SEC Baseball Tournament 2022: Championship Schedule and Predictions
May 29, 2022
CORAL GABLES, FL - MARCH 06: Florida outfielder/infielder Sterlin Thompson (26) runs to third base in the sixth inning as the University of Miami Hurricanes faced the University of Florida Gators on March 6, 2022, at Mark Light Field at Alex Rodriguez Park in Coral Gables, Florida. (Photo by Samuel Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
After a rain-filled week in Birmingham, Alabama, the 2022 SEC Baseball Tournament championship game is set with the Florida Gators taking on the Tennessee Volunteers.
Florida might be running on fumes when Sunday's game begins. It had to play twice on Saturday, first defeating Alabama to reach the semifinals. The Gators followed that up with a 9-0 shutout against Texas A&M in their semifinal matchup.
2022 SEC Championship Game Schedule
Matchup: Florida (39-21) vs. Tennessee (52-7)
Date: Sunday, May 29
Start Time: 3 p.m. ET
Watch: ESPN 2
The Gators have been living on the edge throughout the tournament. They needed extra innings to beat South Carolina in the single-elimination first round.
In their first game in the second round, the Gators were blown out 10-0 by Texas A&M in a matchup that was called after seven innings due to the run rule.
Needing to win two straight games or be sent home, Florida beat Arkansas on Friday and Alabama on Saturday to advance to the semifinals. It got revenge on the Aggies in a rematch, with a 9-0 victory to reach the championship game.
Florida's offense has been on fire since scoring a total of two runs in its first two tournament games. The group is averaging nine runs per contest in its last three contests, all elimination games.
The lineup will need to step up again on Sunday. Tennessee is tied for third in the nation with 9.4 runs per game.
This will mark the fourth game between Florida and Tennessee this season. The Volunteers swept a three-game series at Condron Family Ballpark in Gainesville from April 22-24. They outscored the Gators 17-6 in that series.
The Vols were given their first real test of the tournament in the semifinal on Saturday night. Their game against Kentucky was tied at two until the top of the eighth until Luc Lipcius scored when Jorel Ortega was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
Cortland Lawson broke things open with an RBI single with the bases loaded to make it a 6-2 game. Ultimately, they turned a tie score into an easy 12-2 win.
Tennessee has been a machine all season en route to its second straight appearance in the SEC title game. It hasn't won a a conference tournament championship since 1995.
The Volunteers are the only team in the nation that has won at least 50 games so far this season. Their magical run in 2022 should include an SEC tournament title.
Prediction: Tennessee 6, Florida 2
SEC Baseball Tournament 2021: Final Four Scores, Championship Bracket, Schedule
May 29, 2021
Arkansas infielder Jalen Battles throws to first for the out on a Vanderbilt batter during the seventh inning of an NCAA college baseball game during the Southeastern Conference tournament Thursday, May 27, 2021, in Hoover, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
The final four teams in the 2021 SEC baseball tournament took the field Saturday looking to secure a spot in the championship game.
Arkansas has been the best team in the conference all season and advanced to the semifinals by knocking off Georgia and Vanderbilt.
Florida has been the most dominant team so far this week. The Gators beat Mississippi State and Alabama by a combined score of 20-3.
Tennessee and Mississippi made it to the semifinals by winning their past two games after both lost their tournament opener Tuesday.
Even though all four teams are likely going to be invited to the NCAA tournament when the field is announced Monday, winning an SEC tournament title goes a long way for seeding purposes.
A team like Mississippi or Florida could secure a top-16 seed and host a regional with at least one more win.
2021 SEC Tournament Semifinal Results
No. 2 Tennessee def. No. 6 Florida, 4-0
No. 1 Arkansas def. No. 5 Mississippi, 3-2
2021 SEC Tournament Championship Game (Sunday at 3 p.m. ET)
No. 2 Tennessee vs. No. 1 Arkansas
No. 1 Arkansas 3, No. 5 Mississippi 2
The Razorbacks are on their way to the SEC championship game for the first time since 2017 after a 3-2 victory over Mississippi.
Jalen Battles' RBI double in the sixth inning was the difference in the game. His go-ahead hit off Jackson Kimbrell scored Charlie Welch, who led off the inning with a walk and advanced to second on a groundout.
Ole Miss tied the game in the bottom of the fifth. The Rebels loaded the bases on a single by Hayden Leatherwood and back-to-back walks by T.J. McCants and Justin Bench.
Jacob Gonzalez drove in two with a double to right-center field off Arkansas reliever Caden Monke.
