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Photo by Jon Anderson
The Vanderbilt Commodores celebrate winning the 2025 SEC Baseball Tournament at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama, on Sunday, May 25, 2025.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
The Vanderbilt Commodores celebrate winning the 2025 SEC Baseball Tournament at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama, on Sunday, May 25, 2025.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey presents Vanderbitl baseball coach Tim Corbin with the championship trophy for winning the 2025 SEC Baseball Tournament at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama, on Sunday, May 25, 2025.
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Vanderbilt takes on Ole Miss in the 2025 SEC Baseball Tournament championship game at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama, on Sunday, May 25, 2025.
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Jackson and Cole Pitts and their children, Nolan and Lainey, of Hernando, Mississippi, at the 2025 SEC Baseball Tournament championship game at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama, on Sunday, May 25, 2025.
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Fans make their way into Hoover Metropolitan Stadium for the 2025 SEC Baseball Tournament championship game in Hoover, Alabama, on Sunday, May 25, 2025.
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Fans get their picture taken with a giant baseball outside Hoover Metropolitan Stadium on the day of the 2025 SEC Baseball Tournament championship game in Hoover, Alabama, on Sunday, May 25, 2025.
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Vanderbilt takes on Ole Miss in the 2025 SEC Baseball Tournament championship game at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama, on Sunday, May 25, 2025.
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Charlie Beth Corley of Helena shows off the foul ball she got at the 2025 SEC Baseball Tournament championship game at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama, on Sunday, May 25, 2025. With her are her parents, Alex and Katie, and sister, Maren.
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Fans watch a fly ball at the 2025 SEC Baseball Tournament championship game at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama, on Sunday, May 25, 2025.
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Fans pose for a photo in the new right field fan area at the 2025 SEC Baseball Tournament championship game at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama, on Sunday, May 25, 2025. From left are: Ray and Ashlety Laughter of Olive Branch, Mississippi; Marilyn DeLoach of Hoover, Alabama; and Angela and Scott Orman of New Albany, Mississippi.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Fans watch the 2025 SEC Baseball Tournament championship game from the new right field fan area at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama, on Sunday, May 25, 2025.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Vanderbilt takes on Ole Miss in the 2025 SEC Baseball Tournament championship game at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama, on Sunday, May 25, 2025.
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The new Omaha Club seating and hospitality area at the 2025 SEC Baseball Tournament championship game at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama, on Sunday, May 25, 2025.
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Fans sit in the Omaha Club seating area at the 2025 SEC Baseball Tournament championship game at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama, on Sunday, May 25, 2025.
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People mingle and get food in the new Omaha Club area at the 2025 SEC Baseball Tournament championship game at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama, on Sunday, May 25, 2025.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Fans make their way into Hoover Metropolitan Stadium for the 2025 SEC Baseball Tournament championship game in Hoover, Alabama, on Sunday, May 25, 2025.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Fans make way to the 2025 SEC Baseball Tournament championship game at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama, on Sunday, May 25, 2025.
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Fans make their way past the Finley Center to Hoover Metropolitan Stadium for the 2025 SEC Baseball Tournament championship game in Hoover, Alabama, on Sunday, May 25, 2025.
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A ferris wheel is set up outside Hoover Metropolitan Stadium on the day of the 2025 SEC Baseball Tournament championship game in Hoover, Alabama, on Sunday, May 25, 2025.
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Vanderbilt takes on Ole Miss in the 2025 SEC Baseball Tournament championship game at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama, on Sunday, May 25, 2025.
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Fans fill the seats at the 2025 SEC Baseball Tournament championship game at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama, on Sunday, May 25, 2025.
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The bracket for the 2025 SEC Baseball Tournament at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama, on Sunday, May 25, 2025.
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Zach Mosayebi and his children, Jacob, Ellie and Ava, of Brentwood, Tennessee, watch the 2025 SEC Baseball Tournament championship game at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama, on Sunday, May 25, 2025.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Fans watch the 2025 SEC Baseball Tournament championship game from the new right field fan area at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama, on Sunday, May 25, 2025.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Fans watch the 2025 SEC Baseball Tournament championship game from the new right field fan area at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama, on Sunday, May 25, 2025.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Fans watch the 2025 SEC Baseball Tournament championship game from the new right field fan area at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama, on Sunday, May 25, 2025.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Fans watch the 2025 SEC Baseball Tournament championship game from the new right field fan area at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama, on Sunday, May 25, 2025.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Vanderbilt takes on Ole Miss in the 2025 SEC Baseball Tournament championship game at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama, on Sunday, May 25, 2025.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
People watch the 2025 SEC Baseball Tournament championship game at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama, on Sunday, May 25, 2025.
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Vanderbilt takes on Ole Miss in the 2025 SEC Baseball Tournament championship game at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama, on Sunday, May 25, 2025.
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Malloree Grimes of Nashville, Tennessee, and Bethany and Will Rackley of Alexandria, Tennessee, watch the 2025 SEC Baseball Tournament championship game at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama, on Sunday, May 25, 2025.
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Fans dance to music in between innings at the 2025 SEC Baseball Tournament championship game at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama, on Sunday, May 25, 2025.
