Won't have time to do this tomorrow (grand-daugher's big 10 birthday; she doesn't know it yet but she's getting that pony she's always wanted -- don't anybody tell her, it's much more fun if it's a surprise.)
Thursday games this week:
#14 Oklahoma @ #10 Georgia
The Sooners swept Missouri last weekend by a combined score of 46-12. Georgia got swept by Vandy, scoring only 10 total runs, mostly via HRs (as usual) yet Vandy, the league's worst HR hitting team, outhomered GA, the league's top HR hitting team. Go figure.
Since this is at home it is really big for the Dawgs. Being back in the friendly confines of Foley Field, a launching pad rivaled only by UTjr's launching pad, they will launch a few HRs and probably enough to win the series. But don't be surprised if their current 4 game losing streak gets extended even further.
From Vandy's perspective, we lost the series to Okie but swept Georgia. So it'd be better for Georgia to win the series, but not sweep.
#-ꝏ Missouri @ #18 Alabama
Missouri just keeps getting worse and worse. How does one do that? Bama should have notrouble sweeping them at home. But -- it's likely SOMEBODY has to eventually lose to the Tigers and Bama, currently on the downswing, might just be that team. But likely no more than 1 loss.
From Vandy's perspective, it'd be great for Missouri to sweep Bama as we host Bama next weekend and, boy, would they come in demoralized if the get swept by the worst team ever to inhabit the SEC.
Friday games:
#4 Arkansas @ Florida
Arkansas has now lost 2 consecutive series to Georgia and A&M (at home.) Their pitching has failed them as have their HR bats. Cam Cozeal went hitless last weekend. Vandy swept Florida in Gainesville but now the Gators have won 2 consecutive series, albeit over 2 of the worst teams in the SEC, Missouri and Mississippi State. Don't be surprised if Sully and his goons win this series. But also don't be surprised if they lose it either, they still have series pitching problems although their bats have awakened.
As an aside, this is a particularly important weekend for the sagging Hogs -- they finish the season with Texas, @LSU, and Tennessee. If they don't win this weekend they may not win another SEC series.
From Vandy's perspective, pull for Florida to sweep, thereby allowing Vandy to climb past Arkie in the league standings.
South Carolina @ Kentucky
Paul Mainieri must be crying in his beer after most every game this year. The Gamecocks got no game this year, so I guess that just makes them ... something else.
Kentucky got a HUGE series win in Knoxville last weekend by small-balling the Vols to death and stealing them blind. Kentucky should take this series, maybe even sweeping it.
From Vandy's perspective, we don't play SC but we finish the season with Kentucky. As much as I hate it, pull for Paul to pull this all ... off.
Miss State @ Auburn
Auburn just keeps getting along somehow as they really aren't that great of a team. But, they keep mostly winning and maintaining a high RPI. Except for last weekend when Texas swept them. That was coming off Auburn's sweep of LSU in BR the previous weekend. Butch Thompson must be madder than usual. But he gets a reprieve this weekend by hosting one of the worst teams in the league.
Auburn should win the series and it would, indeed, be an upset if State wins the series. Speaking of which, Chris Lemonis' days in Starkville may be numbered -- another no post-season and they'll be looking to poach a coach from some other school yet again. He went from winning a national championship using players recruited by someone else to doing poorly using players only he recruited. Yeah, he gone.
From Vandy's perspective, we don't play State and we lost our series to Auburn. We are also battling Auburn at the top of the RPI and SOS rankings. For that reason alone pull for Auburn to lose the series.
#9 Vandy @ #23 Ole Miss
This is a huge series for both teams. Ole Miss wants to get back in the potential regional host discussion but a home series loss would dash those hopes. Vandy is hoping to further bolster their resume for being a Top 8 seed. Something's got to give.
Ole Miss has now lost 2 consecutive series -- UTjr at home and USCjr on the road. They only scored 2 runs in 2 of the games in Columbia and in one of the Knoxville games. They are clearly susceptible to good pitching. If Vandy gets the pitching they got last weekend against Georgia then they have a clear chance to win the series, maybe even sweep. Ole Miss depends a lot on their long balls and they tend to hit quite a few in Oxford which greatly increases their beer sales.
This series can go either way; all the way from a sweep for Vandy to a sweep for Ole Miss. Likely it'll be somewhere in-between.
No need to say "from Vandy's perspective" for this series -- pull for a sweep and, if so, then start planning your regional and super regional viewing parties or, better yet, be ready to buy your tickets. It's really a good bargain.
Texas A&M @ #1 Texas
Despite being unranked I don't think any team in the country wants to play A&M right now. But Texas has no other option, they have to.
After an horrendous start to the SEC, A&M has now won 7 of the last 9 SEC games INCLUDING series wins in Knoxville and Fayetteville (with a sweep of USCjr in between.)
The Aggies are almost hotter than Tony Vitello when an umpire picks up one of his hot bats and Tony goes to grab it from him so he can quickly go hide it.
