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The SEC baseball regular season is over and attention turns to the conference tournament in Hoover, Alabama. For the first time, the tournament will be single-elimination with all 16 teams participating.
At least 12, and likely 13, SEC teams will receive bids to the NCAA tournament, which would break the SEC's own record of 11 teams set last season.
Here's how every team's postseason stock shakes out with hosting, national seeds and the regional bubble.
Record: 43-12 (20-10)
Last week: 2
Arkansas finished out its season with a series win over Tennessee and looks like the most complete team in the SEC despite some inconsistencies to finish out the season and should receive a top-three national seed.
MORE ON ARKANSAS Three takeaways as Arkansas baseball wins weekend series over Tennessee
Record: 42-11 (22-8)
Last week: 3
Texas won the SEC by two games but faded a bit down the stretch after losing ace Jared Spencer, but Dylan Volantis continues to be a trump card. The Longhorns still figure to be the No. 1 overall seed.
Record: 39-16 (19-11)
Last week: 4
Vanderbilt won 12 of its final 16 SEC games to finish as one of the conference's hottest teams. The Commodores hit 27 home runs in their final 16 SEC games after hitting just 13 in their first 14 games to cruise to a near-certain national seed.
MORE ON VANDERBILT Walk-off wins showcase Vanderbilt baseball's turnaround in sweep of Kentucky
Record: 42-13 (19-11)
Last week: 1
LSU boats the conference's best starting pitching duo in Kade Anderson and Anthony Eyanson, but the Tigers are often let down by a bullpen that struggles to throw strikes. With the No. 8 RPI, this is likely a national seed.
Record: 42-14 (18-12)
Last week: 7
Georgia has the No. 1 RPI, but in reality the Bulldogs finished their season 8-11 after a 10-1 start. They are likely a national seed but will be below several other SEC teams in the pecking order.
Record: 38-17 (17-13)
Last week: 5
Auburn played the No. 1 overall strength of schedule and Ike Irish could very well be the SEC Player of the Year. With a No. 2 RPI, the Tigers are still in contention for a national seed, but a 7-11 road record is a problem.
MORE ON AUBURN Dissecting what went wrong in Auburn baseball's series loss at No. 25 Ole Miss
Record: 37-18 (16-14)
Last week: 10
Ole Miss played the most Quadrant 1 games of anyone in the country with 30, and went above .500 in those games. After missing a regional the last two years, the Rebels have a shot to host if they do well in Hoover.
Record: 41-15 (16-14)
Last week: 6
Tennessee won just four of its 10 SEC series and lost each of its last five series, with its most recent win coming over Ole Miss in mid-April. But the Vols didn't get swept, which helps keep them in the hosting mix.
Record: 40-15 (16-14)
Last week: 8
Alabama, like Tennessee, won just four of its 10 SEC series but avoided getting swept. Kade Snell was quietly one of the SEC's best players but the pitching struggled. At No. 9 in RPI, the Crimson Tide have a better hosting case than several other borderline candidates.
Record: 37-19 (15-15)
Last week: 9
Florida's 15-15 record and sparkling No. 13 RPI conceals the fact that Florida was just 9-15 against SEC teams that were not South Carolina or Missouri, tied for the worst record among SEC teams likely to make the NCAA tournament.
Record: 34-20 (15-15)
Last week: 11
Mississippi State did well to finish the season strong after the firing of coach Chris Lemonis. The Bulldogs have strong pitching and offense but have been held back by their defense all season. Mississippi State is a near-certain 2-seed.
MORE ON MISSISSIPPI STATE What we learned from Mississippi State baseball, Ace Reese in lopsided series sweep at Missouri
Record: 33-19 (14-16)
Last week: 13
Oklahoma lost three of its last four series to finish 12th in the SEC in its first season in the conference. The Sooners need more oomph out of their offense than they've gotten to be competitive in the postseason.
Record: 29-23 (13-17)
Last week: 12
Kentucky found a particularly brutal way to get swept after walk-off losses in both the first two games of its series with Vanderbilt. Now, it's hard to be sure the Wildcats are safely in the NCAA tournament with a mid-30s RPI.
Record: 28-25 (11-19)
Last week: 13
Without winning the SEC tournament, the Aggies will not qualify for a regional, a stunning fall from grace for the preseason No. 1.
Record: 28-28 (6-24)
Last week: 16
Paul Mainieri managed to win a game against his old team, LSU, but will it be enough to keep his job?
Record: 16-38 (3-27)
Last week: 15
Since the SEC went to a 30-game schedule in 1993, no team had ever won fewer than four conference games until Missouri did it, but the Tigers did avoid becoming the first team to lose 10 SEC series.
Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. Contact her at [email protected] or on X, formerly Twitter, @aria_gerson.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: SEC baseball power rankings: Evaluating NCAA tournament, hosting stock
Continue reading...
At least 12, and likely 13, SEC teams will receive bids to the NCAA tournament, which would break the SEC's own record of 11 teams set last season.
