Man this is going to be a fun season and I’m pumped that SEC play is finally beginning this weekend. Depending on which poll you look at the conference boasts at least 5 teams in the top ten, (some are 1-5 all SEC) with no less than 8-10 teams ranks in the top 25.

Even the currently unranked teams like Auburn, Bama, UGA, & A&M all have stellar 14-3/13-4 records. I’ve never seen the conference this deep across the board. Only Mizzou could be labeled a probable stinker after almost 20 games played which is incredible.

The point of this thread is to chop it up on the topic of SEC baseball and also predict who you think takes home the SEC title/National Title. I’ve comprised a little bit of background into all the teams that have historically been pretty good and are currently pretty damn good just to help give some insight as to who’s in the running for all the marbles this season.

The Dores have been to Omaha only 4 TIMES in the entire HISTORY of their baseball program. In those 4 trips, they’ve played for the title 3 times and won two of them. That’s an insane stat in and of itself. Obviously Vandy is “new money” but Corbin is only 59 and has them positioned for a title run this season. If he sticks around say another 10 seasons, I could see them winning another 2-3 easily right?

Then you have South Carolina. In their 11 CWS appearances, they have played SIX TITLES. Now they only won 2 of them, but that is a painfully underrated stat/ratio for gamecocks baseball that I was unaware of. They were swept by a good Texas team last weekend but they’re still a top 15 club with the nations current home run leader Clarke hitting dingers upon dingers.

LSU has gone to Omaha 18 times having played for 7 titles, winning 6. Essentially every 6 CWS appearances they win a title. Since we’ve only been 3 times since ‘09 we still have probably 3 more appearances to get that elusive 7th ring but I like this team a lot and Dylan Crews could be the first player taken in 2023. Tre Morgan is also THAT DUDE

With 27 CWS appearances combined between Arky, State, and Bama they’ve GOT to win a title at some point. State finishing 2nd in 2013 & Arky finishing 2nd in 2018. Bama finishing 2nd in 1983 & 1997. Obviously of those 3 programs State & Arky are much better positioned to win one at present and own 22 of the 27 CWS appearances but Bohannon seems to have the program headed in an upward trajectory. State might have the most talented/deepest bull pen in the country with plenty of offense to go with it. Same story with Arkansas only I like their starting 3 more than States. This 2 clubs could be mirror images of each other offensively. Also Bama has the best Friday guy in a league full of future MLB starters which is crazy.

Ole Miss is the anomaly. They seem to have an elite club this year and Dirty Mike always puts out a scrappy competitive team but they also always seem to fail spectacularly when it comes to reaching Omaha. Perhaps the “Ole Miss At Home Again” days end this season and the rebs are finally ready to take that next step but we shall see. I literally would not be shocked if they won it all in Omaha this year and would also be equally not shocked if they lost their regional to Southern Miss.

Then you have the Gators with 12 CWS appearances having played for 3 titles and winning it all in 2017. As long as O’Sullivan remains at the helm he’ll have them in the hunt every year and obviously this year in no exception. I’m not sure who has the most difficult schedule in the conference or even in the country but UF has be close. I know USCe caught Texas and that Big 12/SEC tourney was wild but still....Getting Miami and FSU OOC while also pulling Arkansas and Ole Miss from the West.

Now for who in my opinion is the most mind boggling underachieving baseball program in the conference. I guess it’s just a UGA thing with the whole football curse too. They have showed up to Omaha 6 times playing for 2 titles winning in 1990 and finishing 2nd in 2008. But much like Bama, Tennessee and Kentucky their program seems to also be on an upward trajectory and seems like they could come out of nowhere and win at all again any random year. Similar to Texas A&M, they are stuck in a division with 2 top 5 teams along with the Vols and UK being no chumps. Both are either ranked or just outside top 25 depending on the poll.

As for Mizzou they were a formidable program in the 50’s and 60’s but haven’t sniffed relevance since. A&M has 6 trips to Omaha (most recently in 2017) and arguably are most underachieving program currently. Having won nothing despite having all that in-state talent much like Georgia.

So if you had a free $50K to wager, but you had to wager it on this: which SEC team would you place the $50K on to win the next national title? And as a tie breaker who wins the SEC this year?

SEC: LSU (heavily bias dark horse)

Natty: this hurts to say but I’m going with State. I’m not sure outside of Arkansas that there exists a more “due” team in the country than State. They (Polk) along with LSU (Skip) helped build SEC baseball as we know it today and have achieved so much success without ever sealing the last deal.

Alright I’m done that helped kill almost an hour. TLDR blah blah gif blah blah basketball season blah. Looking forward to seeing the bulldogs at the box this weekend and cheers to what should be one of the more memorable SEC seasons ever