But I digress.
Texas leads the league and the nation and for good reason -- they win all their series. Some would say they got lucky and played State and Missouri early on, sweeping them both. But they also swept Georgia and Auburn at home. But they also struggled in Lexington and barely won that series 2-1. Lucky for them, they get A&M at home where they play much better baseball.
This is going to be a serious Texas showdown, rivaling the Alamo. Given how many Hispanic players Texas has they'll have to portray the Mexicans (not that all Hispanics are Mexicans, but in the Texas I'm guessing they are.) Which means A&M gets Davy Crockett. Of course, the Mexicans slaughtered Davey and the boys so that might not work out for the Aggies.
So perhaps this will be more like the El Paso DEA agents vs. El Chapo and his Sinaloa Cartel boys and we all know how that worked out -- USA 1, Mexico 30-to-life-without the possibility of parole.
I'm putting my money on the DEA but remember, El Chapo escaped from a maximum security prison not once, but twice. So the Longhorns might win this series after all. What all that means (I think?) is I believe A&M wins the series.
From Vandy's perspective, having swept A&M, it would be great for them to sweep Texas.
#6 UTjr @ #7 LSU
Pity the poor fans from these two schools. They spent all of February and most of March hurling insults at each other over who should be #1. As it turns out, that was all wasted vitriol -- neither is #1, nor should they have ever been.
This is being played at The Box and, under the right weather conditions, it can resemble playing at UT's little league field. Both coaches are universally hated by everybody, so let's keep our eye out on whether they get into fisticuffs at some point this weekend.
LSU just got embarrassed on Tuesday by lowly Northeastern State (northeastern Louisiana, that is) and were run-ruled at home. Jay Johnson was livid, but then, when is he not? No wonder everyone hates him.
But not as much as they hate cheatin' Tony. I think someday an Italian mob movie will be made and Tony will have the lead roll -- I'm guessing he'll end up like Sonny Corleone at some point in the movie, probably taken out by a gang of other SEC coaches.
This is a toss-up. Two the the league's best starting pitchers square off in game 1. I think the winner of that game wins the series. I just don't know who that'll be.
It might come down to how many errors UT makes (they're bad about that) or how many stolen bases LSU has (UT is bad about giving those up as well.) Or maybe, more likely, it just comes down to who hits the most HRs.
From's Vandy's perspective, this is a win-win series. UT and LSU are both 1 game ahead of Vandy in the standings. One of them has to lose the series, giving Vandy a good chance (if they can handle Ole Miss) to moving up to the 4 spot in the league standings -- an important position as the top 4 seeds at the SECT get double byes.
Thursday games this week:
#14 Oklahoma @ #10 Georgia
The Sooners swept Missouri last weekend by a combined score of 46-12. Georgia got swept by Vandy, scoring only 10 total runs, mostly via HRs (as usual) yet Vandy, the league's worst HR hitting team, outhomered GA, the league's top HR hitting team. Go figure.
Since this is at home it is really big for the Dawgs. Being back in the friendly confines of Foley Field, a launching pad rivaled only by UTjr's launching pad, they will launch a few HRs and probably enough to win the series. But don't be surprised if their current 4 game losing streak gets extended even further.
From Vandy's perspective, we lost the series to Okie but swept Georgia. So it'd be better for Georgia to win the series, but not sweep.
#-ꝏ Missouri @ #18 Alabama
Missouri just keeps getting worse and worse. How does one do that? Bama should have notrouble sweeping them at home. But -- it's likely SOMEBODY has to eventually lose to the Tigers and Bama, currently on the downswing, might just be that team. But likely no more than 1 loss.
From Vandy's perspective, it'd be great for Missouri to sweep Bama as we host Bama next weekend and, boy, would they come in demoralized if the get swept by the worst team ever to inhabit the SEC.
Friday games:
#4 Arkansas @ Florida
Arkansas has now lost 2 consecutive series to Georgia and A&M (at home.) Their pitching has failed them as have their HR bats. Cam Cozeal went hitless last weekend. Vandy swept Florida in Gainesville but now the Gators have won 2 consecutive series, albeit over 2 of the worst teams in the SEC, Missouri and Mississippi State. Don't be surprised if Sully and his goons win this series. But also don't be surprised if they lose it either, they still have series pitching problems although their bats have awakened.
As an aside, this is a particularly important weekend for the sagging Hogs -- they finish the season with Texas, @LSU, and Tennessee. If they don't win this weekend they may not win another SEC series.
From Vandy's perspective, pull for Florida to sweep, thereby allowing Vandy to climb past Arkie in the league standings.
South Carolina @ Kentucky
Paul Mainieri must be crying in his beer after most every game this year. The Gamecocks got no game this year, so I guess that just makes them ... something else.
Kentucky got a HUGE series win in Knoxville last weekend by small-balling the Vols to death and stealing them blind. Kentucky should take this series, maybe even sweeping it.
From Vandy's perspective, we don't play SC but we finish the season with Kentucky. As much as I hate it, pull for Paul to pull this all ... off.
