As we approach the 2024 SEC Baseball Tournament in Hoover, Alabama, the race for the Tournament has intensified. Twelve teams are vying for positioning in the NCAA and the SEC Tournament, setting the stage for a thrilling battle. The Tournament’s unpredictability adds to the excitement, making it a must-watch for all baseball enthusiasts.

Last weekend was a weekend of upsets, statements, and pecking orders decided by programs that have longed for the day to be kings of the Southeastern Conference. Georiga, Kentucky, Mississippi State, and LSU drew lines in the sand that, with two weeks remaining until the SEC Tournament, sent shock waves through the rest of the conference. All four teams have been left out of the conversation for the entire season by the talking heads of college baseball; however, with an unwavering mindset, these four teams made the biggest storylines over the weekend.

Let’s start the recap with the defending National Champion, the LSU Tigers. Just over two weeks ago, LSU was dead in the water but has risen from the ashes, making the case to return to the NCAA Tournament as one of the hottest teams in the country. LSU has now rallied off three straight series wins over Missouri, Auburn, and, most surprisingly, the Texas A&M Aggies. Texas A&M came into Alex Box Stadium as the top-ranked team in the country; Head Coach Jay Johnson and his group of LSU Tigers defended the Box and won two out of three, sending a shot across the bow that LSU Baseball is a team to be taken seriously with two weeks remaining until Hoover.

Second, we head to Starkville, Mississippi, where the Mississippi State Bulldogs remain hot as they take the series from a top-25-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide team. Heading into the weekend series with Alabama, many had Mississippi State on the outside looking in as a potential Regional Host. However, the series over Alabama shows that the tide is turning in favor of the Bulldogs to be a top-16 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Mississippi State will head west to the Hog Pen to take on the Razorbacks for a three-game series starting Friday.

Thirdly, the Georgia Bulldogs. A team with such a potent offensive unit strikes fear in all who face it. This past weekend, Georgia went on the road to the West End of Nashville, Tennessee, to take on the Vanderbilt Commodores. Georgia swept Vanderbilt, run-ruling the Commodores twice, and scored 11 runs on Sunday to finish the job. Over the weekend, Georgia combined for 35 runs while holding Vanderbilt to just 11 runs. Georgia also has one of the best college baseball players in Charlie Condon. Condon is an absolute beast at the plate, hammering 33 home runs this season, with a seven-game home run streak dating back to the Texas A&M series. On Thursday, Georgia will travel to South Carolina for a three-game series with the Gamecocks.

Lastly, the Kentucky Wildcats return to the win column with a massive series win over the second-ranked Arkansas Razorbacks in Lexington. Arkansas opened the series with a 10-3 win over the Wildcats, but the relentless pressure of the Wildcats propelled Kentucky past the finish line on Sunday to take the series. Despite the narrative pushed by many talking heads in college baseball, Kentucky is a legitimate National Championship-contending team. Sure, they lost two SEC series before coming out on top of Arkansas, but as Coach Mingione said, ” Success is not a destination; it’s a process.” With the series win over the Razorbacks, Kentucky sits atop the standings in sole first place; with Florida on the horizon, the Wildcats control their destiny for an outright SEC Championship.