TV: CSS/Cox Sports (Watch on ESPN3.com)

Radio: SiriusXM 91 (Free National audio stream from the SEC)

Game 7 - 4:30 p.m.

#1 Vanderbilt vs. #9 Texas A&M LIVE STATS

Series Record - Did not play in the regular season

Probable starters

VANDY - RHP Walker Buehler (4-1, 2.29 ERA, 51IP, 24 BB, 45 K)
A&M - RHP JR Parker Ray (0-1, 2.12 ERA, 51.0 IP, 15 BB, 33 K)

Game 8 - 30 minutes after the conclusion of Game 5

#4 South Carolina vs. #5 Mississippi State LIVE STATS

Series Record - State 2-1 @ State

Probable Starters

SCAR - LHP SR Nolan Belcher (7-5, 2.17 ERA, 99.1 IP, 13 BB, 83 SO)
MSU - TBA

TV: CSS/Cox Sports (Watch on ESPN3.com)

Radio: XM 199/Sirius 158 (Free National audio stream from the SEC)

Game 3 - 4:30 p.m.

#8 Florida vs. #9 Texas A&M - Single Elimination LIVE STATS

Series Record - Did not play in the regular season

Probable starters

UF - RHP SO Johnny Magliozzi (4-1, 2.14 ERA, 54.2 IP, 12 BB, 45 K)
A&M - RHP SO Daniel Mengden (7-3, 1.92 ERA, 98.1 IP, 20 BB, 80 K)

Game 4 - 30 minutes after the conclusion of Game 3

#5 Mississippi State vs. #12 Missouri - Single Elimination LIVE STATS

Series Record - Did not meet in the regular season

Probable Starters

MSU - RHP Trevor Fitts (0-0, 1.65 ERA, 16.1 IP, 5 BB, 15 K)
MIZ - LHP JR Rob Zastryzny (2-9, 2.64 ERA, 81.2 IP, 22 BB, 75 K)

Covering the the greatest tournament in College Baseball from 1st pitch to Championship Sunday

The 2013 SEC Baseball Tournament gets underway tomorrow with another year of live TV coverage of every game in the tournament. In addition, every game of the tournament will also be streamed on the ESPN3.com/WatchESPN Service and will have a neutral national radio feed on Sirius XM. The tournament was expanded this year to include 12 of the 14 teams in the conference, with the opening round being single elimination, followed by the normal double elimination bracket with a single championship game on Sunday afternoon. The days are divided into 2 sessions of 2 games each, with the second game of each session starting 30 minutes after the end of first game.

All Times Central

# - Tournament Seed

Tuesday, May 21 - All Day Sat Radio XM 199/Sirius 158

Game 1 9:30 a.m. #6 Ole Miss vs. #11 Kentucky - Single Elimination [FSN]
Game 2 TBD #7 Alabama vs. #10 Auburn - Single Elimination [FSN]
Game 3 4:30 p.m. #8 Florida vs. #9 Texas A&M - Single Elimination [CSS/Cox Sports]
Game 4 TBD #5 Mississippi State vs. #12 Missouri - Single Elimination [CSS/Cox Sports]

Wednesday, May 22
Game 5 9:30 a.m. #3 Arkansas vs. Winner Game 1 [CSS/Cox Sports/Sat Radio XM 199/Sirius 158]
Game 6 TBD #2 LSU vs. Winner Game 2 [CSS/Cox Sports/Sat Radio XM 199/Sirius 158]
Game 7 4:30 p.m. #1 Vanderbilt vs. Winner Game 3 [CSS/Cox Sports/Sat Radio SiriusXM 91]
Game 8 TBD #4 South Carolina vs. Winner Game 4 [CSS/Cox Sports/Sat Radio SiriusXM 91]

Thursday, May 23
Game 9 9:30 a.m. Loser Game 5 vs. Loser Game 6 [SPSO/Sat Radio XM 199/Sirius 158]
Game 10 TBD Loser Game 7 vs. Loser Game 8 [SPSO/Sat Radio XM 199/Sirius 158]
Game 11 4:30 p.m. Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6 [SPSO/Sat Radio SiriusXM 91]
Game 12 TBD Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8 [SPSO/Sat Radio SiriusXM 91]

Friday, May 24
Game 13 3:00 p.m. Winner Game 9 vs. Loser Game 11 [CSS/Cox Sports/Sat Radio XM 199/Sirius 158]
Game 14 TBD Winner Game 10 vs. Loser 12 [CSS/Cox Sports/Sat Radio SiriusXM 91]

Saturday, May 25
Game 15 Noon Winner Game 13 vs. Winner Game 11 [ESPNEWS/Cox Sports/Sat Radio XM 199/Sirius 158]
Game 16 TBD Winner Game 14 vs. Winner Game 12 [ESPNEWS/Cox Sports/Sat Radio XM 199/Sirius 158]

Sunday, May 26
Game 17 3:30 p.m. Winner Game 15 vs. Winner Game 16 [ESPN2/Sat Radio SiriusXM 91]

FSN - Fox Sports South, Sun Sports, Fox Sports
Southwest, Fox Sports Houston
SPSO - SportSouth, Sun Sports, Fox Sports
Southwest, Fox Sports Houston
CSS - Comcast/Charter Sports Southeast

Printable Bracket via SECDigitalNetwork [PDF]

The SEC Tournament kicks off on Tuesday. Some teams have a lot on the line while others don't have much to play for. Here is a look at what each time is looking to accomplish in Hoover.

