Before we get into the teams, a note on how I built them.

I’m not here to argue with the coaches or the voters who put together the official All-SEC selections. They know things I don’t. They watch their opponents up close every week. The official teams are based on a vote that accounts for factors I’m not privy to — conference-only games, internal evaluations, relationships between programs. I have nothing but respect for that process.

What I’m doing here is different. This is my All-SEC pitching team, built around the criteria I’ve valued all season in this space: durability, consistency, body of work across an entire year, and the ability to hold your spot in a weekend rotation when the stakes were highest. The arms that showed up not once or twice, but every single time the lights came on. That’s the standard. Here’s my team.

AT A GLANCE

First Team

Starters: Dylan Volantis (Texas), Aidan King (Florida), Tomas Valincius (Mississippi State), Hunter Dietz (Arkansas), Jake Marciano (Auburn)

Relievers: Walker Hooks (Ole Miss), Sam Cozart (Texas)

Second Team

Starters: Andreas Alvarez (Auburn), Tyler Fay (Alabama), Jaxon Jelkin (Kentucky), Cade Townsend (Ole Miss), Tegan Kuhns (Tennessee)

Relievers: Jackson Sanders (Auburn), Clayton Freshcorn (Texas A&M)

Third Team

Starters: Alex Petrovic (Auburn), Joey Volchko (Georgia), Taylor Rabe (Ole Miss), Ruger Riojas (Texas), Liam Peterson (Florida)

Relievers: Cam Appenzeller (Tennessee), Caden Aoki (Georgia)

Freshman Standouts: Myles Upchurch (Alabama), Sam Cozart (Texas), Cam Appenzeller (Tennessee), Taylor Tracey (Tennessee), Xander Mercurius (Oklahoma)

FIRST TEAM — STARTING PITCHERS

Dylan Volantis — Texas 8-1, 76.2 IP, 109 K, 2.05 ERA

One of the best pitchers in the SEC this season, for a second straight year. Volantis moved from the bullpen — where he was Baseball America’s National Freshman of the Year in 2025 — into the Friday rotation this spring and looked like he had been starting his whole career. His 2.05 ERA leads the conference. His 109 strikeouts are third-most in the league. His FIP (1.73) is the second-best in the country. When Texas needed him in the biggest games, he delivered, including his performance against the best hitters in the conference week in and week out all spring. He’s a finalist for Baseball America’s national Pitcher of the Year. The résumé speaks for itself.

Aidan King — Florida 7-2, 74.0 IP, 77 K, 2.19 ERA | SEC Pitcher of the Year

The conference’s official Pitcher of the Year, and deserving of every vote he got. King was the most consistent arm in the league from opening day through the final weekend — 16 walks in 74 innings, a 2.19 ERA, and a week-over-week reliability that made Florida’s rotation the most dependable in the country. When evaluating pitchers, I always come back to command and durability first. King led the conference in both. That earns the top spot on this team.

Tomas Valincius — Mississippi State 8-2, 75.0 IP, 105 K, 2.52 ERA

The anchor of Mississippi State’s all-sophomore rotation and one of the most dominant arms in college baseball this year. Valincius reached 105 strikeouts — one of two pitchers in the conference to crack triple digits — with only 16 walks in 75 innings. That strikeout-to-walk ratio is elite at any level of baseball. His 8-2 record against one of the most difficult schedules in the country tells you everything you need to know about what he did when the games mattered most.

Hunter Dietz — Arkansas 7-2, 72.2 IP, 108 K, 3.22 ERA

The first pitcher in the SEC to reach 100 strikeouts this season, and the headliner of an Arkansas program that has now produced a First-Team All-SEC pitcher for four consecutive years. Dietz missed his entire sophomore and junior seasons to elbow issues and came back to do this. What he accomplished over a full season — 108 strikeouts in 72.2 innings, seven quality starts in SEC play — is one of the better stories in college baseball in 2026. He earns his spot here on durability and impact alone.

Jake Marciano — Auburn 4-4, 81.2 IP, 100 K, 2.65 ERA

The quietest elite pitcher in the conference. Marciano’s record doesn’t reflect his season — a 2.65 ERA and 100 strikeouts in 81.2 innings, with only 17 walks, is a body of work that belongs in the same conversation as anyone on this list. His 0.97 WHIP is one of the best among qualified SEC starters. He threw more innings than any arm in this ranking and did it against the toughest schedule in the country as Auburn’s Sunday starter. The wins didn’t always come. The quality did, every single time.

FIRST TEAM — RELIEVERS

Walker Hooks — Ole Miss 3-1, 46.2 IP, 53 K, 2.12 ERA, 7 saves

The first Rebels pitcher to earn First-Team All-SEC honors since Doug Nikhazy in 2021, and the first Ole Miss relief pitcher to earn First-Team honors since the league began differentiating between starting and relief pitchers in 2004. That history tells you something about the season Hooks put together. A 2.12 ERA, 53 strikeouts against only nine walks in 46.2 innings, seven saves, and a .181 batting average against. He led the SEC in ERA (1.73), WHIP (0.80), and appearances during conference play. Ole Miss built their postseason identity around him in the back of the bullpen, and he delivered.

Sam Cozart — Texas 6-0, 45.1 IP, 66 K, 1.59 ERA, 8 saves

A 6-foot-6, 260-pound freshman right-hander from High Point, North Carolina, Cozart posted a 0.64 WHIP in SEC play — first among all qualified pitchers in the conference — with a co-league-best seven saves and a 1.01 ERA in conference games. He’s 6-0 on the year. He hasn’t allowed a run in 13 of his 20 appearances. For a freshman closer on the second-ranked team in the country, the word “unflappable” keeps coming up, and the numbers back it up every time. He also earned USA Baseball Collegiate National Team Training Camp consideration. This is one of the best freshman relief seasons the SEC has ever seen.

SECOND TEAM — STARTING PITCHERS

Andreas Alvarez — Auburn 8-2, 64.1 IP, 87 K, 2.66 ERA

The headliner of Auburn’s remarkable rotation — 8-2 with a 2.66 ERA from a Friday arm in the SEC is elite. He held opponents to a .217 average all season and set the tone for one of the best weekend staffs in college baseball. His season alone would be First Team worthy in most years. The depth of this conference is the only reason he lands on the second team.

Tyler Fay — Alabama 8-3, 78.1 IP, 88 K, 4.48 ERA

Fay earns his second consecutive All-SEC honor, joining a select group of Alabama pitchers to earn back-to-back all-conference recognition. The ERA climbed late in the season, but what Fay gave Alabama all year was 78.1 innings of durability — the most of any arm in this entire ranking — at 8-3. Programs that build toward postseason runs need starters who take the ball and pitch deep. Fay was that arm for Alabama every single week.

Jaxon Jelkin — Kentucky 8-2, 80.2 IP, 92 K, 3.57 ERA

The most durable starter in the SEC by innings pitched, and one of the most reliable Friday arms in the conference from first weekend to last. Jelkin’s 80.2 innings are the most of any arm in this space, and his 8-2 record is among the best in the league. His complete game performance late in the season at Florida — nine innings, one walk, 12 strikeouts — was the signature start of his career. He gave Kentucky an identity every Friday.

Cade Townsend — Ole Miss 5-2, 55.1 IP, 77 K, 3.25 ERA

Townsend was inconsistent late in the season, but his overall body of work is legitimate — 77 strikeouts against only 14 walks in 55.1 innings, a 3.25 ERA, and the steadiness that gave Ole Miss a foundation heading into the postseason. His early-season stretch was as good as anyone’s in the conference. He earns his spot on this team on the full season, not just the final month.

Tegan Kuhns — Tennessee 4-4, 72.0 IP, 95 K, 3.13 ERA

The most underrated arm in the conference all year. Kuhns had the most consistent command of any starter in the SEC — 13 walks in 72 innings is remarkable at this level — and finished the year with 95 strikeouts and a 3.13 ERA. His performance in his final start against Texas — seven innings, four hits, zero runs, 15 strikeouts — was the best single game any pitcher had in this conference all season. His 4-4 record doesn’t capture what he was. This team does.

SECOND TEAM — RELIEVERS

Jackson Sanders — Auburn 4 wins, 3 saves, 58.0 IP, 80 K, 2.95 ERA

Sanders moved from a relief role as a freshman in 2025 to a hybrid starter/closer role in 2026, and the results were outstanding — 80 strikeouts in 58 innings with a 2.95 ERA and only nine walks. He earned SEC Pitcher of the Week honors for a seven-inning shutout against Winthrop where he retired nine straight batters with seven strikeouts. Auburn’s bullpen is one of the best in the conference, and Sanders has been the engine of it all year.

Clayton Freshcorn — Texas A&M 2-1, 8 saves, 2.00 ERA, 33 K, 8.25 K/BB ratio

Seven saves tied for the most in the SEC. Scoreless outings in 13 of 17 appearances. An 8.25 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Three saves of three innings each — Freshcorn wasn’t just a one-inning closer, he was a weapon Texas A&M deployed for length when the moment demanded it. He earned his place on the official First Team. I have him on my second team only because my first-team slots went to Hooks and Cozart — but this is a distinction without much difference. All three had remarkable seasons.

THIRD TEAM — STARTING PITCHERS

Alex Petrovic — Auburn 7-2, 71.1 IP, 71 K, 3.15 ERA

Petrovic drops from second team to third only because of how deep this conference’s arms are — on most rosters he’s a Friday ace. He’s 7-2 with a 3.15 ERA across 71.1 innings and was the steadiest presence in Auburn’s remarkable rotation all year. The Tigers’ pitching staff was the best in the country, and Petrovic was the third piece that made it complete.

Joey Volchko — Georgia 7-2, 65.1 IP, 81 K, 4.41 ERA

The most frustrating arm in the conference — in the best possible way. When Volchko’s command was on, there may not have been a more electric pitcher in the SEC. Eighty-one strikeouts in 65.1 innings is legitimate production. The 35 walks have been the story all year. There were stretches where he looked top-five in college baseball, and stretches where the walks derailed him completely. The talent earns third team. The command earns him nothing higher.

Taylor Rabe — Ole Miss 3-3, 51.1 IP, 68 K, 4.56 ERA

Seven walks in 51.1 innings. The ERA has been inflated by outings where the command was immaculate but the results didn’t follow — and at the end of the season he was still striking out 14 in a single start while walking nobody. That command profile at the college level is rare enough to earn recognition regardless of surface results.

Ruger Riojas — Texas 5-2, 64.2 IP, 100 K, 4.02 ERA

The century mark in strikeouts for a Saturday arm on one of the country’s best teams — and a 5-2 record to go with it. Riojas had a dominant first half and a rockier second half, but his overall body of work was too good to leave off. Texas’s rotation wouldn’t have been what it was without him holding down the middle spot every week.

Liam Peterson — Florida 1-5, 67.1 IP, 88 K, 4.28 ERA

The hardest arm to rank in this exercise. His record (1-5) is the worst of anyone on these teams. His walk rate (34 in 67.1 innings) is the highest. And yet — 88 strikeouts from a Florida arm that was in the draft conversation all spring. When Peterson was commanding his fastball, he was as electric as anyone on this list. The inconsistency drops him to third team. The stuff earns him a spot.

THIRD TEAM — RELIEVERS

Cam Appenzeller — Tennessee 2.00 ERA, 33 K, 6 walks, 27 IP

The most dominant freshman reliever in the conference, and one of the best freshman arms in the country. A 6-foot-5 right-hander out of Glenwood, Illinois, Appenzeller was a legitimate first-round talent who honored his commitment to Tennessee over the MLB Draft and then posted a 2.00 ERA with a 5.5 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 27 innings out of the Vols’ bullpen. Baseball America put him on their midseason freshman watch list. He makes both this team and the freshman standouts section — and he’s only getting started.

Caden Aoki — Georgia 8-0, 59.0 IP, 78 K, 3.20 ERA

Still undefeated. Eight-and-oh. Aoki never lost a game he started this year, and 78 strikeouts in 59 innings from Georgia’s Sunday spot with a 3.20 ERA is a legitimate body of work. Wes Johnson leaned on him down the stretch and Aoki delivered every time.

FRESHMAN STANDOUTS

The following arms stood out among the SEC’s 2026 freshman class. These are true freshmen who made a meaningful impact in the highest-leverage games the SEC had to offer.

Myles Upchurch — Alabama (RHP) The story of the freshman class among starters. The only rookie starter in the SEC to fulfill all 10 available conference starts — one of four Power Four freshmen to complete all 14 available weekend starts nationally. A 3.91 ERA in SEC play. USA Baseball Collegiate National Team Training Camp invitation. He was a 19th-round pick by the Reds out of high school and chose Alabama instead. The Reds will regret that for a long time.

Sam Cozart — Texas (RHP) Already covered above. 6-0, 1.59 ERA, 66 K, 0.64 WHIP in SEC play, eight saves. First-Team All-SEC. USA Baseball Training Camp invite. The best freshman relief season the conference has seen in years. Let’s not forget how dominant he was a mid-week starter before Texas realized they had one of the best high-leverage arms in the league.

Cam Appenzeller — Tennessee (RHP) Also covered above. 2.00 ERA, 33 K, 6 walks in 27 innings. Baseball America midseason freshman watch list. Tennessee built their late-game identity around him, and he didn’t flinch once.

Taylor Tracey — Tennessee (LHP/OF) The most unique arm on this list — a 6-foot-6 left-handed pitcher and right-handed hitting outfielder from Texas whom Josh Elander describes as “backwards, as we say in the scouting world — sneaky power.” Tracey made 12 appearances out of Tennessee’s bullpen as a true freshman, bringing a loose, quick arm and confident mound presence that had evaluators paying attention all spring. He’s a two-way talent whose best years are ahead of him, and the fact that he contributed at all in his first SEC season says everything about what kind of arm he is.

Xander Mercurius — Oklahoma (RHP) A freshman right-hander who stepped into a meaningful role for Oklahoma and delivered in some of the most hostile environments the SEC had to offer. His five-inning, no-walk performance against LSU in Baton Rouge was the signature moment of his freshman season — and for a first-year pitcher to handle that atmosphere and that lineup the way he did is a genuine preview of what he can become. Xander seemed to get stronger as the year went on, reportedly up to 98/99 mph at times.

Cord Rager — Oklahoma (LHP) A true freshman lefty who sits in the low to mid-90’s is always fun, and Rager proved he belonged in the SEC right away. Rager was thrown into the Sunday role from the season’s start, and held his own throughout the year before some injuries slowed him down.

Final Thought

The SEC pitching class of 2026 was one of the deepest in recent memory — not at the very top, where the class was thin, but through the middle and the back of the depth chart, where you found legitimate weekend arms at virtually every program in the conference. Three teams’ worth of arms, all of whom held their spots, threw their innings, and showed up when the stakes were highest.

That’s what earns recognition in this space. Not one great start or a hot April — but a whole season of doing the hardest thing in college baseball: taking the ball in the SEC, week after week, and competing.

These guys did that. Congratulations to every arm on all three teams.

Opening night in Royal Oak wasn’t flashy.

It wasn’t a home run derby, and it wasn’t an offensive explosion. In fact, the Royal Oak Leprechauns opened the 2026 season with a tough 1-0 loss to Battle Creek in what also marked DJ LeMahieu’s first game as manager after more than a decade in Major League Baseball.

But if you were paying attention, there was still a lot to like.

The night also offered a glimpse into what LeMahieu is trying to build in Royal Oak. Gleyber Torres, the Detroit Tigers second baseman and LeMahieu’s former teammate with the Yankees, was on hand to throw out the ceremonial first pitch, a small but meaningful example of how DJ can leverage his relationships to bring major league energy into a local summer baseball environment.

That’s a major key in this operation.

Because the Leprechauns are not just trying to be another summer team. They are trying to become a community baseball experience — a place where college players develop, local kids get close to the game, and Metro Detroit fans feel connected to something bigger than the final score.

Drew Tolfree Set the Tone Early

Left-hander Drew Tolfree got the Opening Day start and looked sharp from the beginning.

The Ohio Northern product worked into the fourth inning before exiting after taking a line drive off his foot, but prior to the injury, he was cruising through the Battle Creek lineup with an aggressive, controlled approach in the strike zone. Tolfree was recently named Ohio Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year after going 7-0 with a 1.64 ERA and 75 strikeouts across 65.2 innings.

On Monday night, he worked primarily with an upper-80s fastball that played well because of his command, while mixing in a short slider-cutter in the low-to-mid 80s that complemented the fastball nicely. He consistently got ahead in counts and looked comfortable attacking hitters early.

More importantly, he established the identity the Leprechauns appeared to carry all night:

Throw strikes. Play defense. Keep pressure on the opponent.

The Bullpen Looked Deep

After Tolfree exited, Danny Newman came in and stabilized the inning before the bullpen really settled into rhythm.

Greg Burns and Tyler Young continued filling up the strike zone and putting up zeros, helping keep the game within reach throughout the middle innings.

One of the more intriguing appearances came from Blake Ilitch, a freshman pitcher from Ole Miss, who threw the ball well despite allowing the game’s only run. After hitting a batter, Battle Creek managed to manufacture the run with a pair of ground balls, and even then, it felt like a sequence that could have unfolded differently with one play going the other direction.

But the biggest visual of the night may have been 6-foot-10 right-hander Kellen English.

English, a product of the University of Indiana, entered in the eighth inning throwing low, to mid-90s with extreme downhill angle, immediately looking like a potential high-leverage arm for Royal Oak this summer. At that height and release point, hitters are going to have a difficult time getting comfortable at-bats against him.

Then came Griffin Howell in the ninth.

The right-hander from Eastern Kentucky looked polished and under control during his inning of work and already feels like a natural fit for late-game situations.

The Identity Was Already Visible

The final score says 1-0.

But the deeper story was how the Leprechauns played.

Royal Oak threw strikes all night, walked only two hitters, struck out nine, and played clean enough baseball to stay in position to win. Offensively, there’s probably some patience required early, which is normal in summer baseball, especially with players adjusting back to wood bats after long spring seasons using metal.

But if Opening Night revealed anything, it’s that this team already looks fundamentally sound.

And for a first game under LeMahieu, that feels like a pretty good place to start.

The Leprechauns returned Tuesday morning for an 11 a.m. kids game against Battle Creek looking to bounce back and begin building momentum early in the Northwoods League season.

A quick note before we get into it — this isn’t your typical Friday night recap. Most of these series have already played two games, so we’re doing a full two-game breakdown for each. A lot is already decided. A few series are heading into rubber games today. Here’s where everything stands.

#12 Arkansas at Kentucky — Series Tied 1-1

Kentucky took game one 4-3 and made an interesting decision to bring in Jaxon Jelkin — their Friday night ace — to close it out. That tells you everything you need to know about how much this series means to them.

But Arkansas bounced back Friday and evened it up 5-4 behind a terrific collective pitching performance. Gabe Gaeckle, Steele Eaves, and Ethan McElvain combined to strike out sixteen batters. That’s a statement. Arkansas is doing what Arkansas does this time of year — they find a way.

Rubber match today. Should be a really good one.

South Carolina at Vanderbilt — Vanderbilt leads 2-0

Vanderbilt has taken care of business in both games and is one win away from the sweep.

Thursday night, Connor Fennell got the win going 6 1/3 innings, allowing one earned run and striking out seven in a 9-1 victory. Then on Friday, they went up 6-0 in the first inning, led 7-0 after three, and cruised to a 9-5 final. Braden Holcomb went 3-for-5 with two RBIs. Tim Corbin’s guys are taking care of business this weekend.

#15 Ole Miss at #18 Alabama — Series Tied 1-1

Alabama took game one Thursday 5-4 in a really close, well-played game. Tyler Fay was outstanding — seven innings, three earned runs, 11 strikeouts against that Ole Miss lineup. Hunter Elliott settled in nicely after the first inning and had a solid outing. A really good win for Alabama.

Then Ole Miss came back and dominated game two. Taylor Rabe was absolutely filthy — six innings, one hit, one walk, 13 strikeouts. He and JP Robertson combined for a two-hit shutout. Zane Adams went five innings and gave up five earned on three walks with seven strikeouts — not terrible, but Ole Miss got to him and blew the game open after he exited.

Series is tied. Rubber match today.

Missouri at #6 Texas — Texas leads 2-0

Texas has been dominant and is one win away from the sweep.

Game one, Dylan Volantis bounced back exactly the way you hoped — seven innings, one earned run, eleven strikeouts. He looked like himself again. Carson Tinney went 2-for-4 with a home run.

Game two, Texas went up 10-0 early and won 11-6, allowing a six-spot in the seventh. Luke Harrison went 6 1/3 innings, four earned runs, six strikeouts — pitched well for most of it before running into trouble late. But Texas was never in danger. They’ve handled Missouri exactly the way they were supposed to.

#19 Florida at LSU — Florida leads 2-0

This series is essentially over. Jay Johnson confirmed that William Schmidt and Casan Evans are not pitching this weekend — LSU is saving them for the SEC Tournament. So Florida should sweep.

That context aside, Florida has still done the job. Game one, Florida jumped out 6-0 in the first inning and won 11-8, with LSU scoring some runs late to make it closer than it looked. Aidan King gave up four earned runs but kept Florida in it. Steven Milam went 3-for-5 with a home run for LSU.

Game two, Liam Peterson was dominant — seven innings, 11 strikeouts — and Florida cruised to an 11-1 win. LSU’s best arms are being saved, but Florida’s pitching and hitting has looked sharp regardless.

Tennessee at Oklahoma — Tennessee leads 1-0, Game 2 Suspended

Tennessee took game one 9-7 in a back-and-forth game. Tegan Kuhns wasn’t his sharpest and Cam Johnson was uneven for Oklahoma, but Tennessee had enough to edge it out.

Game two hit a weather delay and will resume today with Tennessee leading 5-3 in the bottom of the seventh inning. If they hold on, Tennessee takes the series. A big weekend for them heading into the tournament.

Georgia at Auburn — Georgia leads 2-0

Georgia has been impressive. Genuinely impressive.

Thursday night, Joey Volchko went five innings, allowed one run, and struck out six in a 2-1 pitching duel. Daniel Jackson hit a solo home run. Ryan Wynn added another solo shot in the sixth. That was all Georgia needed.

Friday, Georgia won 9-7 in a much more offensive game. Georgia scored five in the first inning, Auburn came back with two of their own in the bottom of the first, and it was a slugfest from there. Dylan Vigue scattered hits and runs but kept Georgia in it long enough for the offense to take over.

Auburn doesn’t lose at home. Georgia has beaten them twice on the road. That’s a statement about how good this Georgia team really is.

#13 Mississippi State at #10 Texas A&M — Series Tied 1-1

Nearly fifty runs scored in two games. That’s the headline.