Mississippi did miss an opportunity to do more damage in the inning, as five hitters reached base and loaded the bases on two different occasions with one out.
Arkansas was able to get out of the fifth with limited damage when Heston Tole got Tim Elko to strike out and Hayden Dunhurst to ground out.
The Razorbacks jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first on Cullen Smith's homer off Ole Miss starter Cody Adcock.
Connor Noland, who used to play quarterback for the football team, closed out the win for Arkansas with three hitless innings.
Despite being one of the best teams in the SEC for decades, the Razorbacks have only won one conference tournament title in their history back in 1985. They will have a chance to end that drought on Sunday.
No. 2 Tennessee 4, No. 6 Florida 0
Tennessee is one win away from its first SEC tournament title in 26 years after a 4-0 victory over Florida in the first semifinal game Saturday.
Right-hander Camden Sewell was dominant during his six innings of work. The junior struck out six and allowed just two hits without a walk on 92 pitches.
How do you make a deep run in postseason tournaments? Having a pitcher like Camden Sewell do this:
— Louis Fernandez Jr (@LouFernandezJr) May 29, 2021
After Sewell left, Redmond Walsh pitched a scoreless seventh inning. Sean Hunley closed out the game over the final two innings.
Florida did get two singles off Hunley to start the bottom of the ninth, but he worked out of trouble by getting Kris Armstrong to ground into a double play. Kendrick Calilao flew out to center field to end the game.
The Gators bullpen did a good job against Tennessee, but the Vols were able to get to starter Brandon Sproat. The freshman didn't have great command of his stuff with four walks in 3.2 innings. He also gave up five hits and allowed three runs.
Evan Russell got the scoring started for the Volunteers with an RBI single in the top of the third. They added two more runs in the fourth on Jordan Beck's RBI double. He came around to score later in the inning on a wild pitch.
Drew Gilbert gave Tennessee an extra insurance run with a run-scoring single off Christian Scott.
The Razorbacks won two out of three games against Tennessee at Lindsey Nelson Stadium from May 14-16.
SEC Baseball Tournament 2021: Thursday Scores, Updated Bracket and Schedule
May 27, 2021
Arkansas batter Matt Goodheart (10) against Little Rock during an NCAA baseball game on Tuesday, April 6, 2021, in Fayetteville, Ark. (AP Photo/Michael Woods).
Thursday marks the biggest day of the 2021 SEC baseball tournament thus far, with four teams facing elimination.
Two of the top three seeds in the tournament faced off in the first elimination game. No. 2 Tennessee and No. 3 Mississippi State were coming off losses in the second round Wednesday.
The marquee game of the day will pit top-seeded Arkansas against No. 4 Vanderbilt. Arkansas breezed past Georgia 11-2 in its first game of the tournament. The Commodores got a walk-off single from Dominic Keegan in the bottom of the ninth against Mississippi.
At the end of the day's play, two teams will have punched their ticket to Saturday's semifinals. Four teams will advance to the fourth round on Friday.
No. 2 Tennessee def. No. 3 Mississippi State 12-2 (F/8)
No. 5 Mississippi def. No. 8 Georgia 4-0
No. 6 Florida def. No. 10 Alabama 7-2
No. 4 Vanderbilt vs. No. 1 Arkansas (9 p.m. ET)
No. 5 Ole Miss 4, No. 8 Georgia 0
After a walk-off loss on Wednesday, Mississippi bounced back with a 4-0 victory over Georgia to advance to the fourth round.
Ole Miss starter Drew McDaniel silenced the Bulldogs with 6.2 shutout innings. The sophomore right-hander struck out a season-high 11 and allowed just four hits on 99 pitches.
The Georgia pitching tandem of Liam Sullivan and Jonathan Cannon did well in defeat. Sullivan only went three innings, allowing two runs on four hits with six strikeouts.
Cannon took over for the final five frames. He only allowed three hits and two runs on 56 pitches.
Kevin Graham put the Rebels on top in the bottom of the second with a solo homer off Sullivan.
BOOM!
(Btw, the on base streak still stands even if you run through all the bases).@kevgraham11 | #RebsBSB
The Ole Miss left fielder has now reached base in 51 straight games dating back to March 2.
Jacob Gonzalez went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Peyton Chatagnier drove in a run with an RBI single in the bottom of the eighth.
Georgia's tournament run is over, but it will likely end up with a spot in the NCAA tournament. Mississippi will play Vanderbilt on Friday.
