Like clockwork, the last week of May in the Southeast rolls around like a lost friend. Starting Tuesday morning, southerners from across the Southeastern Conference will begin to file into Hoover, Alabama, for a week worth of heart-stopping college baseball. Heading into the 2023 SEC Baseball Tournament, there are about ten programs with a legitimate chance to win the SEC Tournament and bring home a National Championship in a couple of weeks. All signs point to the best SEC Baseball Tournament in modern history. The Southeastern Conference will have ten out of 12 teams competing this weekend in the 2023 NCAA Tournament. According to the folks at D1 Baseball, the Southeastern Conference will likely have seven programs hosting a Regional in the 2023 NCAA Tournament.

Before we see the top four seeds play on Wednesday, the 2023 Southeastern Conference Baseball Tournament will get underway on Tuesday with four matchups.

Starting the 2023 SEC Baseball Tournament on Tuesday Morning with an early pitch at 9:30 between the 6th seed South Carolina Gamecocks play the 11th seeded Georgia Bulldogs. South Carolina swept Georgia in early March in deciding fashion on the road at Foley Field. Georgia comes into the matchup with South Carolina playing for the NCAA Tournament hopes, as the Bulldogs are currently on the outside looking in. To make the NCAA Tournament, Georgia will need to win at least two games in Hoover to be in consideration for an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. According to D1 Baseball, South Carolina heads to the 2023 SEC Tournament as a two-seed in the 2023 NCAA Tournament. South Carolina could play off the two-line and earn a host site at Founders Park. The winner of South Carolina and Georgia will get a date with the LSU Tigers on Wednesday morning at the Hoover Met.

Following the exciting South Carolina and Georgia matchup, Southeastern Conference fans will have a treat as the Volunteers of Tennessee take on the Texas A&M Aggies. Two teams capable of making a run at the College World Series will play each other in the first round of the 2023 SEC Baseball Tournament. It’s a shame that a game between two powers has to go down in the first round, but Southeastern Conference Baseball fans are in for a treat to open the Tournament with two high-caliber teams in Texas A&M and Tennessee. Tennessee swept the Aggies in Knoxville. Whoever is lucky enough to get past the first round on Tuesday will have a date on Wednesday with the Razorbacks of Arkansas.

In the first game of the second session, Kentucky will meet Alabama in one of the most anticipated first-round matchups in the history of the SEC Tournament. Kentucky and Alabama come into the week as favorites to host Regionals and are trying to make cases as to why they belong among the top eight programs in the country. Alabama has won three straight series, including five wins in a row. In many circles, Alabama is considered one of the hottest in the country and will go against the small ball kings, the Kentucky Wildcats. Thursday afternoon at the Hoover Met will deliver college baseball fans with an exciting matchup to keep the pallet wet for more. Kentucky and Alabama met in late March, where the Wildcats came in and defeated the Crimson Tide, taking two games out of three. The winner will move on to the second round, where the Florida Gators lay waiting.

In the nightcap, it will be the Auburn Tigers taking on Missouri. In what seems like the most overmatched game of the day, Auburn will be looking to keep the magic alive as they try to eliminate Missouri, earning the right to play Arkansas on Saturday. Auburn welcomed Missouri to Plainsmain Park over the weekend and dominated the Tigers. On paper, Missouri is the weakest of the twelve teams and will be facing a difficult challenge with the red-hot Auburn Tigers in Hoover on Tuesday night.

All the action in Hoover will get underway on Tuesday morning, continuing until Sunday.