The Vanderbilt Commodores have become one of college baseball’s true powers the past several years.
Part of remaining a national power is being able to recruit and develop talent that stays in Nashville for multiple seasons. Some of that talent develops quickly, some of it develops more slowly.
For left-handed pitcher Ethan McElvain, his development may start to accelerate this season.
Perfect Game ranked the Top 100 sophomores in college baseball entering the season and he came in at No. 24.
McElvain showed plenty of promise during his 11 appearances (four starts) last season. He went 1-2 but kept his ERA at a manageable 3.24. He struck out 29 and walked 15 in just 25 innings.
He claimed that win against LSU, as he threw 3.1 scoreless innings and struck out four Tigers. He also had quality shutout stretches against Belmont (four innings) and Gonzaga (three innings).
Vandy coach Tim Corbin believes that McElvain’s impact is coming soon, calling him a “bull on the mound.”
“He is very intentful with everything that he does,” Corbin said in a quote on his player bio page. “His care level is high and his will to win is right there with it.”
He’s not that far removed from Nolensville High School in Thompson’s Station, Tenn., where he went 9-0 with a 0.92 ERA and 110 strikeouts during his senior season. He was the 2023 Wilco Baseball Player of the Year.
He was also a three-time All-State player and a finalist for Mr. Baseball in 2021. Coming out of school he was Perfect Game’s No. 1 prospect in Tennessee, the country’s No. 5 left-handed pitcher and the No. 49 overall prospect.
He’s hoping to be a piece of the puzzle that gets Vanderbilt closer to returning to the Men’s College World Series.
The Commodores went 38-23 last year, with a 13-17 record in the SEC. Vanderbilt made a deep run in the SEC Tournament before losing to Tennessee. They were eliminated at the Clemson Regional, losing both games.
Earlier this week, Perfect Game named Vanderbilt shortstop Jonathan Vastine as the best senior in college baseball entering the 2025 campaign.
Vanderbilt is a two-time national champion, having claimed the Men’s College World Series in both 2014 and 2019. The Commodores were also runners-up in 2015 and 2021 and have been to Omaha five times since 2011.
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