What's The Biggest Baseball Series This Weekend? SEC Daily, April 24, 2025

We're down to the final four weeks of the SEC baseball regular season and predictably there's a logjam at the top of league standings and national rankings.

Texas is No. 1 in the polls, and eight teams are on pace to possibly host regionals depending on which rankings you're using. That was normal for this conference before the league added the Longhorns and Oklahoma this year, so no one should be surprised to be see half of the SEC in any top 25 ranking.

For fans, though, this is when the season really starts to get really, really good. Not only are teams jockeying for position, but there are numerous showdowns in the nation's toughest conference, and all have ramifications as well. This weekend alone there are three top-25 matchups, and that doesn't include Texas hosting rival TexasA&M for the first time in SEC play.

For example, will Vanderbilt be able to ride the momentum from last weekend's sweep of Georgia? The Commodores have to visit No. 23 Ole Miss, which is always a tough place to play. Can the Bulldogs bounce back at home against No. 14 Oklahoma? Florida and Mississippi State are beginning to look like bubble teams for the NCAA Tournament, can they help their chances against No. 5 Arkansas and No. 11 Auburn, respectively?

But the marquee event for this weekend is the rematch of last year's title game in the SEC Tournament, Tennessee at LSU, which should be treated as a top-5 showdown in Baton Rouge. Last year, the Tigers were swept in Knoxville, and then top-seeded Tennessee took home the trophy from Hoover, Ala., with a 4-3 victory.

This year, the teams appear to be more evenly matched. Tennessee is 33-7, and LSU is 34-7.

Tennessee at LSU Starting Pitchers

Tennessee
Game 1: Jr. LHP Liam Doyle (7-1, 2.48 ERA)
Game 2: Jr. RHP Marcus Phillips (2-3, 2.96 ERA)
Game 3: TBA
LSU
Game 1: So. LHP Kade Anderson (6-1, 3.92 ERA)
Game 2: Jr. RHP Anthony Eyanson (6-1, 3.52 ERA)
Game 3: TBA

Here's the full slate, with every game available on SEC Network+ at least:

SEC Baseball Schedule, April 24-26

All Times CT
Thursday, April 24
No. 14 Oklahoma at No. 10 Georgia, 6 p.m. (ESPNU)
Missouri at No. 18 Alabama, 7 p.m. (SECN)

Friday, April 25
No. 14 Oklahoma at No. 10 Georgia, 5 p.m.
No. 5 Arkansas at Florida, 5:30 p.m.
South Carolina at Kentucky, 5:30 p.m.
Missouri at No. 18 Alabama, 6 p.m.
Mississippi State at No. 11 Auburn, 6 p.m.
No. 6 Tennessee at No. 7 LSU, 6:30 p.m.
No. 9 Vanderbilt at No. 23 Ole Miss, 6:30 p.m.
Texas A&M at No. 1 Texas, 7 p.m. (SECN)

Saturday, April 26
No. 14 Oklahoma at No. 10 Georgia, 11 a.m. (SECN)
Missouri at No. 18 Alabama, 1 p.m.
No. 5 Arkansas at Florida, 2 p.m. (SECN)
Texas A&M at No. 1 Texas, 3 p.m. (ESPN2)
South Carolina at Kentucky, 3:30 p.m.
No. 9 Vanderbilt at No. 23Ole Miss, 5 p.m. (SECN)
Mississippi State at No. 11 Auburn, 6 p.m.
No. 6 Tennessee at No. 7 LSU, 7 p.m. (ESPNU)

Sunday, April 27
No. 5 Arkansas at Florida, noon
South Carolina at Kentucky, noon
No. 9 Vanderbilt at No. 23 Ole Miss, 1:30 p.m.
Mississippi State at No. 11 Auburn, 2 p.m.
No. 6 Tennessee at No. 7 LSU, 2 p.m.
Texas A&M at No. 1 Texas, 3 p.m. (ESPN2)

CFP Playoff Update

Don't expect much news out of the College Football Playoff Management Committee meetings going on in Dallas. Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormar and CFP Executive Director Rich Clark told reporters that there have been no decisions about the playoff format, and possibly moving to straight seeding, but that talks will continue. The playoff format talks have been upstaged by the latest ruling by a California judge that roster limits have to be changed before the settlement of three antitrust cases by the NCAA and power conferences can go ahead.

Meanwhile, USA Today reported that Kentucky is moving toward housing its athletics department under a new university corporate entity that school officials say will improve their flexibility to handle rising financial pressure from the House settlement. The new entity will be called Champions Blue LLC.

He's not in the SEC any more (after playing at Alabama), but Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney had a notable answer when asked whether a college football super league will,or should, happen: “Both.”