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(Photo by Carly Mackler/Getty Images)
For the first time in the super regional era, the No. 1 national seed will not appear in its own regional final.
Vanderbilt, the top overall seed in the 2025 NCAA Tournament, was eliminated from the Nashville Regional on Sunday afternoon in a stunning 5-4 loss to Wright State. The result underscores the volatility of a tournament that, so far, has belonged to mid-major programs.
Wright State, a perennial Horizon League power, will face Louisville in Sunday night’s regional final. The Raiders must win twice to advance to next week’s super regional round against the Hattiesburg Regional winner.
The upset was built on a dominant outing from Wright State righthander Griffen Paige, who allowed just two runs on one hit across eight innings while navigating Vanderbilt’s lineup with precision. Offensively, catcher Boston Smith and shortstop Luke Arnold delivered key blows with home runs that staked the Raiders to an early lead.
Vanderbilt’s offense, largely silent through eight innings, mounted a late push in the ninth, scoring three runs to cut the deficit to one. The Commodores loaded the bases with two outs, but a game-tying run was left stranded on third base when reliever Warren Hartzell induced a flyout to right to end it.
Vanderbilt became the fourth regional host eliminated before its final, joining Oregon, Clemson and Georgia. Oregon’s season ended on Saturday after a winless showing in the Eugene Regional, while Clemson and Georgia were eliminated by Kentucky and Oklahoma State, respectively.
The early exits of national seeds have been part of a broader tournament shake-up, headlined by mid-majors. Four No. 4 seeds recorded opening-night wins—the most in a single tournament since 2008. Murray State beat Ole Miss 9-6, Utah Valley edged Oregon 6-5, Saint Mary’s topped Oregon State 6-4 and Columbia stunned Southern Miss 11-4 on Friday night.
It has also been a challenging start for the Southeastern Conference, which entered the postseason with a record 13 bids. Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Vanderbilt have already been eliminated, while Texas, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Mississippi State and Ole Miss remain in precarious positions entering Sunday night games.
The result in Nashville marks a particularly bitter end for a Vanderbilt team that had surged late to claim the SEC Tournament title and entered the field as the No. 1 overall seed.
For Wright State, Sunday’s win extends a season of giant-slaying dreams. The Raiders now have a shot to reach the super regional round for the first time in program history.
Regardless of what happens next, head coach Alex Sogard, 37, is likely to be one of the hottest names on the coaching market this offseason.
