Another 7 for 7 predicting for me last week after a disappointing 3-7 the week before after an exemplary 7-7 the week before. And although I picked every series winner I did miss 3 of the sweeps, only getting Vandy's sweep correct. In my defense, who would have thunk UT would sweep anybody? Who would have thunk anybody could sweep Mississippi State? Who would have thunk the lead-leading pitching staff at Missouri could lose 3 games in 3 days? Not me, obviously.
As Bud Collyer would say, "6 down, 4 to go." [If you don't know who Bud was then you're too young for me to explain it to you.
]
With 6 weekends finished we have Georgia all along atop the SEC at 13-5, followed closely by Vandy and Arkansas at 12-6. It looks like it'll go down to the wire during these last 4 weekends.
Once again, there are some big match-ups this weekend among the top teams while others try to make up ground by beating up on the cellar-dwellers.
Last week Vandy finished last, playing games 2 and 3 after everyone else had finished. This week they play first. Hard to say which provides more pressure, knowing you have to sweep to keep pace or trying to sweep in order to put pressure on others to keep pace? Chicken/egg type thing I'm guessing. I've always thought the egg came first although I can't tell you where the egg came from other than it just fell out of the sky.
#21 Auburn at #4 Vanderbilt
Auburn held service at home last weekend with Ole Miss while Vandy beat up on Bama in Tuscaloosa for a sweep. Auburn's greatest achievement so far was an opening weekend sweep of Tennessee at home. Since then they've been 7-8 in the SEC going 3-3 at home and 2-4 on the road, winning 2 series and losing 3. They will lose another series this weekend, likely going 1-2 in Nashville.
TV: Thursday, 6:30, ESPNU
Friday, 7:00, SECN
Vandy wins the series 2 games to 1
#10 Texas A&M at #19 Ole Miss
Another series that begins on Thursday between two ranked team, one top 10. A&M won a road series at hapless South Carolina last week. They've done well at home, winning 2 series and splitting another. On the road they've done very well, winning 2 series, but that was against weak teams. Ole Miss is not weak. A&M has some top notch starting pitchers but not that great an offense. Ole Miss has won all 3 home series. Ole Miss will also win this home series.
TV: Thursday, 6:00, SECN
Ole Miss wins the series 2 games to 1
Kentucky at Florida
Two unranked teams battle to make the SEC Tournament. Kentucky is bad even at home so you can imagine how bad they are on the road. Actually, they are 2-4 away and 1-5 at home so maybe not. Florida is 6-3 at home and 1-8 on the road (swept twice.) Both teams lack any consistent pitching other than Mace for Florida and Thompson for Kentucky. Both of those will win their games. The other game will be a Florida rout.
TV: Saturday, 5:00, SECN
Sunday, 11:00, ESPN2
Florida wins the series 2 games to 1
#16 LSU at Alabama
It's LSU's turn to beat up on Alabama. However, Alabama will surprise everyone and win one game by using the "new pitcher every time through the line up" approach they used against Vandy on Sunday (that almost worked.) LSU's pitching is a mess and it's a roll of the dice as to how effective each one will be. Paul Mainieri will, as unsual, mis-manage his team.
LSU wins the series 2 games to 1
#11 Tennessee at #7 Arkansas
This is almost a top 10 match-up, although I continue to think Tennessee is over-ranked. Arkansas has been firing on all cylinders offensively since the Sunday game against Vandy. They blew through Mississippi State for a sweep last weekend at home, a team that at the time was ranked #2 in the country. As I said last week, they never were the 2nd best team in the country, and now everybody agrees with me. But I digress, back to UT and Arkansas. UT swept Kentucky in Lexington and it's hard to sweep anybody on the road but, come on, have you seen Kentucky play? They're atrocious. UT will make a game of it for part of the weekend and will take one game, but that's all.
TV: Sunday, 4:00, SECN
Arkansas wins the series 2 games to 1
South Carolina at Missouri
Talk about losers, how about this match-up? Missouri was swept last week by Georgia. South Carolina was swept earlier this year by Georgia, SC is barely staying ahead of Alabama and Kentucky for the last spot in the SEC. Missouri is 6-3 at home but 1-7 on the road. This week they are at home. And they will easily win the series as a result.
Missouri wins the series 2 games to 1
#5 Georgia at #8 Mississippi State
This week's marquee match-up has two top 10 teams battling it out at The Dudy. Georgia's strength is pitching, State's is hitting. Game 1 pits two of the best pitchers in the country, Emerson Hancock vs. Ethan Small. I think the winner of this game wins the series. And I think Small wins at home, either 2-1 or 3-2. It'll be a great series and I expect huge crowds at the games.
TV: Saturday, noon, SECN
Mississippi State wins the series 2 games to 1
Although I'm not calling for any sweeps this weekend, I do think it's possible Vandy, Florida, LSU, Arkansas, and/or Missouri all could do it. I'd rank those, in terms of likelihood, as LSU, Missouri, Florida, Arkansas, Vandy.
