Longest active NCAA Tournament streak officially ends in 2026
By David Wasson
Published:
The Vanderbilt baseball team officially learned it would be out of the 2026 NCAA Baseball Tournament on Monday, ending the longest active streak in the country at 19 consecutive years.
The Commodores finished 33-25 overall and 14-16 in the SEC, putting their hopes squarely on the bubble heading into Monday’s selection show. Instead of being chosen for the 64-team field, Vanderbilt instead saw the longest streak in SEC history come to an end.
Two other 10-plus-year streaks, Dallas Baptist and LSU, also did not make the bracket.
Vanderbilt tried to make a late push for inclusion, including a three-game sweep of South Carolina to close the regular season and a first-round SEC Tournament victory against Kentucky. But the Commodores fell 8-3 to then-No. 18 Florida in the second round to put their hopes in the hands of the selection committee.
Braden Holcomb led the Commodores with a .352 batting average along with a team-best 19 doubles and team-best 54 RBIs. Brodie Johnston and Mike Mancini tied for the team lead with 15 home runs, with Holcomb swatting 14 homers and Tommy Goodin adding 12 homers.
Interested in prediction markets? Check out our guide to where Kalshi is legal!
An APSE national award-winning writer and editor, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
