NASHVILLE, Tenn. — In an unexpected turn of events at the NCAA Tournament, the Wright State baseball team defeated the top-seeded Vanderbilt Commodores with a 5-4 victory in the Nashville Regional on Sunday. Griffen Paige pitched a remarkable game, allowing just two runs on one hit over more than eight innings to help his team advance. This game marked a significant upset as the Commodores (43-18) became the first No. 1 national seed not to reach their regional final since 1999.
Wright State, looked to challenge Louisville later that evening and needed to secure victories both in that encounter and the following Monday matchup to make it to a super regional for the first time in their history. Paige, demonstrating poise under pressure, worked through 113 pitches, accommodating six walks and striking out two batters. His only major mistake was allowing Brodie Johnston’s home run in the second inning.
Reflecting on his performance, Paige expressed his determination to take the game one pitch at a time, emphasizing the significance it had for him. He began the ninth inning but issued a walk that added tension to the final moments of the game. Max Whitesell loaded the bases with another walk, which prompted the entry of Warren Hartzell. Hartzell, previously allowing three homers in an earlier loss to Vanderbilt, managed to hold his nerve, inducing a pop-out for the second out.
Mike Mancini then hit a single to shrink Wright State’s lead to 5-3, sparking hopes of a comeback. Rustan Rigdon followed with a deep drive to right-center, resulting in a ground-rule double when the ball bounced over the fence. This prevented the tying run from scoring, as Mancini had to return to third base. Ultimately, RJ Austin’s fly out sealed the win for Wright State.
On the offensive front, Austin Nye struggled, facing only seven batters. Two of those at-bats resulted in consecutive home runs by Boston Smith and Luke Arnold, giving the Raiders an early 4-0 lead in the first inning. This loss marks another disappointment for a national seed as Vanderbilt joins the ranks of other top seeds ousted early in the tournament, a feat last occurring with UCLA in 2015.