Auburn (33-22, 13-17)

After starting conference play 1-8, Auburn was left for dead when it came to any discussions about the NCAA Tournament. But the team got their act together and played solid baseball from that point forward, winning 12 of their last 21 SEC contests. They finished the regular season by taking two of three from Arkansas. And with that, Auburn may have just played their way into the tournament. They have a strong RPI at #32 and find themselves squarely on the bubble. Their game against Alabama on Tuesday is really important for them...for both teams really. If they beat the Tide, they guarantee themselves at least two more games in Hoover. If Auburn can manage to win two games at the SEC Tournament, I think it will be enough to land in the NCAA Tournament. If they don't, then they'll really be sweating on Sunday. It's uncanny how similar this Auburn team is to LSU's 2011 team, which did not receive a bid to the tournament. Comparisons between the two teams are discussed at length here. The guys at College and Magnolia have an in-depth preview of their game against Alabama right here and an excellent breakdown of Auburn's NCAA chances as well.

Alabama (32-24, 14-15)

Alabama started conference play wit ha 7-2 record but have cooled considerably as their level of competition picked up, going just 7-13 since. They benefited from a favorable conference schedule, getting Georgia, Tennessee and Missouri from the East and winning seven of those nine. However, their RPI is #28, and they're still in excellent shape to make the NCAA Tournament. But if they lose the opening game to Auburn, they'll be awfully nervous when the selections are made. With a win against Auburn, I think Alabama is safe, even if they drop the next two. Roll Bama Roll takes a look at Bama's post-season chances as they head to Hoover.

Ole Miss (36-20, 15-15)

Ole Miss enters the SEC Tournament as a team that is a lock to make the NCAA Tournament but has virtually zero chance to host a Regional. If they were to win the entire tournament, they could perhaps get into the discussion as a host team, but it would still be highly unlikely. They do have a nice RPI of #18, which gives them a chance but for the most part, Ole Miss doesn't have anything to gain, or to lose, in Hoover. They'll play Kentucky in the first round.

Kentucky (30-24, 11-19)

Kentucky was once flying high and ranked in the Top-10, but it was fools good. They crashed HARD once the calendar turned to April. Their only chance of making the NCAA Tournament is to win the whole thing but with the way they've been playing lately, that seems really far fetched. Kentucky's RPI is actually decent at #39 and they have a respectable 13-17 record against RPI Top-50 teams. But the rest of the resume just isn't there.

Florida (29-27, 14-16)

Florida really dorked up the last two weekends by losing series to Auburn and Georgia. And that comes after getting swept by LSU, which means they're 2-7 in the SEC over the last three weeks. Florida started this season off slowly but seemed to get their feet under them and settle in. They were playing good baseball for a while and even swept South Carolina. But they surprisingly crashed again late. Their overall record is not good and their 14-16 SEC mark isn't that impressive either, especially playing in the East. But the Gators' RPI is #26 and they are 14-17 against the RPI Top-50. They may want to go ahead and win their first game at the SEC Tournament just to make sure, but their spot in the NCAA Tournament is pretty secure right now.

Texas A&M (30-25, 13-16)

The Aggies are on the outside of the NCAA Tournament right now. Their record isn't impressive, their RPI is down at #44 and they're just 8-19 against the RPI Top 50. However, they have a fighting chance, but it's going to take a pretty serious run in the SEC Tournament to put themselves back in the discussion. They face Florida on Tuesday in the first round. Obviously, a loss there means that they're done. A win against the Gators earns then a matchup with Vanderbilt. So needless to say, the Aggies have their work cut out for them. SEBaseball.com has the Aggies in the list of the "Next 10 Out" in their latest projections, which indicates they're close to the bubble.

Mississippi State (40-16, 16-14)

State absolutely needed a series win against South Carolina last weekend in order to put themselves back in the discussion as a host team, and they got it. They play against Missouri on Tuesday and with a win there, I think they will have done enough to lock up a regional in Starkville. If they lose, it's possible they lose that spot, but I tend to think they're in good shape either way. State's RPI is #10, their strength of schedule is #7, and they're 19-14 against the RPI Top-50. I suspect they won't have too much trouble with Missouri. With a win, they'll face South Carolina who will be looking for some payback after losing the series last weekend. If Mississippi State were to win the SEC Tournament, they could enter the discussion as a national seed, depending on what else happens around the country.

Missouri (18-31, 10-20)

What can you say, really? Missouri made the SEC Tournament, so that's a minor accomplishment. But short of winning the entire thing, which is impossible, they have nothing to play for in Hoover. Odds are, they play the last game of their season on Tuesday against Mississippi State.

Arkansas (35-19, 18-11)

Arkansas is trying to play their win into a host team for the NCAA Tournament, and they have an uphill battle to get there. The Hogs probably feel a little disrespected. Everyone is penciling in Mississippi State and South Carolina as host sites, despite the fact that Arkansas finished third in the SEC standings with an 18-11 record. The Hogs have a RPI problem, though. Their ranking is #48. Losing the series to Auburn on the final weekend did not help their cause, either. Could a deep run in the SEC Tournament change things? Absolutely. And they have an excellent, deep pitching staff to make such a run. They could run into trouble in their second game though, which could be against LSU ace Aaron Nola. But if the Hogs can get to the finals of the SEC Tournament, then they may just have a chance to play some post-season ball at home.

