SEC Tournament Day 4 Recap (And Bonus SWAC Coverage!)
Your daily recap of all of the latest from the SEC Baseball Tournament, with insights on the top prospects for the upcoming MLB Draft.
It was a beautiful day in Alabama, and there was another full slate of college baseball. Instead of resting (because who needs sleep?), I decided to jam-pack my schedule with even more baseball.
Today, we went double-dipping and played two games at the SWAC Baseball Championship, followed by two quarterfinal games of the SEC Tournament. The SWAC was a nice, welcome break from the SEC grind.
Let’s dive in!
SWAC Baseball Championship
Before we dive into the SEC quarterfinal recap, we must touch on the SWAC Baseball Championship. I headed out to Rickwood Field to catch two games, Jackson State vs. Alabama State and Southern vs. Grambling State.
First, Rickwood Field is one of the most incredible venues I’ve ever attended. It’s the oldest ballpark in the United States and has a ton of history. If you’re in the Birmingham area, you’ve got to check out the field and the museum.
Alabama State knocks Jackson State out of the SWAC Tournament
Jackson State (3), Alabama State (5)
In game one, Alabama State showcased that they can absolutely swing it. They got a 5-3 win over Jackson State at historic Rickwood Field. Kameron Douglas opened the scoring with his team-leading 16th home run of the season, and Juan Cruz came through late with a two-run single in the seventh to break a tie.
Reliever Trey Power was dominant out of the bullpen, tossing four scoreless innings to seal the win. Devin Chandler added a triple, Fabian Santana chipped in an RBI double, and Isaiah Landry scored twice to fuel the offense. The Hornets improved to 31-28.
Grambling State dominates Southern to move on
Southern (2), Grambling State (16)
In game two, the Tigers dominated Southern University to advance to the next round. They poured it on early and often, scoring four runs in the second, four runs in the fourth, six runs in the fifth, and two runs in the sixth.
Grambling State dominated Southern mainly thanks to Trey Bridges. The Tigers outfielder had six RBIs, including a grand slam and a double that drove in two. Incredible day at the plate.
Second Baseman Nyan Hayes and catcher Chris Marcellus both chipped in with two RBI each. Starting pitcher Randy Reyes went the distance for the Tigers, tossing seven innings of two-run ball while giving up four hits and striking out five.
A fantastic day overall of SWAC Baseball. Some of the most athletic and fun players you’ll see in all of college ball. If you aren’t tuning into the SWAC, you’re missing out.
SEC Quarterfinals
Ole Miss’s pitching carries them into the semifinals and gives them a big win over the #2 Arkansas Razorbacks
Ole Miss (5), Arkansas (2)
When you see that Zach Root is toeing the rubber, you usually like your chances to get a win. The Friday night ace for the Razorbacks has been nails all year. Unfortunately, Ole Miss took advantage of some Arkansas errors.
The Rebels started the scoring early off Root, putting up a five-spot in the first. It started with a walk and then a throwing error by Wehiwa Aloy. The Ole Miss bats took full advantage. Ryan Moreman and Judd Uttermark both started with two RBI singles.
It didn’t stop there. Austin Fawley came to the plate and launched an absolute rocket to left field for a three-run home run. Not the type of start you want if you’re Arkansas.
The Razorbacks started to claw their way back. A Kuhio Aloy groundout led to one run at the bottom of the first, and a Cam Koezal home run at the bottom of the second helped Arkansas get back into this one.
Root finished the day with just four innings pitched. Only one run was earned, and he ended up striking out four.
It was a pitcher’s duel after that. Gabe Gaeckle played in for the Razorbacks and just dominated Arkansas. Cole Gibler followed suit and did the same. It was the same story for Ole Miss relievers Mason Morris and others.
Ole Miss maintained the lead throughout the rest of the game and secured a spot in the semifinals. The Rebels have turned things around and have been red hot of late.
Head Coach Mike Bianco talked about what it meant to get Ole Miss back into a powerhouse in the SEC.
“Just proud of the guys. It’s been a tough road the last couple of years for a lot of reasons, and you can look back and dissect it,” said Bianco. “(I’m) just proud, proud of the coaching staff that has hung in there.”
Coach Bianco made sure to touch on how the pitching staff has carried them “One of the things that hasn’t probably been mentioned a lot, and it’s really a shame, I think we’re here for a lot of reasons, but none more than our three starters, (Hunter) Elliott, (Riley) Maddox and (Mason) Nichols, and our closer (Connor) Spencer, four guys, all Mississippi guys.”