Mississippi State took game one 18-11 behind Tomas Valincius, who got the win but gave up six earned runs in five innings. Gavin Grohovec went 2-for-5 with a home run and two RBIs. Valincius has had a couple of rough outings lately, and his final line here is worth keeping an eye on as we head into the postseason — he’s been one of the best arms in the conference all year, so hopefully it’s just a blip.

Texas A&M fired back and won game two 11-9. Shane Sdao started and gave up five earned runs, but the offense did enough to bail the staff out. Caden Sorrell was the story — 3-for-5 with a home run and six RBIs. That’s a nice performance for him heading into the SEC tourney.

Crazy offensive series. Rubber match today.

Looking Ahead

A few rubber games today, a suspended game to finish, and a Florida team that should close out the sweep. The final day of the regular season is here, and then it’s on to Hoover.

A lot of baseball left to play.

Before we get into it, a quick note — most of these series are starting Thursday this week because of the SEC Tournament schedule. And while there’s still a lot on the line, understand that everything here comes with an asterisk.

Coaches are managing rotations based on health, postseason positioning, RPI, and how they want to enter the tournament. Some guys might not pitch. Some lineups might look different. So these predictions are based on how these teams have been playing and coaching all year — but things could look completely different by first pitch. Take it all with a grain of salt.

Here’s how I see it playing out.

#12 Arkansas at Kentucky

This one scares me for Arkansas, and I say that as someone who has a lot of respect for what Dave Van Horn has built.

Arkansas is getting right at the right time of year. That’s what they do. Hunter Dietz at the front of the rotation is as dominant as anyone in the country right now — since he moved into that Friday night role he has just been locked in. And the offense is coming alive.

But Jaxon Jelkin is pitching the best baseball of his season right now in my opinion. Ben Cleaver is finally becoming what we thought he could be at the start of the year. And Kentucky has things to play for and they’re at home.

I think this is a really close series and Arkansas is playing great baseball — but I think Kentucky edges them out.

Prediction: Kentucky takes 2 of 3

#4 Georgia at #5 Auburn

This was one of the hardest picks of the week for me.

I’ve been one of Auburn’s biggest believers all year. And when I picked against them last weekend, it was purely because of the gauntlet they were running — back-to-back weekends against top five teams on the road. I thought at some point that schedule would catch up to them.

But now they’re back home. And Auburn at home is a different animal. They’ve won six straight SEC series. They play loose and confident at Plainsman Park. And while Georgia has already locked up a national seed, this weekend isn’t going to make or break either team’s seeding.

When teams have less on the line and you’re playing the home team that plays this well at home — you lean on the home team with better pitching.

Prediction: Auburn takes the series at home

South Carolina at Vanderbilt

Simple one for me.

Vanderbilt plays well at home. Their stadium and their fences cater to their offensive style of play. South Carolina doesn’t have much left to play for this season. And Tim Corbin will have his guys focused and ready.

Prediction: Vanderbilt takes the series

#15 Ole Miss at #18 Alabama

Alabama is playing really well right now. The veteran one-two punch (Tyler Fay and Zane Adams) in the rotation is real, and Myles Upchurch has been terrific as a true freshman. Rob Vaughn has this team playing winning baseball.

But I think Ole Miss just has the better rotation at this point in the year. From a pure talent standpoint, their pitching staff is one of the best in the country. Hunter Elliott looked electric last weekend. Cade Townsend is in the mix, although he is starting Game 3 this weekend while Taylor Rabe is a legitimate MLB prospect as their “third” starter. And their offense has some legitimate power in that lineup.

I think Ole Miss takes care of business on the road.

Prediction: Ole Miss takes 2 of 3 at Alabama

#13 Mississippi State at #10 Texas A&M

I was going to take Texas A&M here before the news dropped.

With Aiden Sims out for the weekend, that’s a massive wrinkle. He’s been their most reliable arm all year. And on the Mississippi State side, Ryan McPherson coming back healthy is a significant boost for that rotation.

Before those two developments, A&M was my pick. After them, I’m flipping.

Prediction: Mississippi State takes 2 of 3

#19 Florida at LSU

Florida takes this one.

Kevin O’Sullivan has his guys playing the right way right now, and the Aiden King and Liam Peterson one-two punch is just too much for LSU’s offense to handle. LSU doesn’t have the starting pitching depth to win two out of three games against this Florida staff.

Now — would it surprise me if LSU steals a game? Not at all. Florida has been inconsistent all year and has a habit of finding ways to lose games they shouldn’t. LSU has some youthful energy around that program right now, and Jay Johnson is a winner. They’ll compete. But competing and winning a series are two different things.

Prediction: Florida takes 2 of 3

Missouri at #6 Texas

Texas enters this one a little banged up, so don’t be surprised if they’re resting some guys and managing their roster with one eye on the tournament.

But this is also a weekend where the Longhorns need to get right. Dylan Volantis needs to bounce back and re-establish his dominance. Ruger Riojas needs to get back to the version of himself we saw earlier in conference play. Luke Harrison needs to find his footing.

Missouri just isn’t the team to slow any of that down. Texas wins this one pretty comfortably.

Prediction: Texas takes the series

Tennessee at Oklahoma

This one is genuinely hard for me, as well.

I love what Tennessee’s rotation can do. Kuhns just put up one of the best starts of the entire season last weekend. That staff can shut anyone down.

But Oklahoma at home is a different team. Skip Johnson will have his guys ready and scrappy and fighting. LJ Mercurius keeps struggling and Cam Johnson has been up and down, and Cord Rager is the same — so there are real questions in that rotation. But this is still a solid team with a lot of fight left in them.

Home field, tournament energy, and a coaching staff that knows how to prepare — I’m going Oklahoma.

Prediction: Oklahoma takes the series at home

Weekend Picks

Kentucky over Arkansas

Auburn over Georgia

Vanderbilt over South Carolina

Ole Miss over Alabama

Mississippi State over Texas A&M

Florida over LSU

Texas over Missouri

Oklahoma over Tennessee

Last regular season weekend. A lot of these teams are already locked into where they’re going — but pride, momentum, and rotation management heading into the SEC Tournament make every one of these series worth watching.

Should be a great final weekend of the regular season.

We are in the final weeks of SEC regular season baseball, and the stakes are at their highest. Every start now carries genuine postseason weight — seeding, momentum, and in some cases, careers. After one of the most compelling weekends of the season, the top of this list looks different than it did seven days ago.

Let’s get into it.

SEC Starting Pitcher Power Rankings — Week 9

1. Hunter Dietz — Arkansas (↑ from No. 4)

Season: 7-2, 72.2 IP, 60 H, 31 R, 26 ER, 26 BB, 108 K, 3.22 ERA

This week: 7.0 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 7 K

Hunter Dietz takes the top spot this week, and the body of work demands it. He is the first pitcher in the SEC this season to reach 100 strikeouts, now sitting at 108 — and he added seven more on Friday against Oklahoma in seven quality innings with just one earned run. The ERA has ticked up slightly from where he was in March, but with 108 strikeouts in 72.2 innings and a 7-2 record, the case for Dietz as the most valuable arm in this conference is a legitimate one. Arkansas needs him every single Friday, and he shows up. That means everything down the stretch.

2. Tegan Kuhns — Tennessee (↑ from No. 13)

Season: 4-4, 72.0 IP, 64 H, 27 R, 25 ER, 13 BB, 95 K, 3.13 ERA

This week: 7.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 15 K

This is the best single start of the season by any pitcher on this list — and it might be the best start of the entire SEC season. Seven innings, four hits, zero runs, one walk, fifteen strikeouts. Against Texas. On the road. Fifteen. The ERA drops to 3.13, the record sits at 4-4 despite how good he’s been, and after a rough outing two weeks ago, Kuhns has now put together back-to-back dominant performances that put the entire conference on notice. He jumps from 13 to 2 this week and it isn’t close. The command was immaculate — one walk in seven innings — and the swing-and-miss stuff was operating at an elite level. This was appointment television.

3. Tomas Valincius — Mississippi State (↑ from No. 7)

Season: 8-2, 75.0 IP, 58 H, 27 R, 21 ER, 16 BB, 105 K, 2.52 ERA

This week: 6.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 13 K

Valincius jumps to No. 3, and the numbers justify it. He has now joined Dietz and Riojas in the 100+ K club with 105 strikeouts on the season — the only three arms in the conference to crack triple digits — and his 2.52 ERA remains among the best in the league. Three earned runs on Thursday against Auburn isn’t ideal, but zero walks in 6.2 innings and 13 strikeouts is a genuinely excellent pitching line by any standard. He’s 8-2. He’s healthy. He’s one of two guys in this conference who gives you 13 Ks in an “ok” outing. Mississippi State rounds into the postseason with a Friday ace who can beat anyone on any night.

4. Jaxon Jelkin — Kentucky (↑ from No. 9)

Season: 8-2, 80.2 IP, 68 H, 40 R, 32 ER, 17 BB, 92 K, 3.57 ERA

This week: 9.0 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 12 K

Nine innings, one walk with 12 strikeouts, against Florida, on the road. Jelkin threw a complete game on Friday in Gainesville and it was one of the most commanding performances of the weekend across the entire conference. He is now 8-2 with 80.2 innings pitched — the most of any arm in the SEC — and with 92 strikeouts and a rock-solid 3.57 ERA, he has been the most durable and consistent Friday arm in the conference all season. The complete game is his second in as many weeks, and is putting himself in the All-SEC conversation.

5. Dylan Volantis — Texas (↓ from No. 1)

Season: 7-1, 67.2 IP, 50 H, 17 R, 16 ER, 21 BB, 94 K, 2.13 ERA

This week: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 K

Volantis drops from the top spot after his roughest start of the season — five innings, three earned runs, just two strikeouts against Tennessee. Two strikeouts in five innings from a guy who has been the most dominant arm in this conference for the last six weeks is a jarring line, and it costs him the No. 1 ranking this week. That said, his season body of work is still elite: 2.13 ERA, 7-1, 94 strikeouts, and the best ERA of any arm in this top 25. One bad start doesn’t erase what he’s built. He falls to 5, not further.

6. Andreas Alvarez — Auburn (↓ from No. 3)

Season: 8-2, 64.1 IP, 53 H, 24 R, 19 ER, 20 BB, 87 K, 2.66 ERA

This week: 4.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K

Alvarez drops a bit to 6, but is 8-2 with a 2.66 ERA and 87 strikeouts — still one of the elite bodies of work in the conference. The start this week was a bit short, and a 4.2-inning outing from your Friday ace when you’re playing Mississippi State on the road is a tough ask for the bullpen. But two earned runs in 4.2 innings isn’t a disaster, and his season record speaks for itself. Auburn’s rotation is still the deepest in the league, and Alvarez is still the headliner.

7. Aidan King — Florida (↓ from No. 2)

Season: 7-2, 74.0 IP, 50 H, 26 R, 18 ER, 16 BB, 77 K, 2.19 ERA

This week: 6.1 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 6 K

King drops five spots this week after a tough outing at home against Kentucky — five earned runs in 6.1 innings is the “worst” start of his season if we’re solely judging by earned runs. He managed to still give them length and a chance to win plus his season numbers are still excellent: 2.19 ERA, 7-2, 74 innings, 77 strikeouts, and the one of the lowest walk rates in the SEC. One bad start against a Kentucky lineup that was locked in on Friday night doesn’t undo that. He falls to 7 because the week’s results matter, but he will be fine.

8. Alex Petrovic — Auburn (Unchanged)

Season: 8-2, 71.1 IP, 53 H, 26 R, 25 ER, 16 BB, 71 K, 3.15 ERA

This week: 5.1 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K

Petrovic is 8-2. That is the most wins of any pitcher in this ranking, tied with Alvarez, Valincius, Sims, and Aoki. He went 5.1 innings with two earned runs on a road Saturday against Mississippi State — a grind-it-out performance from a Sunday arm who just keeps winning. The ERA sits at 3.15, the strikeout total at 71 in 71.1 innings, and his record remains the quiet best of anyone in this league. He holds at 8.

9. Taylor Rabe — Ole Miss (↑ from No. 11)

Season: 3-3, 51.1 IP, 50 H, 26 R, 26 ER, 7 BB, 68 K, 4.56 ERA

This week: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 0 BB, 14 K

The ERA tells one story. The walk rate tells another. Rabe walked zero batters on Friday while striking out 14 — fourteen — in six innings. The five earned runs are impossible to ignore, but striking out 14 without a walk is a pitching line that very few arms in college baseball could produce, even in a rough outing. All five runs were scored in one inning, and Rabe was able to regroup, go back out and allow his bullpen to rest and be utilized in their proper high-leverage situations. His season walk total now sits at just 7 in 51.1 innings — the best command rate of any arm in this entire ranking. When the results come together with the command, Rabe is one of the most electric pitchers in the SEC. This week showed both extremes in a single start.

10. Ruger Riojas — Texas (↓ from No. 5)

Season: 5-2, 64.2 IP, 58 H, 29 R, 29 ER, 14 BB, 100 K, 4.04 ERA

This week: 4.0 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 4 K

Riojas drops a tick on the season ERA after a tough Sunday outing at Tennessee — four earned runs in four innings. He now sits at 4.04 ERA on the year, but the century mark in strikeouts is significant. 100 strikeouts on the year for a Saturday arm on a program like Texas is a legitimate milestone, and his overall body of work still earns him a top-10 spot. He’ll need a nice weekend against Missouri to get right going into the postseason.

11. Cade Townsend — Ole Miss (↓ from No. 6)

Season: 5-2, 55.1 IP, 42 H, 24 R, 20 ER, 14 BB, 77 K, 3.25 ERA

This week: 3.1 IP, 5 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 1 BB, 4 K

Townsend has a rough one and drops five spots. Six earned runs in 3.1 innings on a Friday against A&M is a tough line for anyone to absorb, and the ERA climbs to 3.25 on the season. He’s bounced back from bad outings before — we’ve seen it all year — and a 5-2 record with 77 strikeouts is still a strong overall season. But back-to-back shaky outings will push him down the list regardless.

12. Aiden Sims — Texas A&M (↑ from No. 16)

Season: 8-1, 68.0 IP, 54 H, 33 R, 29 ER, 19 BB, 73 K, 3.84 ERA

This week: 3.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 5 K

Sims has now had two consecutive short outings, and the ERA is climbing as a result — now at 3.84 after sitting comfortably under 3.50 earlier in the spring. Three innings on a Friday is hard on a pitching staff, especially this late in the year. The 8-1 record is the best in the conference, and that still matters. But A&M needs more from their Friday arm heading into the final push.

13. Jake Marciano — Auburn (↓ from No. 10)

Season: 4-4, 69.2 IP, 54 H, 26 R, 21 ER, 13 BB, 91 K, 2.71 ERA

This week: 2.0 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 4 K

Marciano’s season ERA remains the most deceptively good number in this entire ranking — 2.71 across 69.2 innings is elite, and 91 strikeouts against only 13 walks is the third best strikeout-to-walk ratio of any arm in this conference. But this week was a genuine blow: two innings on Wednesday before getting chased by six hits and four runs. The ERA takes the hit, but everything that made Marciano special all season is still there. He holds at 13 on the season body of work.

14. Liam Peterson — Florida (↑ from No. 19)

Season: 1-5, 67.1 IP, 64 H, 36 R, 32 ER, 34 BB, 88 K, 4.28 ERA

This week: 7.2 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 7 K

Peterson has one of his deepest starts of the season at the best possible time. Seven-plus innings, four earned runs, one walk, seven strikeouts — and after a season that has been defined by walks piling up and games getting away from him, the one-walk performance here is genuinely meaningful. He still has 34 walks in 67.1 innings — the highest walk total in this ranking — but if this command is the version Florida gets heading into the postseason, he becomes a completely different pitcher. He moves up five spots.

15. Caden Aoki — Georgia (↑ from No. 17)

Season: 8-0, 59.0 IP, 52 H, 23 R, 21 ER, 21 BB, 78 K, 3.20 ERA

This week: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K

Still undefeated, now at 8-0. this weekend: One earned run in five innings on Sunday against LSU is a quality performance, and the 3.20 ERA and 78 strikeouts on the season are legitimate numbers. The perfect record is the headline, but the consistency behind it is what keeps Aoki in this ranking every week. He jumps to 15.

16. Hunter Elliott — Ole Miss (Last week: unranked)

Season: 5-2, 65.0 IP, 62 H, 39 R, 37 ER, 32 BB, 88 K, 5.12 ERA

This week: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 11 K

Elliott’s surface ERA (5.12) is the highest in this top 25, but this week showed exactly why he stays in the conversation. Six innings, one earned run, one walk, eleven strikeouts against a tough A&M lineup on the road. Eleven strikeouts and one walk is an elite pitching line by any standard. When Elliott is on, the stuff is legitimately dangerous, and that swing-and-miss arsenal keeps him here regardless of what the ERA says.

17. Myles Upchurch — Alabama (↑ from No. 25)

Season: 7-3, 57.2 IP, 41 H, 23 R, 22 ER, 36 BB, 62 K, 3.43 ERA

This week: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 K

Upchurch continues to deliver quietly and consistently. One earned run in six innings on the road at South Carolina is the kind of start that doesn’t get a lot of national attention but wins baseball games. He’s 7-3 with a 3.43 ERA, and the walk rate remains the one thing keeping him from climbing this list — 36 in 57.2 innings is one of the highest rates among starters, but Upchurch is still a true freshman. And the results keep coming.

18. Joey Volchko — Georgia (↓ from No. 12)

Season: 7-2, 65.1 IP, 61 H, 34 R, 32 ER, 35 BB, 81 K, 4.41 ERA

This week: 3.1 IP, 7 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 3 BB, 5 K

This is the Joey Volchko we’ve been worried about all season. Seven earned runs in 3.1 innings against LSU, seven walks in those same innings — the command completely fell apart, and the ERA jumps from 3.63 to 4.41 in one start. He drops six spots, and deservedly so. The talent is still there — 81 strikeouts in 65 innings proves that — but the walk rate (35 in 65.1 innings) has always been the concern, and this week that concern became a catastrophe. He needs to find his command this week against a good Auburn team.

19. Zane Adams — Alabama (↓ from No. 14)

Season: 6-3, 71.1 IP, 72 H, 35 R, 32 ER, 21 BB, 78 K, 4.04 ERA

This week: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 9 K

Five earned runs in six innings is a tough line, though the nine strikeouts and one walk remind you what Adams is capable of when the command is there. The ERA climbs to 4.04, and the hit rate has been the consistent issue all season — 72 hits allowed in 71.1 innings. Adams holds at 19 on the strength of 78 strikeouts, his six wins and veteran presence in that rotation.

20. Josh McDevitt — Missouri (↑ from No. 23)

Season: 3-5, 70.2 IP, 50 H, 39 R, 32 ER, 35 BB, 91 K, 4.08 ERA

This week: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 7 K

McDevitt takes a step back after a decent week two weeks ago. Four earned runs in five innings against Vanderbilt, and the ERA stays in the mid-fours. The 91 strikeouts in 70.2 innings is genuinely impressive, and his hit rate (50 in 70.2) is one of the best on this list. The walks (35) and results have been inconsistent — but when McDevitt is at his best, he’s as talented as anyone outside the top five. He holds at 20.

21. Connor Fennell — Vanderbilt (Last week: Unranked)

Season: 3-2, 74.1 IP, 73 H, 44 R, 42 ER, 18 BB, 90 K, 5.09 ERA

This week: 7.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 8 K

Fennell makes his first appearance on this list in a couple weeks with a strong performance that deserved recognition. Seven innings, one earned run, two walks, eight strikeouts against Missouri — and that’s the kind of outing that will move boards. The season ERA of 5.09 has been the reason he wasn’t here sooner, but 90 strikeouts in 74.1 innings with only 18 walks is strikeout-to-walk rate that earns a look. If this is what the final stretch of Fennell’s season looks like, he’ll be a factor in postseason conversation, if Vandy can get there.

22. Duke Stone — Mississippi State (Last week: Unranked)

Season: 6-1, 62.0 IP, 65 H, 35 R, 32 ER, 24 BB, 85 K, 4.65 ERA

This week: 4.2 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 7 K

Stone enters the ranking this week on the strength of a 6-1 record and 85 strikeouts in 62 innings — a production total that commands attention. The ERA (4.65) and hit rate are the issues, and this week’s start wasn’t his best. But 6-1 with 85 Ks in the SEC earns a mention, and Mississippi State has used him as an important piece of their weekend staff all year.

23. Evan Blanco — Tennessee (↓ from No. 21)

Season: 6-3, 73.0 IP, 61 H, 41 R, 37 ER, 24 BB, 88 K, 4.56 ERA

This week: 7.0 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 8 K

Blanco had another week where the strikeout total (eight) and the innings total (seven) were excellent, but the five earned runs keep the ERA climbing toward 4.56. He’s a streaky arm — there’s no other way to say it — and this wasn’t his best version. He drops two spots but stays on the list with 88 strikeouts and 73 innings for a Tennessee team that will need him in the postseason.

24. Cam Johnson — Oklahoma (Last week: Unranked)

Season: 6-1, 51.0 IP, 35 H, 26 R, 20 ER, 37 BB, 67 K, 3.53 ERA

This week: — 2.1 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 3 K

Johnson enters this ranking on the strength of a 6-1 record and a 3.53 ERA — the best ERA-to-record combination of any new entry this week. The concern is the walk rate: 37 in 51 innings is among the highest in the conference, and that has a way of catching up with arms in the postseason. But six wins at 3.53 ERA is a legitimate body of work, and he earns his first spot here.

25. William Schmidt — LSU (↓ from No. 20)

Season: 5-4, 64.0 IP, 54 H, 34 R, 30 ER, 31 BB, 85 K, 4.22 ERA

This week: 4.0 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 5 BB, 6 K

Schmidt barely holds the final spot after a rough week — five walks and four earned runs in four innings at Georgia is not the performance you want heading into the final stretch. The ERA climbs to 4.22, and the walk total for the season now sits at 31 in 64 innings. But 85 strikeouts and five wins still give him enough of a case to stay on the list — just barely.

Final Thoughts

Week 9 reshuffled the top of this ranking in a way we haven’t seen all season. Kuhns was brilliant. Jelkin was complete. Volantis had his worst outing of the year. Dietz was Dietz. The arms that have been building their case all spring are now in a sprint to the finish, and every remaining start carries the weight of a full season behind it.

The postseason conversation starts now. The names at the top of this list are the ones who will be on the mound when it matters most.

And right now, Tegan Kuhns wants you to know he belongs in that conversation.

What a night. Between the weather chaos in Missouri, a five-run eighth inning in Gainesville, and what Tegan Kuhns did to a Texas lineup full of future big leaguers, Friday gave us everything.

Let’s get into it.