LSU (48-8, 23-7)

LSU doesn't have a ton to play for in Hoover. Whether they win the entire thing or go 0-2, they're assured a national seed and someone will have to beat them at home to knock them out of a trip to Omaha. LSU's primary goals in the tournament are to get their pitching staff lined up for the Regional and to build some confidence and momentum heading towards the post-season. Of course, the best way to build confidence and momentum is to win the entire thing. LSU's last two national championship teams won the SEC Tournament en route to Omaha. LSU is throwing Cody Glenn in their first game against the winner of Alabama vs. Auburn and ace Aaron Nola in Game Two. So they could very well get off to a good start.

Vanderbilt (48-7, 26-3)

Vanderbilt just wrapped up a record setting regular season, and they now face some pretty steep expectations for the post-season. While the SEC Tournament isn't anywhere near the top of their goals, it would still be a nice feather in their cap. I suspect head coach Tim Corbin would love to see his team win the tournament to show that they can win in this kind of format. Vanderbilt will face the winner of Florida and Texas A&M. Obviously, Vandy is locked into a national seed, regardless of what happens in Hoover.

South Carolina (39-16, 17-12)

The Gamecocks are in a situation where they're practically assured a host spot, but I don't see much possibility of them securing a national seed. If they win the entire tournament, they could possibly land in the discussion for a national seed, depending on what else happens nationally. But it's not very likely. The Gamecocks RPI is #11, but they have just an 11-12 record against RPI Top-50. In their incredible run over the last three years, appearing in three straight College World Series Finals and winning two of them, they have not won the SEC Tournament.

The SEC Tournament kicks off on Tuesday. Some teams have a lot on the line while others don't have much to play for. Here is a look at what each time is looking to accomplish in Hoover.

Auburn (33-22, 13-17)

After starting conference play 1-8, Auburn was left for dead when it came to any discussions about the NCAA Tournament. But the team got their act together and played solid baseball from that point forward, winning 12 of their last 21 SEC contests. They finished the regular season by taking two of three from Arkansas. And with that, Auburn may have just played their way into the tournament. They have a strong RPI at #32 and find themselves squarely on the bubble. Their game against Alabama on Tuesday is really important for them...for both teams really. If they beat the Tide, they guarantee themselves at least two more games in Hoover. If Auburn can manage to win two games at the SEC Tournament, I think it will be enough to land in the NCAA Tournament. If they don't, then they'll really be sweating on Sunday. It's uncanny how similar this Auburn team is to LSU's 2011 team, which did not receive a bid to the tournament. Comparisons between the two teams are discussed at length here. The guys at College and Magnolia have an in-depth preview of their game against Alabama right here and an excellent breakdown of Auburn's NCAA chances as well.

Alabama (32-24, 14-15)

Alabama started conference play wit ha 7-2 record but have cooled considerably as their level of competition picked up, going just 7-13 since. They benefited from a favorable conference schedule, getting Georgia, Tennessee and Missouri from the East and winning seven of those nine. However, their RPI is #28, and they're still in excellent shape to make the NCAA Tournament. But if they lose the opening game to Auburn, they'll be awfully nervous when the selections are made. With a win against Auburn, I think Alabama is safe, even if they drop the next two. Roll Bama Roll takes a look at Bama's post-season chances as they head to Hoover.

Ole Miss (36-20, 15-15)

Ole Miss enters the SEC Tournament as a team that is a lock to make the NCAA Tournament but has virtually zero chance to host a Regional. If they were to win the entire tournament, they could perhaps get into the discussion as a host team, but it would still be highly unlikely. They do have a nice RPI of #18, which gives them a chance but for the most part, Ole Miss doesn't have anything to gain, or to lose, in Hoover. They'll play Kentucky in the first round.

Kentucky (30-24, 11-19)

Kentucky was once flying high and ranked in the Top-10, but it was fools good. They crashed HARD once the calendar turned to April. Their only chance of making the NCAA Tournament is to win the whole thing but with the way they've been playing lately, that seems really far fetched. Kentucky's RPI is actually decent at #39 and they have a respectable 13-17 record against RPI Top-50 teams. But the rest of the resume just isn't there.

Florida (29-27, 14-16)

Florida really dorked up the last two weekends by losing series to Auburn and Georgia. And that comes after getting swept by LSU, which means they're 2-7 in the SEC over the last three weeks. Florida started this season off slowly but seemed to get their feet under them and settle in. They were playing good baseball for a while and even swept South Carolina. But they surprisingly crashed again late. Their overall record is not good and their 14-16 SEC mark isn't that impressive either, especially playing in the East. But the Gators' RPI is #26 and they are 14-17 against the RPI Top-50. They may want to go ahead and win their first game at the SEC Tournament just to make sure, but their spot in the NCAA Tournament is pretty secure right now.

Texas A&M (30-25, 13-16)

The Aggies are on the outside of the NCAA Tournament right now. Their record isn't impressive, their RPI is down at #44 and they're just 8-19 against the RPI Top 50. However, they have a fighting chance, but it's going to take a pretty serious run in the SEC Tournament to put themselves back in the discussion. They face Florida on Tuesday in the first round. Obviously, a loss there means that they're done. A win against the Gators earns then a matchup with Vanderbilt. So needless to say, the Aggies have their work cut out for them. SEBaseball.com has the Aggies in the list of the "Next 10 Out" in their latest projections, which indicates they're close to the bubble.

