By Nick Bushart ( Contributor)

Entering week five of the Southeastern Conference Baseball slate, the top teams continue to dominate, while early season surprises continue on a successful course.

TOP SERIES OF THE WEEKEND

6 Vanderbilt Commodores (26-7, 8-4) at #3 Texas A&M Aggies (29-4, 8-4)

Prediction Texas A&M takes the 2-1 series win over the Commodores

The Aggies enter week five of the SEC conference slate as one of the most dominant teams in college baseball thisseason, holding a 29-4 record which includes three consecutive SEC series wins, taking down Mississippi State, Auburn and South Carolina. After being swept at South Carolina, Vandy has won 5-of-6 SEC games, including a sweep of the Missouri Tigers. The top-10 showdown will be one of the best series of the season.

From the plate the Aggies are led by transfer right fielder Braden Montgomery who is hitting .389 with 49 hits, 10 doubles, 17 home runs and 51 RBIs, while having a .889 slugging percentage. The A&M starting rotation is solid lead by Ryan Prager’s 6-0 record in eight starts. However, they are not perfect, as Tanner Jones has been a liability at times this season with a 7.71 ERA in conference play giving up 12 earned runs in only 14 innings pitched.

This bodes well for Vanderbilt as all but two in their starting lineup hit above .300. RJ Austin leads the Commodores with a .344 batting average and 35 RBIs. They do receive a spark from Jonathan Vastine and Jayden Davis who lead the team in double and are second and third in RBIs. The Vandy pitching has been not as solid this season as the starting rotation of Carter Holton, Bryce Cunningham and Devin Futrell all has over a 3.27 ERA.

Vanderbilt’s pitching will determine this series. If the Aggies bats can continue to stay hot then A&M should take care of business at home. The Commodores should still take one against Jones’ pitching.

1 Arkansas Razorbacks (29-3, 11-1) at #25 Alabama Crimson Tide (22-11, 4-8)

Prediction Arkansas sweeps the Crimson Tide

The #1-ranked Razorbacks enter the weekend in Tuscaloosa on a 10-game winning streak which includes back-to-back SEC series sweeps against then ranked #8 LSU and Ole Miss. They will square up against the Crimson Tide whose trajectory has been the opposite, as Alabama has lost five of their last six games including mid-week matchup at home against South Alabama.

The top-25 matchup heavily favors the Razorbacks. Arkansas’ pitching staff has been dominant this season. Their starting trio of Hagen Smith, Mason Molina and Brady Tygart are 12-0 on the season allowing just 33 runs in 115 innings, while accumulating 191 strikeouts (1.66 per inning). This is accompanied by their bullpen which as a team has a 2.56 ERA making their pitching staff as a whole one of the best in the country.

Alabama’s best chance to take games will be their bats heating up. On the season the Crimson Tide are led by Gabe Miller who is hitting .417 with 13 home runs and 41 RBIs, senior transfer TJ McCants also had a great start to the season and is batting .308 with 12 bombs and 36 RBIs. In conference play Miller is batting .333 with 15 hits and McCants .212 with 11 hits. If the Crimson Tide can string together a few hits against the Razorbacks, especially on Sunday, then they could steal one against the best team in the country.

OTHER GREAT SERIES

8 Kentucky Wildcats (27-5, 11-1) at Auburn Tigers (18-14, 2-10)

Prediction Kentucky sweeps the Auburn Tigers

The Wildcats are the hottest team outside of the Razorbacks this season. Their meteoric rise has caught the eye of all of college baseball. They head to the Auburn Tigers for what should be a waxing of the Tigers. The Wildcats have swept 3-of-4 SEC opponents while Auburn has been swept twice. The Tigers do have some fight as their conference wins have come against #1-ranked Arkansas and then #4-ranked Tennessee.

