The Windup: Previewing SEC baseball Week 11 slate (April 24-27)

The SEC baseball season is rolling along, heading for the final stretch. Week 11 figures to be another fun one, with a couple of notable series headlining a stacked slate.

As April winds down with May just around the corner, NCAA Tournament talk is heating up. Baseball America currently projects a record 13 SEC teams in the field of 64. Between now and Selection Monday, there are 12 SEC regular-season games to go, plus the action in Hoover, so a lot can change. But bubble teams are certainly feeling the pressure to collect conference wins, and a handful of tourney teams are fighting to be top-16 national seeds and host an NCAA Regional.

Ahead of all the action Thursday-Sunday, The Windup is here to provide a quick glance at where each squad stands entering this weekend’s conference series.

Mizzou at Alabama (Thursday-Saturday)

Mizzou at a glance:

• Overall record: 13-27
• SEC record: 0-18
• Home record: 8-13
• Road record: 1-11
• Streak: L4
• Last SEC series: L, 0-3 vs. Oklahoma
• RPI: 160

Alabama at a glance:

• Overall record: 32-10
• SEC record: 9-9
• Home record: 20-6
• Road record: 8-4
• Streak: W2
• Last SEC series: L, 1-2 vs. LSU
• RPI: 10

Off the bat watchability rating: Bloop single

Despite having the No. 10 RPI and only 10 losses on the season, Alabama is not a projected Regional host in the latest projections from Baseball America. Mizzou has yet to win an SEC baseball game through 6 series. If the Tide becomes the latest team to sweep the Tigers, 3 more SEC wins might help UA’s host chances.

Arkansas at Florida

Arkansas at a glance:

• Overall record: 36-7
• SEC record: 13-5
• Home record: 27-3
• Road record: 6-3
• Streak: W2
• Last SEC series: L, 1-2 vs. Texas A&M
• RPI: 5

Florida at a glance:

• Overall record: 28-15
• SEC record: 6-12
• Home record: 22-7
• Road record: 6-7
• Streak: W1
• Last SEC series: W, 2-1 vs. Mississippi State
• RPI: 23

Off the bat watchability rating: Off the wall

This has set up to be quite an intriguing series thanks to the last two weeks. Arkansas was briefly the top-ranked team in the country before stumbling in back-to-back series against Georgia and Texas A&M. Florida was not even on the NCAA Tournament radar thanks to a 1-11 SEC start before going 5-1 against Mizzou and Mississippi State. At 6-12, though, the Gators desperately need more conference wins and their postseason hopes could be sunk by getting swept. Will this be the weekend Arkansas bounces back and reminds everyone why they were ranked No. 1 not too long ago? Or will Florida stay hot?

Mississippi State at Auburn

Mississippi State at a glance:

• Overall record: 24-17
• SEC record: 6-12
• Home record: 16-7
• Road record: 5-7
• Streak: L1
• Last SEC series: L, 1-2 vs. Florida
• RPI: 47

Auburn at a glance:

• Overall record: 28-13
• SEC record: 9-9
• Home record: 19-5
• Road record: 4-8
• Streak: W1
• Last SEC series: L, 0-3 vs. Texas
• RPI: 3

Off the bat watchability rating: Off the wall

Auburn is solidly on track to host a Regional in the NCAA Tournament. The Tigers are coming off a sweep at Texas, but they’ve been strong at home this season and solid in SEC play. Mississippi State, on the other hand, cannot afford to be swept this weekend. MSU is on the NCAA Tournament bubble with 12 conference losses already.

Oklahoma at Georgia (Thursday-Saturday)

Oklahoma at a glance:

• Overall record: 29-11
• SEC record: 10-8
• Home record: 17-7
• Road record: 8-4
• Streak: L1
• Last SEC series: W, 3-0 vs. Mizzou
• RPI: 28

Georgia at a glance:

• Overall record: 33-10
• SEC record: 10-8
• Home record: 24-2
• Road record: 6-8
• Streak: L4
• Last SEC series: L, 0-3 vs. Vanderbilt
• RPI: 1

Off the bat watchability rating: Off the wall

Georgia and Oklahoma enter this weekend’s series having been on the opposite sides of Week 10 sweeps. UGA dropped all 3 at Vanderbilt, while OU was the latest team to go 3-0 vs. Mizzou. The Bulldogs have a unique resume as No. 1 nationally in RPI with just a 10-8 mark in SEC play. Georgia, though, has been dominant at home. The Dawgs are hungry for a bounce-back weekend against an Oklahoma squad that has held its own in its first season in the SEC, but is not an NCAA Regional host in the latest Baseball America projections.