Vanderbilt at Missouri — Suspended, Tied 7-7

This one is going to be talked about for a while, and if you haven’t seen the weather video circulating on social media, go find it right now. Absolute chaos.

Here’s where things stand: the game is tied 7-7, suspended in the top of the ninth inning with two outs and two Vanderbilt runners on base. It’ll be resumed Saturday at 4:00 PM CT, with the regularly scheduled game two following 45 minutes after.

Missouri had trailed 6-1 heading into the bottom of the eighth and somehow rallied for six runs to take a 7-6 lead. Then Vanderbilt came back to tie it on a two-out RBI ground rule double that put runners at second and third — and that’s when the weather shut everything down.

Josh McDevitt went five innings for Missouri, allowing four runs on five hits with a pair of walks and seven strikeouts. He gave them a chance, but Vanderbilt controlled most of this game before Missouri’s stunning eight-inning rally flipped the script completely.

We’ll see how Saturday plays out, but this one is wide open.

#17 Arkansas 12, #24 Oklahoma 2

Arkansas made a statement.

Hunter Dietz did his thing. Seven innings, one earned run, seven strikeouts. He just keeps adding to what’s already been an outstanding season, and his draft stock keeps climbing with every start.

Camden Kozeal provided the offensive fireworks for Arkansas, going 3-for-4 with a home run and four RBIs. The Razorbacks jumped on Oklahoma early and never looked back in a dominant wire-to-wire win.

#19 Alabama 8, South Carolina 3

Alabama took care of business and made it look comfortable.

They jumped out to a 4-0 lead early, South Carolina chipped away, but Alabama pulled away again late and controlled the outcome throughout. Tyler Fay was outstanding — seven innings, one earned run, ten strikeouts, improving to 8-3 on the year. That’s the version of Fay that makes Alabama really dangerous down the stretch.

Luke Vaughn went 2-for-4 with two home runs and three RBIs to pace the offense. Alabama looks like a team that knows exactly what they’re doing right now.

#5 Georgia 11, LSU 8

LSU had Georgia on the ropes early, and it still wasn’t enough.

Omar Serna hit a home run in the first inning, and LSU jumped out to a 6-2 lead after a four-run third and knocked Joey Volchko out of the game early. Despite William Schmidt struggling with command again, for a while it looked like LSU’s young core was going to pull off something special.

But Georgia’s offense is just too potent. They chipped away, kept the pressure on, and ultimately wore out LSU’s pitching staff. Justin Byrd came in out of the bullpen and threw three innings to get the win. Trey Phelps went 2-for-5 with a home run and three RBIs to lead the Georgia offense.

LSU showed fight. Georgia showed why they’re the class of the conference.

Tennessee 5, #4 Texas 1

Stop everything.

Tegan Kuhns just had one of the best pitching performances of the entire season in the SEC. Seven shutout innings against a Texas lineup loaded with future big leaguers. Kuhns had 15 strikeouts, one walk, and only four hits allowed.

That’s not just a great start — that’s a statement. Kuhns showed exactly who he is and what this Tennessee staff is capable of when he’s at his best. Texas managed only a solo home run from Aiden Robbins for their lone run of the night. Blake Grimmer went 2-for-4 with two RBIs to help Tennessee’s offense support him.

A career performance — remember this one.

#20 Ole Miss 5, #9 Texas A&M 3

Ole Miss got ahead early, and Hunter Elliott controlled the game.

Elliot went six strong innings, allowing only one earned run, and punched 11. That’s the version of Elliott that makes this staff genuinely elite, and he showed up on the biggest stage of the year for Ole Miss. If he pitches like that going forward, the conversation around their rotation looks so different.

Dom Decker went 2-for-4 with an RBI to support the offense. Ole Miss takes game one and puts themselves in a great position to win the series with Cade Townsend on the mound.

#11 Mississippi State 10, #6 Auburn 3 — Game 1 (Thursday)

Mississippi State came out swinging in the series opener.

Tomas Valincius was dominant — 6 2/3 innings, three earned runs, thirteen strikeouts. The Bulldogs banged out sixteen hits and controlled Auburn from start to finish. A statement game one for Mississippi State at home.

#6 Auburn 5, #11 Mississippi State 4 — Game 2 (Friday)

Auburn bounced back exactly the way you’d expect a team with their character to bounce back.

They led 2-0 for most of the game, pushed it to 4-0, gave two back in the bottom of the fifth, then scored the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth to win it 5-4. Jake Sanders got the win out of the bullpen — 4 1/3 innings, two earned runs, four strikeouts. He has become such a reliable weapon for this Auburn staff and provides length and flexibility for the weekend.

Ace Reese went 4-for-5 with an RBI for Mississippi State in a losing effort. The series is knotted at one game apiece heading into Saturday, and Ryan McPherson is back from injury to start for the Bulldogs today.

#21 Florida 7, Kentucky 6

This one had everything.

Florida trailed 6-1 heading into the bottom of the eighth inning. Six to one. And then they did this.

Brandon Lawson delivered a two-out, three-run double in the eighth to ignite the rally, and Florida scored five runs to tie it at six. Then in the bottom of the ninth, with two outs and the bases loaded, Kyle Jones found a hole through the left side of the infield for his first career walk-off single to complete one of the more stunning comebacks you’ll see this year.

Aidan King allowed a season-high five earned runs, but he battled through and finished 6 1/3 innings with six strikeouts and one walk. That’s a gutty performance — he gave Florida a chance to save their bullpen, which proved huge when the comeback was on.

Josh Rittenour got the win in relief.

Florida finds a way. They always seem to find a way.

Saturday Slate

A massive day of baseball ahead. Auburn and Mississippi State play their rubber game, Vanderbilt and Missouri resume their suspended game at 4:00 PM CT before playing game two and every other series has game two on the docket with a ton at stake.

Don’t look away.

The Vision Comes Before the Validation

I think elite athletes understand something earlier than everyone else, and most of the time, it has very little to do with mechanics, velocity, strength, or even talent. Before the scholarships, before the draft picks, before the statistics validate anything publicly, there is usually a mindset developing quietly underneath it all. There is a vision forming long before reality catches up.

Looking back now, I think that was true for me long before I fully understood it.

I grew up in New Jersey playing multiple sports, and somewhere along the way, I developed a belief that my life would eventually lead me to professional baseball.

At the time, it probably looked irrational from the outside, but I was convinced I was going to play shortstop for the New York Yankees. Every day I played outside, imitating Derek Jeter, and then putting my own spin on how I would look in pinstripes. I carried myself with a level of conviction that became part of my identity, and over time that belief started compounding through preparation, confidence, attention to detail, and competitiveness.

Eventually, that path led me to LSU, a national championship, becoming a first-round draft pick, and ultimately making my Major League debut against the Yankees, the team I grew up watching as a kid. I even struck out Jeter for my first strikeout in the big leagues, then won my first three starts and tied a Red Sox franchise record.

When people look at careers from the outside, they usually point toward talent first, and talent obviously matters, but I honestly believe mindset separated me long before physical ability ever did.

The older I get, the more I realize elite athletes are often just irrational enough to believe in something before reality gives them permission to. They can see themselves performing at a level that does not yet exist externally, and because they believe it deeply enough, their habits slowly begin aligning with that vision. The line between delusion and greatness can become very thin, but the separator is usually work ethic, accountability, and the ability to continually confront reality honestly.

That last part is the key — because belief alone is useless without ownership.

Read more

We’ve got eight series this weekend, and almost every single one of them carries real weight. Hosting implications, postseason streaks on the line, and a few teams that are either hitting their stride or starting to show some cracks. We kick things off tonight, and it should be electric from the jump.

Let’s get into it.

#6 Auburn at #11 Mississippi State — TONIGHT

Auburn has been on an absolute gauntlet the last three weekends. They went to Texas A&M and won last weekend. And now they have to go on the road to Dudy Noble, which is one of the tougher environments in the country, before heading to Georgia the week after.

I think this might be the weekend that gets away from them.

Auburn is going with Jake Marciano on Friday night against Tomas Valincius. Marciano has started game one of a weekend series before, so it’s not a shocking move — and honestly, I don’t hate the matchup. He’s been really solid all year. But Auburn’s pitching staff has been one of the best in the league all year — that’s not a debate. Mississippi State has a very strong starting rotation of their own, and there are reports that Ryan McPherson could be coming back from injury. Their Sunday starter is still TBD, but if McPherson is healthy and back in that rotation, this series gets a lot more interesting.

At home, with their staff, and with the possibility of getting McPherson back into the fold — I think Mississippi State has a slight edge here.

Prediction: Mississippi State takes the series

#19 Alabama at South Carolina

This is a weird weekend for Alabama, and I’ll be honest about it.

We’ve seen this team have streaky moments at times, and something about this one makes me a little uncomfortable. South Carolina is at home and has nothing to lose. That’s the kind of energy that can make things difficult.

But here’s where I land — I’m leaning on the veteran presence. Tyler Fay and Zane Adams anchoring the rotation, and Myles Upchurch has been really solid as the Sunday guy. Rob Vaughn will have his team ready, and Alabama understands what’s at stake.

I think they take two out of three, but this one could get uncomfortable.

Prediction: Alabama takes 2 of 3

LSU at #5 Georgia

Georgia is playing for the outright SEC championship at this point, and I think they’re too good for LSU.

LSU’s best shot in this series is to wear out Georgia’s starting pitching, get free passes, and hope William Schmidt comes out on Friday night and shuts that offense down completely. And look — their young freshmen core and their young pieces have nothing to lose. That kind of energy can be dangerous.

But at the end of the day, Georgia is the better team. Their pitching is too good. Their offense is too dangerous. And I think they handle business this weekend.

Prediction: Georgia takes the series

#4 Texas at Tennessee

This is going to be a tough test for Texas on the road against a young Tennessee team whose starting rotation can shut down any offense on any given night.

But I keep coming back to what Texas has. The veteran presence. The talent across the roster. Guys like Anthony Pack Jr. — a true freshman performing at that level — and Sam Cozart, and the contributions from their young core. And then you add Jim Schlossnagle, Nolan Cain, and Max Weiner on the coaching staff, and that’s just a different kind of leadership.

Tennessee scuffled last weekend, but I don’t want to count them out — that rotation is still dangerous. It’s just that overall, the Longhorns are the better team right now, and I think they find a way to take at least two out of three.

Prediction: Texas takes 2 of 3 on the road

Kentucky at #21 Florida

Ben Cleaver had an incredible start last weekend, and I’m genuinely curious to see how Kentucky deploys their rotation this weekend coming off that performance. They looked like the team I thought they’d be when I predicted them to finish fourth in the SEC.

But I just haven’t seen enough from Kentucky overall to believe they have what it takes to overcome Aidan King, and then Liam Peterson, and Russell Sandefer — and whoever else Kevin O’Sullivan trots out there. Florida overpowers them for me.

Prediction: Florida takes the series

Vanderbilt at Missouri

Full sweep for Vanderbilt. I don’t have much doubt about this one.

Josh McDevitt has been Missouri’s shining light this year — he’s been really solid over the last couple of weekends and has had a strong overall season. If he keeps Vanderbilt’s offense at bay, they have a puncher’s chance in one game.

But Vanderbilt has a 19-year postseason streak on the line, and Tim Corbin will have his guys locked in and understanding the weight of this series. I think they come out and take care of business.

Prediction: Vanderbilt sweeps

#24 Oklahoma at #17 Arkansas

Arkansas is playing Arkansas baseball right now, and that’s a dangerous thing.

Dave Van Horn has this team ready. Hunter Dietz is a legitimate Friday night ace — he’s been creeping up draft boards all year, probably a first-rounder, and he’s leading the SEC in strikeouts. Cole Gilbert has been solid as the Saturday guy. Gabe Gaeckle as a swing guy and potential Sunday starter has been pretty dependable. And offensively, Kuhio Aloy is really heating up right now.

Oklahoma has too many question marks. They’re TBD for game one, which almost certainly means they’re going with an opener again — bring somebody out for the first time through the order, then let LJ Mercurius come in. Cam Johnson starts game two after leaving last weekend with an injury, but reports suggest he’s been looking good in practice this week.

Interesting week for Oklahoma, but I think Arkansas takes this one at home. At least two out of three.

Prediction: Arkansas takes 2 of 3

#9 Texas A&M at #20 Ole Miss

I’ve been on this Ole Miss bandwagon for a while now, and I’m staying on it.

It just came in that Ole Miss is sticking with Hunter Elliott as their Friday night starter. I thought that was pretty interesting — I’ve been saying Cade Townsend might be the move in that role, and I still think if they ever make that switch they’ll win more games. But Elliott is their guy Friday, and if he’s on, Ole Miss has the pitching to make this very difficult for Texas A&M.

And look — Auburn’s pitching staff last weekend provided a real blueprint. They were the first staff to genuinely shut down Texas A&M’s offense. If Texas A&M is hitting a slump, this is the perfect moment for Ole Miss to pounce.

At home, with their pitching, and with the possibility of Elliott finding his best stuff — I like Ole Miss here. Improving their hosting chances and making a real statement late in the season.

And yes, I’ve been wrong about Texas A&M so many times this year. Take this with a grain of salt. But I’m going Ole Miss.

Prediction: Ole Miss takes the series at home

Weekend Picks

Mississippi State over Auburn

Alabama over South Carolina

Georgia over LSU

Texas over Tennessee

Florida over Kentucky

Vanderbilt sweeps Missouri

Arkansas over Oklahoma

Ole Miss over Texas A&M

A lot of implications on the line this weekend. Postseason streaks, hosting spots, momentum heading into the final weeks — it’s all right there. Starts tonight with Auburn at Mississippi State, and that one alone should be worth the price of admission.

Should be a really, really good one.

We’re deep into the back half of SEC play now, and the bodies of work are nearly complete. Every start from here carries postseason implications — for seeding, for programs, and for draft stock. After another loaded weekend across the conference, the list has some real movement.

Let’s get into it.

SEC Starting Pitcher Power Rankings — Week 8

1. Dylan Volantis — Texas (↑ from No. 2)

Season: 7-0, 62.2 IP, 44 H, 14 R, 13 ER, 19 BB, 92 K, 1.87 ERA

Past week: 6.1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 12 K

Dylan Volantis takes the top spot this week, and the numbers make the argument for me. He is 7-0. His ERA sits at 1.87. And this week he was historic — six innings, just three hits, no runs, two walks, 12 strikeouts. The SEC Pitcher of the Week honor followed, and it was deserved. He’s been the most dominant arm in the conference over the past month, and right now, there’s a case that he is the best starting pitcher in college baseball. Texas moved him to Friday night, and he has not let anyone down. That stuff — the cutter, the curve, the late-moving sinker — is legitimate, and the results are backing it up every single week.

2. Aidan King — Florida (↓ from No. 1)

Season: 7-2, 67.2 IP, 44 H, 21 R, 13 ER, 15 BB, 71 K, 1.73 ERA

Past week: 7.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 10 K

King drops to No. 2 this week, and that’s not an indictment — it’s just the reality of what Volantis did. King still has the best ERA in this entire ranking at 1.73, still has a 7-2 record, and still went seven innings this past weekend with 10 strikeouts. The one earned run allowed across seven innings is a quality start by any definition. King is who he is — the most consistent arm in the conference all season, the North Star for this Florida staff. He hasn’t gone anywhere. Volantis just had an all-time week.

3. Andreas Alvarez — Auburn (↑ from No. 2)

Season: 8-2, 59.2 IP, 47 H, 22 R, 17 ER, 18 BB, 80 K, 2.56 ERA

Past week: 7.0 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 11 K

Alvarez holds at No. 3, and the season body of work demands it. He’s 8-2. His ERA is 2.56. He’s got 80 strikeouts. This week wasn’t his sharpest — four earned runs in seven innings — but he walked nobody and struck out 11. You’d take that start every week from your Friday night arm, especially against an offense like Texas A&M’s. Auburn’s rotation continues to be the best in the league top to bottom, and Alvarez is the headliner. He’s had one bad week this year, otherwise everything else has been elite.

4. Hunter Dietz — Arkansas (↑ from No. 5)

Season: 6-2, 65.2 IP, 53 H, 29 R, 25 ER, 23 BB, 101 K, 3.43 ERA

Past week: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 9 K

Hunter Dietz is the first pitcher in the SEC to reach 100 strikeouts this season. Let that land for a second. 101 punchouts on the year, and he added nine more this week across six solid innings with only one earned run. The walk total this week is a touch high for my taste, but the stuff was working and the results were there. He’s been one of the most important Friday night arms in the conference all year, and the strikeout milestone this week is a significant moment for Arkansas baseball. He moves up to No. 4.

5. Ruger Riojas — Texas (↑ from No. 11)

Season: 5-2, 60.2 IP, 55 H, 25 R, 25 ER, 12 BB, 96 K, 3.71 ERA

Past week: 5.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 K

Riojas bounces back in a big way after his rough outing last week. Five innings, three hits, one run, zero walks, seven strikeouts. That’s the Ruger Riojas we’ve been watching all year — pounding the zone, missing bats, limiting damage. He now has 96 strikeouts (second only to Dietz) on the year and is showing no signs of slowing down. After getting knocked around a little last weekend against Vanderbilt, this was exactly the response you want to see from a Saturday arm at a program like Texas. He jumps back up to No. 5.

6. Cade Townsend — Ole Miss (↑ from No. 8)

Season: 5-1, 52.0 IP, 37 H, 17 R, 14 ER, 13 BB, 73 K, 2.42 ERA

Past week: 5.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K

Cade Townsend continues to be one of the hottest name on draft boards, and rightfully so. After last week, he’s back to looking like the Cade Townsend we expect — a 2.42 ERA, 73 strikeouts, and now his record improves to 5-1. He’s still one of the most important arms in Ole Miss’s postseason picture, and this week reminded everyone that the rough outing last week was the exception, not the pattern. Do not be surprised of Townsend moves into the Friday spot after Hunter Elliot has struggles for a couple weeks now.

7. Tomas Valincius — Mississippi State (↑ from No. 9)

Season: 7-2, 68.1 IP, 54 H, 24 R, 18 ER, 16 BB, 92 K, 2.37 ERA

Past week: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K

Valincius holds at No. 7, and the overall season body of work keeps him in the top ten regardless of what happened this week. He’s 7-2 with a 2.37 ERA and 92 strikeouts — one of the best stat lines in the conference. Three earned runs in five innings is not ideal, but he didn’t lose the zone completely and the rest of his season speaks for itself. Mississippi State needs him healthy and locked in heading into the final stretch, and I have no reason to think he won’t get back on track next weekend.

8. Alex Petrovic — Auburn (↓ from No. 6)

Season: 7-2, 66.0 IP, 47 H, 24 R, 23 ER, 14 BB, 67 K, 3.14 ERA

Past week: 5.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 6 K

Petrovic holds in the top ten on the strength of his season total. He’s 7-2 in 66 innings — that kind of durability and win production from a Sunday arm is genuinely rare in the SEC. This week wasn’t his best, and the ERA creeps up slightly, but zero walks in 5.2 innings keeps him from falling further. The Auburn rotation is built to absorb one average Sunday start. They did it, and they’re still the best staff in the league.

9. Jaxon Jelkin — Kentucky (↑ from No. 17)

Season: 7-2, 71.2 IP, 61 H, 38 R, 30 ER, 16 BB, 80 K, 3.77 ERA

Past week: 8.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 11 K

71.2 innings is the most of any arm in this ranking, and his record improves to 7-2. He’s been one of the most durable starters in the SEC all year, and that workhorse profile means a lot for Kentucky heading into the stretch run. The ERA sits at 3.77, which is a touch higher than you’d like, but the wins and the innings tell the real story of how valuable he’s been. This weekend’s complete game with 11 K’s is a statement piece, and jumps him back in the top 10.

10. Jake Marciano — Auburn (Ranking unchanged)

Season: 4-3, 67.2 IP, 48 H, 22 R, 17 ER, 12 BB, 87 K, 2.26 ERA

Past week: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 5 K

Marciano’s continued his dominant year with a quality start against one of the best offense’s around the country. The important number is that ERA: 2.26, one of the lowest in this entire ranking. He’s got 87 strikeouts and just 12 walks in 67.2 innings. That strikeout-to-walk ratio is exceptional. His record dropped to 4-3, but with an ERA like that, the wins will come. Auburn’s full rotation belongs in this conversation, and Marciano continues to be the most efficient arm of the three.

11. Taylor Rabe — Ole Miss (↑ from No. 13)

Season: 3-2, 40.1 IP, 39 H, 19 R, 19 ER, 5 BB, 47 K, 4.24 ERA

Past week: — 5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K

Taylor Rabe continues to take the ball on Sunday’s for Ole Miss and give them a chance to win. While he has some of the most impressive stuff of any pitcher on their staff, Rabe started in relief this year and is still developing into that starter role, but is doing an incredible job. Ole Miss wound up losing the series on an eventual walk off homer (at Arkansas) after taking a lead into the 9th on Rabe’s start.

12. Joey Volchko — Georgia (↑ from No. 16)

Season: 7-2, 62.0 IP, 54 H, 27 R, 25 ER, 32 BB, 76 K, 3.63 ERA

Past week: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 9 K

This is the Joey Volchko we’ve been waiting for. Six innings, no runs, only two walks, nine strikeouts — and he’s now 7-2 on the year. The ERA drops to 3.63, and the walk rate is finally trending in the right direction. He still has 32 walks in 62 innings, which is the lingering concern, but this week showed that when he’s throwing strikes and letting that elite swing-and-miss stuff work, he’s as good as anyone in the conference. The talent has never been in question. The command has been the issue all year. This week, both were clicking.

13. Tegan Kuhns — Tennessee (↓ from No. 3)

Season: 3-4, 65.0 IP, 60 H, 27 R, 25 ER, 12 BB, 80 K, 3.46 ERA

Past week: 6.0 IP, 10 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 1 BB, 7 K

Kuhns comes back down to earth after back-to-back dominant starts, and it hurts his ranking significantly. Six innings, 10 hits, six earned runs — after the shutout against Alabama last week, this was a hard step back. The ERA climbs to 3.46 and his record sits at 3-4, which doesn’t reflect how good he’s been over stretches this season. The walk rate remains elite — only one this week even in a rough outing — but the contact was excessive. He’ll bounce back. He’s got the stuff. This was one bad start in an otherwise strong stretch.

14. Zane Adams — Alabama (↑ from No. 18)

Season: 5-3, 65.1 IP, 66 H, 30 R, 27 ER, 20 BB, 69 K, 3.72 ERA

Past week: 6.0 IP, 8 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K

Zane Adams makes a strong jump this week with a quality bounce-back start. Six innings, zero runs, one walk — after a tough outing against Tennessee, this was the response you want. His ERA drops slightly to 3.72, and the zero walks shows the command was sharper. He’s a steady presence in that Alabama rotation, and this week reminded everyone why. 65 innings on the year at a 3.72 ERA is a solid, dependable season.

