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Commodores Take Championship Opener

Vandy uses seven-run explosion in first inning to secure 8-2 win.

By Vanderbilt Athletics

June 29^th, 2021

Dream Fulfilled

For the fourth time since 2011, Vanderbilt played in the College World Series championship.

The Commodores own a CWS-record four championship series appearances and 10 championship series games played.

Leaving the DoubleTree

Hours before taking the field, and for the sixth time in the last two weeks, Vanderbilt departed the DoubleTree to Commodore supporters.

Warming Up at Creighton

With rain having moved through the area, Vanderbilt warmed up at Creighton before moving to TD Ameritrade Park for the game.

Meanwhile in Nashville

Fans filled Hawkins Field for the VandyBoys' watch party.

Vanderbilt Football Meets Fans

While at Hawkins Field, fans got to meet with Vanderbilt football student-athletes.

In Omaha, Commodores Gathered

Vanderbilt's pregame tailgate was filled by Commodore supporters.

Waiting a Little Longer

Mississippi State and Vanderbilt were delayed for 61 minutes at the start of the game due to lightning in the area.

Flying Over

Game time brought the ceremonial flyover to TD Ameritrade Park.

Leiter Gets the Nod

Jack Leiter made his second College World Series start and went 6.0 innings, allowing two runs on three hits and three walks while striking out eight.

Strong in the CWS

In his two College World Series starts this summer, Leiter combined for 14.0 innings, seven hits, four walks and three earned runs against 23 strikeouts.

Statement.

After Mississippi State hit a solo home run in the top of the first, Vanderbilt answered immediately with seven runs in the bottom of the inning to go ahead 7-1.

The Commodores were aided by a pair of walks and two hit by pitches during the opening stanza.

Bradfield Jr. Swipes Another

During the first inning, Enrique Bradfield Jr. stole third base, becoming the first national stolen base leader to swipe a bag at the College World Series since Wichita State’s Randy Young had two steals versus LSU on June 1, 1996.

Bradfield Jr.'s steal was his 47th of the campaign.

One Swing = Two Runs

CJ Rodriguez delivered two runs with a single through the left side to break a 1-1 tie in the bottom of the first and give the Commodores a 3-1 advantage.

A Three-Run Lead

Isaiah Thomas added another in the first inning with a double to left that dropped just inside the foul line, plating Noland for a 4-1 Commodore advantage.

Swing. Stomp. Six-Run Lead.

Jayson Gonzalez's three-run home run in the bottom of the first capped the Commodore scoring barrage.

Seven-Run First

Vanderbilt's outburst in the first inning marked the fourth time a team reached the seven-run plateau in an inning in a College World Series Finals game.

Two of those four instances have been by Vanderbilt, which had a nine-run inning against Virginia in 2014.

Leiter Bounces Back

After allowing the home run in the first, Leiter retired seven straight, including five via the strikeout.

Avoiding Trouble

Leiter worked his way out of potential trouble in the fifth, when Mississippi State got a leadoff walk and had a full count to the second batter of the frame, Lane Forsythe, but Leiter induced a Forsythe double play.

Caught.

Thomas went full extension in foul territory for the first out of the top of the sixth.

Leiter Fuel

Leiter stranded a pair in the top of the sixth with a fielder's choice to finish his evening.

Maldonado Solid for Three

Nick Maldonado entered for Leiter in the seventh and retired the first six batters he faced before working around two singles in the ninth to seal the victory.

We Love Free Bases

Vanderbilt cashed in on a leadoff walk to Gonzalez in the bottom of the seventh for an 8-2 advantage.

Five of the Commodores' runs were scored by individuals who were walked or hit by a pitch in the inning.

Station to Station and Score

Gonzalez led off with a walk, moved to second on a Bradfield Jr. bunt and scored on Carter Young's single up the middle.

Winning by More Than Four

Until tonight, since TD Ameritrade Park Omaha opened in 2011, no College World Series finals game one had been decided by more than four runs.

Corbin Reaches 20 CWS Wins

Head coach Tim Corbin won his 20th College World Series game, tying Texas' Bibb Falk for the 12th most in CWS history.

One Down. One to Go.

Vanderbilt will play for the program's third national championship Tuesday night and the sixth in Commodore athletics history (baseball/2014 & 2019; bowling 2007 & 2018; women’s tennis/2015).