South Carolina at Kentucky

South Carolina at a glance:

• Overall record: 24-18
• SEC record: 4-14
• Home record: 20-7
• Road record: 3-9
• Streak: W1
• Last SEC series: W, 2-1 vs. Ole Miss
• RPI: 53

Kentucky at a glance:

• Overall record: 23-15
• SEC record: 8-10
• Home record: 13-9
• Road record: 10-6
• Streak: W3
• Last SEC series: W, 2-1 vs. Tennessee
• RPI: 25

Off the bat watchability rating: Heading for the gap

Both of these teams turned heads with their series wins in Week 10. Kentucky is feeling less bubble pressure after going on the road to Tennessee and taking 2 from the Volunteers. Still, UK is just 8-10 in conference play and can’t let up down the stretch. South Carolina finally won an SEC series, taking 2 from Ole Miss in Columbia. The Gamecocks, though, have struggled on the road this season and need to go on a miraculous run to enter the NCAA Tournament picture.

Tennessee at LSU

Tennessee at a glance:

• Overall record: 34-7
• SEC record: 12-6
• Home record: 24-5
• Road record: 7-2
• Streak: W1
• Last SEC series: L, 1-2 vs. Kentucky
• RPI: 11

LSU at a glance:

• Overall record: 34-8
• SEC record: 12-6
• Home record: 25-3
• Road record: 5-5
• Streak: L2
• Last SEC series: W, 2-1 vs. Alabama
• RPI: 12

Off the bat watchability rating: Over the wall

There’s plenty of intrigue when the last 2 national champions face off. While Tennessee and LSU are looking up at Texas and Arkansas in the SEC standings, the Vols and Tigers are still championship contenders for 2025. LSU has been hard to beat at Alex Box this year, but Tennessee might be glad to get on the road after dropping a second home series for the first time since 2021.

Vanderbilt at Ole Miss

Vanderbilt at a glance:

• Overall record: 30-11
• SEC record: 11-7
• Home record: 22-4
• Road record: 7-5
• Streak: L1
• Last SEC series: W, 3-0 vs. Georgia
• RPI: 4

Ole Miss at a glance:

• Overall record: 29-12
• SEC record: 10-8
• Home record: 19-6
• Road record: 7-4
• Streak: W2
• Last SEC series: L, 1-2 vs. South Carolina
• RPI: 16

Off the bat watchability rating: Off the wall

These two teams are fighting for the last few NCAA Regional host spots, and the series winner figures to have a leg up entering Week 12. Vanderbilt made a statement by sweeping Georgia, the No. 1 RPI squad. Ole Miss has dropped back-to-back series, but has won its last two outings against South Carolina on Sunday and a non-conference meeting with Mississippi State on Tuesday.

Texas A&M at Texas

Texas A&M at a glance:

• Overall record: 24-16
• SEC record: 8-10
• Home record: 18-9
• Road record: 5-5
• Streak: W2
• Last SEC series: W, 2-1 vs. Arkansas
• RPI: 39

Texas at a glance:

• Overall record: 34-5
• SEC record: 16-2
• Home record: 20-3
• Road record: 9-1
• Streak: W6
• Last SEC series: W, 3-0 vs. Auburn
• RPI: 2

Off the bat watchability rating: Tape-measure power

The most anticipated SEC series of the season is finally here. The rivalry is as intense as it’s ever been after Jim Schlossnagle’s shocking decision to leave Texas A&M for Texas after taking the Aggies to the College World Series Finals. Adding to the intrigue, these teams happen to be playing some of the best baseball in the conference. After stumbling out of the gate, A&M has caught fire with 3 consecutive series wins. The Longhorns have not lost an SEC series yet. This should be a fun one.

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.