Mississippi State (40-16, 16-14)

State absolutely needed a series win against South Carolina last weekend in order to put themselves back in the discussion as a host team, and they got it. They play against Missouri on Tuesday and with a win there, I think they will have done enough to lock up a regional in Starkville. If they lose, it's possible they lose that spot, but I tend to think they're in good shape either way. State's RPI is #10, their strength of schedule is #7, and they're 19-14 against the RPI Top-50. I suspect they won't have too much trouble with Missouri. With a win, they'll face South Carolina who will be looking for some payback after losing the series last weekend. If Mississippi State were to win the SEC Tournament, they could enter the discussion as a national seed, depending on what else happens around the country.

Missouri (18-31, 10-20)

What can you say, really? Missouri made the SEC Tournament, so that's a minor accomplishment. But short of winning the entire thing, which is impossible, they have nothing to play for in Hoover. Odds are, they play the last game of their season on Tuesday against Mississippi State.

Arkansas (35-19, 18-11)

Arkansas is trying to play their win into a host team for the NCAA Tournament, and they have an uphill battle to get there. The Hogs probably feel a little disrespected. Everyone is penciling in Mississippi State and South Carolina as host sites, despite the fact that Arkansas finished third in the SEC standings with an 18-11 record. The Hogs have a RPI problem, though. Their ranking is #48. Losing the series to Auburn on the final weekend did not help their cause, either. Could a deep run in the SEC Tournament change things? Absolutely. And they have an excellent, deep pitching staff to make such a run. They could run into trouble in their second game though, which could be against LSU ace Aaron Nola. But if the Hogs can get to the finals of the SEC Tournament, then they may just have a chance to play some post-season ball at home.

LSU (48-8, 23-7)

LSU doesn't have a ton to play for in Hoover. Whether they win the entire thing or go 0-2, they're assured a national seed and someone will have to beat them at home to knock them out of a trip to Omaha. LSU's primary goals in the tournament are to get their pitching staff lined up for the Regional and to build some confidence and momentum heading towards the post-season. Of course, the best way to build confidence and momentum is to win the entire thing. LSU's last two national championship teams won the SEC Tournament en route to Omaha. LSU is throwing Cody Glenn in their first game against the winner of Alabama vs. Auburn and ace Aaron Nola in Game Two. So they could very well get off to a good start.

Vanderbilt (48-7, 26-3)

Vanderbilt just wrapped up a record setting regular season, and they now face some pretty steep expectations for the post-season. While the SEC Tournament isn't anywhere near the top of their goals, it would still be a nice feather in their cap. I suspect head coach Tim Corbin would love to see his team win the tournament to show that they can win in this kind of format. Vanderbilt will face the winner of Florida and Texas A&M. Obviously, Vandy is locked into a national seed, regardless of what happens in Hoover.

South Carolina (39-16, 17-12)

The Gamecocks are in a situation where they're practically assured a host spot, but I don't see much possibility of them securing a national seed. If they win the entire tournament, they could possibly land in the discussion for a national seed, depending on what else happens nationally. But it's not very likely. The Gamecocks RPI is #11, but they have just an 11-12 record against RPI Top-50. In their incredible run over the last three years, appearing in three straight College World Series Finals and winning two of them, they have not won the SEC Tournament.

We close our run through LSU's football schedule with a look at how Arkansas handled their first spring practice with their new coach. Our guest this week is Doc Harper of Arkansas Expats.

1. Brett Bielema was certainly an unexpected choice for Arkansas, and seems like an...odd fit, I guess? What was fan reaction to the hire, and how has he been received through the first few months?

The day the news broke, most fans were like "wha? who?" Our search was so long that virtually every coach in the country was discussed by fans at some point, and he never even really made it on the radar. It was a big surprise. But ever since his first press conference, fans have been all in. He's got a near-unanimously positive approval rating. He's said all the right things, finished strong in recruiting, had what seems to be a positive spring season, and fans are ready to go.

2. What type of tone has he set for the program, and how was that reflected through spring practice?

The most obvious thing is toughness, physically and mentally. Of course, every coach says that, but when you look at Arkansas' style of play under Petrino and the ease in which the team mailed it in last season, toughness is definitely something Arkansas needs an infusion of. Bielema is doing that by instilling a stronger power-running game. He calls Petrino's stockpile of receivers and skill players "pretty boys." He's focused a lot on developing the lines, aka the "big uglies." He's bringing in that blue-collar mentality that Wisconsin was famous for and you saw that in the spring game.

3. I've been of the opinion that Arkansas needs a strong recruiter in place to help draw in some of the talent from the surrounding region. How's Bielema faring on that front?

He closed really strong in February's class. He signed one of the top running backs in the country in Alex Collins, who figures to play significantly as a freshman. Bielema also pulled in three 4* offensive linemen in Jan/Feb, so fans are pretty happy. Our 2014 commitment is about where most people expected it to be at this point. Arkansas rarely gets many early commits unless they're in-state players.

A lot of people point to low-rated classes at Wisconsin as evidence that Bielema won't be able to recruit in the SEC, but I'm willing to wait and see what happens because Wisconsin had one of the smallest recruiting budgets in all of BCS football. Bielema's made it known that lack of resources was one of the big reasons for leaving Wisconsin (although admittedly he only references that in terms of retaining his assistants) so it'll definitely be interesting to see what he can do with a recruiting budget that's triple what he had in Madison. Arkansas' 2013 class was higher-rated than any of his Badger classes, so there's reason for optimism.

