SEC BASEBALL TOURNAMENT

Top SEC baseball seeds yearn to square off, but when?

NWA Media/JASON IVESTER
Louisiana State's Alex Bregman is congratulated by teammates after hitting a two-run homerun in the top of the third inning against Arkansas on Sunday, April 14, 2013, at Baum Stadium in Fayetteville.
NWA Media/JASON IVESTER Louisiana State's Alex Bregman is congratulated by teammates after hitting a two-run homerun in the top of the third inning against Arkansas on Sunday, April 14, 2013, at Baum Stadium in Fayetteville.

HOOVER, Ala. - Vanderbilt and LSU are the nation’s top-ranked college baseball teams, but the SEC superpowers have yet to play this season.

That could change this week at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium.

The No. 1 Commodores (48-7, 26-3 SEC) and No. 2 Tigers (48-8, 23-7) are in opposite brackets of the SEC Tournament, which begins today with four first-round elimination games.

Vanderbilt and LSU have first-round byes along with Arkansas and South Carolina into Wednesday’s start of double-elimination play.

Vanderbilt - even with a rain out against South Carolina - set a record for most SEC victories, surpassing the Gamecocks’ 25-5 team in 2000, while LSU had the third-most victories.

“We had a tremendous year, and Vanderbilt trumped us,” LSU Coach Paul Mainieri said. “So you give all the credit in the world to them and their coaching staff. What they did was phenomenal.

“All we can do is tip our hat. We didn’t have an opportunity to play them during the season, That was just the luck of the draw.”

Vanderbilt and LSU didn’t play because the SEC limits its 14 teams to 10 conference series, and the Commodores and Tigers are in different divisions and weren’t scheduled to meet in the East-West rotation.

“Obviously, we would relish the opportunity to play Vanderbilt,” Mainieri said. “I think it would be a great ballgame, and everybody would want to see it.”

Unfortunately, Mainieri said, if LSU and Vanderbilt make it to the SEC championship game, “It would be ata time when probably both teams have used all their top pitchers.”

Several SEC coaches said they expect the Commodores and Tigers to play for the national championship next month in Omaha, Neb.

“It would be awesome to be able to meet them in the finals of the College World Series,” Mainieri said. “That would be outstanding, where we could go after each other with our best.”

None of the SEC coaches who have played both the Commodores and Tigers this season would predict a winner if they meet or say which team they believe is better.

“They both have a deep lineup 1 through 9,” Florida Coach Kevin O’Sullivan said. “They both play very good defense. They both can pitch on the front end and the back end.

“I think they’re almost mirror images of each other. I don’t see a glaring weaknesses on either team.”

Vanderbilt leads the SEC with a .319 batting average with LSU second at .310. Both teams have hit 36 home runs.

LSU’s .981 fielding percentage leads the SEC with Vanderbilt second at .977. Arkansas leads the SEC with a 1.87 ERA followed by LSU (2.38) and Vanderbilt (2.55).

“Obviously, I have an SEC bias now, but if I’d be shocked if those teams aren’t playing against each other for the national championship,” Missouri Coach Tim Jameson said of Vanderbilt and LSU. “Those two teams really separated themselves from everybody else.”

Vanderbilt and LSU have benefitted from seniors deciding to return rather than sign professionally after their junior seasons, returning juniors and sophomores and an influxof freshmen.

Commodores junior second baseman Tony Kemp leads the SEC with a .408 batting average and 27 stolen bases. Senior right fielder Mike Yastrzemski - the grandson of Red Sox Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski - is batting .333 with 39 RBI and 18 stolen bases; senior center fielder Connor Harrell is batting .319 with 11 home runs and 61 RBI; sophomore shortstop Vince Conde is batting .311 with 39 RBI; and senior catcher Spencer Navin and freshman third baseman Xavier Turner are batting .310.

Vanderbilt sophomore right-hander Tyler Beede is 13-0 with a .228 ERA, junior left-hander Kevin Ziomek is 10-2 with a 1.99 ERA and sophomore left-hander Brian Miller has 14 saves.

LSU senior first baseman Mason Katz is batting .388 with 14 home runs and 64 RBI; freshman shortstop Alex Bregman is batting .388 with 13 stolen bases; and senior left fielder Raph Rhymes is batting .349.

The Tigers’ rotation is led by sophomore right-hander Aaron Nola (10-0, 1.99 ERA) and junior right-hander Ryan Eades (8-1, 2.70 ERA). Senior left-hander Chris Cotton has 14 saves.

“ You better prepare to play your best game,” Alabama Coach Mitch Gaspard said of trying to beat Vanderbilt and LSU. “When you look at the number of wins, they’re both so confident, they play with great energy.

“I don’t think there really is chink in the armor for either of those teams. They’re two of the best teams that have been in this league in a very long time.”

Vanderbilt Coach Tim Corbin said he’s proud of team’s consistency and approach all season, but it was “the benefactor” of not having to play Arkansas (18-11 in the SEC) and LSU in the regular season. He doesn’t want to contemplate the possibility of playing the Tigers at the SEC Tournament.

“We’ve watched LSU from afar and obviously we’ve seen what they’ve done” Corbin said, “but they’re over on the other side of the Earth right now in terms of this tournament. It’s a long way from being a reality.”

Maineri said he hopes the team will meet at some point.

“But in the meantime we’ll just focus on the teams that are most immediate on our schedule,” he said.

Both coaches said they know their players are thinking about a possible match-up.

“You don’t want to micro-manage every thought that they have as people,” Corbin said, “but you hope you’ve created a culture in which they’re centered on what they need to do.

“If they’re not, then you pay the price. If you are, then you might experience more success.”

Sports, Pages 19 on 05/21/2013

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