Week 7 review
Alabama
The University of Alabama baseball team picked up a pair of wins over Texas A&M last weekend in Tuscaloosa. The third game of the series was cancelled due to bad weather and will not be rescheduled. The Crimson Tide relied heavily on their pitching in both games and won each contest by a score of 3-2. Alabama improved to 27-18 overall and 11-9 in conference play. The Crimson Tide will travel to Starkville this weekend to take on Mississippi State.
Auburn
Auburn won its opening game at Missouri 3-1, but lost a doubleheader on Sunday as AU dropped the series to the home team. The visiting Tigers could not find a rhythm offensively, scoring only one run in each game on Sunday. Auburn fell to 25-18 overall and 7-14 in league play. The Tigers host Ole Miss this weekend.
SEC baseball rankings
1. Vanderbilt (39-6, 19-2)
2. LSU (40-6, 16-5)
3. South Carolina (33-12, 13-8)
4. Arkansas (30-15, 13-7)
5. Florida (25-20, 12-9)
6.Ole Miss (32-14, 11-10)
7. Kentucky (26-17, 9-12)
8. Alabama (27-18, 11-9)
9. Mississippi State (33-13, 10-11)
10. Missouri (15-25, 7-14)
11. Auburn (25-18, 7-14)
12. Texas A&M (23-22, 7-13)
13. Tennessee (18-25, 6-15)
14. Georgia (16-28, 4-16)
Week 8 previews and predictions
Thursday, May 2 – Sunday, May
Georgia at Tennessee. The Bulldogs lost two games to Arkansas last weekend, and the series finale was cancelled due to bad weather. At this point, it is unlikely that Georgia makes the SEC tournament unless it can string together several wins over the next three weeks. Tennessee still has an outside chance to make the conference tournament, although the Vols cannot afford to lose to the Bulldogs this weekend. Series Prediction: Tennessee 2, Georgia 1.
Ole Miss at Auburn. Both the Tigers and the Rebels lost two out of three games last weekend. If the conference tournament started today, Auburn would be the last team to make the field. The Rebels lost to Kentucky at home, but they should be able to knock off the Tigers this weekend on the road. Series Prediction: Ole Miss 3, Auburn 0.
Florida at LSU. Surprisingly, LSU lost two out of three games to South Carolina in Baton Rouge. The Tigers have been dominant at home all season but failed to generate much offense against the Gamecocks. On the other hand, the Gators have been one of the hotter teams in the league lately. Florida started off the season on a poor note but has elevated its performance in the last few weeks. This series is crucial for both teams. Series Prediction: LSU 2, Florida 1.
Alabama at Mississippi State. The Crimson Tide picked up a couple of much-needed wins over Texas A&M last weekend, and in the process surpassed Mississippi State in the SEC West standings. Vanderbilt swept Mississippi State in Nashville, but the Bulldogs have an opportunity to get back on track this weekend at home. Series Prediction: Mississippi State 2, Alabama 1.
Missouri at Texas A&M. Both the Aggies and Tigers desperately need this series. Each team currently has seven wins in league play, and both are in jeopardy of missing the conference tournament. The Aggies have home field advantage, although that has not necessarily been beneficial for them thus far this season. Series Prediction: Texas A&M, Missouri 1.
Arkansas at Kentucky. Arkansas picked up two road wins last weekend versus Georgia, while Kentucky upset Ole Miss in Oxford. Both teams have played well for most of the year, although the Razorbacks have been much more consistent. Expect a highly competitive series, but look for Arkansas to sneak out of Lexington with a couple of wins. Series Prediction: Arkansas 2, Kentucky 1.
Series of the Week
Vanderbilt at South Carolina. The Commodores and Gamecocks have been two of the league’s better teams all year, and this matchup should be highly entertaining. Vanderbilt swept a solid Mississippi State team last weekend, while South Carolina picked up two impressive roads wins against LSU. Vanderbilt has yet to lose a series all season, but the Gamecocks should provide quite the challenge for the ‘Dores. Series Prediction: Vanderbilt 2, South Carolina 1.