4. Any pleasant surprises this spring?

A lot of fans worried the Hogs would be really thin at running back after losing Knile Davis and Dennis Johnson, leaving presumably only Jonathan Williams behind. But Kody Walker and Patrick Arinze were nice surprises in the spring game. Walker was a big running back used only in short-yardage situations as a freshman in 2011, then broke his leg in The Unspeakable Game last year and redshirted, but in the spring game he looked like an athletic back who could cut and pick up some real yardage and be much more versatile. Arinze is a walk-on fullback who was really difficult to bring down. He reminded me of Dennis Johnson in his stocky, low center of gravity build. He's not as fast as Johnson but probably a little bigger and stronger. I'm excited to see what the coaches do with our backfield this year.

5. Finally, things really cratered last spring, but it was obvious that Arkansas could be facing a bit of a rebuilding season in 2014 anyway without Tyler Wilson, Cobi Hamilton and a couple of other offensive stars. So what are some reasonable expectations for this team?

I've maintained that the goal should be just to get bowl eligible. Arkansas always has a difficult schedule in odd-numbered years because we travel to Baton Rouge and Tuscaloosa, but the SEC did us a real solid this year in replacing a road game at Kentucky with a trip to Gainesville. It's just really hard to imagine Arkansas winning those games, and we've still got to host A&M and South Carolina. So, especially coming off last season, earning a bowl bid would be solid progress. Anything better than that is gravy.

In CBS' way-too-early-but-we've-got-nothing-better-to-do-in-May bowl projections, they had Arkansas in the Music City Bowl against Georgia Tech, and I think most Hog fans would be happy with that. They are right now anyway. If Arkansas starts out 4-0 but closes 2-6, that bowl bid might not be feeling so hot. We'll see.

We close our run through LSU's football schedule with a look at how Arkansas handled their first spring practice with their new coach. Our guest this week is Doc Harper of Arkansas Expats.

1. Brett Bielema was certainly an unexpected choice for Arkansas, and seems like an...odd fit, I guess? What was fan reaction to the hire, and how has he been received through the first few months?

The day the news broke, most fans were like "wha? who?" Our search was so long that virtually every coach in the country was discussed by fans at some point, and he never even really made it on the radar. It was a big surprise. But ever since his first press conference, fans have been all in. He's got a near-unanimously positive approval rating. He's said all the right things, finished strong in recruiting, had what seems to be a positive spring season, and fans are ready to go.

2. What type of tone has he set for the program, and how was that reflected through spring practice?

The most obvious thing is toughness, physically and mentally. Of course, every coach says that, but when you look at Arkansas' style of play under Petrino and the ease in which the team mailed it in last season, toughness is definitely something Arkansas needs an infusion of. Bielema is doing that by instilling a stronger power-running game. He calls Petrino's stockpile of receivers and skill players "pretty boys." He's focused a lot on developing the lines, aka the "big uglies." He's bringing in that blue-collar mentality that Wisconsin was famous for and you saw that in the spring game.

3. I've been of the opinion that Arkansas needs a strong recruiter in place to help draw in some of the talent from the surrounding region. How's Bielema faring on that front?

He closed really strong in February's class. He signed one of the top running backs in the country in Alex Collins, who figures to play significantly as a freshman. Bielema also pulled in three 4* offensive linemen in Jan/Feb, so fans are pretty happy. Our 2014 commitment is about where most people expected it to be at this point. Arkansas rarely gets many early commits unless they're in-state players.

A lot of people point to low-rated classes at Wisconsin as evidence that Bielema won't be able to recruit in the SEC, but I'm willing to wait and see what happens because Wisconsin had one of the smallest recruiting budgets in all of BCS football. Bielema's made it known that lack of resources was one of the big reasons for leaving Wisconsin (although admittedly he only references that in terms of retaining his assistants) so it'll definitely be interesting to see what he can do with a recruiting budget that's triple what he had in Madison. Arkansas' 2013 class was higher-rated than any of his Badger classes, so there's reason for optimism.

4. Any pleasant surprises this spring?

A lot of fans worried the Hogs would be really thin at running back after losing Knile Davis and Dennis Johnson, leaving presumably only Jonathan Williams behind. But Kody Walker and Patrick Arinze were nice surprises in the spring game. Walker was a big running back used only in short-yardage situations as a freshman in 2011, then broke his leg in The Unspeakable Game last year and redshirted, but in the spring game he looked like an athletic back who could cut and pick up some real yardage and be much more versatile. Arinze is a walk-on fullback who was really difficult to bring down. He reminded me of Dennis Johnson in his stocky, low center of gravity build. He's not as fast as Johnson but probably a little bigger and stronger. I'm excited to see what the coaches do with our backfield this year.

5. Finally, things really cratered last spring, but it was obvious that Arkansas could be facing a bit of a rebuilding season in 2014 anyway without Tyler Wilson, Cobi Hamilton and a couple of other offensive stars. So what are some reasonable expectations for this team?

I've maintained that the goal should be just to get bowl eligible. Arkansas always has a difficult schedule in odd-numbered years because we travel to Baton Rouge and Tuscaloosa, but the SEC did us a real solid this year in replacing a road game at Kentucky with a trip to Gainesville. It's just really hard to imagine Arkansas winning those games, and we've still got to host A&M and South Carolina. So, especially coming off last season, earning a bowl bid would be solid progress. Anything better than that is gravy.

In CBS' way-too-early-but-we've-got-nothing-better-to-do-in-May bowl projections, they had Arkansas in the Music City Bowl against Georgia Tech, and I think most Hog fans would be happy with that. They are right now anyway. If Arkansas starts out 4-0 but closes 2-6, that bowl bid might not be feeling so hot. We'll see.