15. Dylan Vigue — Georgia (↑ from No. 19)

Season: 4-1, 46.0 IP, 30 H, 12 R, 12 ER, 25 BB, 56 K, 2.35 ERA

Past week: — 3.0 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K

Wes Johnson has clearly been managing his usage carefully, and the innings total reflects that. He still leads the SEC in opponent batting average when he takes the mound and if Georgia is saving him for a postseason push, this makes sense strategically. Since he only threw three innings, he stays here on his body of work, but we need to see him on the mound more to rank him any higher.

16. Aiden Sims — Texas A&M (↓ from No. 7)

Season: 8-1, 65.0 IP, 50 H, 30 R, 26 ER, 18 BB, 68 K, 3.60 ERA

Past week: 5.0 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 K

Sims has a tough week and drops significantly on this list. Five innings, five runs, and he was limited in his go-deep ability when A&M needed him. The ERA climbs to 3.60, though he’s still 8-1 — which tells you how good he’s been the rest of the year. One walk is a positive, but the hit rate was the problem. A&M can’t afford inconsistency from the mound this late in the season, and this week was a step back for a guy who had been one of the most reliable arms in the conference.

17. Caden Aoki — Georgia (New to rankings)

Season: 7-0, 54.0 IP, 48 H, 22 R, 20 ER, 19 BB, 71 K, 3.33 ERA

Past week: — 6.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 8 K

Caden Aoki makes his first appearance in this ranking, and the 7-0 record demands attention. He’s the only undefeated pitcher with more than 10 appearances in the SEC, and a 3.33 ERA in 54 innings is a legitimate body of work. The walk rate is something to monitor — 19 in 54 innings — but the results have been there every time he takes the mound. Georgia’s weekend rotation has been quietly one of the more interesting stories in the conference, and Aoki is a big part of why moving forward.

18. Tyler Fay — Alabama (↑ from No. 20)

Season: 7-3, 71.1 IP, 62 H, 39 R, 38 ER, 17 BB, 78 K, 4.79 ERA

Past week: 6.1 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 7 K

Tyler Fay is the iron man of this ranking — 71.1 innings is the most of any Alabama arm, and he has taken the ball every week without complaint. This week wasn’t perfect — four earned runs in six-plus innings — but one walk and seven strikeouts show the stuff is still there even when the results aren’t spotless. The ERA at 4.79 is the highest in this top 25, but the durability and the win total (7-3) keep him in the conversation. Alabama needs him to keep eating innings, and he keeps doing it.

19. Liam Peterson — Florida (↓ from No. 12)

Season: 1-4, 59.2 IP, 56 H, 32 R, 28 ER, 33 BB, 81 K, 4.22 ERA

Past week: 4.2 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 5 BB, 5 K

Peterson adds five strikeouts to reach 81 on the year, but another tough outing keeps him from climbing this list. Four earned runs in under five innings, and five more walks push his season total to 33 — the most of any arm in this ranking. The swing-and-miss is real. The command is the ongoing problem. When he’s locked in, he’s one of the most electric arms Florida has. The consistency just hasn’t been there, and at this point in the season, that’s what separates the arms near the top from the ones in the middle of the pack.

20. William Schmidt — LSU (New to rankings)

Season: 5-4, 60.0 IP, 50 H, 29 R, 26 ER, 26 BB, 79 K, 3.90 ERA

Past week: — 6.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K

William Schmidt makes his first appearance on this listing a couple weeks, and 60 innings in the SEC with a 3.90 ERA is a legitimate body of work. He’s 5-4 with 79 strikeouts — solid production from the LSU rotation. The walk rate is something to watch at 26 in 60 innings, but the strikeout total and the innings durability earn him a spot. LSU has needed consistency from their starting pitching all year, and Schmidt has provided it more often than not.

21. Evan Blanco — Tennessee (↓ from No. 14)

Season: 5-3, 66.0 IP, 54 H, 36 R, 32 ER, 21 BB, 80 K, 4.36 ERA

Past week: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 1 BB, 5 K

Blanco has a really tough week and drops significantly after his strong outing last weekend. Six earned runs in five innings is a difficult line, and the ERA climbs to 4.36. He’s been a streaky arm all year — big week, rough week, big week — and this was one of the rough ones. The 80 strikeouts on the season and the 5-3 record show what he’s capable of, but Tennessee can’t have him giving up six in five if they want to be dangerous in the postseason. He’ll need a strong finish to close the year.

22. Cole Gibler — Arkansas (↓ from No. 15)

Season: 4-2, 48.2 IP, 41 H, 23 R, 21 ER, 19 BB, 46 K, 3.88 ERA

Past week: 5.1 IP, 9 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 1 BB, 9 K

Gibler comes back to earth after his hot start to being a starting pitcher in Arkansas’ rotation. Seven earned runs in five-plus innings is a tough line, though nine strikeouts shows the stuff was still generating misses even when the contact was hard. The ERA climbs to 3.88, and his place in the Arkansas rotation is still secure — but this week was a reminder that he’s capable of both extremes. The zero walks are the one consistent bright spot in an otherwise difficult outing.

23. Josh McDevitt — Missouri (↓ from No. 22)

Season: 3-5, 65.2 IP, 45 H, 35 R, 28 ER, 33 BB, 84 K, 3.84 ERA

Past week: 6.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K

McDevitt had another solid week — six-plus innings, four hits, one run, zero walks, six strikeouts. That’s the McDevitt that showed up and struck out 11 against Arkansas a few weeks ago. The record drops to 3-5, which isn’t great, but with 84 strikeouts in 65.2 innings and a 3.84 ERA, the overall season is still a legitimate one. Missouri doesn’t have much to hang it’s hat on this year, but McDevitt has been a solid piece for them.

24. Luke Harrison — Texas (New to rankings)

Season: 5-2, 60.0 IP, 53 H, 34 R, 29 ER, 26 BB, 70 K, 4.35 ERA

Past week: — 5.0 IP, 3 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 9 K

Luke Harrison makes his first appearance on this list. He’s 5-2 with 70 strikeouts in 60 innings for a Texas team that’s been one of the best programs in the conference all year. The ERA at 4.35 is on the higher end, and the walk rate of 26 in 60 innings needs tightening — but the production and the wins keep him in the conversation. Texas has used him as the Sunday arm behind Volantis and Riojas, and in that context, his numbers are very solid and he cracks the list after putting together a solid outing. When you look at the numbers, it might not look sexy, but he gave up all five runs in the first inning, and his offense chipped away while he threw up zero’s for the next four innings.

25. Myles Upchurch — Alabama (New to rankings)

Season: 6-3, 51.2 IP, 35 H, 22 R, 21 ER, 33 BB, 57 K, 3.66 ERA

Past week: — 5.1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 3 K

Myles Upchurch’s week wasn’t great, but his overall season continues to quietly impress. A 6-3 record and 3.66 ERA from an Alabama arm who is a true freshman is a real story. The 33 walks in 51.2 innings is the major concern — that walk rate is the highest in this top 25 — but when he’s spotting his fastball and working his off-speed, he’s been a genuine piece for Alabama’s weekend rotation.

Storylines / Notes

Dylan Volantis Is in a Different Conversation

No-hit through six innings, 12 strikeouts, SEC Pitcher of the Week — Volantis is pitching as well as anyone in college baseball right now. Texas made the right call moving him to Friday, and he has rewarded that decision every single week. The draft conversation around him should be significantly different than it was in March.

Hunter Dietz Hits 101

First arm in the SEC to crack triple digits in strikeouts this season. For a guy who missed most of his freshman and sophomore years with elbow issues, what he’s doing right now for Arkansas is remarkable. The draft scouts are watching. They should be.

Auburn’s Rotation Is Still the Best in the League

Alvarez, Petrovic, Marciano — all three in the top 10. All three with sub-3.15 ERAs. That’s a postseason rotation. If Auburn is getting what they need from their offense, this staff can beat anyone in the country.

Tennessee’s Swing

Kuhns coming back to earth after two dominant starts is a concern for a Vols team that needed him to keep that level going. Blanco also had a rough week. Tennessee needs both of them and Landon Mack to find their rhythm again heading into the final stretch.

Final Thoughts

The top of this list is starting to feel permanent. Volantis and King are in a tier of their own. Alvarez and Dietz aren’t far behind. Below them, there’s enough movement week to week to keep every weekend interesting.

We’re running out of regular season starts. The arms that have built their case are locked in. The ones still fighting for positioning are running out of weekends to make their argument.

This is what the back half of the SEC looks like.

And it is not for the faint of heart.

Quick one this week.

Two series got pushed back due to weather — South Carolina at LSU and Auburn at Texas A&M are both postponed and will play doubleheaders today. So we’ve got a lighter recap than usual, but the games we did get were full of storylines.

Let’s get into it.

#24 Alabama Takes the Series Over Vanderbilt

Alabama wrapped up the series yesterday, taking it two games to none after winning game one on Friday night and closing it out 5-0 on Saturday.

Friday night was the more dramatic of the two. Connor Fennell was pitching really well — and then Tim Corbin pulled him after 70 pitches on what felt like a questionable decision. Alabama tied it immediately after he came out and won it on a walk-off home run in the ninth inning. Tyler Fay did his job, kept Alabama in the game, and the bullpen did the rest.

Saturday was a lot cleaner. Zane Adams went six shutout innings with six strikeouts and looked really sharp. Justin LeBron went 2-for-4 to pace the offense. Alabama handled business, 5-0, and took the series convincingly.

Rob Thompson had the guys ready, and this was a big series win for them.

#5 Georgia 4, Missouri 0

Closer than people probably expected, but Georgia got the job done.

Josh McDevitt actually pitched really solid baseball for Missouri — 6 1/3 innings of quality work. But Joey Volchko outdueled him completely. Six shutout innings, nine strikeouts. He walked a few guys and let some runners on, but he controlled the game from the first pitch and never let Missouri get comfortable.

Georgia tacked on one in the seventh and two in the eighth to put it away. Volchko was the story, and this was exactly the kind of start you want from him.

Kentucky 9, Tennessee 2

This one was a shock.

Tegan Kuhns had been absolutely dominant recently — back-to-back great starts, moving into that Friday night role and looking like a legitimate ace. And then Kentucky got to him. He got hit around, and it just wasn’t his night.

On the other side, Ben Cleaver had the best start of his season. Seven shutout innings, four strikeouts. He was really, really good and completely controlled the game.

Kentucky takes game one of the series, 9-2, and now controls things heading into today, with Jaxon Jelkin going in game two. Genuinely one of the more surprising results of the weekend so far.

#22 Arkansas 12, #17 Ole Miss 2

Ole Miss came in ranked and with real momentum. Arkansas made a statement.

Hunter Dietz continues to be one of the most reliable Friday night arms in the entire conference. Six innings, one earned run, nine strikeouts. He has been dominant ever since moving into that Friday night role.

Kuhio Aloy went 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs to lead the Arkansas offense, and it was never really close after the early innings. A 10-run win over a ranked Ole Miss team is a big deal. Arkansas is playing their best baseball of the year right now.

#15 Oklahoma 4, #25 Florida 3

Oklahoma came from behind and stole one.

Florida led 3-1 heading into the bottom of the eighth, and Oklahoma put up three runs to walk it off, 4-3. Jason Boden got the win in relief. Connor Larkin went 2-for-4 and was a big part of the offensive push.

On the other side, Aidan King left with the lead after seven solid innings again. He’s been one of the most consistent Friday night arms in the SEC all year. Florida just couldn’t hold it in the end.

Oklahoma gets a big home win and takes game one of the series.

#4 Texas 3, #10 Mississippi State 1

Dylan Volantis. Six shutout innings. 12 strikeouts.

That’s the whole story.

He has been absolutely dominant since taking over that Friday night role, and last night was more of the same. Mississippi State’s Valincius wasn’t bad — five innings, three earned runs, five strikeouts — he just ran into the wrong guy on the wrong night.

Sam Kozart came in and got the save in relief. Aiden Robbins went 1-for-4 with the lone RBI for Texas. Texas just continues to look like a complete, well-built baseball team that beats good opponents consistently.

Mississippi State fought, but Texas is just operating at a different level right now on Friday nights.

Looking Ahead to Today

Two series to keep a close eye on today beyond the normal game twos — South Carolina at LSU and Auburn at Texas A&M are both playing doubleheaders after last night’s postponements. A lot of baseball to be played, and both of those series have major postseason implications.

Should be a full, chaotic, great Saturday of SEC baseball.

We’re into the part of the season where every weekend matters. The bubble teams are sweating. The contenders are trying to separate. And this week’s slate has a little bit of everything — a prime time Friday night opener, a couple of must-win series, and what might be the most intriguing pitching-versus-hitting matchup of the entire season.

Let’s get into it.

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Vanderbilt at #24 Alabama — ESPN2, 7PM ET Thursday Night

This is a great way to kick off a weekend. Prime time, ESPN2, two teams with something serious to prove.

Connor Fennell vs Tyler Fay and two teams with different “must-win” scenarios.

Here’s what I know — this is a must-win weekend for Alabama if they have any aspirations of hosting this postseason. And Vanderbilt is fighting for their postseason lives. So both teams are coming in with their backs against the wall in different ways.

I give Alabama the slight edge. They have the statistical advantage in nearly every pitching category, they’re at home, and home field matters in this conference. My one concern with Alabama is their defense and whether their offense is going to be consistent enough. Vanderbilt’s offense is potent — Jason Esposito has done a really nice job with that group.

But in a series this close, I’ll take the home team with the pitching edge.

Prediction: Alabama takes the series

Missouri at #5 Georgia

This is a get-right weekend for Georgia, and I think they know it.

Pad the stats time. Joey Volchko needs to go out and have a dominant performance, and this feels like the right matchup for him to do it. There are also reports that Dylan Vigue could be easing back from injury this weekend, and if that’s the case, this is a good spot to bring him back on a pitch count and get him some comfortable innings.

Georgia is at home, they’re the better team, and Missouri has really struggled in SEC play. I think Georgia is motivated to put together a clean, dominant series and I think they probably sweep if we’re being honest about it.

Prediction: Georgia sweeps

Tennessee at Kentucky

I read somewhere that Kentucky has lost nearly every series this year — maybe all but one. And even though Tennessee is on the road, I still think they take this one.

Here’s why. This Tennessee team is getting more experienced every single week. The young pieces that were shaky earlier in the year are starting to figure it out, and their pitching staff is throwing the ball as well as anyone in the country right now.

Tegan Kuhns has some of the best stuff on any staff in the league and is throwing the bell extremely well right now. Evan Blanco has been very solid in the Sunday role, and has been bumped up to Saturday this weekend. And then you’ve got Cam Appenzeller out of the pen — potentially the freshman of the year — along with other quality weapons behind him.

Kentucky just isn’t playing well right now. And Tennessee’s pitching staff at this moment is too good to overlook, even away from home.

Prediction: Tennessee takes the series on the road

#17 Ole Miss at #22 Arkansas

This was a tough one to pick. Arkansas at home is no joke, and I genuinely wrestled with this one.

But I keep coming back to Ole Miss’ pitching, and I can’t get away from it.

When you look at what Joel Mangrum has done with that staff in just one year — coming in from the Cleveland Guardians’ minor league system as their pitching coordinator and bringing that professional development approach to Oxford — the results have been real. Hunter Elliott, when healthy and commanding, is one of the best arms in the conference. The raw stuff across that entire rotation with Cade Townsend and Taylor Rabe is legitimately special.

Arkansas has an offense that can be streaky and still has some pitching question marks of their own. Ole Miss’ pitching is too good to bet against, even on the road.

I think it’ll be close. But I’m taking Ole Miss.

Prediction: Ole Miss takes the series at Arkansas

#25 Florida at #15 Oklahoma

I have too many question marks around Oklahoma right now.

Don’t get me wrong — they’re a battle-tested, gritty team. Skip Johnson is one of the best coaches in the country. They’re at home, and that counts for something. And LJ Mercurius and Cam Johnson are capable of having a big weekend at any time.

But I think Florida comes in and takes care of business here. This is a weekend where Florida needs to start separating themselves if they have any real aspirations of hosting. And I think they know that.

Oklahoma still has some things to figure out on both sides of the ball, and for some reason Kevin O’Sullivan has convinced me he will have his team playing well at the right now, and this is one of those weekends. Give me Aidan King and Liam Peterson to go on the road and take care of business.

Prediction: Florida takes the series

South Carolina at LSU

This one is genuinely tough because South Carolina is playing really good baseball right now.

I think South Carolina has the starting pitching advantage in this series. There are reports that Casan Evans may be banged up and could miss this weekend, and if that’s the case, that’s a huge blow to LSU’s rotation.

But here’s where I land — LSU at home, with everything they’ve been through this year, I think there’s going to be some youthful energy and some pride on the line. Playing at home in Baton Rouge in front of their fans, I think they respond. I think they take two out of three against South Carolina.

That said, if Evans doesn’t go this weekend, keep a close eye on this one. South Carolina’s pitching could make things very uncomfortable for LSU.

Prediction: LSU takes 2 of 3 at home

#10 Mississippi State at #4 Texas

Texas is just too good right now, and the eye test backs it up.

Dylan Volantis has looked electric since sliding into that Friday night role. Two dominant starts in a row. I expect more of the same this weekend as Texas looks to defend their home field and make a statement in the SEC standings.

Mississippi State is a good team — and if Ryan McPherson comes back from injury this weekend, as some reports have suggested, that completely changes their ceiling. If he’s healthy and going, this series gets very interesting very fast.

But even accounting for that, I think Texas has the edge. They’re at home, their pitching has been dominant, and this feels like a weekend where they can separate themselves a little bit in the SEC picture.

Prediction: Texas takes the series

#8 Auburn at #7 Texas A&M

Save the best for last.

This is the Alabama-Vanderbilt series on steroids. Auburn has — in my opinion — the best pitching staff in the league. Texas A&M has — in my opinion — the best offense in the league. And the Aggies are at home, playing as well as anyone in the country right now.

I know I keep going back to it, but I genuinely believe good pitching beats good hitting. I’ve believed it all year. And I’m probably going to look crazy for picking against Texas A&M again, but I’m doing it.

Auburn on the road. Statement win for the Tigers. A result that sets them up for national seed consideration and real postseason positioning.

Their pitching staff is too good. I’m riding with them.

Prediction: Auburn takes the series on the road

Weekend Picks

Alabama over Vanderbilt

Georgia sweeps Missouri

Tennessee over Kentucky

Ole Miss over Arkansas

Florida over Oklahoma

LSU over South Carolina

Texas over Mississippi State

Auburn over Texas A&M

Week eight. This is where it gets real. The hosting picture is starting to take shape, the bubble is getting smaller, and teams can’t afford to give away series anymore. Should be an incredible weekend across the board.

We’re deep into SEC play now, and every start means that much more.

The arms that have been consistent are proving it week after week. The ones that have been inconsistent are starting to fall — and in some cases, fall fast. After another loaded weekend across the conference, there’s movement all over this list.

Let’s get into it.

SEC Starting Pitcher Power Rankings — Week 7

1. Aidan King — Florida (Ranking unchanged)

Season: 7-2, 60.2 IP, 40 H, 20 R, 12 ER, 13 BB, 61 K, 1.78 ERA

Past week: 8.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 6 K

Eight innings, zero walks, against Texas A&M and that loaded offense. That’s Aidan King.

He didn’t miss as many bats as usual, but he didn’t need to. He pounded the zone all night, let his defense work, and went as deep into the game as any starter in the SEC did this weekend. The ERA creeps up ever so slightly, but at 1.78 on the season, he’s still the best starting pitcher in the conference and it’s not particularly close, for me right now. He’s been the most consistent arm in the SEC all year, and a dominant start against one of the SEC’s best offense’s only enhances that statement.

2. Dylan Volantis — Texas (↑ from No. 5)

Season: 6-0, 56.2 IP, 41 H, 14 R, 13 ER, 17 BB, 80 K, 2.06 ERA

Past week: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 11 K

Dylan Volantis moves up to No. 2 this week, and honestly, it’s hard to argue against it at this point. He’s 6-0. He’s got 80 strikeouts on the season. His ERA sits at 2.06. And this week he went six innings against a Vanderbilt team that’s been much better offensively lately, gave up one run, and struck out 11.

He’s been a dominant Friday night arm in the SEC since he has moved into the number one spot for Texas.

3. Tegan Kuhns — Tennessee (↑ from No. 11)

Season: 3-3, 59 IP, 50 H, 21 R, 19 ER, 11 BB, 73 K, 2.90 ERA

Past week: 8.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 9 K

Tegan Kuhns makes a massive jump this week and he’s earned every bit of it. Kuhns went eight innings, allowed three hits, no runs, one walk, nine strikeouts against Alabama. And he gets a complete game since they won in eight innings.

Last week4, he went five and two-thirds against Ole Miss without allowing an earned run. Now he follows it up with this. Two dominant starts in a row for Tegan Kuhns, and I’ve been saying all year — this kid is going to be pitching in the big leagues for a long time. He’s got the stuff, he’s got the command, and now he’s putting together the kind of back-to-back performances that move you up a power rankings list in a hurry.

4. Andreas Alvarez — Auburn (↑ from No. 10)

Season: 7-2, 52.2 IP, 41 H, 17 R, 13 ER, 18 BB, 69 K, 2.22 ERA

Past week: 6.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 6 K

Andreas Alvarez bounces back after his rough outing a couple weeks ago, and the overall body of work is still really impressive. He’s 7-2 with a 2.22 ERA and 69 strikeouts. Last week’s blip was the outlier, not the trend, and this week he reminded everyone why he belongs in the top five.

The Auburn rotation as a whole continues to be the best in the league — and Alvarez is a big reason why.

5. Hunter Dietz — Arkansas (↑ from No. 6)

Season: 5-2, 59.2 IP, 49 H, 28 R, 24 ER, 19 BB, 92 K, 3.62 ERA

Past week: 7.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 8 K

Hunter Dietz leads the SEC in strikeouts. He now has 92 on the year, and he just went seven innings against a Missouri team that has some bats, giving up three runs with only one walk and eight more punchouts.

He’s the leader in the clubhouse in K’s, and even though the ERA sits right around 3.62, the strikeout total alone makes him one of the most important starters in the conference. He continues to be a nice development for Arkansas, and he’s been really good since taking over that Friday night role.

6. Alex Petrovic — Auburn (↑ from No. 8)

Season: 7-1, 60.1 IP, 42 H, 20 R, 19 ER, 14 BB, 61 K, 2.83 ERA

Past week: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 K

Alex Petrovic is quietly having one of the best seasons by a Sunday starter in the country. He’s 7-1 with a 2.83 ERA in over 60 innings. The strikeout total isn’t flashy, but he goes deep into games, eats innings, and wins. That’s what a Sunday starter is supposed to do.