Miss State @ Auburn
Auburn just keeps getting along somehow as they really aren't that great of a team. But, they keep mostly winning and maintaining a high RPI. Except for last weekend when Texas swept them. That was coming off Auburn's sweep of LSU in BR the previous weekend. Butch Thompson must be madder than usual. But he gets a reprieve this weekend by hosting one of the worst teams in the league.
Auburn should win the series and it would, indeed, be an upset if State wins the series. Speaking of which, Chris Lemonis' days in Starkville may be numbered -- another no post-season and they'll be looking to poach a coach from some other school yet again. He went from winning a national championship using players recruited by someone else to doing poorly using players only he recruited. Yeah, he gone.
From Vandy's perspective, we don't play State and we lost our series to Auburn. We are also battling Auburn at the top of the RPI and SOS rankings. For that reason alone pull for Auburn to lose the series.
#9 Vandy @ #23 Ole Miss
This is a huge series for both teams. Ole Miss wants to get back in the potential regional host discussion but a home series loss would dash those hopes. Vandy is hoping to further bolster their resume for being a Top 8 seed. Something's got to give.
Ole Miss has now lost 2 consecutive series -- UTjr at home and USCjr on the road. They only scored 2 runs in 2 of the games in Columbia and in one of the Knoxville games. They are clearly susceptible to good pitching. If Vandy gets the pitching they got last weekend against Georgia then they have a clear chance to win the series, maybe even sweep. Ole Miss depends a lot on their long balls and they tend to hit quite a few in Oxford which greatly increases their beer sales.
This series can go either way; all the way from a sweep for Vandy to a sweep for Ole Miss. Likely it'll be somewhere in-between.
No need to say "from Vandy's perspective" for this series -- pull for a sweep and, if so, then start planning your regional and super regional viewing parties or, better yet, be ready to buy your tickets. It's really a good bargain.
Texas A&M @ #1 Texas
Despite being unranked I don't think any team in the country wants to play A&M right now. But Texas has no other option, they have to.
After an horrendous start to the SEC, A&M has now won 7 of the last 9 SEC games INCLUDING series wins in Knoxville and Fayetteville (with a sweep of USCjr in between.)
The Aggies are almost hotter than Tony Vitello when an umpire picks up one of his hot bats and Tony goes to grab it from him so he can quickly go hide it.
But I digress.
Texas leads the league and the nation and for good reason -- they win all their series. Some would say they got lucky and played State and Missouri early on, sweeping them both. But they also swept Georgia and Auburn at home. But they also struggled in Lexington and barely won that series 2-1. Lucky for them, they get A&M at home where they play much better baseball.
This is going to be a serious Texas showdown, rivaling the Alamo. Given how many Hispanic players Texas has they'll have to portray the Mexicans (not that all Hispanics are Mexicans, but in the Texas I'm guessing they are.) Which means A&M gets Davy Crockett. Of course, the Mexicans slaughtered Davey and the boys so that might not work out for the Aggies.
So perhaps this will be more like the El Paso DEA agents vs. El Chapo and his Sinaloa Cartel boys and we all know how that worked out -- USA 1, Mexico 30-to-life-without the possibility of parole.
I'm putting my money on the DEA but remember, El Chapo escaped from a maximum security prison not once, but twice. So the Longhorns might win this series after all. What all that means (I think?) is I believe A&M wins the series.
From Vandy's perspective, having swept A&M, it would be great for them to sweep Texas.
#6 UTjr @ #7 LSU
Pity the poor fans from these two schools. They spent all of February and most of March hurling insults at each other over who should be #1. As it turns out, that was all wasted vitriol -- neither is #1, nor should they have ever been.
This is being played at The Box and, under the right weather conditions, it can resemble playing at UT's little league field. Both coaches are universally hated by everybody, so let's keep our eye out on whether they get into fisticuffs at some point this weekend.
LSU just got embarrassed on Tuesday by lowly Northeastern State (northeastern Louisiana, that is) and were run-ruled at home. Jay Johnson was livid, but then, when is he not? No wonder everyone hates him.
But not as much as they hate cheatin' Tony. I think someday an Italian mob movie will be made and Tony will have the lead roll -- I'm guessing he'll end up like Sonny Corleone at some point in the movie, probably taken out by a gang of other SEC coaches.
This is a toss-up. Two the the league's best starting pitchers square off in game 1. I think the winner of that game wins the series. I just don't know who that'll be.
It might come down to how many errors UT makes (they're bad about that) or how many stolen bases LSU has (UT is bad about giving those up as well.) Or maybe, more likely, it just comes down to who hits the most HRs.
From's Vandy's perspective, this is a win-win series. UT and LSU are both 1 game ahead of Vandy in the standings. One of them has to lose the series, giving Vandy a good chance (if they can handle Ole Miss) to moving up to the 4 spot in the league standings -- an important position as the top 4 seeds at the SECT get double byes.
