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The Vanderbilt Commodores return to Hawkins Field this weekend for a three-game series against North Dakota State. The VandyBoys enter the matchup looking to build some momentum against a Bison team that has struggled through their early road schedule.

Team	Record	RPI	Strength of Schedule
Vanderbilt	8–6	212	235
North Dakota State	1–11	220	71

Friday (3/6)

• TV: ESPN+
• Radio: 102.1 The Ville
• Time: 4:30 pm
• Weather: 79°, Scattered Showers
• Location: Hawkins Field
• Pitching Matchup: Connor Fennell vs. Parker Puetz
• Opponent Pitcher Profile:
  • 📌 Baseball-Reference:
    https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=puetz-000par
    Throws: R
    Class: Jr.
    Starts: 3
    Record: 0–2
    ERA: 6.75
    WHIP: 1.50
    Innings: 10.2
    Strikeouts: 14
    Walks: 8
    
    Snapshot:
    Puetz has had an unusual college trajectory. As a freshman in 2023, he was extremely effective for North Dakota State, going 3–0 with a 2.51 ERA across 61 innings, allowing just 6.3 hits per nine while posting a 0.98 WHIP. That season showed the profile of a reliable starter who could limit hard contact and throw strikes.
    The last two seasons, however, have been much rockier. He threw only 1.2 innings in 2024 before struggling in 2025, when he posted a 13.03 ERA over 9.2 innings.
    Early in 2026, Puetz has shown some signs of stabilization. Through three starts he owns a 6.75 ERA with 14 strikeouts in 10.2 innings, good for an 11.8 K/9, while opponents are hitting just .211 against him (8 hits allowed). The main issue has been command, with 8 walks already and a 6.8 BB/9.

Saturday (3/7)

• TV: ESPN+
• Radio: 94.9 The Fan
• Time: 2:00 pm
• Weather: 72°, Thunderstorms Likely
• Location: Hawkins Field
• Pitching Matchup: Wyatt Nadeau vs. Brayden Marks
• Opponent Pitcher Profile:
  • 📌 Baseball-Reference:
    https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=marks-000bra
    Throws: R
    Class: Sr.
    Starts: 3
    Record: 1–1
    ERA: 6.92
    WHIP: 2.00
    Innings: 13.0
    Strikeouts: 7
    Walks: 8
    
    Snapshot:
    Marks is a veteran right-hander who began his career at Bradley, where he primarily worked out of the bullpen before transitioning into a larger role later in his career. Across three seasons with the Braves (2023–2025), he logged 91 innings over 56 appearances, making 10 starts.
    Run prevention has been a challenge throughout his career. After posting ERAs of 7.36 in 2023 and 8.08 in 2024, his numbers climbed to 9.67 in 2025, when opponents hit .372 against him across 49.1 innings.
    Now with North Dakota State in 2026, Marks has opened the year as a member of the starting rotation. Through three starts, he owns a 6.92 ERA over 13 innings, allowing 18 hits while issuing 8 walks and recording 7 strikeouts.

Sunday (3/8)

• TV: ESPN+
• Radio: 102.5 The Game
• Time: 1:00 pm
• Weather: 69°, Rain Likely
• Location: Hawkins Field
• Pitching Matchup: Nate Taylor vs. Jonah Walker
• Opposing Pitcher Profile:
  • 📌 Baseball-Reference:
    https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=walker002jon
    Throws: R
    Class: Sr.
    Starts: 3
    Record: 0–0
    ERA: 3.46
    WHIP: 1.08
    Innings: 13.0
    Strikeouts: 16
    Walks: 6
    
    Snapshot:
    Walker has been North Dakota State’s most effective starter early in 2026. Through his first three starts, he owns a 3.46 ERA across 13 innings while holding opposing hitters to just a .167 batting average.
    The senior right-hander has shown strong bat-missing ability so far, striking out 16 batters, which translates to an impressive 11.1 K/9. He has allowed only 8 hits all season, indicating that when hitters do make contact, it has largely been limited.

Keys to the Series

1. Command vs. Patience
North Dakota State’s starting pitchers have struggled with walks early in the season. Vanderbilt’s ability to stay patient could create scoring opportunities.

2. Starting Pitching Depth
The Commodores will look for strong outings from Fennell, Nadeau, and Taylor to keep the bullpen fresh.

3. Capitalizing Early
NDSU has played several close games this season, so early offense could help Vanderbilt control the tempo of the series.

VandyBoys Season Overview

Vanderbilt enters the weekend at 8–6 overall after navigating a challenging early schedule that has included several Power Conference opponents. The Commodores opened the year at the Shiners Children’s College Showdown in Arlington, where they went 1–2, defeating Texas Tech but falling to TCU and Oklahoma State.