He didn’t miss as many bats this week as you’d like, and the three walks are a tick higher than normal for him, but two runs in six innings on the road is still a quality start. Auburn keeps winning when he takes the mound, and that’s the bottom line.

7. Aiden Sims — Texas A&M (↑ from No. 13)

Season: 8-0, 60.0 IP, 43 H, 25 R, 23 ER, 17 BB, 64 K, 3.44 ERA

Past week: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 7 K

Aiden Sims is 8-0. Let that sink in for a second.

He didn’t have his best stuff this week — five innings, two runs — but he didn’t walk anybody and he punched out seven. That’s the profile of a pitcher who knows how to compete even when he’s not at his sharpest. His breakout sophomore year continues, and he’s been one of the most reliable arms in the SEC all season. A&M is going to need him to keep this up if they want to make a serious postseason run.

8. Cade Townsend — Ole Miss (↓ from No. 2)

Season: 4-1, 41.2 IP, 33 H, 15 R, 12 ER, 12 BB, 68 K, 2.33 ERA

Past week: 4.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 7 K

Cade Townsend drops a bit this week after his first real rough outing of the season. Four and two-thirds innings, four earned runs against Georgia — it’s not what you expect from him, and he’s better than that line shows.

But here’s the thing — even with this start factored in, he still has a 2.33 ERA on the season and 68 strikeouts in under 42 innings. The stuff is still electric. He’s still one of the most exciting arms in the conference and a guy I think should be a top-20 pick in this draft. One bad start (against the best offense in the SEC) doesn’t change any of that. I expect him to bounce back.

9. Tomas Valincius — Mississippi State (↓ from No. 4)

Season: 7-1, 63.1 IP, 50 H, 21 R, 15 ER, 14 BB, 87 K, 2.13 ERA

Past week: 3.2 IP, 8 H, 7 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 K

Valincius has a rough week and drops a few spots, but zoom out for a second. He’s 7-1 with an 87-strikeout season and a 2.13 ERA. That overall body of work is still elite and he’s one of the best arms in the SEC.

The stat line looks rough — 8 hits in 3.2 innings — but only three of those seven runs were earned, which tells you the defense didn’t do him any favors. I don’t think this is a trend. He’ll be back in the top five when he takes the mound next weekend.

10. Jake Marciano — Auburn (↓ from No. 3)

Season: 3-3, 56.2 IP, 38 H, 17 R, 12 ER, 9 BB, 82 K, 1.91 ERA
Past week: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K

Jake Marciano drops a few spots this week, but it’s not because he pitched badly — it’s because some guys above him were just better. Two earned runs in five innings against Oklahoma is still a quality start, and his season ERA of 1.91 is still one of the best marks in the league.

Auburn’s rotation top to bottom continues to be the best staff in the SEC in my opinion, and Marciano has been at the heart of it all year. He’s still very much in the top 10.

11. Ruger Riojas — Texas (↓ from No. 9)

Season: 5-2, 55.2 IP, 52 H, 24 R, 24 ER, 12 BB, 89 K, 3.88 ERA

Past week: 3.0 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 0 BB, 6 K

Ruger Riojas had a tough weekend, getting tagged for five runs on eight hits in just three innings against Vanderbilt. He drops back down the list after jumping into the top 10 last week.

That said, 89 strikeouts on the season is ridiculous. He leads Texas in punch outs and is one of the most electric arms in the conference. The contact allowed this week was a problem, but the strikeout ability is always there and the zero walks show he wasn’t losing the zone. Sometimes you just get hit. He’ll be fine.

12. Liam Peterson — Florida (↑ from No. 14)

Season: 1-4, 55 IP, 50 H, 28 R, 24 ER, 28 BB, 76 K, 3.93 ERA

Past week: 5.0 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 5 K

Liam Peterson had a tough week, giving up five against A&M, and his record drops to 1-4. But I’ve said it all season — the record doesn’t tell the full story with this guy. He’s got 76 strikeouts in 55 innings, and when his stuff is right, he’s one of the nastiest arms in the conference.

The walk numbers have been a problem at times this year, but this week he only issued one. The hits were the issue. He’s a great No. 2 for Florida, and I expect him to settle back in.

13. Taylor Rabe — Ole Miss (↑ from No. 21)

Season: 3-2, 40.1 IP, 39 H, 19 R, 19 ER, 5 BB, 47 K, 4.24 ERA

Past week: 6.0 IP, 9 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 6 K

Taylor Rabe bounces back in a big way this week. Six innings, three runs, zero walks and scattered nine hits against Tennessee — and his strikeout-to-walk ratio on the season is still one of the best among SEC starters. Five walks in 40 innings is elite command.

He had a couple rough weeks that knocked him down this list, but this is the Taylor Rabe we’ve been watching all year. The No. 3 spot in that Ole Miss rotation is critically important, and he reminded everyone why he’s the right guy for it.

14. Evan Blanco — Tennessee (↑ from No. 24)

Season: 5-2, 61 IP, 48 H, 30 R, 26 ER, 20 BB, 75 K, 3.84 ERA

Past week: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 9 K

Evan Blanco makes a nice jump this week. Six innings, three runs, one walk, nine strikeouts against Alabama — that’s a quality start, and the strikeout total shows the stuff was really working.

75 strikeouts on the season for Blanco, and Tennessee has quietly been getting a lot out of that middle-of-the-rotation spot. He’s been better than his ERA suggests, and this week he showed it.

15. Cole Gibler — Arkansas (↑ from Unranked)

Season: 4-1, 43.1 IP, 32 H, 16 R, 14 ER, 18 BB, 37 K, 2.91 ERA

Past week: 6.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 5 K

Cole Gibler jumps in this list in a big way. This weekend he went six innings, allowed one hit, gave up zero runs against a Missouri team that swings it decently. That’s one of the best lines of the weekend across the entire SEC.

I’ve gone back and forth on Arkansas’ arms all year — I said last week they have all the pieces, they just need to figure out where they all go — and this week Gibler showed exactly what he’s capable of. The walks are still a little high for my taste, but when you’re holding an offense to one hit in six innings, it doesn’t matter much. A 2.91 ERA in the SEC deserves respect.

16. Joey Volchko — Georgia (↓ from No. 22)

Season: 6-2, 56.0 IP, 49 H, 27 R, 25 ER, 30 BB, 67 K, 4.02 ERA

Past week: 5.2 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 5 BB, 10 K

Joey Volchko does it again — 10 strikeouts, and yet still manages to work himself into trouble. Five walks in 5.2 innings is the issue, and it keeps being the issue. The swing-and-miss is elite. The stuff is real. But the walk rate is among the highest of any Friday night starter in the SEC, and that’s going to keep him from climbing this list until he cleans that up.

The ERA is now at 4.02, and with 30 walks in 56 innings, his WHIP is still one of the higher marks in the conference. He’s better than these results when he’s locked in — we’ve seen that — but Friday night starters for top-five programs have to go deep in games, and that’s hard to do when you’re piling up pitches with free passes.

17. Jaxon Jelkin — Kentucky (↓ from No. 7)

Season: 6-2, 58.2 IP, 57 H, 36 R, 28 ER, 16 BB, 69 K, 3.96 ERA

Past week: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 2 BB, 3 K

Jaxon Jelkin has a really rough week and drops significantly on this list. Eight runs — seven earned — in five innings against Vanderbilt. That’s a tough outing for a guy who had been one of the most consistent arms in the top 10 all season.

The ERA climbs to 3.96, and the hit rate this week was a problem. He’ll bounce back — I still think he’s a first-round talent and he’s been in our top 10 for most of the year — but that was a performance that cost him, especially since I wanted him to set the tone for the weekend, and instead they lost their series at South Carolina.

18. Zane Adams — Alabama (↓ from No. 15)

Season: 4-3, 59.1 IP, 58 H, 30 R, 27 ER, 19 BB, 63 K, 4.10 ERA

Past week: 5.1 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 4 BB, 4 K

Zane Adams comes back down to earth after a couple of really nice starts in a row. Five and a third innings, six runs, four walks against Tennessee — that’s a tough line, especially considering how well he’d been pitching the last two weeks.

His ERA climbs back to 4.10, and the four walks are a concern after he’d done a nice job limiting free passes in recent starts. He’s still a solid SEC arm, but this was a step back against a young Tennessee team.

19. Dylan Vigue — Georgia (↓ from No. 12)

Season: 3-1, 43 IP, 24 H, 53 K, 25 BB, 2.51 ERA

Past week: Didn’t Pitch

Dylan Vigue drops a bit this week, and it’s not really about his performance — it’s just that he didn’t pitch. Wes Johnson said he wanted to rest him another weekend, but definitely something to monitor.

That said, he still leads the SEC in opponent batting average, and that’s something. When he’s out there, hitters can’t square him up. Georgia has clearly been experimenting with how they deploy him, and I think there’s still a lot of value here. We just need more innings to rank him higher.

20. Tyler Fay — Alabama (↓ from No. 23)

Season: 7-3, 65.0 IP, 54 H, 35 R, 34 ER, 16 BB, 71 K, 4.71 ERA

Past week: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 6 K

Tyler Fay has had a stretch of games where he’s been fighting it a little bit, and the ERA reflects that at 4.71. Five innings, four earned runs against Tennessee this week — it’s not terrible, but it’s not what you’d want from your Friday night guy either.

What I will say is that Fay has been durable all year. 65 innings is a lot, and he’s continued to take the ball every week for Alabama. He’s 7-3, he has 71 strikeouts, and the stuff is still there. This is more of a rough patch than a concern about who he is as a pitcher.

21. Cam Johnson — Oklahoma (↑ from Unranked)

Season: 6-1, 47.2 IP, 33 H, 22 R, 16 ER, 34 BB, 62 K, 3.02 ERA

Past week: 5.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 5 BB, 4 K

Cam Johnson puts together another strong outing — five and two-thirds innings, three hits, no runs against Auburn. Two weeks in a row now of really good starts, and that’s exactly what I said I needed to see from him last week.

The walk rate is still a problem — five in under six innings — but when your stuff is good enough to strand those runners all night and keep zeros on the board, that’s something. He’s got a 3.02 ERA and the best pure stuff on the Oklahoma staff. If he can string a third one together, he’ll move back into the top 15.

22. Josh McDevitt — Missouri (↑ from Unranked)

Season: 3-4, 59.1 IP, 41 H, 34 R, 27 ER, 33 BB, 78 K, 4.10 ERA

Past week: 6.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 11 K

Josh McDevitt makes his first appearance on this list and he earns it. Six and a third innings, 11 strikeouts against an Arkansas team that leads the SEC in punch outs themselves — that’s an elite performance.

The season ERA of 4.10 and the 33 walks keep him from ranking higher, but 78 strikeouts in 59 innings is a legitimate stat line, and this week showed what he’s capable of when his stuff is right. Missouri has been a bit of a wild card in the SEC this year, and McDevitt has been a big part of why they’re still competitive. Keep an eye on him.

23. LJ Mercurius — Oklahoma (↓ from No. 18)

Season: 6-5, 52.1 IP, 50 H, 34 R, 31 ER, 18 BB, 73 K, 5.33 ERA

Past week: 3.0 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 2 K

LJ Mercurius drops back down after giving up four runs in three innings against Auburn. After a couple bounce-back starts, this was a step in the wrong direction. The ERA is back up to 5.33, and three innings against a good Auburn lineup isn’t what you’re looking for.

He still has 73 strikeouts on the year, so the swing-and-miss is real. But right now he’s in a stretch where the inconsistency is catching up with him, and that’s tough to overlook this deep in the season.

24. Shane Sdao — Texas A&M (↑ from Unranked)

Season: 3-3, 56.2 IP, 71 H, 38 R, 36 ER, 13 BB, 66 K, 5.72 ERA

Past week: 3.2 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 4 K

Shane Sdao is fighting it right now. Three and two-thirds innings, eight hits — the contact allowed is just too much at this point in the season. The ERA sits at 5.72, which is the highest of any arm in this top 25.

What keeps him on the list is the zero walks. He’s got 13 walks in 56.2 innings, which is genuinely impressive command for an SEC arm. The problem is he’s leaving the ball in the zone too often and hitters are punishing it. He’s on this list because he is a solid Friday arm that they can rely on to go deep into games while their offense goes to work. I wouldn't be surprised if A&M eventually goes with Sims on Friday, but for now— if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

25. Hunter Elliott — Ole Miss (↓ from No. 19)

Season: 4-1, 52.1 IP, 52 H, 31 R, 30 ER, 28 BB, 75 K, 4.82 ERA

Past week: 3.2 IP, 9 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

Hunter Elliott has one of his worst outings of the season — nine hits, eight earned runs in under four innings against Georgia. That’s a tough number to swallow for a Friday night arm.

He still belongs in this conversation because he’s been a bulldog for Ole Miss all year and that body of work matters. But this was rough, and it’s the kind of start that raises questions heading into the back half of the season. The stuff is good enough to bounce back — he’s done it before — and I fully expect him to. But this week cost him.

Storylines / Notes

Myles Upchurch — Alabama

Myles Upchurch just misses the top 25 this week after another solid outing. Five innings, three earned runs, four strikeouts — it wasn’t his best, but for a true freshman in SEC play, the fact that he’s in this conversation at all is impressive. The walks remain the thing to watch, but when he’s spotting his fastball and working his off-speed, he’s a legitimate piece for Alabama’s weekend.

Tennessee’s Weekend

Tennessee had a really interesting weekend. Tegan Kuhns was absolutely dominant. Evan Blanco had a quality start. And the Vols took the series from Alabama. When those two guys are rolling like that, Tennessee is dangerous. The question is whether Landon Mack — who just missed this list again — can get it together as the third piece, because when he’s on, that rotation can compete with anyone.

Auburn’s Rotation

I’ll keep saying it — Auburn’s rotation is the best in the SEC. You’ve got Alvarez, Marciano, and Petrovic all in the top 10. All three with ERA’s under 3. That’s not normal. That’s a postseason rotation.

The Ole Miss Question

Ole Miss has a real question mark heading into the back half. Cade Townsend and Hunter Elliott both had rough outings this week, and Taylor Rabe bounced back. When all three are clicking, they’re a top-three staff in the league. But this week showed that when two of those guys are off on the same weekend, it can get ugly fast.

Final Thoughts

We’re at the point of the season where the résumé is mostly built.

The arms that have been consistent are locked in. The ones on the fringes of this list are running out of weekends to make their case. And with conference tournament positioning tightening up, every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday start carries more weight than it did a month ago.

This is what the back half of the SEC looks like.

And it is not for the faint of heart.

A doubleheader, a walk-off in extra innings, and a couple of openers that went sideways in a hurry.

Thursday and Friday gave us a full slate of drama across the SEC, and by the time everything settled, there were some results that nobody really saw coming. Here’s how it all went down.

Tennessee 10, #13 Alabama 0 — Game 1

Tennessee got a huge break with the weather and turned a doubleheader into a statement.

Teagan Kuhns was the story in game one. Eight innings. Complete game shutout. Nine strikeouts. This is back-to-back really strong starts for him now, and he’s settling into what looks like a legitimate arm to anchor this staff.

Alabama’s Zane Adams struggled as he walked four guys, gave up four or five runs, and Tennessee jumped on him early and never looked back. Once Kuhns was dealing and the offense was rolling, this one was over early.

Tennessee 11, #13 Alabama 4 — Game 2

Tennessee carried every bit of that momentum into game two.

Evan Blanco went six innings, allowed three earned, and punched out nine. Trent Grindlinger was the offensive standout — three for five with three RBIs and a home run. Tennessee controlled this one wire to wire.

Alabama just couldn’t find an answer in either game once things started rolling against them.

Big weekend win for Tennessee, and a series result that was a little surprising for me. But when you play a doubleheader and one team is riding that kind of momentum, you see what happened. Tennessee takes the series.

#15 Mississippi State 12, LSU 10

This one had everything.

Casan Evans was a late scratch for LSU, and Jay Johnson went bullpen by committee in game one with Tomas Valincius going for Mississippi State. LSU actually had the lead in the ninth inning. Mississippi State was down to their last strike — two outs, two strikes — before a base hit tied the game with a runner on second.

The only reason that runner was on second and not a double play that ends the inning is because Steven Milam missed second base on what should have been a double play. Instead, the game continued, and Mississippi tied it a few pitches later.

Then in the bottom of the eleventh, Mississippi State walked it off with a two-run home run.

Wild game. The kind that swings series. And LSU has to be sick about how it ended given the circumstances.

#11 Auburn 6, #14 Oklahoma 4

Auburn did exactly what they needed to do.

Andreas Alvarez went six and two thirds innings, allowed three earned, and struck out six. Another strong outing for him — this kid continues to look the part. They went straight to Jackson Sanders out of the bullpen, which is becoming their signature move, and he finished it out. Two and a third innings, one run, four hits and now the bullpen is rested heading into the rest of the weekend.

On the Oklahoma side, LJ Mercurius was up and down again. Three innings, five hits, four earned, three walks, two strikeouts. The command issues showed up again.

And now Jake Marciano gets the ball for Oklahoma in game two today, so OU has their work cut out for them today.

#21 Florida 9, #7 Texas A&M 2

Aiden King was absolutely dominant.

He went eight innings allowed two earned runs and had six strikeouts. He set the tone from the jump and shut down one of the most electric offenses in the conference. The game was close for a while, but Florida broke it open with four runs in the bottom of the eighth and took a commanding series opener.

Now A&M has to turn around and face Liam Peterson in game two, so the task doesn’t get any easier for the best offense in the league. But King gave the Gators everything they could have asked for, and Florida heads into today with serious momentum.

South Carolina 10, Kentucky 9

A wild one in Columbia.

South Carolina got to Jaxon Jelkin early and never let Kentucky fully settle in. Jelkin went five innings but gave up eight runs, seven earned, on six hits. That’s not the version of him that gives Kentucky a chance to win.

On the other side, Amp Phillips only lasted one and a third innings. Four hits, five earned, four walks. He struck out all four of his outs, but obviously didn’t do his thing. The command wasn’t there.

Cooper Parks came in and bailed South Carolina out — three and two thirds shutout innings. That was the difference.

It was a 10–9 final in a game that was chaotic throughout, but South Carolina gets the series opener and sets up an interesting rest of the weekend.

#4 Texas 11, Vanderbilt 4

Texas came out and took care of business in a hurry.

They jumped out to an 11–0 lead after five and a half innings and never looked back. Dylan Volantis was the story on the mound — he went six innings, allowed one earned run, and had 11 strikeouts. Dominant performance.

The other big headline for Texas was Adrian Rodriguez returning from injury and going three for four with a home run and three RBIs. Getting him back healthy is huge for this lineup.

On the Vanderbilt side, Connor Fennell gave up twelve hits in five innings. That’s not the version of him Vandy needs to see, and it made for a very long night in Nashville. Texas looked really good, and they’re in great shape heading into the rest of the series.

#24 Arkansas 6, Missouri 0

Arkansas took care of business and has now clinched the series after taking both games.

Cole Gibler started and went six shutout innings, striking out five. Missouri managed just two hits on the night — a completely dominant pitching performance.

Maika Niu went two for four with an RBI to pace the Arkansas offense. This is a team that’s been building momentum, and they backed it up again here.

Two series are now officially decided — Tennessee wins their series over Alabama, and Arkansas wins their series over Missouri. Both wrapped things up early and won’t have to sweat the rubber game.

Georgia/Ole Miss Postponed

Worth noting before you get into Saturday’s action — Georgia and Ole Miss had their Friday night opener postponed due to weather.

They’ll play a doubleheader today instead, so that series is going to be one of the more interesting ones to track on Saturday. Keep an eye on it.

Final Thoughts

A lot to digest from Thursday and Friday.

Tennessee sweeping Alabama in a doubleheader is the headline. The Mississippi State walk-off in extras is the gut-punch play of the weekend so far. Aiden King continuing to be one of the most reliable arms in the SEC is a storyline worth following. And Texas looked as good as anyone this weekend in a dominant game one win.

Saturday is loaded. Two series already decided, a full card of game twos, and a Georgia/Ole Miss doubleheader that could tell us a lot about both of those teams in a compressed window.

Should be a great one.

We’re already two games deep into this weekend, and both of them told us something.

The rest of the slate tips off today with a full card of high-leverage SEC baseball, and after this weekend, we’ll have a really good feel for who’s trending in the right direction and who’s running out of time to figure it out.

Here’s how I see it.

#13 Alabama at Tennessee

This one’s already underway, and game one was a barn burner.

Alabama took it 12–8 in a game that really told the story of where both of these teams are right now. Tyler Fay was okay — gave up four earned runs but went five innings and kept Alabama in a position to win, especially with the run support they got. That’s all you can really ask.

The story on the Tennessee side was the free passes. Sixteen of them. Ten walks and six hit batters. That’s not sustainable against anybody, let alone a team like Alabama.

Here’s the thing though — I actually think Tennessee is the more talented team. But talent and execution are two different things, and right now Alabama is the more experienced team. Rob Vaughn has them ready to play every single weekend, and that matters.

Tennessee’s younger lineup and their high-upside arms have been a double-edged sword all year. The ceiling is real, but so is the inconsistency. And at home this year, they’ve really struggled to put it all together.

Until they clean up the free passes and the younger pieces start playing with more consistency, I don’t see them bouncing back enough to win this series.

Prediction: Alabama takes 2 of 3

Arkansas at Missouri

Arkansas took game one 5–3 on a late eighth-inning go-ahead, and Hunter Dietz was really the story of that game.

He gave up three runs in the first inning, and I’ll be honest, that’s the version of him that gives you pause. But then he locked in, settled in, and gave Arkansas seven innings with eight strikeouts. That’s the Dietz that can be a really reliable piece for this staff.

Arkansas has been putting together a little bit of a streak right now, and that matters. Cole Gibler goes today, and then we’ll see how the rest of the weekend plays out. But I do think Arkansas needs to sweep this one more than anything else. The schedule gets tougher, and they need to bank wins when they can.

Missouri has enough on the mound to be a nuisance, but I still think Arkansas is the better team overall.

Prediction: Arkansas takes at least 2 of 3, sweep potential

LSU at #15 Mississippi State

The Friday night game got pushed up to 4:00 today, so we may already know something by the time you’re reading this.

But here’s where I stand.

I think LSU is a little overmatched here. Casan Evans and William Schmidt can absolutely dominate a game — we’ve seen that. But we’ve also seen this LSU team find ways to lose games even when they’re pitching well. The defense has been a problem. The bullpen has been a problem. The free passes have been a problem. It’s just been a lot of things, and against a Mississippi State team at home, that catches up to you.

