SEC Baseball Round-up

Gamecocks drop championship rematch to Gators and fall to 1-5 in SEC play

At 1-5 in league play, the two-time champs need to pick up conference wins in a hurry, and with Michael Roth leading the Gamecock pitching staff, they’re certainly good enough to do it (photo courtesy South Carolina Athletics).

By RICHARD FISCHER
Tiger Rag Assistant Editor

After starting the SEC slate 0-3 by way of a sweep on the Bluegrass, two-time defending national champion South Carolina entered its second conference series in desperate need of a win.

However, the team that stood in their way was the one they knocked off to earn their most recent title - Florida.

South Carolina came out like a house of fire in the first game of the series this past Thursday with a 9-3 victory, but the Gators struck back with a pair of wins to round out the series.

It’s small consolation for the Gators after last season’s sweep in Omaha to hand their SEC East rivals the national title.

But at 1-5 in league play, the Gamecocks really need a series win. Heck, they only lost eight regular-season conference games all of last year. Now, they’ll go for that elusive series win at 2-4 Vanderbilt.

The Commodores just took two of three from Georgia. Amazingly, that was only their second series win this season. The other was against Rhode Island, and Vandy has midweek losses to Louisiana Tech, Belmont and Evansville earlier this season. It’s safe to say this isn’t the same team that got to the College World Series last year.

Also around the league, Kentucky finally dropped a game but managed to take two of three from Tennessee. The ‘Cats are now 24-1 on the season.

Arkansas ace DJ Baxendale had by far his worst start of the season Friday night in Starkville, surrendering seven earned runs in three innings in a Razorback loss. However, the Hogs bounced back to win the final two games over Mississippi State.

Arkansas, Kentucky and Florida are tied atop the league standings at 5-1, and the Hogs have a three game set in Baton Rouge this weekend - one that will be critical for both teams. The Tigers, at 3-3 in league play, have No. 3 Arkansas and No. 1 Florida in the next two weekends, so LSU will need to salvage as many wins as possible in maybe the most difficult two-weekend stretch any team in the country will have this season.

Below, you can find the current SEC standings as well as last week’s results and this week’s schedule for all 12 SEC schools. All times are Central Time.

East
Florida (22-2, 5-1)
Kentucky (24-1, 5-1)
Georgia (17-8, 3-3)
Tennessee (13-10, 2-4)
Vanderbilt (9-15, 2-4)
South Carolina (17-7, 1-5)

West
Arkansas (22-3, 5-1)
Auburn (15-9, 4-2)
LSU (18-6, 3-3)
Ole Miss (17-7, 3-3)
Mississippi State (16-9, 2-4)
Alabama (9-15, 1-5)

Alabama (9-15, 1-5)
Last week’s results:
Tuesday at Troy - L, 9-0
Friday vs. Ole Miss - L, 11-7
Saturday vs. Ole Miss - W, 3-2
Sunday vs. Ole Miss - L, 8-4
This week’s schedule:
Tuesday vs. UAB (Hoover) - 6:30 p.m.
Friday at Tennessee - 5 p.m.
Saturday at Tennessee (CSS) - noon
Sunday at Tennessee - 1 p.m.

Arkansas (22-3, 5-1)
Last week’s results:
Tuesday vs. Nevada - postponed
Wednesday vs. Nevada - W, 10-2
Friday at Mississippi State - L, 11-2
Saturday at Mississippi State - W, 8-0
Sunday at Mississippi State - W 8-5 (11 innings)
This week’s schedule:
Friday at LSU (CSS/CST) - 7 p.m.
Saturday at LSU (ESPNU) - 7 p.m.
Sunday at LSU (CST) - 1 p.m.

Auburn (15-9. 4-2)
Last week’s results:
Tuesday vs. South Alabama - W, 7-0
Friday vs. LSU - W, 4-3
Saturday vs. LSU - W, 3-2 (10 innings)
Sunday vs. LSU - L, 4-3
This week’s schedule:
Tuesday at Samford - 6 p.m.
Friday vs. Mississippi State - 6 p.m.
Saturday vs. Mississippi State - 3 p.m.
Sunday vs. Mississippi State - 1 p.m.

Florida (12-2, 5-1)
Last week’s results:
Tuesday vs. Samford - W, 5-3
Thursday at South Carolina - L, 9-3
Friday at South Carolina - W, 8-2
Saturday at South Carolina - W, 5-4
This week’s schedule:
Tuesday vs. Florida State (Jacksonville) (SUN) - 6 p.m.
Friday at Ole Miss (SUN) - 6:30 p.m.
Saturday at Ole Miss - 1:30 p.m.
Sunday at Ole Miss - 12:30 p.m.

