It’s back. From Opening Day to the College World Series, we’re buckled up and ready for what promises to be another unforgettable SEC baseball season. A year ago, the last team in the NCAA Tournament field went to Omaha and won it all. What surprises will 2023 hold? Here are 10 questions that we’re pondering on Opening Day.

1. Can Tennessee take the next step?

Tony Vitello’s Vols surprised in 2021, when they won 50 games and made it to Omaha. Last season, expectations were higher and suffice it to say that the Vols answered the bell. They won 56 games, won the SEC’s regular season and tournament titles … and then suffered a shocking Regional loss to Notre Dame.

Vitello’s squad belongs in the thick of the national title hunt. A year ago, UT’s bats were dazzling, but their pitchers might have been a little young … until they got on the mound and dominated. This year, the script is flipped. The pitchers are proven (possibly the best staff in the nation), and the hitters are young. But can the Vols win when it counts? Will Chase Dollander and Chase Burns pitch UT to the next level? While UT starts the season No. 2 or No. 3 in most rankings, they could well end it at No. 1.

2. Is LSU even better?

Speaking of rising expectations, take LSU. A few years ago, Paul Mainieri stepped down with LSU seemingly fading to the middle of the SEC West. Enter Jay Johnson and LSU had an interesting 40-22 season with Jacob Berry following Johnson from Arizona and starring for the Tigers. A year ago, the Tigers had plenty of hitting, but were a little thin on the mound and were awful on defense. Johnson added a serious recruiting class and topped it with slugger Tommy “Tanks” White from NC State, who may be the best pure power hitter in the nation.

Expectations are so high that most preseason rankings have LSU No. 1 overall. Two-way star Paul Skenes from Air Force might be key. Skenes can approach triple digits on the mound and rip bombs at the plate. There’ll be plenty of Tigers who can hit, but if Skenes can be elite on the mound, LSU might live up to the preseason hype. From an objective perspective, LSU has more questions marks than UT (the pitching, who will catch, is the defense going to be that much better?). But the upside is undeniable.

3. So who’s the best next-level prospect in the SEC?

No it’s not Dollander or Burns in Knoxville, or Tommy Tanks in Baton Rouge. LSU outfielder Dylan Crews is up there, but that’s not even the pick here. Florida’s Wyatt Langford is another guy who is in the conversation. But the next big star from the league is probably a defending champion. Ole Miss shortstop Jacob Gonzalez didn’t have a perfect 2022 season. But he does it all.

Gonzalez hit just .273 last season, but he hit .355 in 2021. Meanwhile, he went from 12 homers in 2021 to 18 last season. He’s a plus defender, a smart base-runner, and in 2 SEC seasons, he has 88 walks against 66 strikeouts. Other players might have higher upsides or be a little more major-league ready. But as a shortstop, Gonzalez’s balanced tools will be irresistible in the MLB Draft, and so he’s the league top next-level prospect.

4. But who’s the most fun player in the SEC?

A year ago, the nod probably went to Sonny DiChiara. Sonny D had the bowling-league dad physique and the ability to uncork Ruthian blasts at the plate. He also was genuinely funny and the Samford transfer had a, “If you think you’re surprised, imagine how surprised I am” vibe about him.

This year, the guy you don’t want to miss is Enrique Bradfield, Jr. from Vandy. For exactly the opposite reasons. Stolen bases have gone out of vogue in professional baseball. But Bradfield has that old school Rickey Henderson/Tim Raines kind of vibe.

As a freshman, Bradfield stole 47 bases and was caught just 6 times. Last year, his batting average dropped from .336 to .317 … but he went 46-for-46 on stolen bases. You did read that right. In a 162-game Major League season, nobody stole 46 bases last year. In 129 collegiate games, mostly at elite levels of competition, Bradfield is 93 for 99 on stolen base tries. He also had 23 extra-base hits last year, including 8 homers, and has more walks than strikeouts. But when Bradfield is on first base, the entire stadium holds its breath. Don’t miss him. There may not be another like him soon.

5. Who’s the Ole Miss-like surprise this year?

It could be Ole Miss again. Expectations are a little lower for the defending champ than for LSU or A&M in the West. But we’ll dig a little deeper. Some of the narrative was that Auburn’s surprising run was Sonny D and good luck. Maybe it wasn’t. Starter Joseph Gonzalez isn’t a rocket arm guy, but he’s an experienced and crafty ace. Bobby Peirce and Cole Foster will be steady veteran leaders. Don’t sleep on Auburn. It was a bad idea last year, and it still is.

6. Can Florida get off the schneid?

The SEC’s most underachieving program of the last couple seasons might well be Florida, but here the Gators are as a consensus preseason top-5 team again. There’s reason to think that this time around, it works out better.

Wyatt Langford tied UF’s single-season homer mark last season, and having he and catcher BT Riopelle back is big. But starting pitcher Brandon Sproat seemed all but certain to be gone. Sproat was drafted in the 3rd round… but returned to UF. The Gators then added Southern Miss transfer Hurston Waldrep, who is a great pitcher with a name that sounds like a millionaire who would get stranded on an island in a bad TV show. UF has plenty of experience and talent, and feels likely to be it together in 2023.

7. Which series are you circling?

Every week of conference play will have must-see matchups. But here are 3 that just jumped off the schedule.

Of the opening SEC series matchups, LSU at Texas A&M (March 17-19) feels like the must-see. Of course, shortly thereafter, UT and LSU face off in Baton Rouge on March 30-April 1. A late season series that might have a big say in SEC Tournament seeding is Vandy at Florida on May 12-14.

8. Who will you be watching in the opening weekend?

Vandy and TCU meeting in the College Baseball Showcase in Arlington is Opening Day’s marquee matchup. Arkansas vs. Texas that night also qualifies as one to see. Finally, UT is playing in the MLB4 Tournament in Arizona. Saturday’s game will pit the Vols against Grand Canyon, whose shortstop Jacob Wilson is a massive prospect. Saturday also has Vandy facing Oklahoma State, while Arkansas plays TCU. On Sunday, the schedules flip again and the Hogs get OK State, while Vandy faces Texas. Obviously, the big events will give us more competition than home series against weaker foes. But there’s plenty of meat on this particular bone.

9. Who could be hiring a new coach for 2024?

Scott Stricklin’s days at Georgia may be numbered. The Bulldogs looked like they might have been climbing the East ladder in 2018 and 2019, but the timing of COVID and the rise of UT have combined to set 4th as a de facto ceiling for the Bulldogs. South Carolina might well nab that spot in 2023, so UGA could have to make a move.

Kentucky also seems fairly likely to make a move. Nick Mingione had a great 2017 season, but hasn’t been back to the NCAA Tournament since. Finishing 5th, 7th, 6th, and 6th in the East in the last four non-COVID shortened seasons won’t help his cause, and it’s hard to see UK getting above 6th this year.

10. Who ends up in the NCAA Tournament? In Omaha?

Baseball America’s season-opening NCAA Tournament projection has 11 SEC teams in the Tournament. Only Georgia, Kentucky, and Missouri would miss the field– and BA has Georgia as one of its first teams out of the field. BA projects 6 SEC teams to host regionals– UT, LSU, Florida, Texas A&M, Vandy, and Ole Miss.

As for who makes it to Omaha– UT and LSU both look just too good to be denied. Florida and Vandy seem likely to compete to the wire, and the guess here is that UF gets to Omaha while Vandy just misses. But the early guess is a 4th SEC team gets there too, and as noted above, Auburn could be the surprise of the SEC season, so we’ll take them.