Now — and this is important — Mississippi State has lost six straight home games. So I would not shock me if LSU comes out and steals this series. I want to be transparent about that.

But when I look at both rosters and both trajectories right now, I still lean Mississippi State.

Prediction: Mississippi State takes 2 of 3

#7 Texas A&M at #21 Florida

I’ve been wrong about Texas A&M all year, so take this with a grain of salt.

But I think Florida wins this series.

Here’s the thing — good pitching beats good hitting. And Florida has some of the most talented arms in this conference. The Jekyll and Hyde stuff has been real all year, but they’re at home, and history tells you something here too. Florida fell last weekend, and if we’re following the pattern, they bounce back.

Texas A&M has been electric offensively all year — near the top of the league in just about everything. But the law of averages in baseball tells you at some point that offense is going to have a cold weekend. And if this is that weekend, Florida’s bats are more than enough to capitalize, and their pitching is good enough to keep Texas A&M in check.

I think Florida is ready for this one.

Prediction: Florida takes 2 of 3

#14 Oklahoma at #11 Auburn

These two teams are really similar to me.

Both depend heavily on their pitching. Both have offenses that can show up in spurts and then go quiet for stretches. The difference for me comes down to where they’re playing and who has the edge on the mound.

Auburn plays extremely well at home, and I think they have the pitching advantage in this series. There have been some question marks with LJ Mercurius and Cam Johnson — we’ve talked about that — but they’ve put together a couple of solid weekends in a row, and that gives me a little more confidence.

If they revert to some of the inconsistency we saw earlier in the year, Oklahoma is the kind of team that can make you pay. They’re patient, they manufacture runs, and they pressure you. But if Auburn’s pitching shows up the way it has recently, I think the home advantage pushes them over the top.

Prediction: Auburn takes the series

#4 Texas at Vanderbilt

Vanderbilt has some magic when they play at home. We’ve seen it all year. And if Connor Fennell comes out and throws strikes and sets the tone in game one, I think they have a real path to sneaking a game in this series.

But ultimately, I think Texas is just too good.

Texas is the better team overall, and I think that quality wins out over the course of the series. Vanderbilt can make it interesting, especially at home, and I wouldn’t be stunned if they steal game one. But taking two out of three against this Texas team is a really tall order right now.

Prediction: Texas takes 2 of 3

#5 Georgia at #17 Ole Miss

I know this might sound a little crazy, but I’m taking Ole Miss here.

And the reason is simple — good pitching beats good hitting. Georgia has one of the best offenses in the league, maybe the best, but I think Ole Miss has a distinct advantage in the starting pitching department, and I think that carries the weekend.

I’ve talked about Dylan Vigue being one of my favorite arms in the league — he holds opponents to barely anything. And Joey Volchko is the same way. He limits damage, but he also tends to give away too many base runners, and if Ole Miss can work counts and stay patient, they can take advantage of that.

On the Ole Miss side, Hunter Elliott is the key. If he comes out and throws strikes, limits the command issues that have popped up at times, and sets the tone in game one — I think Ole Miss wins this series pretty handily.

Prediction: Ole Miss takes 2 of 3

Kentucky at South Carolina

This is a curveball series for me, and I’ll be honest about it.

South Carolina has a real path here. Amp Phillips is moving into the Friday night role, and I like that move. He’s had a breakout year and has been pretty dominant in SEC play. If they can beat Jaxon Jelkin in game one and steal the opener, their path opens up. Brandon Stone has been solid, and they’re at home — that matters.

But at the end of the day, I trust Kentucky more.

I trust Nick Mingione and his staff. I trust their experience. I trust the way they play baseball. They’re an older, more veteran team, and that leadership tends to show up in close series on the road.

South Carolina will make it interesting. But I think Kentucky’s the better team.

Prediction: Kentucky takes 2 of 3

Weekend Picks

Alabama over Tennessee

Arkansas over Missouri

Mississippi State over LSU

Florida over Texas A&M

Auburn over Oklahoma

Texas over Vanderbilt

Ole Miss over Georgia

Kentucky over South Carolina

We’ve got some really telling series this weekend. A lot of teams with something to prove, and a lot of series where the wrong result could really shift where you’re sitting when we get into the back half of the conference schedule. Should be a great one.

We’re officially into the second half of SEC play, and at this point, the picture is starting to sharpen.

Before we get into this week’s rankings, I want to address something quickly.

Last week, I mentioned that I was going to roll out full SEC pitching staff rankings—and that’s still coming. I started diving into it, and honestly, I went a little deeper than I expected. Once you really start breaking down how different programs deploy their arms, how bullpens are being used, and how roles are evolving weekend to weekend, it opens up a completely different layer of analysis.

It’s something I want to do right, not rushed.

So that piece is still in the works. No set timetable, but it’s coming.

In the meantime, the Starting Pitcher Power Rankings continue—and they matter even more now.

Because this is where roles start to solidify.
This is where separation happens.
And this is where you begin to see who can truly carry a staff into the back half of the season.

With six weeks in the books, we’ve got enough information to evaluate performance, adjust expectations, and start projecting forward.

And after another wild weekend across the league, there’s movement all over this list.

SEC Starting Pitcher Power Rankings — Week 6

1. Aidan King — Florida (Ranking unchanged)

Season: 6-2, 52.2 IP, 36 H, 18 R, 10 ER, 13 BB, 55 K, 1.71 ERA
Past week: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 8 K

Aidan King continues his dominance of the SEC, and although Florida lost the weekend, he did his job again with another incredible quality start. He continues to miss bats and dominate as Florida’s Game 1 starter.

2. Cade Townsend — Ole Miss (Ranking unchanged)

Season: 4-1, 41.2 IP, 28 H, 11 R, 8 ER, 10 BB, 61 K, 1.73 ERA
Past week: 6.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 K

To me, Cade Townsend is one of the most exciting arms in the SEC. Every time I watch him pitch, I don’t understand how we’re not talking about him as a top-15, top-20 pick in this year’s draft.

His stuff is so electric, and with Hunter Elliott being the Friday night guy and a true bulldog, this Saturday arm is a scary combo for Ole Miss. He dominated again this weekend, allowing only one hit and no runs in six innings.

3. Jake Marciano — Auburn (↑ from No. 4)

Season: 3-2, 56.2 IP, 38 H, 17 R, 12 ER, 7 BB, 77 K, 1.91 ERA
Past week: 4.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K

Jake Marciano continues to dominate the SEC, and this weekend he was used almost as an opener, with Jackson Sanders coming in and finishing it out. That little duo with Jake Marciano and Jackson Sanders is pretty scary.

That Auburn rotation continues to be the best in the league, in my opinion, and Jake Marciano has been at the front of it all season.

4. Tomas Valincius — Mississippi State (Previous: No. 5)

Season: 7-1, 59.2 IP, 42 H, 14 R, 12 ER, 13 BB, 83 K, 1.81 ERA
Past week: 6.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 11 K

Tomas Valincius continues to dominate as well, and his overall body of work is so impressive. I think he’s only second in the SEC to Hunter Dietz in strikeouts, and he pitched solid again this weekend, having another double-digit strikeout performance for Mississippi State.

5. Dylan Volantis — Texas (Previous: No. 19)

Season: 5-0, 50.2 IP, 37 H, 13 R, 12 ER, 16 BB, 69 K, 2.13 ERA
Past week: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 12 K

Dylan Volantis jumps up this week because of his dominant performance in that Friday night role for Texas. He continues his dominant run, striking out 12 against Alabama and setting the tone for them this weekend in a big series win.

6. Hunter Dietz — Arkansas (Ranking unchanged)

Season: 4-2, 52.2 IP, 42 H, 25 R, 21 ER, 18 BB, 84 K, 3.59 ERA
Past week: 5.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K

Hunter Dietz continues to dominate for Arkansas since moving to Friday night, and he’s the leader in the SEC in strikeouts, which alone is a statement piece. It continues to be a really nice development for Arkansas.

And let’s mention that he faced the Georgia offense, which gives him even more credit.

7. Jaxon Jelkin — Kentucky (Ranking unchanged)

Season: 6-2, 58.2 IP, 51 H, 28 R, 21 ER, 14 BB, 66 K, 3.22 ERA
Past week: 8.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 9 K

Jaxson Jelkin dominated this weekend and has been a staple in our top 10 all year. He continues to look like a true big leaguer out there and took care of business for Kentucky on the road this weekend.

He faced a really good Vanderbilt offense, so he gets a lot of credit for that too, and he continues to miss bats and look like a first-rounder for me.

8. Alex Petrovic — Auburn (↑ from No. 11)

Season: 6-1, 54.1 IP, 38 H, 18 R, 17 ER, 11 BB, 58 K, 2.82 ERA
Past week: 7.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K

Alex Petrovic faced a good Florida team at Florida and continues to be probably the best Sunday starter in the country with a sub-3 ERA.

It was another rubber-match game and another really important start for him and Auburn.

9. Ruger Riojas — Texas (↑ from No. 13)

Season: 5-1, 52.2 IP, 44 H, 19 R, 19 ER, 12 BB, 83 K, 3.25 ERA
Past week: 5.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 11 K

Ruger Riojas jumps back into the top 10 after an 11-strikeout performance in five innings. His pitch count was kind of high, but he still limited damage against Alabama in that middle game and was a deciding factor in the series win for Texas.

10. Andreas Alvarez — Auburn (↓ from No. 2)

Season: 6-2, 46.0 IP, 36 H, 14 R, 10 ER, 17 BB, 63 K, 1.96 ERA
Past week: 2.1 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 3 K

Andreas Alvarez drops a bit after one of his first bad outings of the year. Still, the overall body of work is very, very impressive, and he belongs in the top 10 because he’s near the top of most of the statistical categories in the SEC.

11. Tegan Kuhns — Tennessee (↑ from No. 21)

Season: 2-3, 51.0 IP, 47 H, 21 R, 19 ER, 10 BB, 64 K, 3.35 ERA
Past week: 5.2 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 10 K

Tegan Kuhns makes a nice jump this weekend after a 10-strikeout performance against Ole Miss, a very good Ole Miss team, and didn’t allow any runs in 5 and 2/3 innings.

I think Tegan Kuhns is going to be pitching in the major leagues for a very long time and continues to show why he’s up here.

12. Dylan Vigue — Georgia (Ranking unchanged)

Season: 3-1, 43.0 IP, 24 H, 53 K, 25 BB, 2.51 ERA
Past week: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K

There were some reports of Dylan Vigue having cramps and leaving the game early, although it worked out okay for Georgia because Caden Aoki came in and dominated for five innings.

It seemed like Dylan Vigue almost worked as an opener, which Georgia has done before, so there’s still some reporting there. But Vigue leads the SEC in opponent batting average, which I think is really impressive for a kid transferring from Michigan, so he stays here this week.

13. Aiden Sims — Texas A&M (↑ from No. 16)

Season: 7-0, 55.0 IP, 39 H, 23 R, 21 ER, 17 BB, 57 K, 3.44 ERA
Past week: 7.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K

Aiden Sims jumps up as his body of work continues to round out in a great breakout sophomore year. We heard earlier in the year about him making a huge jump from Year 1 to Year 2, and his season is really impressive.

He went into LSU and pitched seven innings and only gave up two runs while punching out six.

14. Liam Peterson — Florida (↑ from No. 15)

Season: 1-3, 50.0 IP, 43 H, 23 R, 19 ER, 27 BB, 71 K, 3.42 ERA
Past week: 5.0 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K

Liam Peterson, one of the best arms in the SEC, had another nice outing this week. Anytime he limits base runners via the walk, I’m happy with that.

He only had two walks in five innings. He did give up seven hits, but anytime your stuff is that electric, you can get a strikeout and get out of it at any time. Even though he’s 1-3 on the year, his body of work is still pretty impressive, and he’s a great number two starter for Florida.

15. Zane Adams — Alabama (Previous: No. 23)

Season: 4-2, 54.0 IP, 51 H, 24 R, 22 ER, 15 BB, 59 K, 3.67 ERA
Past week: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 K

Zane Adams jumps up this week after putting together a couple nice starts in a row and a really impressive start at Texas this week where he didn’t give up any runs in six innings and only allowed five hits.

16. Duke Stone — Mississippi State (Previous: Unranked)

Season: 6-1, 47.1 IP, 46 H, 23 R, 19 ER, 18 BB, 70 K, 3.59 ERA
Past week: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 12 K

Duke Stone had probably one of the most impressive performances of the weekend at South Carolina, where he struck out 12 in six innings and didn’t allow a run.

He continues to be a nice number two for a good Mississippi State team and will be an important piece for them if they want to make a legit postseason run.

17. Myles Upchurch — Alabama (Previous: Unranked)

Season: 5-2, 41.0 IP, 26 H, 14 R, 14 ER, 28 BB, 50 K, 3.05 ERA
Past week: 5.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 4 K

Miles Upchurch jumps up into the top 25 after struggling in the SEC to start. The true freshman has made two really nice starts back to back, and he got the Sunday win against a top-five Texas team that has a ton of big leaguers in the lineup.

He went five and a third, allowing only one hit and no runs. The walks have been a little bit of a plague for him this year, but when he misses bats so much, it allows him to limit damage, and that’s why his ERA sits at 3.05 as a true freshman.

18. LJ Mercurius — Oklahoma (↑ from No. 25)

Season: 6-4, 49.1 IP, 45 H, 30 R, 27 ER, 15 BB, 71 K, 4.93 ERA
Past week: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 9 K

LJ Mercurius bounces back again this weekend. He’s putting together a couple nice starts and slowly lowering his ERA.

His body of work is still pretty impressive this year with 71 strikeouts in under 50 innings. He went six innings this weekend, didn’t walk anybody, and struck out nine in a get-right weekend for Oklahoma against Missouri.

19. Hunter Elliott — Ole Miss (↓ from No. 18)

Season: 4-1, 52.1 IP, 43 H, 23 R, 22 ER, 28 BB, 73 K, 3.78 ERA
Past week: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 5 K

Hunter Elliott stays around where he is because he’s just such a bulldog in that Friday night spot for Ole Miss. He had a quality start, allowing three earned runs in six innings and striking out five against Tennessee, setting the tone for them in that first game.

20. Amp Phillips — South Carolina (↓ from No. 9)

Season: 3-5, 53.2 IP, 39 H, 20 R, 15 ER, 23 BB, 59 K, 2.52 ERA
Past week: 4.0 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 K

Amp Phillips drops a little bit this weekend after giving up some runs, but his body of work still speaks for itself, and his stuff has been pretty impressive. I really like his development this year.

21. Taylor Rabe — Ole Miss (↓ from No. 10)

Season: 3-2, 34.1 IP, 30 H, 16 R, 16 ER, 5 BB, 41 K, 4.19 ERA
Past week: 3.0 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 0 BB, 4 K

Taylor Rabe falls a little bit after having his worst start of the year, but again, his body of work and his strikeout-to-walk ratio are still pretty silly, and that number three starting spot for Ole Miss is critically important.

22. Joey Volchko — Georgia (↓ from No. 8)

Season: 6-2, 50.1 IP, 46 H, 23 R, 21 ER, 25 BB, 57 K, 3.75 ERA
Past week: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 8 K

Joey Volchko drops down again for me just because he keeps allowing so many base runners. The stuff is all there, and the swing and miss is there, and the strikeouts are there, but he just continues to allow too many base runners.

His WHIP is among the highest of SEC starters, and on Friday night you’ve got to really go deep into games. That’s one of my concerns for Joey, but he’s still a top-25 arm and a solid Friday night starter for a top-five team in the country.

23. Tyler Fay — Alabama (↓ from No. 14)

Season: 6-3, 60.0 IP, 48 H, 31 R, 30 ER, 14 BB, 65 K, 4.50 ERA
Past week: 5.1 IP, 12 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

Tyler Fay has had a couple of rough starts in a row, but his body of work still speaks for itself in the league, so we’re looking for him to get back on track next weekend.

24. Evan Blanco — Tennessee (Previous: Unranked)

Season: 4-2, 55.0 IP, 47 H, 23 R, 23 ER, 19 BB, 66 K, 3.76 ERA
Past week: 6.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 8 K

Evan Blanco had a nice rubber-match appearance against Ole Miss and saved the sweep for Tennessee. He had a quality start in six innings and struck out eight against a very good Ole Miss team.

25. Connor Fennell — Vanderbilt (Ranking unchanged)

Season: 3-1, 57.0 IP, 51 H, 32 R, 30 ER, 14 BB, 70 K, 4.74 ERA
Past week: 6.1 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K

Connor Fennell rounds out the top 25. In three of his last four starts, he’s gone six-plus innings and gotten deep into ballgames while limiting hits and runs.

With a Vanderbilt team that’s struggled all year, I give him a lot of credit for sticking it out, being the Friday night starter, and being a solid arm for them all season.

Storylines / Notes

LSU

There are no LSU arms in this. After Casan Evans and William Schmidt had kind of been in the top 25 all year, they were there a lot because of stuff, and then William Schmidt had been pitching well, but the last couple weeks they’ve both been struggling.

I was really looking for them to take charge this past weekend against Texas A&M, a potent offense, and try to get LSU back on track, and they’re just not doing that right now. William has walked a lot more guys in SEC play than he did in non-conference, and Casan just has continued to struggle.

Landon Mack

Landon Mack just missed the top 25, but continues to be a nice number one arm for Tennessee, and his stuff is among the best in the league and probably a first-round arm next year.

Cam Johnson

Cam Johnson had another really nice start for Oklahoma and was close to getting back into the top 25. I want to see him string together another one, but if he does, he can get back toward the top of the list because he has such electric stuff and upside.

Arkansas

And Arkansas continues to be a curveball for me because I fall in and out of love with their arms so many times. Gabe Gaeckle is probably going to be a top 50 pick and at times he absolutely dominates, and then other times gets hit around and walks guys. Same for Cole Gibler and Colin Fisher. They have all the pieces, I just think they need to figure out where they all go.

Final Thoughts

At this point in the season, it’s no longer about flashes—it’s about consistency.

The arms that are still standing here in Week 6 are the ones that have shown they can handle the grind of SEC play. They’ve taken the ball in big spots, faced elite lineups, and found ways—whether it’s stuff, sequencing, or just pure competitiveness—to keep their teams in games.

And now, with the second half officially underway, everything tightens.

Every inning matters more. Every decision matters more. And the margin for error on the mound gets even smaller.

Next up, we zoom out.

We stop looking at individuals and start evaluating the full picture—SEC pitching staffs, 1 through 16, how they’re being deployed, and which ones are built to carry teams into postseason play.

Because from here on out, it’s not just about who has the best arm.

It’s about who has enough of them.

We’re halfway through the SEC season, and now we actually have real data.

With that said, there’s a huge logjam in the middle of the league. The level of play is high across the board, and teams are beating up on each other. There’s a lot of unpredictability right now, but it sets up for a really fun weekend.

We’ve got two games starting Thursday, and then the rest of the slate rolls into Friday.

Here’s how I see it.

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#13 Auburn at #20 Florida

This is a tough one for me.

I picked both of these teams to go to Omaha earlier today, so this one’s hard to break down.

Florida has just been back and forth all year. It feels like every time you think they’re about to turn a corner, they go the other way. They lost a midweek game on the road this week, but Kevin O’Sullivan mentioned they threw a lot of younger arms and were just trying to get guys innings. Bethune-Cookman is also a solid midweek team, so I don’t put too much stock into that loss.

Still, the inconsistency is there.

On the other side, Auburn’s starting pitching has been pretty electric all year, and that’s what gives me the slight edge here. It feels weird to say that because Florida has two of the better starting pitchers in the league and a really strong bullpen, but I trust Auburn’s staff just a little bit more right now.

I could absolutely see Florida winning this series at home and breaking that pattern, but based on how they’ve played all year, I lean Auburn.

Prediction: Auburn takes the series

#5 Georgia at #16 Arkansas

Another great one to start the weekend.

Arkansas is coming off a road sweep at Alabama where they looked really good. They shuffled their rotation, and it paid off, but I still have some questions about how that pitching lines up against Georgia’s offense.

Georgia has been playing really good baseball, and I haven’t picked them to win a series all year.

Ironically, I’m picking them here.

And I don’t feel great about it.

I’ve been burned before taking teams into Arkansas, and that’s one of the toughest environments in the country. But I think Georgia’s pitching is starting to come together. Wes Johnson has done a really good job mixing and matching his arms, and Valsko and Vigu give them a solid one-two.

Then you look at the bullpen — Justin Bird, Caden Aoki, and potentially Scott — they have enough pieces to piece together games.

If they can handle that environment, I think they can win the weekend.

Prediction: Georgia takes the series

Vanderbilt at Kentucky

I don’t really know what to make of this one, but I keep coming back to Kentucky.

I just think they’re the better team right now.

They’ve got leadership, they’re 16–3 at home, and that matters. Jaxon Jelkin didn’t have a great line last weekend, but there was some bad luck in there — soft contact, plays that didn’t get made — so I expect him to bounce back.

If they can get a decent start out of one of the other two guys and find a way to win game one against Connor Fennell, I like their chances.

Prediction: Kentucky takes the series

#25 Ole Miss at Tennessee

This is one of the better pitching matchups of the weekend.

If you’re ranking pitching staffs, both of these are probably in the top five in the league for me. The rotations are strong, and both teams have really good bullpen pieces.

Tennessee just swept Mississippi State on the road, but then turned around and lost a series at home to LSU where the bullpen gave away leads in all three games.

So the question becomes — how do they respond?

And on the other side, how does Ole Miss handle that environment?

This feels like a really tight series where pitching is going to dictate everything.

Prediction: Toss-up, but slight lean Ole Miss

#17 Mississippi State at South Carolina

Mississippi State is limping into this one.

And if there was ever a pressure series for them, this is it.

They need to find a way to win this weekend.

The problem is, South Carolina is playing good baseball right now. They just swept Missouri on the road, and I like what they’re getting on the mound. Brandon Stone has been good on Friday, Amp Phillips has been solid on Saturday, and they’ve got a good bullpen piece in Valentin. Josh Gunther has also had some really strong starts.

So this is not a great time for Mississippi State to be running into them.

But with that said, I still think Mississippi State is the better team overall.

Prediction: Mississippi State takes it

#10 Texas A&M at LSU

This is one I’m really excited about.

It’s going to be a hostile environment, and for LSU, this feels like a must-win weekend.

Texas A&M is coming off a huge series win against Texas, but I think LSU’s offense at home can get to their pitching.

It starts on Friday with Casan Evans. He’s shown that he can rise to the occasion in big games, and this is one of those spots.

Then with William Schmidt, the stuff last weekend at Ole Miss was some of the best I’ve seen from him all year. The key for him is just limiting the walks.

If LSU’s starters can hold down Texas A&M’s offense, I like their chances at home.

Prediction: LSU takes the series

#11 Alabama at #4 Texas

I just feel bad for Alabama going into this one.