Ole Miss will look to continue their streak as they take on LSU Saturday in the semifinal.
Texas A&M vs. LSU
Texas A&M (3), LSU (4)
First off, the big news of this game is that Jace LaViolette returned to the lineup for the Aggies after breaking his hand the day before. Yes, you heard that right. He broke his hand in the game on Friday. So what led to Jace playing today?
“I think it’s pretty clear, I said in an interview I’d run through a brick wall for this guy,” LaViolette said, “I want to win. That’s just about it. I just want to win.”
Anyways, let’s get into the game action. We had a fun matchup on the mound as 2025 MLB Draft prospect Kade Anderson took the bump vs. Myles Patton.
To start, Anderson was an absolute electric factory on the mound, but I mean… who’s shocked anymore? He’s just so dang good. Through the first three innings, he struck out EIGHT batters. He ran into some trouble in the top of the fourth. What’s led to Anderson’s breakout?
“He crushed it in the offseason. The weight room piece, he’s much more physical than he was at this time last year,” Head Coach Jay Johnson said. “He’s added to his pitch repertoire. And he throws them all for strikes all the time. It’s velocity, it’s movement, it’s location. It’s any pitch in any count.”
A walk and a single put two on with no one out, which brought Jace LaViollette to the plate. With a broken hand, he drove an RBI single into right field. Anderson was able to strike out Bear Harrison, but Gavin Kash hit a sacrifice fly after that. Anderson was able to limit the damage and strike out the next batter, making it 4-2 LSU.
Myles Patton did his best to match Anderson toe-to-toe. He went 4.2 innings, giving up four hits, two earned runs (4 total), and striking out three.
He got hit pretty hard in the first inning when he gave up two RBI doubles to LSU’s Derek Curiel and Ethan Frey. He settled in after that but ran into trouble at the bottom of the third. He struck out the first two batters, but an error by Kaeden Kent led to a two-run home run off the bat of Ethan Frey. Patton came out of the game in the fifth.
Texas A&M cut the lead again at the top of the 6th. Kaeden Kent hit a double down the line, and Wyatt Hennsler singled to get Kent to third. Who came up with runners in scoring position again? None other than Jace LaViolette. And what did he do? Hit a sacrifice fly.
That became two RBIs less than 24 hours after having surgery to repair his broken hand. Just insanity.
It looked like the Aggies would have a chance to tie it in the top of the 7th when Gavin Kash hit a triple with nobody out. Kash on third base decided not to run on a swinging but and there was runner’s interference, so the batter was out.
Next, A&M executed a safety squeeze, and Kash didn’t run. Hayden Schott pinch-hit and wound up striking out. This was just a brutal execution, and it helped LSU keep its 4-3 lead.
That inning may have bailed out Anthony Eyanson, but outside of the blip on the radar, he did everything LSU needed him to do. He held the Aggies scoreless and secured the win for LSU. The Tigers will take on Ole Miss in the second game on Saturday.
We are unsure if this is Texas A&M’s final game, but it is highly likely after their loss to LSU. They went from being the nation’s preseason #1 overall team to possibly not making the NCAA playoffs.
It’s hard to blame first-year Head Coach Mike Earley. Many guys didn’t live up to expectations performance-wise, and they lost some key pieces to last year’s team that made it to the national championship. Coach Earley talked about how it all was a massive learning experience.
“It’s definitely been a learning experience. I think you can see the growth of our team throughout the season,” Earley said “I’m just super proud to be a part of a university like this and the people, and it’s just a really special place and I take so much pride in being the head coach here.”
MLB Draft Updates
RHP Mason Morris – Ole Miss (NR on the Top 200)
Stats: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 2 K
Man, Mason Morris’ has been electric all weekend. He’s come out in dominated out of the bullpen with “FU” type stuff. It starts with the fastball. This might be the most fun fastball I’ve seen. He was sitting 97-98 with it, and it has a tone of carry up in the zone. The curveball was equally disgusting, if not more disgusting. It’s a mid-80s breaker with a ton of depth. He was generating a fair amount of swing-and-miss with it. It’s a reliever profile, but surely a team will take a shot on him on draft day given how big-league ready he already seems as a reliever.
LHP Kade Anderson – LSU (#34 on the Top 200)
Stats: 6 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 12 K
Holy electric factory, Kade Anderson! Thanks to Tyler Jennings ‘ fantastic work last weekend, we all knew how good Kade Anderson was going into this start, but this was incredible. The first three innings were poetry as Kade struck out EIGHT batters. He ran into some trouble, giving up three runs across six innings, but he struck out 12 batters and limited the Aggies to four hits. Anderson is definitely a top 15 prospect in this draft class, maybe even a top 10, the way he’s been throwing.
