It’s almost here. Not another midwinter snowstorm — well, in some parts of the SEC footprint, that’s happening now, but college baseball is back this weekend. In a world where Baseball America forecast 12 of the 14 SEC teams to reach the NCAA Tournament, there’s plenty of excitement around the opening of SEC play.

Here are 9 stories we’ll be following as we count down to Friday’s Opening Day:

1. Florida opens with Miami — and a target on its back

Heavy is the head that wears the crown, and in college baseball, the No. 1-ranked Florida Gators find themselves holding the preseason crown. Not only do they play in the toughest conference in the game, but they open their season with in-state rival Miami coming to Gainesville. While the Gators will open as the nation’s top squad, Miami is ranked No. 11 in Baseball America’s poll, so Florida will get an immediate taste of life on top.

2. A massive showdown in Texas

Preseason SEC contenders Ole Miss, Mississippi State, and Arkansas will open play in a round-robin event in Arlington, where each will play Texas, Texas Tech, and TCU. That’s national No. 4, 8, and 14 on the SEC side taking on 2 teams in the top 12 on the other side (Texas is 3rd, Tech is 12th). It’ll be interesting to see Ole Miss tested right away. The Rebels were chosen the preseason favorite in the West by the coaches, despite having no players picked first-team All-SEC. Ole Miss has been to Omaha once since 1972, so the early trial is particularly interesting there.

3. Vandy’s aces

You’ll hear much more on this topic (we have a feature publishing Thursday), but in Kumar Rocker and Jack Leiter, Vandy might have the 2 best amateur arms in the nation — and arguably the greatest pitching duo in college baseball history. And opposing bats will get to face both in a typical weekend. Granted, the Commodores open with Wright State, so they will probably take it easy to start, but these guys will be must-watch TV from Day 1 of their draft-eligible year.

4. The left side of Auburn’s infield

Auburn will be worth watching just to see All-SEC shortstop Ryan Bliss and All-SEC third baseman Rankin Woley. Woley hit .412 in the abbreviated 2020 season, and Bliss hit .377 while also stealing 5 bases in 18 games. Expectations are a bit down at Auburn, but this weekend’s games against Presbyterian are a fine chance to see a pair of young stars playing beside each other.

5. Is Tennessee back?

It’s been a rough run for the Vols since Rod Delmonico’s tenure in Knoxville ended in 2007. UT hasn’t had a winning SEC season since then. However, in 2019 under Tony Vitello, the Vols made the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2005. The Vols open at No. 19 in the Baseball America poll, and their opening series with Georgia Southern will be interesting. One guy to watch All-SEC second baseman Max Ferguson, who stole 9 bases in the shortened 2020 season.

6. Bama’s ace

So there could be somebody in Tuscaloosa with a better arm than Mac Jones or Bryce Young. Tide starter Connor Prielipp may be the league’s top lefty. SEC coaches thought so, as they tabbed Prielipp along with Vandy’s Rocker (righty) as the first-team All-SEC pitchers. A big-time prospect coming into 2020, Prielipp threw 21 innings in the shortened 2020 season. He gave up 5 hits, 6 walks, 0 runs, and had 35 strikeouts. Can anybody score on him? Alabama’s first foe, McNeese State, wouldn’t be a likely pick to do the honors.

7. LSU’s pitching

Jaden Hill opens the 2021 season as a projected early first-round pick. He’s been ranked in the top 5 among college prospects (20 SEC players are among the top 50 prospects), and Baseball America named the junior a preseason All-American. At 6-4, 244, he looks and throws the part of a staff ace. Hitters went just 1-for-36 against Hill last season.

One upside of the short 2020 season at LSU was the emergence of closer Devin Fontenot. The senior righty was lights-out in the bullpen, picking up 4 saves with 17 strikeouts in 10 innings of relief work. LSU finds itself a little under the SEC radar, but if Fontenot continues to shut the door on opposing bats, LSU coach Paul Manieri might just sneak into his 7th SEC West title.

8. Under the radar Bulldogs

Georgia entered 2020 as one of the SEC’s sleepers, largely based off its pair of ace pitchers, Emerson Hancock and Cole Wilcox. Hancock went in the 6th pick of the 2020 MLB Draft and Wilcox slid to the 3rd round, but both were highly coveted prospects. Without them, not only was Georgia picked 5th in the East preseason, but not a single Bulldog made the coaches’ All-SEC squad.

SEC pitching is loaded, but Georgia has a pair of top-50 prospects in righty Jonathan Cannon (No. 15) and lefty Ryan Webb (No. 46). Neither garnered a lot of preseason love because there are 5 SEC hurlers ranked ahead of them. Cannon is a draft-eligible sophomore who didn’t allow a run last season. Webb is a lefty who has spent almost all of his career in the bullpen behind Hancock and Wilcox.

Speedy outfielder Ben Anderson, who hit .414 in 2020, was one overlooked possibility for All-SEC honors. If Georgia plays with a chip on its collective shoulder, there’s no reason they won’t be a factor in the East.

9. Watching Wes Clarke hit

South Carolina infielder/catcher/DH Wes Clarke has plenty of power. All-SEC power, frankly, as he showed with 8 bombs in just 16 games in 2020. He led the league in homers and was 3rd in RBIs when COVID ended the 2020 season. Don’t be surprised if he hits a home run or two this opening weekend against Dayton.