Here's how every team's postseason stock shakes out with hosting, national seeds and the regional bubble.
1. Arkansas
Record: 43-12 (20-10)
Last week: 2
Arkansas finished out its season with a series win over Tennessee and looks like the most complete team in the SEC despite some inconsistencies to finish out the season and should receive a top-three national seed.
MORE ON ARKANSAS Three takeaways as Arkansas baseball wins weekend series over Tennessee
2. Texas
Record: 42-11 (22-8)
Last week: 3
Texas won the SEC by two games but faded a bit down the stretch after losing ace Jared Spencer, but Dylan Volantis continues to be a trump card. The Longhorns still figure to be the No. 1 overall seed.
3. Vanderbilt
Record: 39-16 (19-11)
Last week: 4
Vanderbilt won 12 of its final 16 SEC games to finish as one of the conference's hottest teams. The Commodores hit 27 home runs in their final 16 SEC games after hitting just 13 in their first 14 games to cruise to a near-certain national seed.
MORE ON VANDERBILT Walk-off wins showcase Vanderbilt baseball's turnaround in sweep of Kentucky
4. LSU
Record: 42-13 (19-11)
Last week: 1
LSU boats the conference's best starting pitching duo in Kade Anderson and Anthony Eyanson, but the Tigers are often let down by a bullpen that struggles to throw strikes. With the No. 8 RPI, this is likely a national seed.
5. Georgia
Record: 42-14 (18-12)
Last week: 7
Georgia has the No. 1 RPI, but in reality the Bulldogs finished their season 8-11 after a 10-1 start. They are likely a national seed but will be below several other SEC teams in the pecking order.
6. Auburn
Record: 38-17 (17-13)
Last week: 5
Auburn played the No. 1 overall strength of schedule and Ike Irish could very well be the SEC Player of the Year. With a No. 2 RPI, the Tigers are still in contention for a national seed, but a 7-11 road record is a problem.
MORE ON AUBURN Dissecting what went wrong in Auburn baseball's series loss at No. 25 Ole Miss
7. Ole Miss
Record: 37-18 (16-14)
Last week: 10
Ole Miss played the most Quadrant 1 games of anyone in the country with 30, and went above .500 in those games. After missing a regional the last two years, the Rebels have a shot to host if they do well in Hoover.
8. Tennessee
Record: 41-15 (16-14)
Last week: 6
Tennessee won just four of its 10 SEC series and lost each of its last five series, with its most recent win coming over Ole Miss in mid-April. But the Vols didn't get swept, which helps keep them in the hosting mix.
9. Alabama
Record: 40-15 (16-14)
Last week: 8
Alabama, like Tennessee, won just four of its 10 SEC series but avoided getting swept. Kade Snell was quietly one of the SEC's best players but the pitching struggled. At No. 9 in RPI, the Crimson Tide have a better hosting case than several other borderline candidates.
10. Florida
Record: 37-19 (15-15)
Last week: 9
Florida's 15-15 record and sparkling No. 13 RPI conceals the fact that Florida was just 9-15 against SEC teams that were not South Carolina or Missouri, tied for the worst record among SEC teams likely to make the NCAA tournament.
11. Mississippi State
Record: 34-20 (15-15)
Last week: 11
Mississippi State did well to finish the season strong after the firing of coach Chris Lemonis. The Bulldogs have strong pitching and offense but have been held back by their defense all season. Mississippi State is a near-certain 2-seed.
MORE ON MISSISSIPPI STATE What we learned from Mississippi State baseball, Ace Reese in lopsided series sweep at Missouri
12. Oklahoma
Record: 33-19 (14-16)
Last week: 13
Oklahoma lost three of its last four series to finish 12th in the SEC in its first season in the conference. The Sooners need more oomph out of their offense than they've gotten to be competitive in the postseason.
13. Kentucky
Record: 29-23 (13-17)
Last week: 12
Kentucky found a particularly brutal way to get swept after walk-off losses in both the first two games of its series with Vanderbilt. Now, it's hard to be sure the Wildcats are safely in the NCAA tournament with a mid-30s RPI.
14. Texas A&M
Record: 28-25 (11-19)
Last week: 13
Without winning the SEC tournament, the Aggies will not qualify for a regional, a stunning fall from grace for the preseason No. 1.
15. South Carolina
Record: 28-28 (6-24)
Last week: 16
Paul Mainieri managed to win a game against his old team, LSU, but will it be enough to keep his job?
16. Missouri
Record: 16-38 (3-27)
Last week: 15
Since the SEC went to a 30-game schedule in 1993, no team had ever won fewer than four conference games until Missouri did it, but the Tigers did avoid becoming the first team to lose 10 SEC series.
Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. Contact her at [email protected] or on X, formerly Twitter, @aria_gerson.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: SEC baseball power rankings: Evaluating NCAA tournament, hosting stock
Continue reading...