RHP Anthony Eyanson – LSU (#92 on the Top 200)
Stats: 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K
Man, I sneakily love Eyanson and think he is often underrated. I love guys who pitch with a ton of passion/emotion on the mound. Guys like Jay Woolfolk and Jacob Morrison. Eyanson fits that bill. Normally LSU’s Saturday starter, he came out of the bullpen in this one behind Kade Anderson. He dominated in this one, going three innings, giving up just two hits, and striking out four. The bulldog on the mound is likely a top-three round pick in July.
OF Ethan Frey – LSU (NR on the Top 200)
Stats: 2-for-3, R, 2B, HR, 3 RBI
Need a sneaky name to watch for the 2025 MLB Draft? Look no further than LSU’s Ethan Frey. He quietly put together one of the most productive college seasons in the SEC and hasn’t gotten a ton of fanfare for it. He continued to stay red-hot in this one, hitting a home run and a double. Frey has scorched the baseball to death this year, posting insane exit velos and hard-hit rates. There are some concerns with the strikeout numbers, but his Chase and Whiff rates are in a decent spot. He’s a very intriguing case for July.
SEC Baseball Tournament: Day 3 Recap
We got extra baseball on day three! A weather delay on Tuesday meant we got another second-round game to kick off Thursday, as the Texas A&M Aggies took on the Auburn Tigers.
The last second-round matchup was followed by two exciting quarterfinal matchups between Tennessee and Texas and Oklahoma and Vanderbilt. It was another jam-packed day of action at the SEC tournament.
Let’s dive in!
Second Round
Texas A&M vs. Auburn
Texas A&M (3), Auburn (2)
This was one of the most anticipated matchups for me. Texas A&M, which is fighting to get into the NCAA playoffs, will face an Auburn team that’s been red-hot all year long and is likely locked into a hosting spot.
The first two innings were quick. It might be an absolute pitcher’s duel between Texas A&M lefty Justin Lamkin and Auburn righty Cam Tilly. But the Aggies quickly showcased that they came to play.
In the top of the third, the Aggies finally got to Tilly. Shortstop Kaeden Kent hit a massive three-run home run off of Tilly after Terraece Kiel II singled, and a pitch hit Sawyer Farr.
A scary moment happened in the top of the fifth when an outfielder and top 2025 MLB Draft prospect was hit in the hand by a pitch. He ultimately tried staying in the game but was pulled for a pinch runner.
Head Coach Mike Earley updated the press after the game and explained that x-rays showed it was broken.
“We’re going to see what we’re going to do with it. I don’t know if there’s a situation where we get him operated on,” Earley said. “he’s not going to be in the starting lineup for this tournament. But we think if we can get this done, then we might be able to get him back for the postseason.”
As the game continued, the Aggies would continue to hold that 3-0 lead until the bottom of the fifth. Eric Snow got the Tigers on the board with a solo shot off Lamkin.
Lamking was done after five, and Weston Moss came in relief. He shut down the Tigers for two innings, giving up no hits.
Auburn looked like they had a chance to rally in the bottom of the eighth, but a slide into second base that violated the NCAA safety rule led to a double-play and ended the shot the Tigers had to score.
Going into the bottom of the ninth, Cade Fisher stayed in to try and close it out. Lucas Steele gave Auburn some hope, smashing a solo shot, but Fisher got the next two batters to fly out.
Auburn had an RPI of #1 coming into this game and is more than well positioned to host still. Coach Butch Thompson talked about how he still thinks the team is setup for success entering the NCAA tourney.
“I’ve been tickled to death with them. Like I said, I want to play as many games as I can with this team because they’ve earned it,’ Thompson said. “They’ve earned my respect, our coaches’ respect, hopefully, most of our fans’ respect, that we want to see them play ball and we want to see them play good.”
Quarterfinals
The Tennessee Volunteers take down the #1 overall Texas Longhorns
Tennessee (7), Texas (5) – 12 innings
While I was most excited about the first game, I imagine most fans were most looking forward to this matchup between Tennessee and the #1 national seed, Texas.
Tennessee had more to gain in this one and showed that by starting Friday night’s ace and one of the top lefties for the 2025 MLB Draft. Liam Doyle. Meanwhile, the Longhorns threw left-hander Ethan Walker, who threw a total of 6.2 innings this year.