Nick Lopez looks to continue his spectacular season, hitting .396 with 13 doubles, 2 triples and 23 RBIs, while on the mound Mason Moore leads the Wildcats with a 7-0 record and 2.62 ERA. Ike Irish and Cooper McMurray have combined for 93 RBIs for the Tigers and look to turn the tides this weekend; however, they will need a lot of help from their pitching staff which has a 5.80 ERA on the season.

LSU Tigers (22-12, 3-9) at #4 Tennessee Volunteers (27-6, 7-5)
Prediction Tennessee wins the series 2-1 over the LSU Tigers

Winning on the road is always a challenge in college baseball, but doing so in Knoxville, TN is incredibly hard. The Vols enter the weekend winning three consecutive SEC series but dropping a game in each one. The Tigers’ season has not gone as they would have hoped, as they have faced some of the toughest teams in the SEC the first few weekends. Looking to reroute the ship this weekend they face a tough team on the road.

To do so LSU needs their bats to come alive. The Tigers have only three hitters swinging over .300 from the plate. On the flip side the Vols have two hitting over .400 on the season. Normally a sweep would be warranted; however, the Vols have not been able to sweep and SEC opponent all season, so the Tigers have a chance to take one.

REST OF THE SLATE
South Carolina Gamecocks (23-10, 6-6) at #24 Florida Gators (17-15, 6-6)
Prediction South Carolina wins the series 2-1 over the Florida Gators

The two 6-6 teams in the SEC face off in Gainesville, FL this weekend for what could be a fun matchup. The Gators are coming off an embarrassing weekend, being swept by then 1-8 in SEC play Missouri Tigers. The Gamecocks have had a polarizing SEC play losing 3-of-4 SEC series; however, the swept the top-10 ranked Vanderbilt Commodores.

This series should be a fun one of evenly matched team, but I think the downhill slide for the Gators continues with the Gamecocks taking a 2-1 series win at Florida.

22 Mississippi State Bulldogs (21-12, 6-6) at Ole Miss Rebels (18-15, 3-9)

Prediction Ole Miss wins the series 2-1 over the Mississippi State Bulldogs

The Ole Miss Rebels have not won a series against the Mississippi State Bulldogs since 2016, but that has to change if the Rebels are serious about making the post season. Ole Miss enters the weekend losing 7-straight being swept by Arkansas and Kentucky in consecutive weekends. The Bulldogs enter after taking a 2-1 series win against the Georgia Bulldogs.

This weekend feels like a vital one for both programs who have won the College World Series in the last five years but are struggling to find their footing now. This series will come down to pitch as neither the Bulldogs nor Rebels have not been able to put a starting rotation out that is consistent. Swayze Field will be rocking which is why the Rebels take the series win.

Missouri Tigers (15-18, 4-8) at Georgia Bulldogs (25-8, 5-7)
Prediction Georgia sweeps the Missouri Tigers

This series is the least fun on the slate this weekend, as on paper it should be a landslide. The Georgia Bulldogs defend their home after losing a weekend series to the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Georgia has the top hitter in baseball with Charlie Condon who is hitting .468 with 58 hits, 11 doubles, 21 home runs and 44 RBIs. The Tigers are entering after a massive sweep at home over the Florida Gators.

Georgia gets back on track with a sweep at home over the Tigers. The Bulldogs bats will be too much for the Tigers pitching.

SEC Current Standings

SEC East

8 Kentucky Wildcats (27-5, 11-1)

6 Vanderbilt Commodores (26-7, 8-4)

4 Tennessee Volunteers (27-6, 7-5)

South Carolina Gamecocks (23-10, 6-6)

24 Florida Gators (17-15, 6-6)

Georgia Bulldogs (25-8, 5-7)
Missouri Tigers (15-18, 4-8)

SEC West

1 Arkansas Razorbacks (29-3, 11-1)

3 Texas A&M Aggies (29-4, 8-4)

22 Mississippi State Bulldogs (21-12, 6-6)

25 Alabama Crimson Tide (22-11, 4-8)

LSU Tigers (22-12, 3-9)
Ole Miss Rebels (18-15, 3-9)
Auburn Tigers (18-14, 2-10)