SEC Baseball Tournament 2019: Thursday Schedule and Bracket Predictions
LSU is one of four teams facing elimination in the SEC tournament on Thursday, but it'll be understandable if the Tigers are a little tired.
On Wednesday night, LSU lost to Mississippi State in a 17-inning marathon that lasted six hours, 43 minutes, the longest game in SEC tournament history. The Bulldogs walked it off on a single by Gunner Halter to win it at 3:03 a.m. CT in Hoover, Ala.
The Tigers will be taking the field at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium again approximately 10 hours after the conclusion of that loss, depending on the length of Thursday's first game between Texas A&M and Ole Miss.
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Mississippi State also had a late night, but it doesn't play until the final game again Thursday, which will start at approximately 9 p.m.
LSU-Mississippi State is the top game of the tournament so far, but things are setting up for an exciting weekend as the double-elimination tourney continues, with an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament on the line.
Thursday Schedule, Picks
All times ET. Picks in bold.
No. 7 Ole Miss vs. No. 6 Texas A&M, 10:30 a.m., SEC Network
No. 8 Auburn vs. No. 5 LSU, 2 p.m., SEC Network
No. 2 Arkansas vs. No. 3 Georgia, 5:30 p.m., SEC Network
No. 4 Mississippi State vs. No. 1 Vanderbilt, 9 p.m., SEC Network
Thursday Preview, Predictions
While it will be interesting to see how LSU recovers from its 17-inning loss on a quick turnaround, it won't take the field until after Thursday morning's opening matchup between Ole Miss and Texas A&M.
Both the Aggies and Rebels won on Tuesday but lost Wednesday, setting up an elimination game between the two schools on Thursday. When these two teams played during the regular season, Ole Miss swept a three-game series, outscoring Texas A&M 21-9.
Expect the Rebels to get the best of their SEC West rival again to extend their season.
Auburn and LSU will also play an elimination game after both schools lost on Wednesday. These two SEC West rivals just played this past weekend, as LSU took two out of three games on its home field.
However, things are different this time. While Auburn lost to top-seeded Vanderbilt on Wednesday, it didn't have a long night like LSU. And after playing close games in its regular-season matchups, well-rested Auburn will stave off elimination with a win.
Arkansas and Georgia should be an exciting matchup. The two schools were two of the best teams in the SEC this season, but this will be the first time they go head-to-head.
The Razorbacks and Bulldogs are both coming off close victories. Arkansas beat Ole Miss 5-3 on Wednesday, while Georgia beat Texas A&M 2-0. But the Razorbacks will show they're a slightly better team, although this could be one that goes down to the wire.
In Thursday's final matchup, Vanderbilt will look to continue its run through the SEC tournament when it takes on Mississippi State. The Commodores are the favorite to win the tournament championship, and they were impressive in their first game, an 11-1 win over Auburn.
Commodores star outfielder JJ Bleday became the first player since 2003 to record five hits in an SEC tournament game. He is one of the most exciting players in the SEC tourney, and he'll be a key reason why the Commodores continue their run with a win over Mississippi State on Thursday night.
"He just never seems like he is out of balance," Vanderbilt head coach Tim Corbin said, according to Vanderbilt Athletics. "He never seems like he is trying to do too much. Even when he hits those home runs, it’s not like he is trying to recruit or make a fashion out of it. He’s just trying to get to the ball. And because he is, he sees good results."
MLBPipeline.com has Bleday ranked No. 5 in the 2019 MLB draft class.
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