Surprisingly, Walker absolutely dominated against the Vols. He twirled 4.1 innings, giving up just one hit, no runs, no walks, and striking out three. Incredibly impressive for a kid who barely threw this year to do this in the SEC tournament.
On the other hand, things didn’t go well for Doyle. This Texas lineup gave him fits all game long. Although Doyle was around 97-100 on his fastball, the Longhorns worked his count up quickly.
When Doyle came out of the game after 3.2 innings, he had already thrown 79 pitches. It was just not his best outing.
The Longhorns started the scoring early in the bottom of the first when Kimble Schuessler singled to center, scoring Ethan Mendoza.
They poured it on in the bottom of the fourth. Texas shortstop Jalin Flores hit a sacrifice fly and then Ethan Mendoza tripled off the right field wall to score two more for the Longhorns.
Tennessee responded quickly in the top of the fifth, jumping on the scoring train thanks to a Cannon Peebles single that drove in two.
They continued to mount their comeback in the top of the sixth. The Vols loaded the bases with one out thanks to two singles and a hit by pitch. Dean Curley came to the plate and walked, scoring one more.
Reese Chapman followed that by hitting a loud shot to left field that felt like it would clear the bases but ended up being a sacrifice fly, tying the game 4-4.
Following that thought it was a shutdown game from the bullpens and you kept wondering who would blink first. Brandon Arvidson went 5.1 innings while giving up one unearned run, just four hits, and striking out nine for the Vols.
Thomas Burns and Max Grubbs equalled Arvidson. Burns went an inning and two-thirds scoreless, while Grubbs went two scoreless innings while striking out three.
That brought us into extra innings. In the top of the 10th, Gavin Kilen got the Met to erupt when he launched a solo shot to give the Vols the lead.
But just as college baseball goes, the Longhorns tied it in the bottom of the 10th thanks to a Kimble Schuessler RBI single.
As we entered the top of the 12th, Levi Clark walked, and Cannon Peebles hit a single to get two on for the Vols. Up walked Gavin Kilen, and what do you know? He smashed a double to drive in the two game-winning runs.
A tough loss for Texas, but they should surely have a firm spot as a 1-3 overall seed for the NCAA tournament, and Texas Head Coach Jim Schlossnagle will have them fully prepared.
“It’ll be whatever we make it,” Schlossnagle said. We’ve got to get home. We’ve got work to do.
We’ve got to make sure we’re prepared for next weekend.”
On the other hand, it’s a massive win for the Tennessee Volunteers, who have been turning it around after a tough stretch.
When asked what’s changed for the Vols Head Coach Tony Vitello said, “I think a fresh start. We kind…just a fresh start is key. It’s kind of shown up a few times for our guys, when we took that trip to Houston and sometimes we take a road trip, it’s kind of a fresh start and you see a little bit of new life out of our guys.”
Are we going to see an NCAA Regional hosted in Knoxville?!
Final game of the night between Oklahoma and Vanderbilt
Two hard-throwing lefties went toe-to-toe in this, with JD Thompson taking the bump for Vanderbilt and Cade Crossland toeing the rubber for Oklahoma.
Crossland and Thompson went toe-to-toe through the first two innings, and it had the makings of a potential dealfest. But the Commodores had other plans.
Jonathan Vastine opened the bottom of the third with a single. A dropped pop fly by Oklahoma’s first baseman led to Vandy having two on. Michael Mancini loaded the bases when he bunted for a single. Rustan Rigdon grounded out, driving in one.
That brought up Vanderbilt star and 2025 MLB Draft prospect RJ Austin, and he didn’t blink. He smashed a double down the left-field line, driving in two, making it 3-0. Riley Nelson followed suit, tacking on one more.
A passed ball and a groundout off the bat of Oklahoma’s Jason Walk got the Sooners on the board in the top of the fourth to make it 4-1.
Vanderbilt tacked on one more, with RJ Austin coming through again, driving in one with an RBI single. It’d be quiet until the bottom of the 7th when Braden Holcomb hit a double and drove in another run to make it 6-1.
JD Thompson had his best stuff in this one. He struck out 11 batters over five innings while giving up just one earned run and two hits.
“I think the biggest thing for me going off that last outing I had against them was just get in the zone,” Thompson said. Don’t give them free bases, set the tone early, just beating them early with fastball. The curveball was working well for me.”
Just a dominant performance by Vanderbilt, who punches their ticket to the semifinal against in-state rival Tennessee on Saturday.
