SEC Baseball Preview: Watchability ratings for every Week 13 series (May 7-10)
By Andrew Olson
Published:
The 2026 college baseball regular season is winding down, with its penultimate weekend beginning Thursday. Since we just used a Jeopardy-type of word, let’s dive into what might be in jeopardy this week.
Georgia is still the top team in the standings. With 6 conference games to go (barring any rainouts), the Dawgs have a 2.5-game lead over the second-place teams. This time of year, the college baseball conversation is driven by the postseason outlook. D1Baseball currently has 12 SEC teams projected to make the field of 64, with 2 others in the Four to Watch category (beyond First Four Out).
Will an SEC team hoist the trophy in Omaha? Predict the College World Series champion today on Kalshi!
RPI via Warren Nolan as of Wednesday evening
As always in the SEC, there’s a lot on the line every weekend. We previewed the 8 series and assigned them watchability ratings.
Auburn at Mississippi State (Thursday-Saturday)
We start with the top matchup of ranked teams:
Auburn at a glance:
- Overall record: 33-14
- Road record: 8-6
- SEC record: 14-10
- Last SEC series: 2-1 at Texas A&M
- RPI: No. 4
Mississippi State at a glance:
- Overall record: 37-12
- Home record: 24-6
- SEC record: 14-10
- Last SEC series: 1-2 at Texas
- RPI: No. 8
This may not be considered a top-10 showdown, as Mississippi State is No. 11 in the latest D1Baseball Top 25, but these teams both sport single-digit RPIs and we can expect Super Regional vibes at Dudy Noble Field.
Both squads also visited the Lone Star State last week. Auburn turned heads by winning the first 2 at Texas A&M. MSU, meanwhile, dropped the rubber game at Texas.
In the latest D1Baseball field of 64 projections, Auburn is the No. 6 overall seed, while Mississippi State is No. 10. The Tigers are plenty motivated to keep winning and hold on to a top-8 spot. While a Starkville Regional would be fun, MSU wants to climb into the top 8 and have the ability to control its own destiny when it comes to hosting a potential Super Regional.
While it’s unlikely either team makes up 4 games on Georgia over the final 6, both squads are still in the regular-season SEC title race. This should be a great series at The Dude.
SDS watchability rating: Tape-measure power
Alabama at South Carolina
Crimson Tide look to boost NCAA Tournament résumé:
Alabama at a glance:
- Overall record: 32-17
- Road record: 8-11
- SEC record: 13-11
- Last SEC series: 3-0 vs. Vanderbilt
- RPI: No. 5
South Carolina at a glance:
- Overall record: 22-27
- Home record: 18-14
- SEC record: 7-17
- Last SEC series: 0-3 at LSU
- RPI: No. 98
After a bit of a rough stretch, Alabama got back on track in a big way last week with a sweep of Vanderbilt. The Crimson Tide are currently projected to host an NCAA Tournament Regional in Tuscaloosa, per D1Baseball, which has UA as the No. 11 national seed.
With the No. 5 RPI, Alabama is likely feeling like it could play its way into the top 8 seeds — potential homefield advantage in a Super Regional — with a strong finish to the regular season and in the upcoming SEC Tournament.
It’s hard to know what to expect from South Carolina. The Gamecocks have a dreadful RPI of No. 98 and are on a 5-game losing skid that includes a recent sweep at LSU. Every now and then, though, they show signs of life, like taking 2-of-3 from Kentucky.
This figures to be a good opportunity for the Tide to stack some more SEC wins.
SDS watchability rating: Seeing-eye single
LSU at Georgia
Two teams far apart in the standings with plenty to play for:
LSU at a glance:
- Overall record: 29-21
- Road record: 3-10
- SEC record: 9-15
- Last SEC series: 3-0 vs. South Carolina
- RPI: No. 55
Georgia at a glance:
- Overall record: 38-11
- Home record: 28-7
- SEC record: 18-6
- Last SEC series: 3-0 vs. Mizzou
- RPI: No. 16
Even if not a ranked matchup, LSU at Georgia is this weekend’s headlining series in the SEC.
LSU’s struggles have been one of the biggest stories in college baseball. When it comes to the 2026 NCAA Tournament, the defending national champions are currently on the outside looking in with a 9-15 record in SEC play and an RPI of 55.
