The SEC Baseball Tournament begins today. In anticipation of an expanded, 14 team league next season, the SEC decided to go ahead and expand the field to 10 teams this season. The two divisional champions get byes and don’t play today. South Carolina and LSU will have a tremendous advantage by being able to rest an extra day.
This year’s tournament will seem strange for those used to the traditional set-up. There are 5 teams on each side of the bracket. There will be no jumping from side to side, so the only way a team could play a team from the other side will be in the championship. The championship will be one game regardless of the losses of the two contenders.
South Carolina gets to play the lowest seeded winner of the two Tuesday games on its side. Florida, the 3 seed, plays Auburn, the 10 seed. 5th seeded Vanderbilt plays 8th seeded Georgia. If Auburn wins, South Carolina will play them. If Florida wins, then South Carolina will play the winner of the Vandy-Georgia game. There is no way Carolina will play Florida on Wednesday.
The highest seeded winner of the early games will then get a bye in the winners’ bracket. It’s a little complicated, but if you’re interested here’s the bracket.
We’ll keep updating you on where the Gamecocks are, and what they need to do this week.