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Mia Westmoreland of Oxford, Mississippi, grabs some funnel cakes at the 2025 SEC Baseball Tournament championship game at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama, on Sunday, May 25, 2025.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
The Vanderbilt Commodores celebrate winning the 2025 SEC Baseball Tournament at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama, on Sunday, May 25, 2025.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
The Vanderbilt Commodores celebrate winning the 2025 SEC Baseball Tournament at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama, on Sunday, May 25, 2025.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
The Vanderbilt Commodores celebrate winning the 2025 SEC Baseball Tournament at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama, on Sunday, May 25, 2025.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
The Vanderbilt Commodores celebrate winning the 2025 SEC Baseball Tournament at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama, on Sunday, May 25, 2025.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey congratulates Ole Miss junior Judd Utermark on making 2025 SEC Baseball Tournament all-tournament team at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama, on Sunday, May 25, 2025.
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SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey presents Vanderbilt third baseman Brodie Johnston with the Most Valuable Player award for the 2025 SEC Baseball Tournament. Johnston went two for four in the championship game on Sunday, May 25, 2025, hitting a 2-run homerun in the first inning.
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SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey presents Vanderbilt third baseman Brodie Johnston with the Most Valuable Player award for the 2025 SEC Baseball Tournament. Johnston went two for four in the championship game on Sunday, May 25, 2025, hitting a 2-run homerun in the first inning.
A new era of SEC Baseball Tournament action came to an end Sunday with Vanderbilt taking home the championship trophy with a 3-2 win over the Ole Miss Rebels.
With a new tournament format that included all 16 SEC teams and up to two rounds of byes for the top teams, Vandy had to play just three games to win the 2025 SEC tournament. The Commodores defeated Oklahoma 6-1 on Thursday, then shut out Tennessee 10-0 on Saturday before claiming the top prize Sunday.
Attendance at the six-day tournament was 159,984 people. That’s more than 20,000 fewer people than last year’s record attendance of 180,004, but there were two fewer games this year. The average game attendance was up slightly from 10,588 last year to 10,666 this year, according to SEC officials. Two more games with that level of attendance would have pushed total attendance to 181,316.
Vanderbilt Coach Tim Corbin said he initially wasn’t sure what to think about the new tournament format.
“My concern at the meeting when we were talking about it was the crowds. The crowds were outstanding,” Corbin said.It works really well for the top four seeded teams because they get to skip the first two rounds, he said.
Corbin said he has a tremendous amount of gratitude for the SEC Baseball Tournament.
“To think that we're in this conference and playing baseball at this level with people that care, people that care about watching you — There's not a conference tournament in the country that comes close to this,” Corbin said. “So we're fortunate. We're fortunate people.”
Corbin said this is one of the best defensive teams Vanderbilt has ever had and he was proud to see them win the tournament.
“That is very special because this is a very demanding league and very tough,” he said. “These guys have been a mature team. They will handle this in the way they need to handle it. They want to have fun in doing all of this, but we've got a lot of baseball ahead of us, and we can't wait to play.”
Vanderbilt junior R.J. Austin said playing in the SEC Baseball Tournament is special because the SEC is one of the best conferences in the country.
“It’s going to be great games,” he said. “And you've got to learn how to play tournaments in order to get ready for the Regional and Super Regional and Omaha — stuff like that. I think this tournament was a great start for us and just a great opportunity for us, and just glad that we got to come out here with a big win.”
Ole Miss coach Mike Bianco said he initially was a little nervous about the new tournament format, but the crowds turned out great.
He agrees that the top teams of the SEC deserve a little break at the beginning of the tournament because getting through the 10-week period of regular season SEC play is such a gauntlet. He thought the tournament ended up a success.
“We've been here since Wednesday and played in four really, really good college baseball games,” Bianco said. “First three we ended up on the right side of the board. This one we didn't. So I thought both teams played their hearts out for a trophy, the best in the league, in the country. Unfortunately, we came up a little short. Certainly I'm really proud of our guys, not just for today but the way we played this week, and really in the last few weeks and really have played some good baseball, and we feel we're in a good spot heading into next week. Leaving here without that trophy leaves a little bitter taste in your mouth, [but I] feel really good about our club. We'll get over this. We'll shower well, and we'll be ready for next weekend.”
This also was the first year for some new fan spaces at the tournament. There was a new Omaha Club area on the third base side that included an air-conditioned room with views of the tournament and food and drinks, and there also was a new fan area behind the right field fence, next to one of the bullpens.
Ole Miss fan Ray Laughter and his wife, Ashley, from Olive Branch, Mississippi, were among those taking advantage of the right field fan area, and he said he loved it.
“This is a great experience. You’re part of the game,” he said, noting they got to talk to the centerfielder some.
Laughter said he formerly came to the SEC tournament a lot but had not been the last eight years. He loved the improvements at the stadium and the hospitality.
“The people of Hoover are absolutely awesome — so hospitable. It’s always a great experience,” he said.
When he comes, he stays at the RV Park next door and loves the atmosphere there.
“It really doesn’t matter what team you affiliate with,” he said. “If you want some jumbalaya, find the LSU fans. … Even the LSU fans gave us a cigar. … We hope they never try to move it from Hoover. This is the best place.”