Back in Nashville, the VandyBoys built momentum with a strong homestand. Vanderbilt swept Marist and picked up midweek victories over Eastern Michigan and Evansville, with the offense erupting for double-digit runs in five straight wins during that stretch.

The Commodores then traveled to Las Vegas for the Live Like Lou Classic, where they faced another difficult slate and dropped games to UC Irvine, Arizona, and Oregon. Vanderbilt returned home earlier this week and bounced back with a 4–1 win over Troy at Hawkins Field, but not before dropping a midweek to Central Arkansas.

The start to the season has not been without adversity. Vanderbilt has dealt with several pitching injuries, and the loss of starting catcher Colin Barczi has also been difficult to overcome early in the year. Additionally, the Commodores have struggled against Power Conference competition so far, something they will look to improve as the season progresses.

Despite those challenges, Vanderbilt has shown explosive offensive potential and strong pitching depth, giving the VandyBoys a solid foundation as they continue their nonconference schedule.

VandyBoys Players to Watch

Brodie Johnston (3B)
Johnston has been one of the most dangerous hitters in the SEC early this season, hitting .400 with 6 home runs and a 1.343 OPS.

Braden Holcomb (CF)
Holcomb leads the team with 7 home runs and 23 RBIs, giving Vanderbilt a major power threat in the middle of the lineup.

Ryker Waite (SS)
Waite has been an on-base machine with a .517 OBP, helping set the table for Vanderbilt’s power bats.

North Dakota State Season Overview

North Dakota State enters the weekend still searching for momentum after a difficult start to the 2026 season. The Bison are 1–11 overall, with their lone win coming in a 5–1 victory over Monmouth during the Stetson tournament in DeLand, Florida.

NDSU opened the year with a road series at Florida Gulf Coast, where they were swept but showed offensive potential in a 19–18 slugfest loss. The road-heavy schedule continued with midweek losses at South Florida before the Bison traveled back to Florida for tournament play, where they split games against Monmouth and nearly upset Virginia, falling 5–4.

Since then, the Bison have dropped a three-game series at Missouri and a midweek contest at Southern Illinois (fun fact: my hometown and the school I used to root for the most). While the record has been rough, several games have been competitive, including close losses to FGCU, Virginia, and Missouri.

Overall, North Dakota State has faced a challenging early schedule entirely on the road, and they’ll look to build some momentum against Vanderbilt as they continue their lengthy road trip.

North Dakota State Players to Watch

Caleb Corbin (DH)
Corbin has been one of the Bison’s most consistent hitters early this season. The senior is batting .318 with an .842 OPS and leads the team with 14 hits. He isn’t a huge power threat, but he consistently puts the ball in play and could be a table-setter for the middle of the lineup.

Kaden Connor (SS)
The freshman shortstop has shown a strong ability to get on base, posting a .432 OBP and .846 OPS. Connor has also drawn 8 walks in just 37 plate appearances, indicating good plate discipline. If he can limit the strikeouts (16 so far), he has the potential to create problems on the bases.

Jonah Walker (RHP)
Walker has been North Dakota State’s most effective pitcher to start the season. Through three starts he owns a 3.46 ERA with 16 strikeouts in 13 innings, while holding opponents to just a .167 batting average. His ability to miss bats could make him the toughest matchup Vanderbilt faces during the weekend. NDSU using Walker on Sunday’s is great for them matchup wise, and something to keep an eye on this weekend.

By the Numbers:

VandyBoys Individual Hitting Stats:

Player	POS	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	GP	HR	RBI	SB
Brodie Johnston	3B	.400	.483	.860	1.343	13	6	13	0
Braden Holcomb	CF	.377	.459	.830	1.289	14	7	23	1
Ryker Waite	SS	.357	.517	.619	1.136	14	2	13	3
Logan Johnstone	RF	.340	.516	.574	1.090	14	3	10	3
Mack Whitcomb	DH	.323	.512	.516	1.028	11	1	4	0
Chris Maldonado	1B	.320	.370	.600	.970	9	1	4	0
Korbin Reynolds	C	.304	.367	.609	.975	8	2	9	0
Colin Barczi	C	.286	.348	.714	1.062	5	3	5	0
Mike Mancini	LF	.267	.395	.467	.861	9	2	9	2
Rustan Rigdon	LF	.250	.368	.250	.618	10	0	3	1
Max Jensen	1B	.250	.478	.375	.853	7	0	1	0
Tommy Goodin	1B	.207	.281	.552	.833	11	3	12	0
Carter Johnstone	2B	.156	.263	.188	.451	10	0	2	1
Collin Brightwell	CF	.167	.286	.167	.452	3	0	0	1
Will Hampton	LF	.667	.750	.667	1.417	3	0	0	0
Aukai Kea	C	1.000	1.000	4.000	5.000	1	1	2	0
Cade Sears	RF	.000	.000	.000	.000	1	0	0	1

