Home CBD Column SEC Weekend Preview (May 20th-22nd)

SEC Weekend Preview (May 20th-22nd)

by Brian Foley
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The SEC enters the final week of action highlighted by an SEC Eastern Division showdown between Florida and South Carolina. Both schools are tied for the division lead with a 20-7 SEC record. The only school that could catch Florida in the standings is Auburn who would need to sweep Ole Miss and have the Gators sweep South Carolina. I do not know who wins the tiebreaker between Florida and Auburn as both teams did not face off but Auburn loses the tiebreaker to South Carolina. The other teams in action this weekend sees Alabama visiting Tennessee, Arkansas at Vanderbilt, Mississippi State at LSU, and Kentucky at Georgia.

ALABAMA (35-15, 15-9 SEC) at TENNESSEE (29-20, 10-14 SEC)

Players to Watch
Alabama: Taylor Dugas (.409 BA, 17-21 SB)
Tennessee: P.J. Polk (.363 BA, 12 HR, 48 RBI)

Pitchers to Watch
Alabama: RHP Nathan Kilcrease (5-2, 2.44 ERA)
Tennessee: RHP Stephen McCray (6-3, 2.86 ERA)

PROBABLE STARTING PITCHERS
THURSDAY (7 p.m. ET) Bama Jr. RHP Jimmy Nelson (6-2, 4.17 ERA) vs UT Sr. RHP Stephen McCray (6-3, 2.86 ERA)
FRIDAY (7 p.m. ET) Bama Jr. RHP Nathan Kilcrease (5-2, 2.44 ERA) vs UT So. LHP Steven Gruver (4-4, 6.62 ERA)
SATURDAY (1 p.m. ET) Bama So. LHP Adam Morgan (5-4, 6.58 ERA) vs UT TBA

Prediction: Alabama 2-1

Alabama Series Notes
Tennessee Series Notes

ARKANSAS (38-15, 16-11 SEC) at VANDERBILT (39-13, 15-10 SEC)

Players to Watch
Arkansas: Zack Cox (.431 BA, 8 HR, 47 RBI)
Vanderbilt: Jason Esposito (.361 BA, 9 HR, 54 RBI)

Pitchers to Watch
Arkansas: Drew Smyly (8-1, 2.40 ERA)
Vanderbilt: Sonny Gray (7-4, 3.45 ERA)

PROBABLE STARTING PITCHERS
THURSDAY (6 p.m. CT) Ark So. LHP Drew Smyly (8-1, 2.40 ERA) vs VU So. RHP Sonny Gray (7-4, 3.45 ERA) 
FRIDAY (6 p.m. CT) Ark Sr. RHP Mike Bolsinger (5-3, 4.66 ERA) vs VU Jr. RHP Taylor Hill (5-3, 3.57 ERA)
SATURDAY (2 p.m. CT) Ark TBA vs VU So. RHP Jack Armstrong (7-1, 3.53 ERA)  

Prediction: Vanderbilt 2-1

Arkansas Series Notes
Vanderbilt Series Notes

AUBURN (36-17, 17-10 SEC) at OLE MISS (36-17, 16-11 SEC)

Players to Watch
Auburn: Hunter Morris (.398 BA, 20 HR, 66 RBI)
Ole Miss: Tim Ferguson (.329 BA, 8 HR, 31 RBI)

Pitchers to Watch
Auburn: Austin Hubbard (4-2, 2.34 ERA)
Ole Miss: Drew Pomeranz (7-1, 2.15 ERA)

PROBABLE STARTING PITCHERS
THURSDAY (6:30 p.m. CT) Auburn So. LHP Cory Luckie (6-3, 6.36 ERA) vs OM Jr. LHP Drew Pomeranz (7-1, 2.15 ERA)
FRIDAY (6:30 p.m. CT) Auburn TBA vs OM Sr. RHP Aaron Barrett (7-2, 3.26 ERA)
SATURDAY (4 p.m. CT) Auburn TBA vs OM TBA

Prediction: Ole Miss 2-1

Auburn Series Notes
Ole Miss Series Notes

FLORIDA (38-12, 20-7 SEC) at SOUTH CAROLINA (42-11, 20-7 SEC)

Players to Watch
Florida: Austin Maddox (.353 BA, 17 HR, 63 RBI)
South Carolina: Whit Merrifield (.338 BA, 12 HR, 34 RBI)

Pitchers to Watch
Florida: Hudson Randall (6-3, 2.96 ERA)
South Carolina: Blake Cooper (10-0, 3.01 ERA)

PROBABLE STARTING PITCHERS
THURSDAY (7 p.m. ET) [SPSO] UF So. LHP Alex Panteliodis (8-2, 3.34 ERA) vs USC Sr. RHP Blake Cooper (10-0, 3.01 ERA)
FRIDAY (7 p.m. ET) [SPSO] UF Fr. RHP Hudson Randall (6-3, 2.96 ERA) vs USC Jr. RHP Sam Dyson (5-4, 3.79 ERA)
SATURDAY (4 p.m. ET) [FSN] UF Fr. LHP Brian Johnson (5-2, 3.53 ERA) vs USC TBA

Prediction: South Carolina 2-1

Florida Series Notes
South Carolina Series Notes

MISSISSIPPI STATE (22-31, 5-22 SEC) at LSU (34-19, 12-15 SEC)

Players to Watch
Mississippi State: Connor Powers (.387 BA, 15 HR, 66 RBI)
LSU: Micah Gibbs (.410 BA, 7 HR, 51 RBI)

Pitchers to Watch
Mississippi State: Chris Stratton (4-3, 5.80 ERA)
LSU: Anthony Ranaudo (2-2, 9.09 ERA)

PROBABLE STARTING PITCHERS
THURSDAY (7 p.m. CT) [CST] MSU Sr. LHP Tyler Whitney (0-3, 6.31 ERA) vs LSU So. RHP Joey Bourgeois (4-1, 6.28 ERA)
FRIDAY (7 p.m. CT) [CST] MSU Fr. RHP Chris Stratton (4-3, 5.80 ERA) vs LSU Jr. RHP Anthony Ranaudo (2-2, 9.09 ERA)
SATURDAY (3 p.m. CT) [CSS] MSU TBA vs LSU Jr. RHP Austin Ross (3-4, 5.27 ERA)

Prediction: LSU 3-0

Mississippi State Series Notes
LSU Series Notes

KENTUCKY (30-23, 12-15 SEC) at GEORGIA (14-36, 3-22 SEC)

Players to Watch
Kentucky: Chris Bisson (.332 BA, 5 HR, 34 RBI, 29-36 SB)
Georgia: Zach Cone (.348 BA, 9 HR, 46 RBI)

Pitchers to Watch
Kentucky: Jordan Cooper (4-4, 5.11 ERA)
Georgia: Justin Grimm (2-7, 5.35 ERA)

PROBABLE STARTING PITCHERS
THURSDAY (6:30 p.m. ET) UK So. RHP Alex Meyer (5-2, 6.47 ERA) vs UGA Jr. RHP Justin Grimm (2-7, 5.35 ERA)
FRIDAY (6:30 p.m. ET) UK Fr. RHP Jordan Cooper (4-4, 5.11 ERA) vs UGA Sr. RHP Jeff Walters (1-6, 8.80 ERA)
SATURDAY (2 p.m. ET) UK Fr. LHP Taylor Rogers (4-7, 6.27 ERA) vs UGA So. RHP Michael Palazzone (4-6, 8.32 ERA)

Prediction: UK 3-0

Kentucky Series Notes
Georgia Series Notes

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