Georgia (17-8, 3-3)
Last week’s results:
Tuesday vs. Georgia Tech - W, 7-1
Friday at Vanderbilt - W, 1-0
Saturday at Vanderbilt - L, 5-4
Sunday at Vanderbilt - L, 5-3
This week’s schedule:
Tuesday vs. Clemson (CSS) - 6 p.m.
Friday vs. Kentucky - 6 p.m.
Saturday vs. Kentucky (FS-South) - 3 p.m.
Sunday vs. Kentucky - 1 p.m.

Kentucky (24-1, 5-1)
Last week’s results:
Wednesday vs. Cincinnati - W, 10-7
Friday at Tennessee - L, 4-1
Saturday at Tennessee - W, 6-2
Sunday at Tennessee - W, 6-0
This week’s schedule:
Tuesday vs. Western Kentucky - 5:30 p.m.
Friday at Georgia - 6 p.m.
Saturday at Georgia (FS-South) - 3 p.m.
Sunday at Georgia - 1 p.m.

LSU (18-6, 3-3)
Last week’s results:
Tuesday vs. Southern - W, 15-5
Friday at Auburn - L, 4-3
Saturday at Auburn - L, 3-2 (10 innings)
Sunday at Auburn - W, 4-3
This week’s schedule:
Wednesday vs. ULL - 6:30 p.m.
Friday vs. Arkansas (CSS/CST) - 7 p.m.
Saturday vs. Arkansas (ESPNU) - 7 p.m.
Sunday vs. Arkansas (CST) - 1 p.m.

Ole Miss (17-7, 3-3)
Last week’s results:
Tuesday vs. Southern Miss - L, 10-0
Friday at Alabama - W, 11-7
Saturday at Alabama - L, 3-2
Sunday at Alabama - W, 8-4
This week’s schedule:
Tuesday vs. Jackson State - 6:30 p.m.
Friday vs. Florida (SUN) - 6:30 p.m.
Saturday vs. Florida - 1:30 p.m.
Sunday vs. Florida - 12:30 p.m.

Mississippi State (16-9, 2-4)
Last week’s schedule:
Wednesday vs. Alabama A&M - rainout
Friday vs. Arkansas - W, 11-2
Saturday vs. Arkansas - L, 8-0
Sunday vs. Arkansas - L, 8-5 (11 innings)
This week’s schedule:
Tuesday vs. Alcorn State - 6:30 p.m.
Friday at Auburn - 6 p.m.
Saturday at Auburn - 3 p.m.
Sunday at Auburn - 1:30 p.m.

South Carolina (17-7, 1-5)
Last week’s schedule:
Tuesday vs. Furman - W, 8-5
Wednesday vs. Wofford - L, 5-4
Thursday vs. Florida - W, 9-3
Friday vs. Florida - L, 8-2
Saturday vs. Florida - L, 5-4
This week’s schedule:
Tuesday at The Citadel - 6 p.m.
Friday at Vanderbilt - 6:30 p.m.
Saturday at Vanderbilt (CSS) - 3 p.m.
Sunday at Vanderbilt - 1 p.m.

Tennessee (13-10, 2-4)
Last week’s schedule:
Wednesday vs. Florida International - W, 4-3 (11 innings)
Friday vs. Kentucky - W, 4-1
Saturday vs. Kentucky - L, 6-2
Sunday vs. Kentucky - L, 6-0 (7 innings)
This week’s schedule:
Tuesday vs. Mississippi Valley State - 6 p.m.
Wednesday vs. Mississippi Valley State - 6 p.m.
Friday vs. Alabama - 5 p.m.
Saturday vs. Alabama (CSS) - noon
Sunday vs. Alabama - noon

Vanderbilt (9-15, 2-4)
Last week’s schedule:
Tuesday vs. Evansville - L, 5-3
Friday vs. Georgia - L, 1-0
Saturday vs. Georgia - W, 5-4
Sunday vs. Georgia - W, 5-3
This week’s schedule:
Tuesday vs. Tennessee Tech - 6:30 p.m.
Friday vs. South Carolina - 6:30 p.m.
Saturday vs. South Carolina (CSS) - 3 p.m.
Sunday vs. South Carolina - 1 p.m.

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Richard Fischer is Tiger Rag’s lead reporter on LSU Baseball. Reach him at richard@tigerrag.com.