VandyBoys Individual Pitching Stats:

Pitcher	ERA	APP	GS	IP	H	ER	BB	K	Opp BA
Connor Fennell	4.11	3	3	15.1	9	7	3	19	.158
Nate Taylor	5.02	3	3	14.1	12	8	8	19	.231
Austin Nye	0.00	3	3	10.0	6	0	2	13	.167
Connor Hamilton	1.23	4	2	7.1	2	1	5	7	.091
Tyler Baird	4.66	4	2	9.2	9	5	6	10	.250
Jakob Schulz	1.50	5	0	6.0	3	1	3	10	.150
Luke Guth	1.50	5	0	6.0	8	1	2	7	.320
Brennan Seiber	4.32	4	0	8.1	10	4	6	4	.323
Wyatt Nadeau	0.00	3	0	7.0	3	0	2	8	.120
Adria Casoliba	0.00	2	0	3.2	1	0	1	3	.091
Nate Schlote	0.00	1	0	1.0	0	0	1	2	.000
Tristan Bristow	3.86	4	0	2.1	4	1	0	2	.400
Nate Teague	5.40	2	0	1.2	0	1	2	2	.000
Hudson Barton	5.40	3	0	1.2	3	1	2	3	.333
England Bryan	10.12	3	0	5.1	7	6	2	6	.304
Jacob Faulkner	10.12	4	0	5.1	4	6	4	6	.211
Alex Kranzler	10.80	5	1	8.1	9	10	5	10	.300

North Dakota State Individual Hitting Stats:

Player	POS	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	GP	HR	RBI	SB
Caleb Corbin	DH	.318	.388	.455	.842	11	1	5	2
Kaden Connor	SS	.276	.432	.414	.846	9	1	4	1
Colten Becker	LF	.256	.377	.349	.726	12	1	5	1
Dante Smith	CF	.212	.293	.231	.524	12	0	7	2
Diego Trujillo	3B	.179	.351	.286	.637	10	0	6	0
Evan Gustafson	1B	.171	.310	.286	.595	11	1	2	0
Blake Timmons	RF	.143	.368	.214	.583	9	0	1	2
Cal Jones	2B	.138	.333	.138	.471	9	0	2	3
Kyle Law	DH	.364	.462	.364	.825	3	0	4	0
Noah Gordon	C	.280	.280	.320	.600	7	0	2	1
Bennett Freiter	C	.190	.292	.381	.673	6	1	8	0
Tommy Simon	SS	.182	.357	.273	.630	4	0	1	0
Tyman Long	RF	.161	.212	.323	.535	8	1	5	0
Chase Womack	DH	.143	.250	.143	.393	3	0	0	0
Aiden Schenk	1B	.125	.222	.125	.347	3	0	0	0

North Dakota State Individual Pitching Stats:

Pitcher	ERA	APP	GS	IP	H	ER	BB	K	Opp BA
Jonah Walker	3.46	3	3	13.0	8	5	6	16	.167
Brayden Marks	6.92	3	3	13.0	18	10	8	7	.340
Parker Puetz	6.75	3	3	10.2	8	8	8	14	.205
Garrett Shupe	6.75	3	1	8.0	11	6	6	7	.306
Ethan Swaby	6.75	2	0	2.2	6	2	0	4	.500
Sheamus Ryan	1.93	3	0	9.1	12	2	3	6	.316
Braden Gluth	3.60	4	0	5.0	4	2	8	5	.222
Hudson Hart	4.50	3	0	4.0	4	2	2	3	.333
Connor McCaleb	0.00	3	0	2.2	5	0	1	1	.455
A.J. Doll	0.00	1	0	1.0	0	0	0	1	.000
Zak Szabo	8.53	4	0	6.1	6	6	5	7	.250
Easton Reimers	9.00	3	0	8.0	9	8	4	6	.281
Luke Agnew	9.00	1	0	2.0	6	2	5	0	.667
Matt Sargeant	9.64	3	1	4.2	4	5	8	4	.267
Cade Wiegert	10.12	4	0	5.1	7	6	1	6	.333
Matthew Totten	13.50	1	1	2.2	1	4	3	1	.111
Anthony Pardo	20.25	2	0	2.2	4	6	5	2	.333

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