The 2013 SEC Baseball Tournament gets underway tomorrow with another year of live TV coverage of every game in the tournament. In addition, every game of the tournament will also be streamed on the ESPN3.com/WatchESPN Service and will have a neutral national radio feed on Sirius XM. The tournament was expanded this year to include 12 of the 14 teams in the conference, with the opening round being single elimination, followed by the normal double elimination bracket with a single championship game on Sunday afternoon. The days are divided into 2 sessions of 2 games each, with the second game of each session starting 30 minutes after the end of first game.

All Times Central

# - Tournament Seed

Tuesday, May 21 - All Day Sat Radio XM 199/Sirius 158

Game 1 9:30 a.m. #6 Ole Miss vs. #11 Kentucky - Single Elimination [FSN]
Game 2 TBD #7 Alabama vs. #10 Auburn - Single Elimination [FSN]
Game 3 4:30 p.m. #8 Florida vs. #9 Texas A&M - Single Elimination [CSS/Cox Sports]
Game 4 TBD #5 Mississippi State vs. #12 Missouri - Single Elimination [CSS/Cox Sports]

Wednesday, May 22
Game 5 9:30 a.m. #3 Arkansas vs. Winner Game 1 [CSS/Cox Sports/Sat Radio XM 199/Sirius 158]
Game 6 TBD #2 LSU vs. Winner Game 2 [CSS/Cox Sports/Sat Radio XM 199/Sirius 158]
Game 7 4:30 p.m. #1 Vanderbilt vs. Winner Game 3 [CSS/Cox Sports/Sat Radio SiriusXM 91]
Game 8 TBD #4 South Carolina vs. Winner Game 4 [CSS/Cox Sports/Sat Radio SiriusXM 91]

Thursday, May 23
Game 9 9:30 a.m. Loser Game 5 vs. Loser Game 6 [SPSO/Sat Radio XM 199/Sirius 158]
Game 10 TBD Loser Game 7 vs. Loser Game 8 [SPSO/Sat Radio XM 199/Sirius 158]
Game 11 4:30 p.m. Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6 [SPSO/Sat Radio SiriusXM 91]
Game 12 TBD Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8 [SPSO/Sat Radio SiriusXM 91]

Friday, May 24
Game 13 3:00 p.m. Winner Game 9 vs. Loser Game 11 [CSS/Cox Sports/Sat Radio XM 199/Sirius 158]
Game 14 TBD Winner Game 10 vs. Loser 12 [CSS/Cox Sports/Sat Radio SiriusXM 91]

Saturday, May 25
Game 15 Noon Winner Game 13 vs. Winner Game 11 [ESPNEWS/Cox Sports/Sat Radio XM 199/Sirius 158]
Game 16 TBD Winner Game 14 vs. Winner Game 12 [ESPNEWS/Cox Sports/Sat Radio XM 199/Sirius 158]

Sunday, May 26
Game 17 3:30 p.m. Winner Game 15 vs. Winner Game 16 [ESPN2/Sat Radio SiriusXM 91]

FSN - Fox Sports South, Sun Sports, Fox Sports
Southwest, Fox Sports Houston
SPSO - SportSouth, Sun Sports, Fox Sports
Southwest, Fox Sports Houston
CSS - Comcast/Charter Sports Southeast

Printable Bracket via SECDigitalNetwork [PDF]

Paul Maineri had an interesting choice to make heading into this weekend. His team had already clinched the SEC West championship, and Vanderbilt had already clinched the overall SEC championship. LSU was also a lock to receive a national seed in the NCAA Tournament, regardless of what happened against Ole Miss. Essentially, nothing was going to be won, or lost, this weekend. So Maineri could have beat his fists on the table and tried like hell to convince his players that this series was still important in efforts to maintain some momentum heading into the post-season. Or, he could rest his regular players and let the team have some fun in the process. When it became clear that Aaron Nola could use a week off to rest his arm and that Jacoby Jones would have to miss this weekend anyway due to an injury, it really guided his decision to rest several players this weekend...and it certainly looks like he made the right decision.

LSU won the series and built momentum anyway.

Cody Glenn had yet another very good start, his fourth in a row. He was perhaps a tad less sharp than he has been recently. Ole Miss got some really good swings off Glenn but at the end of the day, he allowed just one run in seven innings. He also did not walk a batter, which tells me that he is getting more confident and was content to fill up the strike zone and to let his defense make plays behind him. Over his last four starts, Glenn has allowed just four earned runs in 28.1 innings (1.27 ERA) with 16 strikeouts against four walks. The consistency that Glenn has shown during the final stretch of SEC play has been extremely encouraging. To have a guy pitching that well as your number three starter bodes very well in a Super Regional format.

Thursday's game was also a lot of fun because LSU hit four home runs including one inside the parker by Raph Rhymes.

Friday night was a really special night at The Box. The 1993 National Championship Team was honored for the 20th anniversary of their title, and the field was dedicated to Skip Bertman. If that weren't enough, the game was outstanding. Paul Maineri went with a host of pitchers to try and fill in for Aaron Nola. Kurt McCune started and pitched four innings, allowing just one run. McCune wasn't great. He hit a couple of batters, walked one and surrendered three hits. But the results were fine. Then after LSU fell behind by a run, Raph Rhymes came through with some late inning heroics, launching a two run homer in the eighth inning to give LSU the lead for good.

