HOOVER, Ala. ― Riley Nelson got his first taste of the Vanderbilt-Tennessee baseball rivalry this season.
Nelson, a native of Trophy Club, Texas, who transferred from Yavapai College in Arizona, had no ties to the state of Tennessee before joining the Commodores, but he helped them win their third game over the Vols this season, 10-0, in the SEC tournament semifinals.
“We don’t like those guys, they don’t like us,” Nelson said after the May 24 contest. “I think it’s the best rivalry in college baseball right now. If you’re a young kid getting recruited by both of these schools, I think you know which school you should choose.”
Vanderbilt (41-16) had 13 hits, including two from Nelson, in the seven-inning, run-rule win. Nelson increased his batting average to a team-leading .366.
The Commodores had earlier won the series against Tennessee in Knoxville, their first series win against the Vols since 2021.
Vanderbilt will face LSU or Ole Miss in the title game on May 25 (2 p.m. CT, ESPN2).
Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. Contact her at agerson@gannett.com or on X, formerly Twitter, @aria_gerson.
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