Vanderbilt’s midweek win over Louisville showed the other side of its personality. After falling behind 4–0, the Commodores unloaded 11 unanswered runs. Mike Mancini homered twice, Barczi added a go‑ahead three‑run shot, and Logan Johnstone drove in three. They also got a clean inning from Matthew Shorey, who struck out the side in his season debut.
Even with the inconsistency, Vanderbilt’s lineup can flip an inning quickly. Barczi has homered in consecutive games, Mancini is coming off a two‑homer night, and several hitters have shown the ability to turn a mistake pitch into damage. At the hitter-friendly Taylor Stadium, a homer-friendly squad is always a threat.
UPCOMING SERIES
Vanderbilt’s pitching picture is less settled. Nadeau struggled in his most recent start, and the Commodores leaned heavily on their bullpen in the Alabama series. Their offense, however still remains capable of turning a quiet game into a sudden showdown, evidence by its home run count and the pair of Missouri starters, JD Dohrmann on the injury report leaves them more vulnerable from a depth perspective.
This will be Mizzou’s final home SEC series as well as Vandy’s first trip back to Taylor Stadium since April 8, 2023. First pitch for the series opener is scheduled for Friday, 6:00 p.m. at Taylor Stadium.
