Vanderbilt is doing their part to keep up in the loaded SEC, snagging a commitment from second baseman Mike Mancini out of James Madison in the transfer portal on Monday.
Mancini exploded as a sophomore for the Dukes this past season, slashing .329/.419/.587 with 15 home runs, 49 RBI, and 29 stolen bases. He was the 70th ranked player in the transfer portal according to 64 Analytics.
Mancini is perhaps most known for hitting a combined four home runs on one day against South Carolina and NC State in the Raleigh Regional this past season.
The 20-year-old also hit well in the Appalachian League in 2023 – slashing .318/.438/.424 – although he is struggling a bit with Orleans in the Cape Cod League this summer.
Vanderbilt has solid infield depth but was lacking power and speed in a big way last season, and in an extremely deep SEC that resulted in a 13-17 record in conference play and a fourth place finish in the East behind Tennessee, Kentucky, and Georgia.