​Matt Conte, the Wake Forest catcher who joined Vanderbilt as a transfer, has withdrawn his name from the 2026 MLB Draft and will play for the Commodores next season, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Tennessean on July 10. Conte is a draft-eligible sophomore.
During his 2026 season with the Demon Deacons, Conte hit .274, collecting 12 doubles, two triples, and 12 homers. He served as the team’s primary catcher, starting 35 games at the position and working with a staff featuring power arms behind the plate. With that exposure, he is viewed as Vanderbilt’s likely everyday catcher moving forward.
Baseball America had Conte ranked as the No. 304 prospect in the draft, which would correspond to roughly a 10th-round selection. However, by withdrawing from the draft, Conte will no longer be eligible to be chosen in 2026. He was also listed as the No. 21 transfer in Baseball America’s portal rankings.
Vanderbilt has two other transfer commits who are draft eligible—Domonic Monaco, a left-handed pitcher from Western Kentucky, and Niko Brini, an outfielder from Wofford—but neither is expected to hear his name called on draft night. The Commodores also have several current players and high school signees who could be selected when the draft begins on July 11.
Conte is not the only Vanderbilt player to watch ahead of the draft, as several Commodores’ prospects across positions are positioned for potential selections. The article notes that Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean; she can be reached at agerson@gannett.com or on X @aria_gerson.
This report originated with Nashville Tennessean coverage of Matt Conte’s decision to withdraw from the 2026 MLB Draft in pursuit of continuing his collegiate career at Vanderbilt. The piece is part of The Tennessean’s ongoing coverage of Vanderbilt athletics and recruiting.