MLB Draft Updates
SS Kaeden Kent – Texas A&M (#184 on the Top 200)
Stats: 1-for-4, R, HR, 3 RBI, BB
Kaeden Kent supplied all the offense for the Aggies in this one. He tapped into some poolside power and launched a three-run home run over the right-field fence. He also had excellent contact skills, which he showed in this game. There are questions about whether the power will sustain itself at the next level, as he doesn’t have the craziest exit velo numbers. The son of former big leaguer Jeff Kent has the defensive chops to stick at shortstop and looked the part in this game.
LHP Justin Lamkin – Texas A&M (NR in the Top 200)
Stats: 5 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
Justin Lamkin left everything on for the Aggies in this one. It was an impressive outing for the lefty. He sat in the low-90s with his fastball but was bumping it up to 94 when needed. The mid-80s slider with cutterish action looked really good for him and he was filling up the strikezone a ton with it. He did run up counts quite a bit which led to more walks than you’d like to see in this one, but he’s often a strike thrower and lives in the zone. He’ll likely sneak into our top 300 draft board update and could be a sneaky sign for someone given his floor.
LHP Liam Doyle – Tennessee (#24 on the Top 200)
Stats: 3.2 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
This would definitely not go down as one of Liam Doyle’s best starts. He had struggled in his last start before this as well. The good news is the stuff was there. The fastball was consistently 96-99 and even topped out at 100 several times. His splitter was working well also, and it kept hitters off balance a few times. Doyle just struggled with his command in this one. He had a lot of wild pitches and just couldn’t put away a pesky Texas lineup. The Longhorns ran his pitch count up high very quickly, and he left throwing 79 pitches. Doyle remains one of the top arms for the 2025 MLB Draft.
SS Gavin Kilen – Tennessee (#9 on the Top 200)
Stats: 2-for-6, 2B, HR, 3 RBI
I don’t know how much more I have to add to yesterday’s write-up, but it’s almost like Kilen keeps getting better each game, and the more competitive each game is. Kilen came up clutch twice in this one. Once in the top of the 10th, he put a solo shot into the right-field bullpen to give the Vols the lead. The second was in the top of the 12th when he faced SEC Freshman of the Year Dylan Voltanis and smashed a double to center, scoring the two game-winning runs. Kilen is an easy top 10 pick for the 2025 MLB Draft.
LHP JD Thompson – Vanderbilt (#83 on the Top 200)
Stats: 5 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 3 BB 11 K
What an absolute gem of a performance from Vanderbilt left-hander JD Thompson. He dominated the Sooners, striking out 11 over five innings. His funky three-quarters delivery made it hard for hitters to pick up the fastball in this one. He was around 93-95 for most of the stat. His changeup generated plenty of whiffs, and hitters couldn’t pick up a thing on him in this start. Thompson has been dominant down the stretch, and we expect him to make a bit of a jump in our next top 300 update.
OF RJ Austin – Vanderbilt (#22 on the Top 200)
Stats:
Mr. Do-It-All. RJ Austin is just a spark plug in this Vanderbilt lineup. Anytime a situation came around and they needed someone to drive in a run, it seemed like he was coming up in the clutch. He crushed an RBI double to left and drove in another run, hitting an infield single where he used his plus speed to beat it out. The bat hasn’t lived
Keep reading for the previous recaps from Days 1 and 2 of the SEC tournament.
Time to get excited! Conference tournament week is here!
The postseason is in full swing, and we have boots on the ground at every major college baseball conference tournament (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC) to bring you nonstop coverage.
In addition to covering the SEC out here in Hoover, AL, I plan to attend the Sun Belt Conference Championship in Montgomery, AL, and SWAC Conference Championship in Birmingham, AL.
I didn’t get to the SEC tournament until the start of day two, but there was plenty of action on day one, which we will briefly discuss before diving into the long day two games. We will also round out by discussing the performances of some of the top MLB Draft prospects.
Let’s dive in!
Day One
Alabama does their job, beats last-place Mizzou
Missouri (1), Alabama (4)
There was little doubt that Alabama would come out on top in game one of the SEC tournament, but Missouri did try their best to come away with the upset.
Sam Horn absolutely dealt for the Tigers, even though it was a short outing for him. He tossed three scoreless innings. Missouri leads 1-0 in the top of the fourth thanks to a Mateo SERNA home run.
Horn’s performance and the solo shot weren’t enough for the Tigers, as Alabama’s Tyler Fay held the Tiger offense in chec,k going a career-high six innings while punching out six, also a career best.
