SEC baseball: Record 11 teams projected to make NCAA Tournament

It’s SEC Tournament week in Hoover, but the biggest storyline in the conference is how many teams will make the NCAA Tournament. Baseball America’s latest projections have a record 11 SEC teams making the field of 64.

The two most notable projections involve teams at opposite ends of the spectrum: Tennessee and Florida.

The No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament was considered to be wide open for the top 4 SEC teams in the conference tournament. After getting a first-round bye, it was an 0-4 day for the top 4 in second-round action.

Teddy Cahill writes that he’s currently going with Tennessee for the No. 1 overall seed, but notes that North Carolina is a team to watch depending on the results of the ACC Tournament.

Florida, on the other hand, is just hoping to make the field of 64. The Gators took 2-of-3 from Georgia to finish with 13 SEC wins. By dropping its only SEC Tournament game, though, UF is considered the conference’s 11th-best team. The SEC has never received more than 10 bids for the NCAA Tournament.

Kevin O’Sullivan’s squad will be sweating it out until Selection Monday. If Florida makes the field, as Baseball America projects, it will be a new record for the conference.

Here’s a rundown of the latest Baseball America projections, including the potential pairings for the Super Regional round:

RPI via WarrenNolan.com

Tennessee: No. 1 overall national seed, Knoxville Regional host

• Overall record (through Wednesday): 46-11
• SEC regular season: 22-8 (co-champion)
• SEC Tournament (through Wednesday): 0-1
• RPI (Thursday morning): No. 5
• Projected Regional pairing: Santa Barbara, California (No. 16 UC Santa Barbara)

Texas A&M: No. 3, College Station Regional host

• Overall record (through Wednesday): 44-12
• SEC regular season: 19-11
• SEC Tournament (through Wednesday): 0-1
• RPI (Thursday morning): No. 1
• Projected Regional pairing: Greenville Regional (No. 14 East Carolina)

Kentucky: No. 4, Lexington Regional host

• Overall record (through Wednesday): 39-13
• SEC regular season: 22-8 (co-champion)
• SEC Tournament (through Wednesday): 0-1
• RPI (Thursday morning): No. 4
• Projected Regional pairing: Terre Haute Regional (No. 13 Indiana State)

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Arkansas: No. 5, Fayetteville Regional host

• Overall record (through Wednesday): 43-13
• SEC regular season: 20-10 (SEC West champion)
• SEC Tournament (through Wednesday): 0-1
• RPI (Thursday morning): No. 3
• Projected Regional pairing: Stillwater Regional (No. 12 Oklahoma State)

Georgia: No. 8, Athens Regional host

• Overall record: 39-15
• SEC regular season: 17-13
• SEC Tournament: 0-1 (eliminated)
• RPI (Thursday morning): No. 7
• Projected Regional pairing: Raleigh Regional (No. 9 NC State)

Mississippi State: No. 15, Starkville Regional host

• Overall record (through Wednesday): 38-19
• SEC regular season: 17-13
• SEC Tournament (through Wednesday): 2-0
• RPI (Thursday morning): No. 19
• Projected Regional pairing: Chapel Hill Regional (No. 2 North Carolina)

South Carolina: 2-seed Raleigh Regional (No. 9 NC State)

• Overall record (through Wednesday): 35-21
• SEC regular season: 13-17
• SEC Tournament (through Wednesday): 2-0
• RPI (Thursday morning): No. 17
• Projected Regional pairing: Athens Regional (No. 8 Georgia)

Alabama: 3-seed Clemson Regional (No. 6 Clemson)

• Overall record: 33-22
• SEC regular season: 13-17
• SEC Tournament: 0-1 (eliminated)
• RPI (Thursday morning): 20
• Projected Regional pairing: Tallahassee Regional (No. 11 Florida State)

Vanderbilt: 2-seed Terre Haute Regional (No. 13 Indiana State)

• Overall record (through Wednesday): 37-20
• SEC regular season: 13-17
• SEC Tournament (through Wednesday): 2-0
• RPI (Thursday morning): 21
• Projected Regional pairing: Lexington Regional (No. 4 Kentucky)

LSU: 3-seed Santa Barbara Regional (No. 16 UC Santa Barbara)

• Overall record (through Wednesday): 38-20
• SEC regular season: 13-17
• SEC Tournament (through Wednesday): 2-0
• RPI (Thursday morning): 24
• Projected Regional pairing: Knoxville Regional (No. 1 Tennessee)

Florida: 3-seed Tallahassee Regional (No. 11 Florida State)

• Overall record: 28-27
• SEC regular season: 13-17
• SEC Tournament: 0-1 (eliminated)
• RPI (Thursday morning): 28
• Projected Regional pairing: Clemson Regional (No. 6 Clemson)

Andrew Olson

Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.