They got swept at home, and now they go on the road to Texas after a tough showing against Texas A&M.

Texas is making a move with Dylan Volantis going to Friday night after not pitching last weekend. I really like that move, especially with Ruger Riojas having a couple of hiccups. Sliding him to Saturday could take some pressure off.

We’ve seen that work for other teams this year.

Alabama has responded well after losses before, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they compete, but I think Texas is the better team here.

Prediction: Texas takes the series

Missouri at #14 Oklahoma

I expect Oklahoma to take care of business here.

They just went on the road and won two out of three at Vanderbilt, and now they come back home against Missouri.

The big thing I’m watching is their rotation.

LJ Mercurius and Cam Johnson have both had weekends where they’ve struggled to get past the second inning. If they can both put together quality outings in the same weekend, that’s a big step for Oklahoma.

This feels like a good opportunity for them to get right.

Prediction: Oklahoma takes the series

Weekend Outlook

Every weekend at this point is giving us more clarity.

We’re halfway through the SEC slate, and now we’re really starting to shape the picture of who’s hosting, who’s fighting for positioning, and who’s still trying to figure it out.

It’s still chaotic in the middle of the league, but after this weekend, we should have an even clearer sense of where things stand.

We’ve officially reached the halfway point of the SEC baseball season.

And now, for the first time all year, we have real information.

Five full weeks of conference play gives us a true sample size—not just of individual performances, but of how pitching staffs are being built, deployed, and trusted in high-leverage situations. You can start to see which programs are separating themselves, not just by talent, but by how they’re using that talent.

Some teams are still relying on traditional Friday–Saturday–Sunday structures. Others are mixing and matching, leaning on swing arms, or asking certain starters to simply get them through key pockets of a lineup before turning the game over.

That’s where this thing starts to evolve.

So while this week we’re locking in the Top 25 starting pitchers in the SEC, next week we’re going to zoom out and rank the entire pitching staffs 1–16, breaking down usage, depth, roles, and projecting how those staffs will hold up over the second half of the season.

Because at this point, it’s not just about who the best arms are.

It’s about which staffs are built to win series.

Top 25 SEC Starting Pitchers

1. Aidan King — Florida (↑ from No. 4)

Season: 5-2, 1.74 ERA, 46.2 IP, 33 H, 47K / 11BB
Past Week: 7.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 6 K

Aidan King continued his dominance of the SEC and stepped into the Friday night role in a pivotal weekend for Florida.

Going into Athens against Georgia, in his first Friday night start of the year after moving from Saturday, he was perfect through six innings. He ended up going seven and two-thirds, allowing just two hits and two runs with two walks and six strikeouts.

On the season, he’s now 5-2 with a 1.74 ERA in 46 and two-thirds innings, allowing just 33 hits with a 47-to-11 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

He continues to look like a true stopper at the top of that rotation.

2. Andreas Alvarez — Auburn (↑ from No. 3)

Season: 6-1, 1.24 ERA, 43.2 IP, 30 H, 60K / 15BB
Past Week: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 5 K

Andreas Alvarez had another solid outing and continues to show consistency every single week.

Against a good Kentucky team, in a game where Auburn gave him early run support, he went six innings, allowed just three hits and two runs, walked three, and struck out five.

On the season, he’s now 6-1 with a 1.24 ERA, and in 43 and two-thirds innings, he’s allowed just 30 hits with a 60-to-15 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

He just continues to put Auburn in position to win late in games.

3. Cade Townsend — Ole Miss (↑ from No. 7)

Season: 3-1, 2.02 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 35.1 IP, 27 H, 54K / 8BB
Past Week: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 8 K

Cade Townsend makes another jump this week and continues to put everything together.

We’ve talked about him all year—his stuff, his profile, his upside at the next level—and now the production is matching it consistently. Against LSU this weekend, he went six innings, allowed six hits and two runs, struck out eight, and walked just one.

On the year, he’s 3-1 with a 2.02 ERA, a 0.98 WHIP, and in 35 and a third innings, he’s allowed just 27 hits with a 54-to-8 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

If not for the brief injury hiccup earlier in the season, he’d be right there at the top of almost every statistical category in the SEC.

4. Jake Marciano — Auburn (↓ from No. 2)

Season: 3-2, 1.88 ERA, 0.78 WHIP, 52.1 IP, 34 H, 71K / 7BB
Past Week: 4.0 IP, 8 H, 5 R (4 ER), 0 BB, 7 K

Jake Marciano drops a bit this week, but this is one where you can’t overreact.

Even after allowing eight hits and five runs (four earned) in four innings against Kentucky, his body of work still speaks for itself. He still struck out seven and didn’t walk a batter.

On the year, he’s 3-2 with a 1.88 ERA and a 0.78 WHIP in over 52 innings. He’s allowed just 34 hits and has a 71-to-7 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

Even in his toughest outing of the year, he didn’t give free passes—just got hit a little bit. That’s the first time a team has really gotten to him, and it’s not enough to move him too far.

5. Tomas Valincius — Mississippi State (↓ from No. 1)

Season: 6-1, 1.53 ERA, 53 IP, 36 H, 72K / 12BB
Past Week: 6.0 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 6 K

Tomas Valincinus comes in at number five after another solid outing, even though he gave up a few more hits and runs than we’ve seen.

He went six innings, allowed eight hits and three runs, walked one, and struck out six. While that’s a step back from his usual dominance, it doesn’t change the overall profile.

On the year, he’s 6-1 with a 1.53 ERA in 53 innings, allowing just 36 hits with a 72-to-12 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

He continues to look like a true number one starter with elite stuff and a high draft profile, even as Mississippi State has struggled a bit around him.

6. Hunter Dietz — Arkansas (↑ from No. 10)

Season: 3-2, 3.61 ERA — 47.1 IP, 37 H, 78K / 17BB
Past Week: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 9 K

Hunter Dietz moves into the Friday night spot for Arkansas and continues to trend in the right direction.

He’s been pretty solid all year, originally as their Saturday starter, and has been near the top of the league in strikeouts all season. We’ve never questioned the stuff—it’s always just been about whether he could command it consistently.

Now, it looks like he’s really starting to gel and put it together at the halfway point. This weekend, he went six innings, allowed three hits and two runs, walked three, and struck out nine.

On the year, he’s 3-2 in 47 and a third innings, has allowed 37 hits, and has a 78-to-17 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He’s starting to look like a true ace for Arkansas down the stretch.

7. Jaxon Jelkin — Kentucky (↓ from No. 5)

Season: 6-1, 3.38 ERA — 50.2 IP, 45 H, 57K / 13BB
Past Week: 2.0 IP, 7 H, 8 R (3 ER), 3 BB, 3 K

Jelkin drops a bit after his first real tough outing of the year.

It was a rough one—two innings, seven hits, eight runs—but even then, only three of those runs were earned. Despite that outing, the overall body of work still stands strong, and he remains one of the more impressive arms in the league.

He’s here because of that body of work, but also because of the upside. The way he carries himself, the way he competes, and the way he looks on the mound—he looks like a big leaguer every time he takes the ball.

On the year, he’s 6-1 with a 3.38 ERA in over 50 innings and continues to be a key piece for Kentucky.

8. Joey Volchko — Georgia (↑ from No. 16)

Season: 6-1, 3.38 ERA — 45.1 IP, 41 H, 49K / 21BB
Past Week: 6.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R (0 ER), 2 BB, 7 K

Joey Volchko continues to give Georgia a solid Friday night presence, and now everyone who thinks I hate Joey, can get off my back since he’s in the top ten!

He went six innings against Florida, allowed just two hits, one run (unearned), and struck out seven. He also did a better job limiting base runners, which has been a focus on him all year, for me.

Even in a loss, going head-to-head with Aiden King, he gave Georgia a chance to win. With that offense, that’s exactly what they need and he has put together a couple solid outings in a row now where his stats are lining up with his stuff.

9. Amp Phillips — South Carolina (↑ from outside Top 25)

Season: 3-4, 2.17 ERA, 1.11 WHIP — 49.1 IP, 33 H, 56K / 22BB
Past Week: 8.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 10 K

Amp Phillips makes a big jump after a dominant performance this weekend.

On the road at Missouri, in a sweep for South Carolina, he went eight innings, struck out 10, allowed just five hits, and didn’t give up a run. That’s one of the better outings we’ve seen this season.

The body of work has been solid all year, even on a South Carolina team that hasn’t been at the top of the standings. On the year, he’s got a 2.17 ERA and continues to show really impressive stuff.

It was all on display this weekend, and he continues to trend in a really strong direction.

10. Taylor Rabe — Ole Miss (↑ into Top 10)

Season: 3-1, 3.16 ERA, 0.93 WHIP — 31 IP, 24 H, 37K / 5BB
Past Week: 6.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 5 K

Taylor Rabe jumps into the top 10 and continues to solidify Ole Miss’s rotation.

In Game 3 against LSU, he was dominant early—didn’t give up a hit through six innings, before running into a little trouble in the seventh. He finished with six innings, two hits, two runs, one walk, and five strikeouts.

It’s pretty scary that all three Ole Miss starters are showing up at this level right now.

On the year, he’s 3-1 with a 3.16 ERA and a 0.93 WHIP, and continues to transition from the bullpen into a starting role. The stuff is some of the most electric in the league, and he’s starting to harness it.

11. Alex Petrovic — Auburn (↑ from No. 15)

Season: 6-1, 2.66 ERA, 0.93 WHIP — 47 IP, 35 H, 53K / 9BB
Past Week: 7.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 8 K

Alex Petrovic continues to be a dominant force on Sundays for Auburn.

He went seven innings this weekend, gave up five hits, didn’t allow a run, had eight strikeouts, and didn’t walk a batter. He just continues to fill up the zone and rack up wins on the weekends for Auburn.

On the season, he’s 6-1 with a 2.66 ERA and a 0.93 WHIP in 47 innings, allowing just 35 hits with a 53-to-9 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

12. Dylan Vigue — Georgia (↑ from No. 18)

Season: 3-1, 2.63 ERA, 1.15 WHIP — 41 IP, 23 H, 49K / 24BB
Past Week: 6.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 7 K

Dylan Vigue continues to solidify himself in Georgia’s rotation.

He’s bounced back and forth as a swing guy, but it looks like he’s locking into that number two starter role. This weekend, he went six innings, allowed just two hits and one run, struck out seven, and walked three against Florida.

On the season, he’s 3-1 with a 2.63 ERA and has allowed just 23 hits in 41 innings. He’s made the transition from the Big Ten to the SEC really well.

13. Ruger Riojas — Texas (↓ from No. 6)

Season: 4-1, 3.40 ERA — 47.2 IP, 41 H, 72K / 11BB
Past Week: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 2 BB, 4 K

Ruger Riojas drops again after a second straight outing where he got hit around a bit.

This weekend, he went five innings, allowed five hits and five runs, walked two, and struck out four. His ERA has now jumped to 3.40 on the year.

Even with that, he still limits base runners overall and continues to profile as an elite Friday night guy for Texas, but this is the first stretch all year where we’ve seen some vulnerability.

14. Tyler Fay — Alabama (↓ from No. 13)

Season: 6-2, 3.79 ERA — 54.2 IP, 36 H, 63K / 14BB
Past Week: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 4 K

Tyler Fay continues to be a very strong number one option for Alabama.

Even in a weekend where they got swept, Fay did his job. He went six innings, allowed just four hits and one run, walked two, and struck out four.

On the season, he’s thrown over 54 innings, allowed just 36 hits, and has a 63-to-14 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He continues to look the part of a Friday night starter.

15. Liam Peterson — Florida (↑ from No. 22)

Season: 1-2, 3.60 ERA, 1.36 WHIP — 45 IP, 36 H, 66K / 25BB
Past Week: 7.0 IP, 8 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 4 K

Liam Peterson had a really nice bounce-back outing this weekend.

In his first Saturday start for Florida against a really good Georgia offense, he went seven innings, scattered eight hits, allowed just one run, and—most importantly—did not walk a batter.

We’ve talked about his command being the biggest factor for him, and this weekend showed exactly what he looks like when he has it. No walks allowed him to go deeper into the game and put Florida in a great position for the weekend.

On the year, he’s 1-2 with a 3.60 ERA and continues to show one of the highest ceilings in the SEC.

16. Aiden Sims — Texas A&M (↓ from No. 8)

Season: 6-0, 3.56 ERA, 1.06 WHIP — 48 IP, 36 H, 51K / 15BB
Past Week: 4.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 3 K

Aiden Sims continues to be Texas A&M’s solid number two starter.

This weekend against a really good Texas team, he did get hit around a bit but limited damage. He went four and two-thirds innings, allowed four hits and three runs, had three strikeouts and two walks.

On the season, though, he’s put together a really strong body of work. He’s 6-0 with a 3.56 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP in 48 innings, allowing just 36 hits with a 51-to-15 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He continues to complement that elite A&M offense perfectly.

17. Landon Mack — Tennessee (↓ from No. 9)

Season: 3-2, 3.75 ERA — 48 IP, 50 H, 64K / 17BB
Past Week: 4.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 6 K

Landon Mack is now the Friday night starter for Tennessee and continues to show why.

He went into Mississippi State this weekend and looked solid. Tennessee clearly had a plan to get through the lineup once or twice with Mack and then go quickly to Appenzeller—and that’s exactly what they did.

Mack did his job. He went four innings, scattered six hits, allowed three runs, didn’t walk a batter, and struck out six in a hostile environment. He set the tone for a series-opening win that led to a sweep.

On the season, he’s 3-2 with a 3.75 ERA in 48 innings with a 64-to-17 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

18. Hunter Elliott — Ole Miss (↑ from No. 20)

Season: 3-1, 3.69 ERA — 46.1 IP, 37 H, 68K / 27BB
Past Week: 6.0 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 8 K

Hunter Elliott put together a really strong outing this weekend against LSU.

After walking the first hitter of the game, he settled in nicely and didn’t walk another batter the rest of the outing. He went six innings, scattered eight hits, allowed two runs, and struck out eight.

He led the charge for Ole Miss in a weekend sweep, and when he’s limiting walks like that, he’s as good as anyone on Friday night.

On the season, he’s 3-1 with a 3.69 ERA in 46 innings, with 68 strikeouts. If he continues to hone in the command, his combination of stuff, experience, and competitiveness makes him one of the toughest matchups in the league.

19. Dylan Volantis — Texas (↓ from No. 12)

Season: (unchanged from prior week — did not pitch)

This is a respect spot for Dylan Volantis.

He didn’t get a chance to start this weekend because Texas’s third game was rained out, but I can’t take him out of the top 25 based on his body of work.

If he had pitched and performed well, he could easily be much higher. He’s been one of the more reliable arms in the SEC all year, and this is more about where I trust him going into the second half.

20. LJ Mercurius — Oklahoma (↑ from No. 23)

Season: 5-4, 4.98 ERA — 43.1 IP, 39 H, 62K / 15BB
Past Week: 6.1 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 13 K

LJ Mercurius bounces back after two really tough outings.

He dominated early this weekend against Vanderbilt, going six and a third innings, allowing five hits and three runs (with some inherited runners scoring), and striking out 13.

The swing-and-miss stuff looked like it did earlier in the year, and this was a start he badly needed.

Even though the bullpen couldn’t hold it, this was a really positive sign for Oklahoma moving forward.

21. Tegan Kuhns — Tennessee (↑ from outside Top 25)

Season: 2-3, 3.77 ERA, 1.13 WHIP — 45 IP, 42 H, 54K / 9BB
Past Week: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 7 K

Tegan Kuhns is back in the rotation for Tennessee and continues to produce.

He had a really solid outing at Mississippi State, going six innings, allowing four hits and two runs, striking out seven, and walking just one.

On the season, he’s 2-3 with a 3.77 ERA, but the 54-to-9 strikeout-to-walk ratio stands out. He continues to look like a top-50 draft prospect with elite upside.

22. William Schmidt — LSU (↓ from No. 11)

Season: 4-3, 3.22 ERA, 1.19 WHIP — 44.1 IP, 35 H, 63K / 18BB
Past Week: 3.2 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 BB, 7 K

William Schmidt struggled a bit at Ole Miss this weekend, but the stuff might have been the best it’s looked all year.

He was consistently 96–98 mph, and his average fastball was up a full tick. But for some reason, he leaned more on the slider than the fastball (see more below), which seemed to put him in some bad counts and led to walks and damage.

He went three and two-thirds innings, allowed four runs, struck out seven, but walked four.

On the season, he’s 4-3 with a 3.22 ERA. The stuff is trending up, but the pitch usage and command will determine how high he climbs in the second half.

23. Zane Adams — Alabama (↓ from No. 17)

Season: 4-2, 4.13 ERA, 1.23 WHIP — 48 IP, 46 H, 52K / 13BB
Past Week: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 4 R (3 ER), 2 BB, 4 K

Zane Adams continues to provide quality starts for Alabama.

He went six innings this weekend, allowed five hits and four runs (three earned), and continues to be a very reliable number two option behind Tyler Fay.

As Alabama pushes toward the postseason, that one-two punch is a big strength.

24. Shane Sdao — Texas A&M (↑ from No. 25)

Season: 3-2, 5.77 ERA — 48.1 IP, 57 H, 58K / 12BB
Past Week: 4.0 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 3 BB, 6 K

Shane Sdao remains in this group because of fit more than pure numbers.

He pitched against Texas this weekend and was solid enough to start the weekend strong. The ERA and hit totals are high, but he throws strikes and gives A&M innings.

With that offense, that matters. He may give up hits, but he doesn’t beat himself with walks, and that’s why he continues to profile as the right Friday night starter for them.

25. Connor Fennell — Vanderbilt (↑ from outside Top 25)

Season: 3-1, 5.15 ERA — 46 H allowed, 67K / 12BB
Past Week: 7.1 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 10 K

Connor Fennell had a really nice bounce-back outing this weekend.

He went seven and a third innings, scattered seven hits, allowed three runs, didn’t walk a batter, and struck out 10. Early in the game, he was going head-to-head with LJ Mercurius in a really strong pitching matchup.

On the season, the ERA is still elevated, but the strikeout-to-walk ratio is excellent. This is the version of Fennell Vanderbilt needs on Friday nights.

Around the League — Notes, Trends & Developing Arms

I don’t even want to call this an “honorable mention” section, because a lot of these guys are either right on the edge of the Top 25 or are playing really important roles on really good teams. So this is more about just giving these arms the recognition they deserve and highlighting what’s going on around the league.

Casan Evans for LSU continues to develop into a legitimate Friday night option for them. I really like the way he’s trending and how he’s growing into that role, giving them someone they can trust in Game 1. My only concern right now is pitching calling/sequencing and maybe a slight drop in velocity, especially the second and third time through the order. Nothing alarming, but something I’m watching closely, and the reason he just missed the Top 25 for me this week.

Josh McDevitt continues to be a solid Game 1 option for Missouri. Obviously, they’re not one of the top teams in the league, but I don’t want his starts to go unnoticed because his body of work this season has been strong and he’s consistently given them a chance.

Evan Blanco is part of what I think is one of the top two or three rotations in the SEC with Tennessee. He might not have the flashiest or most electric stuff, but he’s a competitor, he’s experienced, and he just knows how to pitch. On a lot of other teams, he’s probably a Friday or Saturday guy.

Myles Upchurch had a really nice outing this weekend for Alabama, and his upside is what excites me the most. As a true freshman in this league, he’s handled himself really well, and his numbers and overall body of work for Year 1 are really impressive.

Matt Scott continues to be a really solid option for Georgia. He got the start on Sunday this weekend, and while it wasn’t his best outing, his role and what he means to that pitching staff is important. Georgia continues to mix and match, and he’s a big part of that flexibility.

Brandon Stone has now moved into the number one starting role for South Carolina and had another solid outing this weekend that set the tone for their series sweep. He was really close to landing in the Top 25 for me. His ERA and overall numbers are very strong, and he’s definitely someone I’ll be watching closely going forward.

Cold Notes & Things to Watch

There are also a few situations around the league that we have to talk about, even if they’re not the most fun.

Cam Johnson struggled with command again this weekend and didn’t get out of the first inning. That one is tough for me because I really like him and think his upside is tremendous. But right now, it’s clearly a command—and probably mental—battle when it comes to throwing strikes.

Kentucky’s rotation is becoming a bit of a concern. Ben Cleaver and Nate Harris have been very up and down—Jekyll and Hyde—and it’s hard to know what you’re going to get start to start. That inconsistency is something to monitor as we head into the second half.

Arkansas is doing something really interesting with their pitching staff. Gabe Gackle came out of the bullpen this weekend and picked up two wins, which is a notable shift. At the same time, Cole Gibler started Game 2 and Tate McGuire started Game 3. They swept the series, so clearly it worked—but it’s something to watch in terms of how they continue to deploy their arms.

Florida’s Sunday situation is also worth keeping an eye on. Russell Sandefer had a tough outing this weekend, but his overall body of work has been solid. If he continues to develop, that could stabilize that third spot in their rotation.

And then for Texas, Luke Harrison—who’s been really steady all year—had a tough outing and didn’t make it out of the first inning. Just one of those weekends, but something to note given how consistent he’s been up to this point.

Final Thoughts — The Separation Point

At the halfway point of SEC play, this is where things start to get real.

The numbers matter. The results matter. But more than anything, roles start to solidify.

You start to see who the true Friday night guys are.
Who can go win you a series opener.
Who can stop momentum.
And who you trust when everything is on the line.

At the same time, you also start to see the cracks.

Which rotations have real depth.
Which teams are piecing it together.
Which programs are leaning on swing arms, matchups, and high-leverage bullpen pieces just to get through a weekend.

Because in this league, it’s not just about having one guy.
It’s about getting 27 outs, three different ways.

And that’s what makes the SEC different.

What’s Next

With five weeks in the books and a full sample size now established, the next step is zooming out.

The rest of this week, we’re shifting the focus from individual arms to the bigger picture:

SEC Pitching Staff Power Rankings (1–16)

We’re going to break down:

• Which staffs have true weekend stability

• Which teams are surviving with depth and flexibility

• How bullpens are being deployed in high-leverage situations

• And which programs are best positioned to win series down the stretch

Because at this point in the season, pitching staffs—not just starters—win championships.

And we’re finally at the point where we have enough information to start projecting exactly how that plays out.

Thursday and Friday night across the SEC gave us a little bit of everything — early explosions, bullpen swings, and a few arms starting to separate themselves as real tone-setters heading into the heart of conference play.

With a couple of series already underway Thursday night, the league didn’t ease into the weekend — it jumped right into it.

Here’s how things unfolded.

#16 Oklahoma 5, Vanderbilt 10 (Thursday)

Vanderbilt pulled away late in a really competitive opener.