“I thought Tyler Fay was absolutely outstanding today,” Coach Rob Vaughn said. “That was the story of the day because we didn’t have a lot going off (Sam) Horn.”
The bats were quiet for the Crimson Tide, but they were able to make things happen against Missouri in the bottom of the fourth. With two outs, Brennen Norton singled and Bryce Fowler worked a walk.
Back-to-back RBI singles from Justin Lebron and Kade Snell gave the Crimson Tide the lead, and they never looked back. Alabama got some insurance in the bottom of the seventh thanks to a Will Hodo sacrifice fly.
Brady Neal capped off the win with a solo home run to deep center in the bottom of the eighth. The three-run cushion was enough for the Alabama bullpen to keep the Tigers at bay.
The Crimson Tide took on the Tennessee Volunteers in game two (write-up in the next section).
In a must-win for both teams, Oklahoma comes out on top over Kentucky
Kentucky (1), Oklahoma (5)
Oklahoma and Kentucky needed a resume boost going into the college baseball playoffs, and the SEC tournament allowed both to strengthen it. Kentucky needed it more than Oklahoma.
The Sooners came out on top in this one and were in control from the third inning. Freshman Jaden Barfield started on the bump and tossed four scoreless for the Sonners, only giving up two hits.
The Wildcats took advantage of an error in the top of the third to take a 1-0 lead, but the Sooners quickly responded in the bottom of the third. Jason Walk smashed a two-run go-ahead home run off of Kentucky’s Scott Rouse.
Catcher and 2025 MLB Draft prospect Easton Carmichael extended the lead for the Sooners in that inning with an RBI single.
The Sooners pushed across a couple more insurance runs, with one in the sixth and one in the eighth. Kyle Branch scored a run on a ground ball where the first baseman had no play and Jaxon Willits hit a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning to give the Sooners the 5-1 lead.
Oklahoma faced off with the Georgia Bulldogs on day two (write-up in next section)
Florida ends South Carolina’s season in dominant fashion
South Carolina (3), Florida (11)
A tough first season for South Carolina Head Coach Paul Manieri. The Gamecocks had taken Manieri out of retirement, and the expectations were high despite facing a coaching change.
Florida didn’t hold back against Coach Manieri’s Gamecocks. They started to pile on the runs in the bottom of the second after South Carolina took a 1-0 lead. Florida shortstop Bobby Boser got the scoring starte,d launching a three-run home run off of South Carolina’s Brandon Stone.
Brody Donay jumped on board the home train, launching a solo shot in the bottom of the third, which was followed by a Hayden Yost double that scored a run, giving the Gators an early 5-1 lead.
The Gators scored one run each in the 4th and 5th innings and pulled away in the bottom of the eighth when they scored four more runs. Singles by Brendan Lawson and Ty Evans, as well as a double from Brody Donay, led to the scoring.
A solid first SEC win against a team they should beat for the Gators as they carry over their red-hot run in SEC play.
They will face Ole Miss on day two (write-up in section below).
Day Two
Texas A&M comes out strong, shuts out Mississippi State
Texas A&M (9), Mississippi State (0)
Texas A&M decided to make a statement in their first game of the SEC tournament against Mississippi State.
The scoring started earlier as the Aggies put up a six-spot in the top of the second, which was capped off by a thunderous grand slam by outfielder and 2025 MLB Draft prospect Jace LaViolette.
Texas A&M kept their foot on the gas going into the top of the third as a fielder’s choice and a sacrifice fly put two more on the board of the Aggies, making 8-0.
Lefty Ryan Prager held the Mississippi State scoreless, twirling five and a third innings while giving up four hits and striking out six—a much-needed performance for Texas A&M.
Prager was expected to throw last night, but the game was canceled due to weather, which caused an adjustment to having to pitch in the morning, which he mentioned he had to work through.
“I think last night when the game is banged, you’re a little frustrated because everybody wants to play,” Prager said. “You want to compete with this group of guys and win a baseball game.”
Sawyer Farr padded the lead more in the seventh when he hit a single to left center, scoring Terrance Kiel giving the Aggies a 9-0 lead.
It was a massive, much-needed win for Texas A&M, and Head Coach Mike Earley was happy with the result.
“I’ve got a lot of care in that locker room and a lot of guys that love playing for Texas A&M and love this team,” Earley said. “I like what they did today…So it’s just going to keep our mindset playing one pitch at a time and playing pitch to pitch. We all know there’s a lot of stakes on the line for us”
A back-and-forth battle between Alabama and Tennessee leads to an eventual Volunteers win
Alabama (10), Tennessee (15)
This may have been the most exciting game of the day. An absolute battle between the Crimson Tide and the Volunteers. Unfortunately, it ended with Tennessee blowing out Alabama after a massive sixth inning for Tennessee with a late push by Alabama. Final score was 15-10.