No. 2 Tennessee def. No. 3 Mississippi State 12-2 (F/8)
Pete Derkay's three-run homer powered Tennessee to a 12-2 win over Mississippi State in a game that ended in the bottom of the eighth as a result of the 10-run rule.
After a scoreless first inning, Derkay started a four-run second for the Vols with a frozen rope to right-center field off Bulldogs starter Christian MacLeod.
Derkay finished the game 2-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored. Max Ferguson also drove in three runs with an RBI single in the sixth and a two-run double in the eighth.
Ahead 8-2 going into the bottom of the eighth, the Vols avoided coming out for the ninth altogether by scoring four runs to go up by 10. Drew Gilbert's two-run double was the final hit of the game.
Tennessee starter Chad Dallas shut down Mississippi State's bats. He scattered six hits and allowed one run in 6.2 innings for his 10th win of the season.
Tennessee staved off elimination for another day as it seeks its first SEC tournament championship since 1995.
Thursday's loss ends a nightmare tournament for Mississippi State. The Bulldogs lost both of their games by a combined score of 25-3. If there is a silver lining, they are a virtual lock to make the NCAA tournament after finishing third in the SEC during the regular season and posting a 40-15 record.
No. 6 Florida 7, No. 10 Alabama 2
A scoreless tie through five innings gave way to Florida's seven-run outburst from the sixth through eighth innings as the Gators defeated Alabama 7-2.
Florida outfielder and leadoff hitter Jacob Young had three of the Gators' 14 hits, including a solo homer in the seventh to put his team up 4-0.
— Florida Gators Baseball (@GatorsBB) May 27, 2021
Alabama went scoreless until the ninth, when the Crimson Tide got two runs after Sam Praytor scored on an error and Jim Jarvis registered an RBI single.
Florida has now moved onto the semifinals. Alabama may meet the Gators once again, as it will face Tennessee in an elimination matchup on Friday at 3 p.m. ET. The winner will take on Florida in the penultimate round on Saturday.
No. 1 Arkansas 6, No. 4 Vanderbilt 4
A battle between two national powerhouses went the way of the top-ranked team in the nation as Arkansas defeated Vanderbilt 6-4 to advance to the SEC tournament semifinals.
Arkansas posted a big three-run fourth inning that turned a 3-2 deficit into a 5-3 lead. Matt Goodheart stroked a two-RBI double and scored on Cullen Smith's RBI single.
Vanderbilt star pitcher Kumar Rocker, who entered the game with an 11-2 record, 2.45 ERA and 129 strikeouts in 88.0 innings, did not fare well against the No. 1 Razorbacks. He struck out six but allowed five earned runs, four walks and four hits over 3.1 innings.
Opposing starter Patrick Wicklander had a tough time as well, allowing three earned runs, five hits and three walks over 3.2 innings of work. Much of that damage occurred in the first, when CJ Rodriguez's two-RBI single gave Vanderbilt an early 2-0 edge.
Vanderbilt had a chance to mount a serious rally in the fourth after Jayson Gonzalez drew a bases-loaded, two-out walk to give the Commodores a 3-2 edge. However, a groundout ended the threat.
Arkansas's three-spot in the fourth gave the Razorbacks a lead they would never relinquish. Vanderbilt's Isaiah Thomas hit a solo home run to cut Arkansas' lead to 5-4 in the fifth.
The Commodores, ranked No. 3 in the nation, managed just two walks and no hits over the final four innings. SEC Pitcher of the Year Kevin Kopps closed for Arkansas, throwing 2.2 shutout innings while striking out five.
Arkansas will face the winner of Friday's Ole Miss-Vanderbilt matchup in its semifinal game, which will start on Saturday afternoon.
SEC Baseball Tournament 2021: Wednesday Scores, Updated Bracket and Schedule
May 26, 2021
Arkansas pitcher Lael Lockhart (18)against Southeast Missouri St during an NCAA baseball game on Sunday, Feb. 28, 2021, in Fayetteville, Ark. (AP Photo/Michael Woods)
After four teams were sent home in the opening round of the 2021 SEC baseball tournament, the top four teams in the conference during the regular season got in on the action.
Wednesday's quadruple-header from Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Birmingham, Alabama, is headlined by defending national champion Vanderbilt playing Mississippi.
Arkansas, the SEC regular-season champions with a 42-10 record, can solidify its status as the potential No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament with a deep run this week.
Unlike the first round, games in the second and third round are double-elimination format.
After a blowout in the first game on Wednesday's schedule, Alabama and Tennessee wasn't decided until the 11th inning when Owen Diodati drove in the go-ahead run in the top half of the frame to give the Crimson Tide a 3-2 win.
