The SEC starts off the second half of the conference season with a couple of key matchups. The best Friday night pitching matchup is between LSU RHP Anthony Ranaudo and Ole Miss LHP Drew Pomeranz who are both projected to be Top 10 picks in the 2010 MLB Draft. The Tigers enter the series with a national ranking of #5 in the country while Ole Miss is 23rd in the latest NCBWA poll. The other series to feature two ranked squads is when the #6 ranked Arkansas Razorbacks make the trip to Gainesville to take on the #12 ranked Florida Gators. The other series of the weekend sees #14 South Carolina visiting Georgia, #15 Vanderbilt taking on intrastate rival Tennessee, Kentucky going to Auburn, and Mississippi State taking on the Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa.
Mississippi State (20-17, 5-10 SEC) at Alabama (22-15, 5-10 SEC)
Players to Watch
Mississippi State: Connor Powers (.407 BA, 10 HR, 55 RBI)
Alabama: Taylor Dugas (.430 BA, 14-18 SB)
Pitchers to Watch
Mississippi State: RHP Chris Stratton (4-3, 3.88 ERA)
Alabama: RHP Nathan Kilcrease (2-1, 1.46 ERA, 20 App)
Probable Starting Pitchers
FRIDAY (6:30 p.m. CT) MSU So. RHP Caleb Reed (0-3, 5.47 ERA) vs Bama Jr. RHP Jimmy Nelson (4-1, 3.54 ERA)
SATURDAY (4 p.m. CT) MSU Fr. RHP Chris Stratton (4-3, 3.88 ERA) vs Bama So. LHP Adam Morgan (4-2, 5.26 ERA)
SUNDAY (2 p.m. CT) MSU Fr. LHP Luke Bole (2-0, 6.92 ERA) vs Bama Fr. RHP Tucker Hawley (1-0, 4.58 ERA)
Prediction
Brian Foley: Alabama 2-1
Mississippi State Series Notes
Alabama Series Notes
Arkansas (32-6, 12-3 SEC) at Florida (26-10, 10-5 SEC)
Players to Watch
Arkansas: Zack Cox (.449 BA, 6 HR, 43 RBI)
Florida: Austin Maddox (.364 BA, 12 HR, 45 RBI)
Pitchers to Watch
Arkansas: LHP Drew Smyly (5-0, 1.99 ERA)
Florida: LHP Alex Panteliodis (6-1, 2.66 ERA)
Probable Starting Pitchers
FRIDAY (6:30 p.m. ET) ARK So. LHP Drew Smyly (5-0, 1.99 ERA) vs UF So. LHP Alex Panteliodis (6-1, 2.66 ERA)
SATURDAY (1 p.m. ET) ARK Jr. RHP Brett Eibner (3-2, 3.38 ERA) vs UF Fr. RHP Hudson Randall (3-3, 4.12 ERA)
SUNDAY (1 p.m. ET) ARK TBA vs UF TBA
Prediction
Brian Foley: Arkansas 2-1
Arkansas Series Notes
Florida Series Notes
Kentucky (22-15, 5-10 SEC) at Auburn (25-13, 8-7 SEC)
Players to Watch
Kentucky: Chad Wright (.367 BA, 2 HR, 31 RBI)
Auburn: Hunter Morris (.409 BA, 13 HR, 49 RBI)
Pitchers to Watch
Kentucky: Logan Darnell (3-2, 4.77 ERA)
Auburn: Sean Ray (2-1, 1.96 ERA)
Probable Starting Pitchers
FRIDAY (6:30 p.m. CT)UK Jr. LHP Logan Darnell (3-2, 4.77 ERA) vs AU So. LHP Cory Luckie (4-2, 6.68 ERA)
SATURDAY (3 p.m. CT)UK Fr. LHP Taylor Rogers (4-4, 4.92 ERA) vs AU TBA
SUNDAY (1 p.m. CT) UK TBA vs AU Jr. LHP Grant Dayton (4-2, 4.89 ERA)
Prediction
Brian Foley: Auburn 2-1
Kentucky Series Notes
Auburn Series Notes
South Carolina (29-8, 11-4 SEC) at Georgia (12-25, 3-12 SEC)
Players to Watch
South Carolina: Whit Merrifield (.333 BA, 7 HR, 24 RBI)
Georgia: Zach Cone (.367 BA, 8 HR, 38 RBI)
Pitchers to Watch
South Carolina: RHP Blake Cooper (7-0, 2.44 ERA)
Georgia: RHP Justin Grimm (2-5, 5.10 ERA)
Probable Starting Pitchers
FRIDAY (6:30 p.m. ET) USC Sr. RHP Blake Cooper (7-0, 2.44 ERA) vs UGA Jr. RHP Justin Grimm (2-5, 5.10 ERA)
SATURDAY (1 p.m. ET) USC Jr. RHP Sam Dyson (3-2, 5.04 ERA) vs UGA TBA
SUNDAY (2 p.m. ET) USC Sr. RHP Jay Brown (2-0, 3.60 ERA) vs UGA TBA
Prediction
Brian Foley: South Carolina 3-0
South Carolina Series Notes
Georgia Series Notes
Vanderbilt (31-9, 8-7 SEC) at Tennessee (19-19, 4-11 SEC)
Players to Watch
Vanderbilt: Jason Esposito (.344 BA, 8 HR, 47 RBI)
Tennessee: PJ Polk (.356 BA, 8 HR, 35 RBI)
Pitchers to Watch
Vanderbilt: RHP Sonny Gray (5-4, 2.34 ERA)
Tennessee: RHP Stephen McCray (4-3, 2.59 ERA)
Probable Starting Pitchers
FRIDAY (7 p.m. ET) VU So. RHP Sonny Gray (5-4, 2.34 ERA) vs UT Jr. LHP Bryan Morgado (2-4, 5.88 ERA)
SATURDAY (7 p.m. ET) VU So. RHP Jack Armstrong (5-1, 4.21 ERA) vs UT Sr. RHP Stephen McCray (4-3, 2.59 ERA)
SUNDAY (2 p.m. ET) VU Jr. RHP Taylor Hill (3-3, 3.30 ERA) vs UT TBA
Prediction
Brian Foley: Vanderbilt 3-0
Vanderbilt Series Notes
Tennessee Series Notes
LSU (32-6, 11-4 SEC) at Ole Miss (25-13, 8-7 SEC)
Players to Watch
LSU: Micah Gibbs (.408 BA, 5 HR, 38 RBI)
Ole Miss: Zach Miller (.326 BA, 37 RBI)
Pitchers to Watch
LSU: Jr. RHP Anthony Ranaudo (2-0, 3.00 ERA)
Ole Miss: LHP Drew Pomeranz (6-0, 1.38 ERA)
Probable Starting Pitchers
FRIDAY (7 p.m. CT) LSU Jr. RHP Anthony Ranaudo (2-0, 3.00 ERA) vs OM Jr. LHP Drew Pomeranz (6-0, 1.38 ERA)
SATURDAY (3 p.m. CT) LSU So. RHP Joey Bourgeois (4-1, 6.23 ERA) vs OM Sr. RHP Aaron Barrett (6-2, 3.07 ERA)
SUNDAY (1:30 p.m. CT) LSU So. LHP Chris Matulis (5-1, 3.86 ERA) OM TBA
Prediction
Brian Foley: LSU 2-1