The Tigers kept their postseason hopes alive with a sweep of South Carolina, and they need to go 4-2 or better over the final 2 series against Georgia and Florida to potentially grab one of the last at-large bids. Finish below 13-17 in conference play, and the Bayou Bengals would have to go on an epic run in Hoover. LSU’s strength of schedule, which ranks No. 22, is currently the strongest argument for the Tigers to make the tourney.
Wes Johnson, a former LSU assistant, has Georgia on the verge of winning its first SEC championship since 2008. The Bulldogs have been atop the standings for weeks. UGA has only dropped 1 conference series all year, and the Dawgs are especially dominant at home.
SDS watchability rating: Tape-measure power
Texas at Tennessee
Will the real UT please stand up?
Texas at a glance:
- Overall record: 36-10
- Road record: 7-6
- SEC record: 15-8
- Last SEC series: 2-1 vs. Mississippi State
- RPI: No. 3
Tennessee at a glance:
- Overall record: 32-17
- Home record: 25-9
- SEC record: 11-13
- Last SEC series: 1-2 at Kentucky
- RPI: No. 35
Since the trip to College Station that ended in a weather-shortened 2-game sweep, Texas has won each of its last 3 SEC series. The most recent win over Mississippi State was particularly impressive. The Longhorns were down early, but scored 10 unanswered to notch an 11-6 victory in the rubber game to claim the series.
With its strong résumé, Texas is in great shape to be a top-8 national seed and host an Austin Regional, and a potential Austin Super Regional should the Longhorns reach that round. Jim Schlossnagle’s team is 2.5 games back of Georgia in the conference standings, but the Longhorns have the highest RPI among SEC teams at No. 3 overall.
Tennessee‘s outlook, on the other hand, isn’t quite as positive. The latest projections from D1Baseball have the Volunteers outside the top 32 national seeds. While being a 2- or 3-seed in a Regional doesn’t make a huge difference, being outside the top 32 indicates that Tennessee’s at-large status is dependent on the final stretch of games.
While the Vols aren’t quite on “Last Four In” watch, they still have some work to do at 11-13 in SEC play. A Texas sweep would be a big blow to the morale on Rocky Top. Win at least one this week and next week against Oklahoma, and the Vols should make the field of 64 with a finish of 13-17 or better in SEC play.
SDS watchability rating: Off the wall
Kentucky at Florida
Which team makes it 2 series wins in a row?
Kentucky at a glance:
- Overall record: 29-16
- Road record: 10-10
- SEC record: 11-13
- Last SEC series: 2-1 vs. Tennessee
- RPI: No. 34
Florida at a glance:
- Overall record: 32-17
- Home record: 20-12
- SEC record: 13-11
- Last SEC series: 2-1 at Oklahoma
- RPI: No. 12
After 6 long weeks, Kentucky finally ended its SEC series drought by taking 2-of-3 from Tennessee. At 11-13, UK is in the postseason mix and currently projected by D1Baseball to make the field of 64.
The Wildcats haven’t been swept in any of the 8 SEC series so far. They want to keep it that way the next 2 weeks, as they need to probably win at least 2 of their final 6 SEC regular-season games.
Florida is on a 3-game winning streak, notably taking the final 2 games at Oklahoma for a key series victory. At 13-11 in SEC play with the No. 12 RPI, the Gators are a lock to make the NCAA Tournament.
Currently, Kevin O’Sullivan’s squad is projected as the No. 12 overall seed, hosting the Gainesville Regional. Every team wants to make the top 8 to be in line to host a Super Regional, but that might not be as big a deal to Florida.
The Gators curiously have a higher winning percentage on the road (68.75%) than at home (62.5%) this season, surely welcome news to the Bat Cats. Considering UF’s record and RPI, it comes as a bit of a surprise that it hasn’t won a home weekend series since mid-March.
SDS watchability rating: Belted to the gap
Vanderbilt at Mizzou
Will the struggling Tigers play spoiler to the desperate Dores?