On Saturday, everyone got to play. Mason Katz and Raph Rhymes started the game, but only for the formality of being pulled off the field to an adoring crowd on Senior Day. All of the other regular starters were on the bench, and many of the subs got the opportunity to play a full game. Going against Ole Miss ace and possible first round draft pick Bobby Wahl, it was tough to see LSU scoring many runs. Apparently, nobody bothered to tell LSU's backups that they weren't supposed to hit. LSU hammered out six runs on six hits and Wahl didn't make it out of the third inning. It was his shortest outing of the year. LSU established a 7-2 lead but unfortunately couldn't hold on.

Ryan Eades and the LSU bullpen got a little too carried away with the "we're just having fun today" theme and allowed Ole Miss to claw themselves back into the game and ultimately win it. Eades was not sharp, and this was his worst outing since his start against Alabama on April 20. Once Ole Miss got a little momentum going, it was tough for LSU to stop it. Brent Bonvillain and Kevin Berry didn't fare a whole lot better than Eades and could not hold the lead. So it's a little disappointing that LSU couldn't get a win when their second string performed so well against Bobby Wahl. But the vibe after this game was still a positive one and the team seems to have benefited from the way things played out. I think Randy Rosetta did a great job of capturing that in this game recap.

It was nice to see Mason Katz hit one out on Thursday. He has been stuck on 13 home runs for over a month and was probably feeling a little pressure to get #14. It seemed to have worked because Katz was 5 for 9 on the weekend with a pair of doubles to go along with the home run.

For the second straight weekend, Mark Laird hit the ball well. After going 4 for 8 against Texas A&M, Laird was 3 for 7 against Ole Miss. He was also 2 for 3 against UNO last Tuesday. After being in a free fall for over a month, his batting average has now creeped back up to .291. Needless to say, he's starting to hit again at exactly the right time.

LSU now heads to Hoover for the SEC Tournament and will face the winner of the Alabama vs. Auburn game on Wednesday. Aaron Nola will start Game 1 of the tournament for LSU. With the exception of being a little uneasy about Ryan Eades, I absolutely love where LSU is as a team as they head towards the postseason.

Game 1 Highlights

Game 2 Highlights

Game 3 Highlights

We made a point of saying in this weekend's preview that LSU has little to play for this weekend against Ole Miss. Seeding in the SEC tournament is locked in and a National Seed and the accompanying hosting rights are all but assured. Ole Miss on the other hand comes in needing to separate themselves from the SEC mid pack to get themselves into the hosting discussion and a series win against the #2 team in the country would certainly do that. To bad for the Rebels that LSU loves to play spoiler.

LSU came out firing immediately with 2 runs on 4 hits in the first and never looked back. Ole Miss starter Mike Mayers, a pitcher who has been a thorn in LSU's side over his entire career, got lit up for 5 runs on 7 hits through 6 IP including nearly back to back home runs by Mason Katz and Cristian Ibarra in the 4th and an inside the park home run by Raph Rhymes. Sean McMullen would tack on another bomb to right in the 7th for insurance.

Gifs via GIF Section

More than just the stats, LSU's hitting seemed so much more focused than usual. Ball were aimed perfectly for the holes in the Rebs' D and they got there in a hurry. LSU had 4 doubles on the night to match the home run total and, aside from a baserunning mistake or two, looked the best they have on offense all year.

And that was without potential 1st round draft pick JaCoby Jones. The cause of Jones mysterious "apartment accident" may never be know, but it was damaging enough to sideline him for the weekend. Mainieri is taking no chances with the postseason rapidly approaching and is resting Jones until late next week at the earliest. Katz took over at 2B in his place and was serviceable, but there were a few moments where Jones' abilities were obviously missing. Katz will likely stay there this weekend and be fine, but we need Jones' glove to get back out there.

It seems great performances by Cody Glenn on the mound are starting to become the rule rather than the exception. Coach Mainieri said it best in the post game when comparing his game to Ryan Eades. Eades and Glenn aren't the overpowering strike thrower that Aaron Nola is, but they know how to keep balls in play and put out fires without panicking. Glenn gave up singles to the lead off hitter 3 times last night, but that runner never scored. Glenn would give up 8 hits but just 1 run through 7 IP before being relived by Joey Bourgeois and Will LaMarche.

If LSU keeps hitting like this, even without Jones, they can beat any team in the country. Taking the series tonight behind Kurt McCune and The Johnny Allstaff Relief Team is well within reach.

Score by Innings                    R  H  E
-------------------------------------------
Ole Miss............ 000 000 100 -  1 11  1
LSU................. 200 201 11X -  7 10  1
-------------------------------------------

Box Score

SEC Scoreboard via D1Baseball.com

Alabama 6 #1 Vanderbilt 7 Box Score Recap FINAL	#18 Mississippi 1 #2 LSU 7 Box Score Recap FINAL	#12 South Carolina 4 #17 Mississippi State 5 Box Score Recap FINAL
#13 Arkansas 0 Auburn 3 Box Score Recap FINAL	Florida 4 Georgia 2 Box Score Recap FINAL	Kentucky 2 Missouri 4 Box Score Recap FINAL
Texas A&M 5 Tennessee 1 Box Score Recap FINAL

We're itching closer to one of the offseason halfway points -- the preseason magazine release dates! Personally, I stick with Phil Steele, mostly for the information overload he gives you (not so much his predictions -- so accurate! Just ask him!), but to each their own, and Athlon, Lindy's and Sporting News are certainly still out there, so somebody must be buying them.

