PREVIEW: Kentucky and LSU to clash in Second Round of SEC Tournament
No. 3 seed Kentucky and No. 11 seed LSU will meet for the first time this season in the opening game of the Second Round of the 2024 SEC Tournament on Wednesday.
Kentucky and LSU played five times last season, with the eventual National Champion Tigers winning four of the five games. Two of those wins came in the Baton Rouge Super Regional, which LSU won in two games by a combined score of 22-3.
Wednesday’s matchup will however have a drastically different tone than last season’s, as Kentucky has all but locked up a top-four seed in the NCAA Tournament while LSU is fighting for its tournament lives.
LSU’s 9-1 First Round win over No. 6 seed Georgia on Tuesday however may just be enough, as the Tigers earned their 14th SEC win. LSU hasn’t missed the NCAA Tournament since 2011 and have only missed the tournament three times since 2000 (2006, 2007, 2011).
No. 11 LSU (37-20, 14-17)
There may not be a team hotter in the conference than the surging Louisiana State Tigers.
LSU opened conference play by losing 12 of its first 15 games, putting up an uncharacteristic 3-12 record. Over its last five series of the regular season however, the Tigers went 10-5 while winning four of the five series. Kentucky finished just 8-7 in its final five series of the regular season.
Many have said the Tigers were going to fall victim to the National Championship hangover, as Mississippi State (2021) and Ole Miss (2022) did the years prior. However, it looks like Jay Johnson’s squad is getting hot at the right time.
They’re led offensively by junior third baseman Tommy White (.345 BA, 23 HR, 64 RBI), junior shortstop Michael Braswell (.301 BA, 12 doubles, 28 RBI), and sophomore first baseman Jared Jones (.291 BA, 22 HR, 47 RBI). White dominated the Cats in their five games played in 2023, going 9-24 with three HR, three doubles, and 12 RBI at the plate.
LSU totaled 14 hits in its first round victory over Georgia on Tuesday. Seven players notched at least one hit, while five notched at least two. Kentucky killer Tommy White is already warming up for Wednesday, as he went 3-6 with an RBI.
Left-hander Gage Jump made the start for the Tigers on Tuesday, so you can cross him off the list as a potential Wednesday probable. Jump dominated the power-hitting Georgia lineup, allowing just four hits and one earned run with seven strikeouts in seven innings pitched.
Tommy White, junior right-handed pitcher Luke Holman, and sophomore left-handed pitcher Griffin Herring were named Second Team All-SEC while second baseman Steven Milam and outfielder Ashton Larson made the Freshman All-SEC Team.
LSU’s 84 all-time wins in the SEC Tournament are the most by a large margin, as Mississippi State is in second place with 66. Hoover has almost become a second home to an LSU team fighting for its postseason lives.
No. 3 Kentucky (39-12, 22-8)
Kentucky finished its SEC slate 22-8, good enough to share the SEC Regular Season Championship with Tennessee. The Vols however owned the tiebreaker, meaning Kentucky was moved down to the No. 3 seed. Because of this, they’ll be kicking off the Second Round of the SEC Tournament at 9:30 a.m. local time and 10:30 p.m. EST.
The Cats ended their season by winning three series in a row against Arkansas, Florida, and Vanderbilt.
Just like LSU, Kentucky’s Wednesday starter has yet to be revealed. Right-hander Trey Pooser (4-1, 4.43 ERA, 64 1/3 IP) would be the betting favorite as of Tuesday night, but left-hander Drew Lafferty (1-1, 6.86 ERA, 21 IP) and right-hander Travis Smith (3-3, 6.06 ERA, 35 2/3 IP) have been names thrown around as well. Nick Mingione touched on the starting pitching situation following Kentucky’s 12-4 loss to Vanderbilt last Saturday.
“If I knew I would tell you,” Mingione said with a grin. “We’ll sit down as a staff and try to map it out. We’ll sit down and try to come up with a good plan. Obviously, the health and safety of our guys is really important so we’ll be smart about who we pitch, when we pitch, and how we use them.”
Kentucky was well represented in the 2024 SEC Awards, as DH Nick Lopez made All-SEC First Team and left fielder Ryan Waldschmidt made All-SEC Second Team. Second baseman Émilien Pitre, third baseman Mitch Daly, and right-handed pitcher Mason Moore also made the All-SEC Defensive Team.
Waldschmidt ended the 2024 regular season on a tear, as he totaled at least one hit in 19 of Kentucky’s final 22 games of the season. He notched at least two or more hits in 13 of those 19 games. Because of this, his stock in the upcoming MLB Draft has skyrocketed.
The Cats will try to continue bucking history on Wednesday, as they’re just 3-10 in their last 13 games against LSU.
Probable Starters
ALL-TIME SERIES: LSU leads 59-32-1
Wednesday, May 21, 2024 (Hoover Metropolitan Stadium – 10:30 a.m. EST) SEC Network
UK: TBA vs LSU: TBD
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