Vanderbilt at a glance:
- Overall record: 28-22
- Road record: 4-9
- SEC record: 10-14
- Last SEC series: 0-3 at Alabama
- RPI: No. 68
Mizzou at a glance:
- Overall record: 21-26
- Home record: 12-13
- SEC record: 4-20
- Last SEC series: 0-3 at Georgia
- RPI: No. 123
Vanderbilt has made the last 19 NCAA Tournaments. That streak is in serious danger.
This year’s Commodores have not looked like the Vandy Boys we expect to see every spring. They’re not out of postseason contention yet, however, primarily thanks to fortunate scheduling.
The Dores have 10 SEC wins through the first 8 SEC series. They couldn’t be happier to have Mizzou and South Carolina as their final 2 series.
The Tigers have 4 conference wins on the season, including a series victory against Kentucky. Since the UK series, however, they’ve gone 1-11 against South Carolina, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Georgia.
Mizzou, though, has been known to play spoiler. It was this time last year that the Tigers stunned a Texas A&M team that was similarly on the tournament bubble.
Vandy is currently in the “Four to Watch” group of the D1Baseball projections, putting them behind the first four Out. Playing the last-place team in the league, the Dores are thinking sweep this weekend.
SDS watchability rating: High pop-up in the sun
Oklahoma at Arkansas
The second ranked matchup on the schedule offers plenty of intrigue:
Oklahoma at a glance:
- Overall record: 30-16
- Road record: 7-8
- SEC record: 12-12
- Last SEC series: 1-2 vs. Florida
- RPI: No. 19
Arkansas at a glance:
- Overall record: 32-17
- Home record: 20-11
- SEC record: 13-11
- Last SEC series: 2-1 vs. Ole Miss
- RPI: No. 29
This series gives mirror-image vibes. Oklahoma and Arkansas have notably similar résumés. Both are currently ranked in the top 25. They’re 1 game apart in the SEC standings. When it comes to the field of 64 projections, both are top-32 seeds, but right outside the desired top-16 range of hosting at Nos. 20 (Arkansas) and 21 (Oklahoma).
OU has dropped its last 2 SEC series and finished those particularly poorly. Back on April 26, the Sooners were run-ruled 14-4 in 8 innings at Auburn. This past Sunday, Florida run-ruled Oklahoma in Norman, 13-2, ending the rubber game in 8 innings.
Arkansas enters the weekend with some momentum, coming off the series win over old SEC West rival Ole Miss. That series had a little bit of everything — a run-rule win in the opener, a lopsided Game 2 loss and a walk-off in the rubber match.
The Razorbacks have won 3 of their last 4 SEC series. If they can make it 5 of 6, they could get into the hosting conversation. But the Hogs can’t get ahead of themselves, as Oklahoma has shown it is plenty capable of winning on the road, with series victories in Nashville and Baton Rouge.
SDS watchability rating: Over the wall
Texas A&M at Ole Miss
A pair of top-25 squads hungry to bounce back:
Texas A&M at a glance:
- Overall record: 36-10
- Road record: 9-4
- SEC record: 15-8
- Last SEC series: 1-2 vs. Auburn
- RPI: No. 11
Ole Miss at a glance:
- Overall record: 32-17
- Home record: 24-6
- SEC record:12-12
- Last SEC series: 1-2 at Arkansas
- RPI: No. 13
Texas A&M is well aware of what’s at stake in Oxford. The Aggies slid from being tied in the loss column with Georgia to 2.5 games back in the SEC standings after dropping 2 at home to Auburn.
Michael Earley’s team is trying for the conference title, but that’s not all the Aggies are fighting for right now. A&M now sits right as the No. 8 overall seed in D1Baseball’s latest projections. Stumble in the next 2 series, and the Aggies could slide further. While finishing in the 9-16 range is still a great accomplishment, the Aggies obviously want to be best positioned to host a Super Regional at Olsen Field.
With back-to-back series losses to Georgia and Arkansas, plus a midweek Mississippi State loss, the Rebels are 2-5 over their last 7 games. As such, Mike Bianco’s team is not currently projected to host a Regional in Oxford (No. 19 national seed at D1Baseball). Pick up some résumé-boosting wins, though, and Ole Miss could be on the move upwards.
Both teams are hungry to bounce back and pick up a solid series win.
SDS watchability rating: Tape-measure power
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.