One of the standard features involves quoting certain "anonymous SEC coaches" regarding each of the league's 12 teams. Sure, they usually just parrot whatever the popular message board opinion is of the team in question, but hey, I'm sure some people value them. In LSU's case, one of Athlon's writers has been tweeting about the slow and steady decline of LSU. Now, before you stop and wonder how a team that's gone 22-2 in the last two regular seasons is in a slow and steady decline, just keep in mind some of the outtakes that don't make the magazine:

• Alabama: "Look, I'm not saying Nick Saban uses lifts. I'm not. But I've shaken his hand on the field and at SEC media day, and he was only at eye level in Birmingham."
• Arkansas: "Everybody thinks Brett Bielema is soooo hot. But I've been in a locker room with him, and he totally stuffs his bra."
• Auburn: "He'll deny it, but get a little merlot in Bobby Lowder and suddenly he's off in a corner sobbing into his phone about Tommy this and Tommy that..."
• Florida: "Somebody told me Will Muschamp spent his first week in Gainesville pissing a circle around every tree on Florida's campus."
• Georgia: "Little known fact -- former Georgia stars David Greene and David Pollack played Pop Warner football together."
• Kentucky: "I'm going to tell you something funny about Kentucky fans. They don't even really like basketball that much, they just haven't been able to tell Ashley Judd for the last 20 years."
• LSU: "I once overheard somebody tell Les that Bo went to Auburn. It still pisses him off that they don't play on ‘Schembechler Field'."
• Mississippi State: "One of our players was recruited by Dan Mullen. They still love his performance in Disney's Sword and the Stone."
• Missouri: "Mike Slive just HAD to have another excuse to drive to Branson..."
• Ole Miss: "I once saw their AD cut off a lock of Eli Manning's hair and then totally deny it even though a whole room full of people saw him do it. Weird stuff..."
• South Carolina: "Jadeveon Clowney visited us, and man, I gotta say we really wanted him. But it would've blown our food budget to hell. I mean you can only let a defensive lineman eat so many head of cattle. Carolina must have a booster with a couple ranches."
• Tennessee: "Butch Jones is a smart guy, and he's willing to take a lot of chances when it comes to football. But I gotta say, I never thought I'd see him use his uncanny John Gruden impersonation to land a job."
• Texas A&M: "Johnny Football seems like a punk, but he's really a nice kid. He doesn't get the whole ‘Yell Leader' thing either."
• Vanderbilt: "James Franklin has pointy elbows. 2/10, would not bang."

Tigers Battle the Rebels as we honor Skip Bertman and the 1993 National Champions

Pitching Matchups

Game 1 - Thursday - 6:30pm - ESPNU
LSU – So. LHP Cody Glenn (5-2, 2.78 ERA, 68.0 IP, 16 BB, 33 SO)
UM – Jr. RHP Mike Mayers (4-4, 2.87 ERA, 75.1 IP, 29 BB, 59 SO)

Game 2 - Friday - 7pm - Cox Sports
LSU – Jr. RHP Kurt McCune (3-1, 3.38 ERA, 13.1 IP, 4 BB, 8 SO)
UM – So. RHP Sam Smith (3-0, 3.15 ERA, 54.1 IP, 15 BB, 27 SO)

Game 3 - Saturday - Noon - CBS Sports Net
LSU – Jr. RHP Ryan Eades (8-1, 2.29 ERA, 82.2 IP, 23 BB, 69 SO)
UM – Jr. RHP Bobby Wahl (9-0, 1.43 ERA, 88.0 IP, 40 BB, 73 SO)

College Baseball on TV

College Baseball on ESPN3

SEC Slate

Alabama #1 Vanderbilt Live Stats 7:30 PM	#18 Mississippi #2 LSU Live Stats 7:30 PM ESPNU	#12 South Carolina #17 Mississippi State Live Stats 7:30 PM
#13 Arkansas Auburn Live Stats 7:00 PM	Florida Georgia Live Stats 7:00 PM	Kentucky Missouri Live Stats 7:00 PM
Texas A&M Tennessee Live Stats 6:00 PM

National Weekend Previews

Perfect Game

Baseball America

Pitching Matchups

Game 1 - Thursday - 6:30pm - ESPNU
LSU – So. LHP Cody Glenn (5-2, 2.78 ERA, 68.0 IP, 16 BB, 33 SO)
UM – Jr. RHP Mike Mayers (4-4, 2.87 ERA, 75.1 IP, 29 BB, 59 SO)

Game 2 - Friday - 7pm - Cox Sports
LSU – Jr. RHP Kurt McCune (3-1, 3.38 ERA, 13.1 IP, 4 BB, 8 SO)
UM – So. RHP Sam Smith (3-0, 3.15 ERA, 54.1 IP, 15 BB, 27 SO)

Game 3 - Saturday - Noon - CBS Sports Net
LSU – Jr. RHP Ryan Eades (8-1, 2.29 ERA, 82.2 IP, 23 BB, 69 SO)
UM – Jr. RHP Bobby Wahl (9-0, 1.43 ERA, 88.0 IP, 40 BB, 73 SO)

College Baseball on TV

College Baseball on ESPN3

SEC Slate

Alabama #1 Vanderbilt Live Stats 7:30 PM	#18 Mississippi #2 LSU Live Stats 7:30 PM ESPNU	#12 South Carolina #17 Mississippi State Live Stats 7:30 PM
#13 Arkansas Auburn Live Stats 7:00 PM	Florida Georgia Live Stats 7:00 PM	Kentucky Missouri Live Stats 7:00 PM
Texas A&M Tennessee Live Stats 6:00 PM

National Weekend Previews

Perfect Game

Baseball America

Stitch Head