Neither offense had much success against the other team's pitching staff. The only run for either side in the first five innings was for Alabama on Jackson Tate's RBI groundout in the top of the second.
Tate also drove in the second run for the Crimson Tide on a bases-loaded walk in the top of the sixth.
Tennessee starter Will Heflin gave up two earned runs on four hits and two walks in 5.1 innings.
The Volunteers were finally able to breakthrough in the bottom of the seventh thanks to several defensive miscues by Alabama. The first two hitters of the inning reached base thanks to a throwing error and fielding error.
Connor Pavolony and Liam Spence drove in runs with back-to-back singles later in the inning to tie the score at two.
After a scoreless eighth, Tennessee briefly appeared to have won on a walk-off in the bottom of the ninth. Shawn Scott and Pavolony started the inning with singles.
Spence grounded out and Alabama intentionally walked Max Ferguson to load the bases with one out. The Crimson Tide got the double-play ball they were seeking from Jake Rucker, but the throw from Peyton Wilson pulled first baseman William Hamiter off the bag.
The umpires ruled that Ferguson interfered with Wilson's throw and called him out, keeping the score tied.
Following Diodati's go-ahead single in the top of the 11th, Chase Lee retired the Volunteers in order in the bottom half of the inning to end the game.
The Crimson Tide will take on Florida on the winner's half of the bracket tomorrow afternoon at 5:30 p.m. ET. Tennessee will look to keep its SEC tournament hopes alive against Mississippi State on Thursday at 10:30 a.m. ET.
No. 6 Florida 13, No. 3 Mississippi State 1 (F/7)
The Florida Gators became the first team in this year's SEC tournament to mercy rule an opponent with their 13-1 victory over the Mississippi State Bulldogs.
After both teams traded single runs in the first inning, Florida blew things wide open with a three-run second and five-run third to take a 9-1 lead.
Jacob Young, Kris Armstrong and Sterlin Thompson combined to go 7-for-13 with three doubles and 10 RBI. Thompson also had a solo homer in the third inning.
— Florida Gators Baseball (@GatorsBB) May 26, 2021
The Gators scored six of their 13 runs with two outs and had 18 total hits.
While the offense was having no problems with Mississippi State's pitching staff, Hunter Barco shut down the Bulldogs lineup. The sophomore allowed one run on four hits and needed just 91 pitches in a complete game.
After two of Mississippi State's first four hitters reached base, Barco allowed just two hits over the final six innings. Tanner Allen's double in the bottom of the first was the Bulldogs' only extra-base hit.
The win puts Florida on the winner's side of the bracket on Thursday. Mississippi State will look to stave off elimination tomorrow afternoon.
No. 1 Arkansas 11, No. 8 Georgia 2
Arkansas starting pitcher Lael Lockhart retired his first 20 batters to lead the Razorbacks to an 11-2 win over the Georgia Bulldogs.
Lockhart nearly slammed the door on seven perfect innings en route to a 10-0 Arkansas mercy-rule win, but a Joshua McAllister infield single and a Corey Collins two-run homer kept Georgia alive in the seventh.
However, it was too little and too late for the Bulldogs, who fell into a 10-0 hole after five innings.
Arkansas broke the game open with six second-inning runs. The Razorbacks added one in the fourth, three more in the fifth and the final one in the eighth.
Arkansas won despite the top six in the batting order hitting just 1-for-17. That's in part because Georgia pitchers walked 14 Razorback batters. Three Razorback runs were courtesy of bases-loaded walks.
Cullen Smith delivered the biggest Arkansas blow, smacking a solo homer in the fifth.
Meanwhile, Commodores starting pitcher Christian Little was dealing, starting his night with five shutout innings, striking out seven. Ole Miss starter Derek Diamond had a good outing himself, striking out eight over 5.1 innings while allowing two earned runs.
The Rebels offense came to life in the sixth starting with Jacob Gonzalez's one-out single.
Hugh Fisher came on in relief of Little, but a Kevin Graham walk proceeded a three-run homer from Tim Elko, who is playing on a torn ACL.
Undeterred, Vanderbilt tied the game in the bottom of the sixth thanks to another Kolwyck RBI single that scored Jones, plus a CJ Rodriguez fielder's choice that got Troy LaNeve home.
Unfortunately for the Rebels, the drama would not end there.
Two of the first three batters reached base in the bottom of the ninth for the Commodores, setting the stage for junior Isaiah Thomas to deliver the game-tying run:
