This Week in SEC Baseball: Week 1

The 2024 College Baseball season is underway, and the Southeastern Conference is off and running.

Eight SEC teams are ranked in D1Baseball’s Week One Top 25 Rankings. Six of the top 10 teams in the country (No. 2 Arkansas, No. 3 LSU, No. 4 Florida, No. 6 Vanderbilt, No. 8 Texas A&M, No. 9 Tennessee) hail from the SEC.

Juggernauts such as Arkansas, Florida, and Vanderbilt suffered eye-opening losses while five South Carolina pitchers combined to throw a no-hitter, the first in College Baseball this season. It was an eventful opening week in the premier baseball conference.

THE GAMECOCKS COMPLETE THE EIGHTH NO-HITTER IN SCHOOL HISTORY#Gamecocks | #ForeverToThee pic.twitter.com/67zbfbwcwy

— Gamecock Baseball (@GamecockBasebll) February 18, 2024

Week One represents Friday, Feb. 16-Thursday, Feb. 22.

No. 2 Arkansas

Week 1 Record: 3-1
Overall Record: 3-1
Last Week’s Ranking: No. 3 (+1)

After opening the season with two straight victories over James Madison at home, the Razorbacks dropped a head scratcher to the Dukes on Saturday 7-3. Arkansas however bounced back in the series finale, blanking JMU 4-0 to open 2024 with a series victory.

The explosive Arkansas offense got off to a great start, combining for a team .310 BA in the opening series. Junior catcher Hudson White led the way, going 5/14 from the plate with four doubles and five RBI.

Although they suffered a loss, the Razorbacks moved up a spot in D1’s rankings.

Arkansas will participate in the College Baseball Series at Globe Life Field this weekend. The Hogs will face No. 7 Oregon State on Friday, Oklahoma State on Saturday, and Michigan on Sunday.

No. 3 LSU

Week 1 Record: 5-0
Overall Record: 5-0
Last Week’s Ranking: No. 4 (+1)

The defending champion LSU Tigers are 5-0 to start the 2024 season with wins over VMI (twice), Central Arkansas (twice) and Northern Illinois. LSU showed that they will be just fine after losing Paul Skenes and Dylan Crews, blowing out VMI 27-5 last Sunday.

Catcher Hayden Travinski was named SEC Co-Player of the Week after batting .636 (7-for-11) with one home run, four RBI and eight runs scored through LSU’s first three games of the season.

The LSU offense is rockin’ and rollin’, boasting a .357 team batting average with 10 home runs. Sophomore first baseman Jared ‘Bear’ Jones is emerging into one of the brightest stars in the sport, leading the team in home runs (three) and RBI (seven).

Even with the loss of Skenes, LSU’s pitching staff has remained dominant. The Tigers have allowed just 3.6 runs per game. Alabama transfer RHP Luke Holman looked mighty impressive in his first outing in purple and gold, holding Central Arkansas to just three hits and no runs in 5.1 innings on the bump.

LSU will continue to coast until they head to Houston, Tx. for the Astros Foundation Classic March 1-3.

No. 4 Florida

Week 1 Record: 2-1
Overall Record: 2-1
Last Week’s Ranking: No. 2 (-2)

Florida has played just three games due to two rain-outs.

The Gators may be thankful that their final two games against St. Johns were cancelled however, as the Johnnies upset Florida 9-5 in their season opener. Florida however bounced back with back-to-back dominant wins over North Florida to get to 2-1 on the young season.

Sophomore LHP Cade Fisher started Florida’s first game of the season and was rocked, giving up five hits and six earned runs in just 2.0 innings. Although the Gators totaled 10 hits, they were only able to scratch across five runs. They left eight runners on base.

To the surprise of nobody, Preseason All-SEC First Team selection 1B Jac Caglianone is off to a great start. Caglianone is batting .455 with a home run and five RBI. The two-way phenom has yet to pitch this season.

The Gators will have ample opportunities to stack up wins, as they face Columbia, Stetson, Bethune-Cookman, Miami (FL), and FAU in the coming weeks.

No. 6 Vanderbilt

Week 1 Record: 3-2
Overall Record: 3-2
Last Week’s Ranking: No. 6

The Vandy Boys have started the season 3-2, with two puzzling losses to FAU and Dayton at home.

Their offense is off to an uncharacteristically slow start, slashing just a team .250 batting average. The departure of Enrique Bradfield looks to be one of the biggest losses in the entire SEC through the first week.

Vanderbilt’s pitching hasn’t been great either, as their staff boasts a dreadful 5.60 ERA. The staff has given up 38 hits and 28 earned runs through just 45.0 innings. Six Commodore pitchers sport an 8-plus ERA, with junior RHP Sawyer Hawks leading the way with a 54.00 ERA.

The ‘Dores need to figure it out fast, as they have meetings with frisky teams such as Gonzaga and Indiana State in the next week.

No. 8 Texas A&M

Week 1 Record: 4-0
Overall Record: 4-0
Last Week’s Ranking: No. 8

The Aggies opened the 2024 season with a dominant three-game sweep of McNeese State and a 9-3 victory over Incarnate Word. Texas A&M is outscoring opponents 40-4 through its first four games.

The A&M offense is off to a blistering start, as seven players with 10-plus at-bats boast a batting average over .312. Sophomore OF Jace LaViolette in particular has had maybe the greatest start to the season in the entire SEC, hitting five home runs in his first 17 at-bats. LaViolette’s five home runs leads the nation.

Their pitching staff has been nails as well, allowing just 21 hits and 2 ER with 47 strikeouts over 34.0 innings pitched. Redshirt sophomore Ryan Prager was dominant in A&M’s season opener, allowing just a single hit and no runs with nine strikeouts in five innings pitched.

Texas A&M won’t face any real competition until they participate in the Globe Life Series March 1-3, facing Arizona State and USC.

No. 9 Tennessee

Week 1 Record: 4-1
Overall Record: 4-1
Last Week’s Ranking: No. 9

Tony Vitello’s Volunteers are 4-1 to start the 2024 season with two nice wins over No. 19 Texas Tech and Baylor, both of which came in the Shriner’s Children’s College Showdown.

Preseason All-SEC SS Christian Moore is off to a hot-start, batting .474 with three doubles, a home run, and five RBI. Moore is just one of three Volunteers batting over .300 with at least 13 at-bats (Moore, OF Kavares Tears, and OF Dylan Dreiling).

Junior 3B Billy Amick however has garnered all the headlines, as the Clemson transfer has been dominant in his first week as a Vol. Three of Amick’s five hits on the season are home runs, propelling him to the team lead in RBI (seven). Amick was voted Preseason All-SEC Second Team.

Tennessee isn’t feeling the loss of Chase Burns (yet), as the pitching staff has been great to start the season. Junior RHP AJ Causey was named SEC Co-Pitcher of the Week after pitching 4.2 scoreless innings in Tennessee’s season opening win over Texas Tech.

The Vols aren’t scheduled to play any non-conference (currently) ranked opponents, and don’t play a team currently ranked in D1Baseball’s Top 25 Rankings until March 15 (Alabama).

No. 17 Alabama

Week 1 Record: 5-0
Overall Record: 5-0
Last Week’s Ranking: No. 19 (+2)

In their first opening week of play without Brad Bohannon at the helm since 2017, the Tide have been dominant. Alabama has shut out its opponent in three of their five wins (Manhattan twice, Alabama State).

Alabama’s pitching staff currently sits at a team 0.88 ERA, which is second in the country. In 41.0 innings, they’ve given up just 23 hits and four earned runs with 56 strikeouts. Dominant.

Senior OF TJ McCants is mashing the ball so far, as six of his nine hits have been XBH (three home runs, three doubles). Freshman SS Justin Lebron was named SEC Freshman of the Week after hitting .667 with a hit in all three games in their opening series against Manhattan.

The Tide will play a three-game series against Valparaiso and a mid-week game against UAB before participating in the Frisco Classic March 1-3. They are slated to face No. 23 Indiana, Arizona, and Dallas Baptist.

No. 21 South Carolina

Week 1 Record: 5-0
Overall Record: 5-0
Last Week’s Ranking: No. 25 (+4)

South Carolina may just have had the most eventful start to their season in the SEC.

Other than starting 5-0, five Gamecock pitchers (RHP Roman Kimball, RHP Ty Good, RHP Tyler Pitzer, RHP Parker Marlatt, and RHP Tyler Dean) combined to no-hit Miami (OH) last Sunday. This marked the first no-hitter of the 2024 college baseball season.

Everything has gone right for the ‘Cocks, as they sport a team .313 BA and 2.03 ERA. 3B Talmadge LeCroy and OF Dylan Brewer have formed a dynamic duo in the lineup, leading the team with seven hits apiece. LeCroy is batting .538 in 13 at-bats.

Starters RHP Dylan Eskrew and RHP Eli Jones have shined in their first starts, allowing just four combined hits and one earned run in 11.0 innings. The Gamecocks look very good early.

Auburn

Week 1 Record: 4-0
Overall Record: 4-0
Last Week’s Ranking: NR

For the first time since 2021, Auburn has opened the season with a 4-0 record. The Tigers swept Eastern Kentucky in their season-opening series and notched a 7-2 victory over neighbor UAB on Tuesday.

Junior LHP Cason Myers, a Bowling Green, Ky. native, was named SEC Co-Pitcher of the Week. Myers started the season finale against Western Kentucky on Sunday and pitched 6.0 two hit, no run innings to secure the sweep. Myers’ 6.0 innings pitched were the most by an Auburn pitcher on Opening Weekend since 2018 MLB Draft No. 1 pick RHP Casey Mize did so in 2018.

Preseason First Team All-SEC selection C Ike Irish is batting .333 with two home runs and seven RBI through his first 18 at-bats. SS Cooper Weiss is 6/7 on stolen bases on the season, which tied for second most stolen bases in the country.

Auburn’s schedule is however ramping up, as they will play No. 18 Iowa, Wichita State, and No. 10 Virginia in the Jax College Baseball Classic this weekend.

Georgia

Week 1 Record: 4-0
Overall Record: 4-0
Last Week’s Ranking: NR

The Bulldogs are 4-0 after an opening weekend sweep of UNC Asheville and a 15-0 drumming of Georgia State on Tuesday. Georgia is outscoring opponents 53-7 through its first four games.

Redshirt sophomore 1B Charlie Condon, who was named Preseason Second Team All-SEC, is leading the Bulldogs with a blistering .714 BA. He’s notched a hit in 10 of his first 14 at-bats, including two home runs.

Mississippi State transfer 2B Slate Alford has shined in his first four games in Athens, totaling three home runs and 10 RBI. His first two hits as a Bulldog came via the long ball. For his efforts, Alford was named SEC Co-Player of the Week.

Georgia’s lone ranked non-conference opponent on their schedule is No. 18 Iowa on March 12, just three days before they open SEC play at Kentucky.

Kentucky

Week 1 Record: 4-0
Overall Record: 4-0
Last Week’s Ranking: NR

Kentucky Baseball heads into the Karbach Round Rock Classic 4-0 after a season opening sweep of USC-Upstate and a comeback 9-5 victory over Morehead State on Tuesday.

USC transfer Nick Lopez has been a nice surprise (offensively) for the Cats so far, leading the team in batting average (.455) and doubles (three). Lopez’s defense has been less than stellar however, leading to his replacement in the fifth inning of Tuesday’s come from behind win. He was replaced in the fifth inning by Mitchell Daly, who eventually drove in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning.

Kentucky’s starting pitching has shown positive signs through its first week. RHP Travis Smith, Central Connecticut State transfer LHP Dominic Niman, and RHP Mason Moore combined for 14.1 IP, 13 allowed hits, four earned runs, and 11 strikeouts in their first series of the season against USC-Upstate.

If the Cats can win the Round Rock Classic and escape with a 7-0 record, they will be prime candidates to slip into D1Baseball’s Top 25 next week.

Mississippi State

Week 1 Record: 2-3
Overall Record: 2-3
Last Week’s Ranking: NR

Oh boy, where to begin with Mississippi State.

Just two seasons removed from winning the National Championship, Mississippi State started the 2024 season with a loss to Air Force and back-to-back losses to Austin Peay, all in Starkville.

As a team, the Bulldogs boast a team .247 BA and a 4.60 ERA. Just five games into the season, five Mississippi State pitchers have allowed three or more earned runs. Nothing is going right for Chris Lemonis right now, leading to many fans speculating about his job security.

The Bulldogs still have time to try and get back on track however, as they don’t play a team currently ranked in D1Baseball’s Top 25 until their SEC opener against No. 3 LSU on March 15.

Missouri

Week 1 Record: 3-1
Overall Record: 3-1
Last Week’s Ranking: NR

Missouri lost to Cal-Poly 3-2 in their season opener, but have won three games (Cal-Poly twice, CSU Bakersfield) in a row to claim a 3-1 record. Their series finale against Cal-Poly on Sunday was cancelled.

Head coach Kerrick Jackson, who took over as head coach at Missouri in June 2023, earned his first win with the Tigers last Friday.

Freshman catcher Thomas Curry has looked great in his first four games, leading the Tigers with a .444 BA and four RBI.

Fifth year RHP Carter Rustad returned to Mizzou in 2024 after an injury cut his season short in 2023. Rustad’s first start in 2024 was a good one, as he held Cal Poly to just one hit and no runs through 5.0 innings in their first win of the season.

Missouri’s game with CSU Bakersfield Thursday night marked the beginning of the Tony Gwynn Legacy, which they will be playing in from Feb. 22-24. They face San Diego State on Friday and UC San Diego on Saturday.

Ole Miss

Week 1 Record: 2-3
Overall Record: 2-3
Last Week’s Ranking: NR

Just like rival Mississippi State, Ole Miss is 2-3 to start the season.

Hotty Toddy started the season 2-0, but are currently on a three-game losing streak. Hawaii dominated the Rebels in the final two games of their opening series, beating them a combined 22-5. Ole Miss then fell to Arkansas State 4-2 on Wednesday.

The Rebel pitching staff has been less than stellar through five games, posting a team 6.40 ERA. A seven Ole Miss pitchers sport an ERA over 8.00, with five over 10.00. There is no way you’re going to win ballgames with numbers like those. They’ve given up 39 hits and 25 earned runs in just 43.0 innings pitched.

Their offense hasn’t looked much better either, as the Rebels are batting a team .181 BA, worst in the SEC. Senior 2B Ethan Lege has been the lone bright spot, notching a hit in six of his first 15 at-bats this season with three RBI.

Things look to be getting worse before they’re getting better in Oxford.