Tennessee started the scoring early. Hunter Ensley ripped a double down the line, scoring Andrew Fischer in the bottom of the first. The Vols tacked on one more in the bottom of the second as Gavin Kilen laced a line drive single up the middle.
Alabama got one back in the top of the fourth when Richie Bonomolo, Jr. smashed a double to left-center. Tennessee came up in the bottom of the fourth and started to open the floodgates.
Gavin Kilen stayed red hot and lined a single into left field to give the Vols two more. Andrew Fischer smoked a single right after that to add one more, making 4-1 going into the fifth.
Alabama then had a massive inning of its own. Brennan Norton got an RBI single, leaving two on with one out. Tennessee went to its big arm in the bullpen, top 2025 MLB Draft prospect AJ Russell, to try and get them out of the inning.
Russell got the top of the lineup and got Bryce Fowler to pop out. He then walked Alabama star Justin Lebron and needed to get Kade Snell out.
It looked like he was going to get out of it as Snell grounded out, but a brutal throwing error by Dean Curley led to Alabama cutting the lead 5-4. Richie Bonomolo, Jr. came to the plate and capitalized, smashing an RBI double and giving Alabama a 6-5 lead.
It looked like the Crimson Tide were going to put themselves in the driver’s seat, but Tennessee had other plans. They were relentless and didn’t give up, and Coach Vitello felt that was a key part of getting the win.
They came out swinging in the bottom of the fifth. Four singles and a double led to a five-run inning, making it 11-6.
Reese Chapman and Manny Marin kept piling it on in the bottom of the eighth as Chapman crushed a two-run home run to right field and Marin drove in two with a double.
The pitching struggles ultimately bit them in this, and Coach Vaughn was asked many questions about why they opted not to go with their top pitcher, Riley Quick. “You want to win this, you do, but you also can’t put your arms at risk, especially a kid that’s poured his heart and soul into Alabama like Riley Quick has.”
It’s a tough loss for Alabama, but they are a shoo-in for the NCAA tournament and will look to make some more noise in a week or so.
Oklahoma and Georgia face off in a pitcher’s duel that ends in a Sooners win
We had a pitcher’s duel between top 2025 MLB Draft prospect Kyson Witherspoon from Oklahoma and right-hander JT Quinn from Georgia.
It was an absolute deal fest from Kyson Witherspoon, who went seven innings and two-thirds, gave up just five hits and two runs while striking out eight. Everything was working for Witherspoon.
“I think the fastball was working pretty good, slider, cutter, curveball, most everything, to be honest,” Witherspoon said.
Georgia’s JT Quinn matched him, going four innings while giving up three hits and one earned run while also striking out six.
Georgia started the scoring in the bottom of the third when Slate Alford hit a sacrifice fly for the Bulldogs, but they wouldn’t get much outside of that besides a solo shot from catcher Henry Hunter.
Oklahoma answered quickly in the top of the fourth as Brayden Horton hit his own sacrifice fly. The Sooners got two more runs at the top of the sixth thanks to a fielder’s choice and a single from Horton.
That would be all she wrote as the Sooners’ bullpen dominated for an inning and a third and held the final score 3-2. It’s much needed for a team after facing some struggles in the SEC.
“It’s taking one pitch at a time. You can’t dwell on the past,” said Head Coach Skip Johnson. “You’ve got to move forward. They really have been playing the game one pitch at a time.”
A massive win for Oklahoma as they advance to the next round of the SEC tournament.
Ole Miss vs. Florida
Florida (1), Ole Miss (3)
Who doesn’t love a second pitcher’s duel for two games in a row?! Both Liam Peterson and Hunter Elliott had their best stuff going. The Rebels finally got to Peterson in the fourth. Well, we should say, got to the Florida Gators defense.
With one out in the top of the fourth, Judd Uttermark crushed a double that might be gone in most ballparks. Isaac Humphrey followed suit and crushed another double off Peterson. That’d be Peterson’s only earned run.
A fielding error by Florida third baseman Landon Stripling led to Humphrey getting to third and another batter reaching. A single scored Humphrey, but a throwing error scored another run. Just a rough inning defensively.
Shortstop Brayden Randle made Ole Miss’s own error in the top of the fifth, which led to one run for Florida.