If I'm correct after this week we'll have a 3-way tie for 1st between Georgia, Vandy, and Arkansas all at 14-7 in the SEC.
As Bud Collyer would say, "6 down, 4 to go." [If you don't know who Bud was then you're too young for me to explain it to you.
With 6 weekends finished we have Georgia all along atop the SEC at 13-5, followed closely by Vandy and Arkansas at 12-6. It looks like it'll go down to the wire during these last 4 weekends.
Once again, there are some big match-ups this weekend among the top teams while others try to make up ground by beating up on the cellar-dwellers.
Last week Vandy finished last, playing games 2 and 3 after everyone else had finished. This week they play first. Hard to say which provides more pressure, knowing you have to sweep to keep pace or trying to sweep in order to put pressure on others to keep pace? Chicken/egg type thing I'm guessing. I've always thought the egg came first although I can't tell you where the egg came from other than it just fell out of the sky.
#21 Auburn at #4 Vanderbilt
Auburn held service at home last weekend with Ole Miss while Vandy beat up on Bama in Tuscaloosa for a sweep. Auburn's greatest achievement so far was an opening weekend sweep of Tennessee at home. Since then they've been 7-8 in the SEC going 3-3 at home and 2-4 on the road, winning 2 series and losing 3. They will lose another series this weekend, likely going 1-2 in Nashville.
TV: Thursday, 6:30, ESPNU
Friday, 7:00, SECN
Vandy wins the series 2 games to 1
#10 Texas A&M at #19 Ole Miss
Another series that begins on Thursday between two ranked team, one top 10. A&M won a road series at hapless South Carolina last week. They've done well at home, winning 2 series and splitting another. On the road they've done very well, winning 2 series, but that was against weak teams. Ole Miss is not weak. A&M has some top notch starting pitchers but not that great an offense. Ole Miss has won all 3 home series. Ole Miss will also win this home series.
TV: Thursday, 6:00, SECN
Ole Miss wins the series 2 games to 1
Kentucky at Florida
Two unranked teams battle to make the SEC Tournament. Kentucky is bad even at home so you can imagine how bad they are on the road. Actually, they are 2-4 away and 1-5 at home so maybe not. Florida is 6-3 at home and 1-8 on the road (swept twice.) Both teams lack any consistent pitching other than Mace for Florida and Thompson for Kentucky. Both of those will win their games. The other game will be a Florida rout.
TV: Saturday, 5:00, SECN
Sunday, 11:00, ESPN2
Florida wins the series 2 games to 1
#16 LSU at Alabama
It's LSU's turn to beat up on Alabama. However, Alabama will surprise everyone and win one game by using the "new pitcher every time through the line up" approach they used against Vandy on Sunday (that almost worked.) LSU's pitching is a mess and it's a roll of the dice as to how effective each one will be. Paul Mainieri will, as unsual, mis-manage his team.
LSU wins the series 2 games to 1
#11 Tennessee at #7 Arkansas
This is almost a top 10 match-up, although I continue to think Tennessee is over-ranked. Arkansas has been firing on all cylinders offensively since the Sunday game against Vandy. They blew through Mississippi State for a sweep last weekend at home, a team that at the time was ranked #2 in the country. As I said last week, they never were the 2nd best team in the country, and now everybody agrees with me. But I digress, back to UT and Arkansas. UT swept Kentucky in Lexington and it's hard to sweep anybody on the road but, come on, have you seen Kentucky play? They're atrocious. UT will make a game of it for part of the weekend and will take one game, but that's all.
TV: Sunday, 4:00, SECN
Arkansas wins the series 2 games to 1
South Carolina at Missouri
Talk about losers, how about this match-up? Missouri was swept last week by Georgia. South Carolina was swept earlier this year by Georgia, SC is barely staying ahead of Alabama and Kentucky for the last spot in the SEC. Missouri is 6-3 at home but 1-7 on the road. This week they are at home. And they will easily win the series as a result.
Missouri wins the series 2 games to 1
#5 Georgia at #8 Mississippi State
This week's marquee match-up has two top 10 teams battling it out at The Dudy. Georgia's strength is pitching, State's is hitting. Game 1 pits two of the best pitchers in the country, Emerson Hancock vs. Ethan Small. I think the winner of this game wins the series. And I think Small wins at home, either 2-1 or 3-2. It'll be a great series and I expect huge crowds at the games.
TV: Saturday, noon, SECN
Mississippi State wins the series 2 games to 1
Although I'm not calling for any sweeps this weekend, I do think it's possible Vandy, Florida, LSU, Arkansas, and/or Missouri all could do it. I'd rank those, in terms of likelihood, as LSU, Missouri, Florida, Arkansas, Vandy.
If I'm correct after this week we'll have a 3-way tie for 1st between Georgia, Vandy, and Arkansas all at 14-7 in the SEC.
Last edited:
