Gavin Lauridsen, Southern Cal transfer pitcher, commits to Vanderbilt baseball

Gavin Lauridsen, a transfer pitcher from Southern Cal, committed to Vanderbilt baseball.Lauridsen, who made the announcement on social media, was a freshman in 2026. He finished fifth on the team with 45⅔ innings.

He was 3-1, with a 4.73 ERA and three saves, striking out 40 and walking 27.Lauridsen's fastball has been up to 96 mph and shows both a curveball and changeup, but to see a significant role with the Commodores, he will need to throw more strikes and miss more bats.

He should be another young pitcher on the staff with upside but who isn't a sure thing, along with returners like Connor Hamilton, Tyler Baird, Wyatt Nadeau and Aiden Stillman.In 2026, Vanderbilt missed the NCAA Tournament after putting up a team ERA of 5.23.

Its 4.9 walks per nine innings were the third-worst in the SEC, and its pitchers were second in the SEC in hit batters.Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean.

Contact her at agerson@gannett.com or on X @aria_gerson.This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Gavin Lauridsen, Southern Cal transfer pitcher, commits to Vanderbilt baseball