It was basically silence from the bats from then on out. Hunter Elliott was masterful for Ole Miss as he went 5.1 innings, giving up just two hits, an unearned run, and one walk while striking out 8. He looked as if he definitely didn’t want to come out of the game when the coach came to get him.
Mason Morris followed him and was absolute fuel out of the bullpen. Fastball was in the upper-90s, and all his stuff was straight out of an electric factory.
Ole Miss moves on and will face a though Arkansas Razorbacks team on Friday at 4:00 EST.
MLB Draft Watch
C Easton Carmichael – Oklahoma (#143 on the Top 200)
Day 1: 2-for-4, R, 3B, RBI
Day 2: 1-for-3, 2 R, BB
I feel like Carmichael is the catching prospect we never talk about because of Caden Bodine, Ike Irish, and Luke Stevenson, but Carmichael is having himself an incredible year. He’s had a solid two games in the SEC tournament thus far. The biggest issues with Carmichael’s game is he doesn’t walk a tone and chases a bit more than you want to see. He would benefit from a more patient approach, but that hasn’t kept him from producing despite the aggressiveness. He’s got solid contact skills and hits the ball hard to all fields. He’s a name to continue watching as we approach July.
OF Jace LaViolette – Texas A&M (#16 on the Top 200)
Day 2: 1-for-4, HR, 4 RBI, BB
The struggles have been real for Jace LaViolette over the last few weeks. In the last weekend series against Georgia, LaViolette was 0-for-10. He’s someone who has needed to showcase his abilities from 2024 to really boost his draft stock back up to a top 10 pick. A grand slam to start the SEC tournament is a great way to do that. There is no doubt about LaViolette’s 70-grade power. The hit tool has always been a concern for scouts. The whiffs have gone up, and he has been a bit stiff this year. There is no doubt a team will take a shot on him given the upside.
LHP Ryan Prager – Texas A&M (#162 on the Top 200)
Day 2: 5.1 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K
Prager turned in a much-needed performance for the Aggies, whose postseason hopes hang on a bit of life support. It was a classic Ryan Prager outing where he filled up the strike zone and kept hitters off balance. The Angels drafted Prager in 3rd round of the 2024 MLB Draft, and he opted to come back to campus. Unfortunately, his performance took a step back, and he saw some velo drop in his fastball as well. He looked like he was back to his old self in this one. It might be too late to do much for his draft stock, but a performance like that against a good Mississippi State lineup won’t hurt.
SS Gavin Kilen – Tennessee (#9 on the Top 200)
Day 2: 2-for-5, 2 R, 3 RBI, 1 BB
Kilen is your definition of a table setter, and he showcased that immensely in this one. It was an absolute barrel party for him as he laced to line-drive singles to help get Tennessee on the board in this one. He is one of the best pure contact hitters in college baseball, and that hasn’t changed since he’s come to the SEC. The power was the question mark this yea,r and he’s showcased that he can tap more into it. He’s got a solid hard-hit rate, an average exit velo of 85 mph, and hit a max exit velo over 110 this year. Kilen continues to trend up on our board, and he’ll likely be even higher in our next update.
3B/OF Andrew Fischer – Tennessee (#31 on the Top 200)
Day 2: 3-for-5, R, BB
There might not be a hitter who’s been on more of a tear lately than Andrew Fischer. The bat was already intriguing before he came to Tennessee, but he’s gotten even better since coming to Rocky Top. He’s showcasing the same power with an improved hit tool as his chase percentage, walk percentage, and strikeout percentage all rank in the top in college baseball. It was more of the same in this one. He showcased a patient, confident approach at the plate and found ways to do damage. Fischer is answering many doubts about him potentially being a first-rounder and has seemed to solidify himself as a potential first-round pick in the 2025 MLB Draft.
RHP Kyson Witherspoon – Oklahoma (#11 on the Top 200)
Day 2: 7.2 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 8 K
What a performance by Kyson Witherspoon. He dominated one of the best lineups in the entire country in the Georgia Bulldogs. The fastball was in the mid-to-upper 90. His cutter was low-90s and firm. He was dotting the strike zone with this pitch. He had a slider but often went to his curveball to get strikeouts. It was in the mid-to-upper 70s. Just an incredible outing for a guy who has already been skyrocketing up boards for the 2025 MLB Draft. There isn’t a question of if Kyson is going in the first round, it’s a matter of where in the top 15.
Written by
Jared Perkins is a College Baseball and MLB Draft Analyst for Just Baseball. He hosts the On The Clock podcast.