NATIONAL SEED/HOST WATCH
from D1 Baseball
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• LSU clinched a massive road series at Vanderbilt with an 8-3 win Friday, as Dylan Crews continued to look like a superstar, homering twice to lead the LSU offense. A week after the Tigers tumbled down the host pecking order by getting swept at Ole Miss and falling into the 30s in the RPI, they’re suddenly right back in the hunt at 16-13 in the league and No. 24 in the RPI, with a chance to bolster their case more if they can complete the sweep. Vandy, meanwhile, remains No. 3 in the RPI but falls below .500 in the league at 14-15, and another loss Saturday would be a death knell for their hosting hopes, regardless of their RPI. As it is, even if they win Saturday they will need to win more games in Hoover than they lose in order to finish above .500 in SEC play, which is an unofficial requirement to host.

• Florida now has a chance to pass Vandy in the pecking order. The Gators blanked South Carolina 8-0 to clinch the series and climb above .500 in the SEC at 15-14, quite a turnaround for a team that was just 6-12 a few weeks back. The Gators are also in good RPI shape at No. 15, and a sweep Saturday to earn a winning record in the SEC might be all they need to host.

• Georgia has certainly fallen behind these other SEC hosting candidates, despite an RPI that remains in good shape at No. 14. The Bulldogs were blown out at home by Missouri for the second straight day, 10-3, dropping them to 14-15 in the SEC. Georgia needs to salvage Saturday’s series finale and make a serious run in Hoover to have a chance to host.

• Arkansas remains a great test case for the committee, with a robust conference record but a poor RPI for a host candidate. The Hogs lost a back-and-forth affair at Alabama to fall to 18-11 and No. 31 in the RPI, but they can still win the SEC West with a victory tomorrow coupled with a Texas A&M loss to Ole Miss. The Rebels slugged their way past the Aggies on Friday to even the series and keep A&M tied with Arkansas. The Aggies remain in good shape to host but really need to win Saturday in order to boost their top-eight-seed ambitions.

• Auburn split a doubleheader at Kentucky, dropping the first game 5-1 but winning Game Two 6-3, setting up a rubber game Saturday. No change in Auburn’s top-eight seed position; the Tigers are No. 5 in the RPI and 16-12 in the SEC, and they probably need to win Sunday to remain in top-eight-seed position.

BUBBLE WATCH

• Ole Miss can breathe easy after blowing out Texas A&M 14-6 to even the series. At 14-15 in the SEC and No. 34 in the RPI, the Rebels should cruise into regionals even if they don’t take Saturday’s rubber game.