2008 SEC Baseball Tournament Features Rematches in Opening Round

2008 SEC Tournament Information

Game 1 Wednesday May 21 at 10:00 AM

No. 2 LSU Tigers vs. No. 7 South Carolina Gamecocks

LSU: 39-16-1, 18-11-1 (1st in West, 2nd overall)

South Carolina: 37-19, 15-15 (5th in East, 7th overall)

Previous Meeting:  LSU swept in Baton Rouge on April 25-27.

LSU Notes:  The Tigers own the longest current win streak in the country, 16 games.  They have also won 12 straight SEC games, a school record.  The Tigers have swept their last four SEC series, including two against nationally ranked opponents, and two on the road. 

The Tigers have virtually clinched a No. 1 hosting seed in a NCAA Regional.  The Tigers could possibly move into a national seed with a strong showing  in the SEC Tournament.

South Carolina Notes:  The Gamecocks enter the game fresh off a series win over Tennessee.  Despite being swept three times this season, the Gamecocks will likely receive a two or three seed in a NCAA Regional.

Game 2 Wednesday May 21 at 1:00 PM

No. 3 Florida Gators vs. No. 6 Vanderbilt Commodores

Florida: 34-20, 17-13 (2nd in East, 3rd overall)

Vanderbilt: 37-18, 15-14 (4th in East, 6th overall)

Previous Meeting:  Florida swept series in Gainesville on May 15-17.

Florida Notes: After losing their two previous series, the Gators bounced back to sweep nationally ranked Vanderbilt in the final SEC series this past weekend. Florida appears to be in position for a two seed in the NCAA Regional.

Vanderbilt Notes:The Dores dropped their fifth series of the season, knocking them out of the top 25.  Vanderbilt will likely receive a two or three seed in a NCAA Regional.

Game 3 Wednesday May 21 at 5:00 PM

No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs vs. No. 8 Ole Miss Rebels

Georgia: 35-19-1, 20-9-1 (1st in East, 1st overall)

Ole Miss: 34-22, 15-15 (3rd in West, 8th overall)

Previous Meeting:  Georgia won series in Athens May 2-4.

Georgia Notes: The Bulldogs dropped only their second SEC series of the season this past weekend against Alabama. Georgia clinched the SEC regular season title last weekend at Vanderbilt. The Bulldogs will likely receive a national seed with the right to host both the Regional and Super Regional in Athens.

Ole Miss Notes: The Rebels lost their season finale series at Kentucky this past weekend. However, they earned the eight seed when Mississippi State took two of three from Arkansas. Despite high expectations going into the season, the Rebels were only able to win four SEC series this season. The Rebels are likely to be a three seed in a NCAA Regional.

Game 4 Wednesday May 21 at 8:00 PM

No. 4 Kentucky Wildcats vs. No. 5 Alabama Crimson Tide

Kentucky: 41-15, 16-14 (3rd in East, 4th overall)

Alabama: 32-24, 16-14 (2nd in West, 5th overall)

Previous Meeting:  Kentucky swept in Lexington on March 14-16.

Kentucky Notes: Kentucky continued their roller coaster season, winning four of their last five series. The Wildcats ended the season with a 26-6 home record, and will likely be a two seed in a NCAA Regional.

Alabama Notes: The Crimson Tide won their last five SEC series, despite starting SEC play 0-4. Alabama will likely earn a two or three seed in a NCAA Regional

Other SEC Teams Not Making SEC Tournament

Arkansas:  The Razorbacks dropped their final SEC series to Mississippi State, eliminating themselves from the SEC Tournament. Arkansas has been up and down all season, but finished strong by winning four of their last six SEC series. The Razorbacks will likely get a NCAA Regional bid, despite missing the SEC Tournament.

Tennessee:  The Vols season came to an end with a series loss at South Carolina. Despite starting the season 12-4, the Vols loss their final five weekend series.

Auburn:  The Tigers fought hard throughout the season, but a final series sweep at the hands of LSU ended and hopes of postseason play. Head Coach Tom Slater announced his resignation on May 17 after four seasons as head coach of the Tigers. Slater finished with a 115-1136 overall record and went 43-77 in SEC play. Auburn missed the SEC Tournament for the fifth straight year.

Mississippi State:  The Bulldogs faced a number of injuries early in the season and never recovered. State struggled in conference and non-conference play, only winning three weekend series the entire season. 

Head Coach Ron Polk announced his retirement in March and coached his final game on May 17. This marked Polk’s first losing season in 35 years as a head coach. Polk is the SEC career victory leader, but failed to win a National Championship despite eight trips to Omaha (six with Mississippi State). This was his 28th season as head coach of the Bulldogs.