NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Seven Commodores heard their names called in the 2025 MLB Draft this week, highlighted by three Dores selected in the first three rounds.

LHP JD Thompson, Milwaukee Brewers – Round 2, Pick 59
UTL RJ Austin, Baltimore Orioles – Round 3, Pick 93
RHP Cody Bowker, Philadelphia Phillies – Round 3, Pick 100
INF Riley Nelson, Cleveland Guardians – Round 5, Pick 162
RHP Sawyer Hawks, Arizona Diamondbacks – Round 6, Pick 183
LHP Levi Huesman, Washington Nationals – Round 16, Pick 471
INF Jonathan Vastine, San Diego Padres – Round 19, Pick 580

JD Thompson was the first Commodore selected in this year’s draft, going in the second round to the Milwaukee Brewers with the 59th pick.

Thompson totaled 164.0 innings over the past three seasons at Vandy, recording 219 strikeouts to just 61 walks. The southpaw earned six wins this spring and led all Commodores with 122 strikeouts. He was named Preseason All-America (D1Baseball) and Preseason All-SEC after a breakout sophomore campaign during which he was named to the ABCA/Rawlings All-Southeast Region Team.

RJ Austin was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles with the 93rd pick in the third round. Austin became the fifth Commodore to win a Gold Glove after putting up some of the nation’s best defensive stats in center field this season, totaling nearly 10 defensive runs saved. The Georgia native tallied six outfield assists and made nearly 140 putouts while committing just two errors. The junior also earned SEC All-Tournament Team and All-Defensive Team honors.

In three seasons, Austin hit .283 with 14 homers, 139 RBI, 40 doubles and six triples. He stole 54 bases and totaled 134 runs scored.

Cody Bowker was selected shortly after Austin as the Philadelphia Phillies drafted the righty with the 100th overall pick in the third round. Bowker registered 99 strikeouts over 72.0 innings for the Dores this season. He earned the win with 4.0 shutout innings vs. #21 Tennessee at the SEC Tournament. Bowker went 6.0 scoreless innings vs. Xavier on March 9, totaling 10 strikeouts with just one hit allowed. He didn’t allow a hit and struck out six over 5.0 scoreless innings vs. Saint Mary’s on Feb. 23 and threw 4.0 scoreless innings with six strikeouts in his Vandy debut vs. UC Irvine on Feb. 16.

Riley Nelson was selected by the Cleveland Guardians in the fifth round with the 162nd overall pick on Day 2 of the draft. Nelson led the Commodores in hitting this spring with a .344 average, the highest by a Dore since Dom Keegan hit .371 in 2022.

Nelson made the SEC All-Tournament Team and finished his junior campaign with eight homers, 47 RBI and 13 doubles. His 47 RBI ranked second on the team. Nelson was even better in conference action, registering a .366 average, fourth-best in the conference. He also hit six of his home runs against SEC opponents and drove in 22 runs.

Sawyer Hawks was next off the board as the Arizona Diamondbacks selected the righty with the 183rd pick in the sixth round. Hawks finished the 2025 campaign with a 4-0 record and a 1.60 ERA over 18 appearances. He held opposing hitters to a .167 average and totaled 59 strikeouts to 11 walks.

The senior was named Second Team All-SEC after finishing the regular season with the league’s lowest ERA among pitchers with at least six games played. He ranked sixth in the SEC in saves during the regular season. Five of his six saves came in SEC games. He earned All-America honors from D1Baseball, Perfect Game and the NCBWA and was named a finalist for the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Award.

Levi Huesman was taken in the 16th round by the Washington Nationals with the 471st overall pick. The southpaw made 18 appearance for the Dores this season, finishing with a 2.81 ERA and 20 strikeouts to four walks. Huesman held opposing hitters to a .228 average and allowed just five runs over 16.0 innings.

The San Diego Padres drafted Jonathan Vastine with the 580th pick in the 19th round. The senior shortstop played more than 200 games for Vandy, hitting .279 for his career with 24 home runs, five triples, 44 doubles and 117 RBI. Defensively, Vastine ranked among college baseball’s best shortstops. He made just 18 errors in four seasons for a career fielding percentage of .970. His .981 fielding percentage in 2025 was a career-best as he committed only three errors in 60 games. Vastine was named to the 2025 Midseason Watch List for the Brooks Wallace Award, recognizing the top shortstops in NCAA.

There have been multiple Commodores taken in every draft since 2004 with six or more players being selected in five consecutive drafts. All-time, Vanderbilt has more than 200 players selected including an NCAA-leading 158 since 2004.