Photo by Jim Weatherford
Vanderbilt was already fighting for its postseason life Friday night – and then the fog rolled in.
The Commodores, sitting at No. 68 in the RPI standings, trailed Missouri 7-6 in the top of the ninth with two outs and two runners on when Braden Holcomb stepped to the plate. What happened next has become one of the stranger moments of the 2026 college baseball season.
Holcomb appeared to hit a go-ahead three-run home run. The Trackman data said it was a home run. A fan in the crowd caught the ball – past the right field fence. The umpires, however, saw none of it.
Thick fog had settled over the field, and the crew admitted they simply never saw the ball clear the fence.
THIS IS WILD.
Vanderbilt hit, according to them a go ahead HR, according to Mizzou a ground-rule double. According to the trackman data, it was a HR, but umpires after review rule it a ground rule double. Game suspended, to be resumed tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/VR0ViaBKDi
— 11Point7 College Baseball (@11point7) May 9, 2026
That’s a fan speaking to Vandy on SI – someone who, by that point, was already holding the ball as evidence.
Umpires Rule Ground Rule Double Despite Trackman Data
Rather than award the home run, umpires ruled the play a ground rule double. Holcomb was sent to second base, and the score reverted to 7-7 instead of Vanderbilt leading 9-6. The Commodores’ potential three-run swing was wiped out entirely.
Holcomb didn’t hold back on X.
no. 100% positive that ball went over the fence. https://t.co/ktnmd7hE9b
— Braden Holcomb (@bradenholcomb11) May 9, 2026
Shortly after the ruling, umpires suspended the game due to weather – adding yet another layer to an already messy night that had already seen a nearly three-hour delay before the ninth inning even began.
The game is set to resume Saturday, though the bigger question is where it picks back up. If the ground rule double stands, Missouri and Vanderbilt restart tied at 7-7. If the ruling is somehow overturned, the Commodores would be leading 9-6.
For a Vanderbilt program on the bubble of the 2026 NCAA tournament, the difference between those two outcomes couldn’t be much larger.