LJ Mercurius gave Oklahoma a much-needed bounce-back start, but the Commodores chipped away late, scoring one in the sixth, three in the seventh, and five in the eighth to take control.

Connor Fennell continued his strong season, going seven and a third innings, allowing three earned runs while striking out ten to improve to 3–1.

Oklahoma’s bullpen just couldn’t hold the line late.

#16 Oklahoma 13, Vanderbilt 11 (Friday)

This one was chaos from the start.

Oklahoma scored five runs in the top of the first, only for Vanderbilt to answer with eight in the bottom half.

Cam Johnson didn’t make it out of the first inning, walking four of the five batters he faced — a return to the command issues that have shown up at times this season.

Camden Johnson had a massive night for Oklahoma, going 3-for-5 with two home runs and seven RBIs.

South Carolina 5, Missouri 1 (Thursday)

South Carolina 1, Missouri 0 (Friday)

South Carolina quietly handled business to open the weekend.

On Thursday, Brandon Stone set the tone with four strong innings, allowing just one earned run while striking out seven. Patrick Evans led the offense, going 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs.

Then on Friday, it turned into a true pitching clinic.

Amp Phillips dominated, throwing eight shutout innings with 10 strikeouts as South Carolina locked down the series with a 1–0 win.

Florida 8, #4 Georgia 2

One of the more surprising results of the night came in Athens.

Aidan King continued his breakout season, throwing seven and a third innings, allowing just two earned runs with six strikeouts.

Florida jumped out early after two Georgia errors and never really looked back. King was perfect through six innings before Florida broke the game open with a seven-run seventh.

A very controlled road win against one of the hotter teams in the country.

Tennessee 6, #9 Mississippi State 5

Mississippi State has now dropped four straight SEC games at home.

Landon Mack was solid early for the Bulldogs, but Tennessee turned to freshman Cam Appenzeller, who once again looked like a major weapon.

The freshman went five innings, allowing just two runs while striking out eight to improve to 5–0. He continues to show the profile of an elite swingman — a guy who can impact games in multiple roles.

Tomas Valincius continued to look the part of a dominant SEC pitcher, striking out 6 in 6 solid innings, scattering eight hits and three runs, but credit to Tennessee for taking the series opener in from tof 13,000+ fans.

Kentucky 5, #15 Auburn 12

Auburn didn’t waste any time in this one.

They put up six runs in the first, then added two more in both the second and third innings to take full control early.

Jackson Jelkin was hit hard from the jump, and Kentucky never recovered.

Andreas Alvarez improved to 6–1 with another solid outing, going six innings and allowing two earned runs while striking out five. Ethan Bingaman led the offense, going 3-for-3 with three RBIs.

#22 Arkansas 7, #8 Alabama 5

Arkansas flipped this game late.

Alabama held a 3–1 lead heading into the eighth inning before Arkansas erupted for six runs to take control.

Hunter Dietz made his first start of the year, and Gabe Gaeckle came out of the bullpen to pick up the win, throwing an inning while allowing one earned run.

A big late-inning swing in a game that felt like Alabama had under control.

#24 LSU 3, #25 Ole Miss 6

Ole Miss took advantage of late-game execution.

Both teams traded runs early, with Ole Miss holding a 3–2 lead before LSU tied it in the seventh.

But the game turned in the eighth.

LSU’s defense struggled, with the first three Ole Miss hitters reaching without the ball leaving the infield — plays that needed to be made. Ole Miss capitalized, scoring three runs and taking control.

It’s an area that’s shown up before for LSU, and it cost them again here.

Texas A&M 9, Texas 8

The series of the weekend delivered right away.

In Jim Schlossnagle’s return to College Station, the game lived up to the moment.

Ruger Riojas and Shane Sdao both gave their teams solid outings, and the game went back and forth throughout.

Texas A&M ultimately grabbed control late, adding what proved to be a crucial insurance run in the eighth.

Texas made a push in the ninth with back-to-back home runs to make it 9–8, but the Aggies held on.

A high-level, high-energy game that sets the tone for the rest of the series.

Final Thoughts

This is what SEC weekends look like when they get going early.

Late-inning swings, bullpen exposure, and small mistakes turning into big innings. A few arms continue to separate themselves, but just as many games are being decided by execution in the margins.

With multiple series already in motion and momentum starting to build, Saturday becomes a pivotal day across the league.

And if this was just the start, there’s a lot more coming.

We’re getting to the point in the SEC season where things start to become a little more clear.

We’re about halfway through the conference slate after this weekend, and this is where you really start to figure out who’s for real, who’s still figuring it out, and who’s going to be in the mix when it comes to hosting and postseason play.

There are a couple Thursday starts again this weekend, and a lot of really telling matchups across the board.

Here’s how I see it.

#16 Oklahoma at Vanderbilt

This is a big one for me.

I’ve been high on both of these teams at different points this year, but more recently I’ve been leaning Oklahoma — at least until the last couple weeks.

Now I’m starting to have some questions again, especially with LJ Mercurius at the top of the rotation. Cam Johnson has righted the ship the last two weekends, so I’m looking for that to continue, but LJ has had some inconsistencies.

On the other side, Vanderbilt’s offense has been one of the better ones in the league, and with the fences coming in and the way they play at home, that matters. They’ve also won seven of their last SEC games at home in walk-off fashion, so that environment is real.

For me, I need to see Oklahoma go on the road and win a series like this before I’m fully back in on them as a top 10/15 team.

Prediction: Vanderbilt takes the series

South Carolina at Missouri

This is the two basement teams going at it.

Both teams have some upside on the mound, but I think Missouri’s offense is a little better, and playing at home gives them the edge for me.

I do think South Carolina is probably the more talented team overall, and if this series were flipped and played at South Carolina, I might feel differently.

But with it being at Missouri, I lean their way.

Prediction: Missouri takes 2 of 3

Florida at #4 Georgia

This is a really good one.

Florida is coming off a solid midweek win against Florida State after getting beat two out of three at home by Ole Miss. Georgia, on the other hand, swept Mississippi State on the road and then won a 28–3 midweek game.

So Georgia is playing really well right now.

But for some reason, my gut tells me Florida takes this series.

They’re moving Aidan King to the Friday night spot and sliding Liam Peterson to Saturday, and I think that takes some pressure off Peterson and allows him to settle into what he can be.

If Aidan King continues to do what he’s been doing, that gives Florida a real shot to start the weekend strong.

I’ll be anxious to see how Georgia’s starters respond against a Florida team that’s a little banged up but still dangerous.

Prediction: Florida takes the series

Tennessee at #9 Mississippi State

I think this one comes down to offense versus pitching.

Tennessee has the edge in the starting pitching department for me with Landon Mack, Teagan Kuhns, and Evan Blanco. Mississippi State hasn’t fully locked in their rotation yet with McPherson out, although Tomas Valincius and Duke Stone have both been very solid.

After that, there are some question marks, for me.

But Tennessee’s issue is still the offense.

They’re just too inexperienced right now, and Mississippi State is the number three offense in the league.

Coming off getting swept at home last weekend, I don’t see Mississippi State dropping this one.

Prediction: Mississippi State takes at least 2 of 3

#22 Arkansas at #8 Alabama

I’ve been high on Alabama all year, and I still am.

Tyler Fay and Zane Adams give them a really strong one-two punch, and Myles Upchurch gives them a solid Sunday option, even though he’s had some command issues at times.

The offense has started to turn it on lately, and they’re playing good baseball.

On the other side, Arkansas still has some question marks for me offensively outside of Ryder Helfrick. And on the mound, Gabe Gaeckle and Hunter Dietz have big-time upside, but both have been inconsistent.

That inconsistency is what leans me toward Alabama at home.

Prediction: Alabama takes 2 of 3

Kentucky at #15 Auburn

I think Auburn is just going to be too much for Kentucky, especially at home.

Auburn’s starting rotation gives them the edge for me. On the Kentucky side, I still have some questions with Ben Cleaver and Nate Harris.

Jaxon Jelkin gives them a real chance to win game one, but after that it gets tougher.

This feels like a lower-scoring series overall, and I’d probably lean toward the under in most of these games.

But with Auburn at home and the edge on the mound, I think they take it.

Prediction: Auburn takes the series

#24 LSU at #25 Ole Miss

This is a really tough one to pick.

Both teams are very good, but neither has really played up to their full potential yet. So this weekend should tell us a lot about both.

There are real implications here in terms of hosting and positioning, so both teams should be motivated.

I give Ole Miss a slight edge in the starting rotation from a consistency standpoint.

Cade Townsend and Taylor Rabe match the upside of Casan Evans and William Schmidt, and Hunter Elliott brings experience and leadership at the top, even though he’s had some command issues.

If LSU can work counts and get Elliott deep into pitch counts, they could have success early. But overall, due to LSU’s struggles on defense and with walks and ERA, I lean Ole Miss.

Prediction: Ole Miss takes the series

#2 Texas at #18 Texas A&M

This is the series of the weekend.

It’s going to be a great one. A ton of energy, a ton of talent, and a rivalry that always brings something out of both sides.

But I think Texas is just the better team right now.

Texas A&M’s offense has been really good — near the top of the league in just about everything — but I still have some question marks about their pitching staff.

Aiden Sims has been solid, and Shane Sdao throws strikes and has real upside, but when you’re in the zone that much in SEC play, you’re going to give up hits and home runs. And against a Texas lineup like this, that becomes a problem.

Texas can match them from a talent standpoint, and I think they have the edge overall.

Prediction: Texas takes 2 of 3, with sweep potential

Weekend Outlook

This weekend should give us a lot more clarity.

We’re halfway through the SEC slate after this, and this is where you start to separate teams in terms of hosting, postseason positioning, and who’s actually built to sustain it over the long haul.

There’s still some volatility across the league, but after this weekend, we should have a much better idea of where everyone stands.

After four weeks of SEC play, we’re finally starting to get some real clarity.

You can see which teams are separating themselves—and more importantly, how they’re doing it on the mound.

Each week, as we gather more information, it becomes more and more interesting to watch how different coaches utilize their personnel. Some teams are built around traditional weekend starters. Others are mixing and matching, using swing guys, leveraging bullpens, and adjusting based on matchups, schedule, and game flow.

And as the stakes continue to rise, those high-leverage moments become everything.

You’re starting to see coaches deploy their best weapons earlier, in bigger spots, and with more intention—and that’s where games and series are being won.

So this week, we’re narrowing it down again to the Top 25 starting pitchers in the SEC, followed by a notes section and honorable mentions, where we’ll break down:

• Arms just outside the rankings

• Friday night guys who have fallen off

• Swing men and hybrid arms impacting winning teams

• The Georgia situation and how they’re piecing together innings

• And a few high-upside arms still trying to find consistency

Top 25 SEC Starting Pitcher Power Rankings

1. Tomas Valincius — Mississippi State (↑ from No. 2)

Season: 1.15 ERA, 0.83 WHIP — 6-1, 66K / 11BB (47 IP)
Past week: 7.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 10 K

Valincinus takes over the top spot after another dominant outing, even in a weekend where Mississippi State got swept.

Against one of the best offenses in the league in Georgia, he went 7.1 innings, didn’t walk a hitter, and punched out 10. The line speaks for itself, but more importantly, he set the tone in a tough environment and gave his team every chance to win that game.

When you pair that outing with his overall body of work—sub-1.20 ERA, elite WHIP, and a 66-to-11 strikeout-to-walk ratio—it’s hard to argue against him at number one right now.

2. Jake Marciano — Auburn (↑ from No. 5)

Season: 1.29 ERA, 0.68 WHIP — 3-1, 64K / 7BB (48.1 IP)
Past week: 7.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 8 K

Marciano just continues to live in this range every single week.

Another great outing against a really good Arkansas team—seven innings, one run, and complete control of the game. That’s just what he does.

At this point, he’s probably the most steady and reliable starter in the SEC. He doesn’t beat himself, he commands the zone, and his numbers continue to sit at the top of the conference.

3. Andreas Alvarez — Auburn (↑ from No. 14 )

Season: 0.96 ERA, 1.05 WHIP — 5-1, 55K / 12BB (37.2 IP)
Past week: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 10 K

Alvarez makes one of the biggest jumps of the year after his first SEC start—and he didn’t skip a beat.

He set the tone in the Thursday opener against Arkansas, looked electric, and punched out 10. Auburn’s offense gave him run support, but more importantly, he controlled the game from the start.

With mid-90s velocity and a real breaking ball, he adds another legit piece to an already loaded Auburn rotation.

4. Aidan King — Florida (↑ from No. 12)

Season: 1.63 ERA, 1.03 WHIP — 4-2, 41K / 9BB (38.1 IP)
Past week: 7.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 8 K

King makes a big jump after a dominant outing in a tough weekend for Florida.

Seven shutout innings, no walks, and complete control. He continues to be that steady number two piece behind Liam Peterson.

With Peterson’s volatility at times, King’s consistency is extremely valuable for Florida, and he’s been one of the more reliable starters in the SEC all year.

5. Jaxon Jelkin — Kentucky (↓ from No. 4)

Season: 2.96 ERA, 0.99 WHIP — 6-0, 54K / 10BB (48.1 IP)
Past week: 7.0 IP, 8 H, 4 R (3 ER), 1 BB, 10 K

Jelkin continues to be one of the steadiest arms in the league.

Even in a weekend where Kentucky dropped two out of three, he gave them length and punched out 10. The stuff, the body, and the ability to pitch all pass the eye test.

For me, he still profiles like a first-rounder—similar to a Rick Porcello type with how he goes about it.

6. Ruger Riojas — Texas (↓ from No. 1)

Season: 2.74 ERA, 1.05 WHIP — (Record TBD), 68K / 9BB (42.1 IP)
Past week: 3.0 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 2 BB, 4 K

Riojas falls a bit after his first rough outing of the year.

South Carolina came out aggressive, attacked pitches in the zone, and got to him early. He only went three innings, which is uncharacteristic.

That said, the overall body of work still says he’s one of the most dominant arms in the SEC. He’ll have a big test next weekend against Texas A&M to bounce back.

7. Cade Townsend — Ole Miss (↑ from No. 22)

Season: 1.82 ERA, 1.04 WHIP — 2-1, 46K / 7BB (29.1 IP)
Past week: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 6 K

Townsend jumps back up after returning from injury and showing exactly why he belongs here.

Six strong innings, no walks, and complete control. The stuff is really, really good, and now that he’s back in the rotation, he’s going to be a big piece for Ole Miss moving forward.

8. Aiden Sims — Texas A&M (↑ from outside Top 25)

Season: 3.32 ERA, 1.04 WHIP — 6-0, 48K / 13BB (43 IP)
Past week: 7.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 8 K

Sims makes a big jump after a complete game to close out the series against Vanderbilt.

He’s been solid all year, and this weekend he put an exclamation point on it. With that offense behind him, his ability to throw strikes and keep them in games on Sunday is extremely valuable.

9. Landon Mack — Tennessee (↑ from No. 27)

Season: 3.48 ERA, 1.39 WHIP — 3-2, 58K / 17BB (44 IP)
Past week: 7.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 10 K

Mack makes a huge jump after an electric outing against LSU.

At one point, he retired 14 straight hitters and looked completely in control. There were reports he was taken out for health-related reasons, but he could have kept going.

That’s the version of Mack that puts him near the top of this list.

10. Hunter Dietz — Arkansas (↑ from No. 19)

Season: 3.98 ERA, 1.18 WHIP — 2-2, 69K / 14BB (40.1 IP)
Past week: 7.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 11 K

Dietz jumps into the top 10 after a dominant outing against Auburn.

Seven innings, no walks, and 11 strikeouts—and now he leads the SEC in strikeouts.

With Gaeckle struggling a bit, you have to at least start asking the question if Dietz could slide into that Friday role, but either way, he’s been a huge piece for Arkansas.

11. William Schmidt — LSU (↓ from No. 6)

Season: 2.63 ERA, 1.12 WHIP — 4-2, 56K / 14BB (41 IP)
Past week: 5.2 IP, 3 H, 4 R (2 ER), 3 BB, 7 K

Schmidt falls a bit after taking the loss at Tennessee, but overall didn’t pitch bad and continues to trend toward being an elite prospect.

The walks are really the separator right now. If he can limit those, he’ll cut down base runners and continue to climb. Still looks like a high-level number two starter for LSU with big upside.

12. Dylan Volantis — Texas (↓ from No. 8)

Season: 2.01 ERA, 1.07 WHIP — 4-0, 57K / 15BB (44.1 IP)
Past week: 5.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 6 K

Volantis just continues to be very steady in that Sunday role.

In a weekend where Texas didn’t expect to need a deciding game, he stepped up and delivered. He’s been a consistent presence and a leader in that rotation.

13. Tyler Fay — Alabama (↓ from No. 3)

Season: 4.07 ERA, 0.90 WHIP — 6-2, 59K / 12BB (48.1 IP)
Past week: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 7 K

Fay falls a little after giving up some runs, but still did a solid job keeping Alabama in the game.

He continues to lead in multiple statistical categories and remains a strong Friday night presence for a surging Alabama team.

14. Luke Harrison — Texas (↓ from No. 7)

Season: 2.72 ERA, 1.12 WHIP — 4-0, 42K / 16BB (43 IP)
Past week: 5.2 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 5 K

Harrison had another solid outing and continues to be a reliable number two starter for Texas.

In a weekend where they needed a stopper, he stepped in and gave them exactly what they needed.

15. Alex Petrovic — Auburn (unchanged)

Season: 3.12 ERA, 0.97 WHIP — 5-1, 45K / 9BB (40 IP)
Past week: 5.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 4 K

Petrovic continues to give Auburn a solid number three option.

He and Jackson Sanders handled the entire game on Sunday in a pivotal rubber match, which says a lot about how much Auburn trusts him in that role.

16. Joey Volchko — Georgia (↓ from No. 15)

Season: 3.89 ERA, 1.48 WHIP — 6-0, 42K / 19BB (39 IP)
Past week: 5.0 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 3 K

Volchko had a solid outing against a good Mississippi State offense.

He still gives up a few too many base runners, but with Georgia’s offense, his job is to keep them in games—and he continues to do that.

17. Zane Adams — Alabama (↓ from No. 9)

Season: 4.07 ERA, 1.24 WHIP — 3-2, 48K / 11BB (42 IP)
Past week: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 3 BB, 7 K

Adams falls slightly after taking the loss against Oklahoma.

The walks were a little uncharacteristic, but overall, he and Fay still form a strong 1–2 punch for Alabama.

18. Duke Stone — Mississippi State (↓ from No. 17)

Season: 3.50 ERA, 1.25 WHIP — 5-0, 55K / 15BB (36 IP)
Past week: 4.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R (1 ER), 3 BB, 10 K

Stone continues to deal with what I call the “Sunday starter dilemma.”

Still, 10 strikeouts in four innings shows the stuff is real. With McPherson out, he could easily slide into a bigger role moving forward.

19. Casan Evans — LSU (↓ from No. 18)

Season: 4.97 ERA, 1.27 WHIP — 2-1, 59K / 21BB (41.1 IP)
Past week: 5.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 6 K

Evans had a solid outing but didn’t get much run support early.

He’s still very capable, but like we’ve talked about, command and consistency will dictate how high he climbs.

20. Hunter Elliott — Ole Miss (↓ from No. 11)

Season: 3.79 ERA, 1.36 WHIP — 3-1, 60K / 26BB (40 IP)
Past week: 4.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 4 BB, 9 K

Elliott continues to deal with command issues.

The strikeouts are there, but the walks continue to limit him and keep him from going deeper into games.

21. Cam Johnson — Oklahoma (↑ from No. 24)

Season: 2.97 ERA, 1.43 WHIP — 4-1, 52K / 24BB (36 IP)
Past week: 6.1 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 8 K

Johnson looks like he’s starting to right the ship.

Still some walks, but overall a much more controlled outing and a step in the right direction.

22. Liam Peterson — Florida (↓ from No. 13)

Season: 4.03 ERA, 1.40 WHIP — 1-2, 62K / 25BB (38 IP)
Past week: 3.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 7 K

Peterson continues to be one of the highest upside arms in the SEC.

But the command issues and base runners continue to hold him back. When it clicks, he’s elite—but it hasn’t been consistent enough yet.

23. LJ Mercurius — Oklahoma (↓ from No. 10)

Season: 5.11 ERA, 1.30 WHIP — 5-3, 49K / 14BB (37 IP)
Past week: 1.1 IP, 5 H, 7 R, 1 BB, 0 K

Mercurius probably has the biggest fall this week.

It was hard to keep him out of the top 10 even after last weekend, but he followed that up with another rough outing where he couldn’t get out of the second inning. The stuff just doesn’t look as sharp as it did early in the year, and that’s showing up in the results.

If he can get back to what he was early in the season, Oklahoma can regain that elite one-two punch, but right now, he’s searching a bit.

24. Josh McDevitt — Missouri (Previous: Unranked)

Season: 3.66 ERA, 1.27 WHIP — 3-2, 52K / 26BB (39.1 IP)
Past week: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 1 (ER), 3 BB, 7 K

McDevitt jumps into the rankings after helping Missouri take two out of three against Kentucky.

He put them in a really strong position in his start, and with how much Missouri has improved, he’s earned a spot in the top 25 this week.

25. Gabe Gaeckle — Arkansas (↓ from No. 17)

Season: 4.17 ERA, 1.64 WHIP — 3-3, 41K / 19BB (36.1 IP)
Past week: 4.0 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 BB, 3 K

Gaeckle stays in the top 25 because of the upside and the role.

The results haven’t been consistent, but the stuff is still first-round caliber, and he continues to take the ball on Friday nights for Arkansas. There’s still a lot there, but he’s got to find a way to put it all together.

Notes Breakdown

As we move deeper into SEC play, this is where the conversation expands beyond just starting pitchers.

Russell Sandefer

Florida’s Sunday starter has had back-to-back strong outings and had a really nice outing against Ole Miss this weekend. That’s an important development for them moving forward as Walls moves to the pen.

South Carolina Arms

Amp Phillips continues to develop and shows real upside from a draft and professional perspective, while Josh Gunther has shown plenty of good to give them another good arm to compete on weekends.

Reliable Rotation Pieces

Evan Blanco continues to be a solid arm for Tennessee, and had another solid outing against LSU this weekend.
Wyatt Nadeau is putting together a really solid freshman campaign for Vanderbilt.
Cord Rager continues to give Oklahoma a strong true freshman presence in game three.

Friday Night Volatility

Shane Sdao (Texas A&M) and Connor Fennell (Vanderbilt) both have had ups and downs.

They throw strikes and get strikeouts, but they also give up a lot of hits, making them really interesting cases on Friday’s.

Swing / Hybrid Arms

Tegan Kuhns (Tennessee), Dylan Vigue (Georgia), Jackson Sanders (Auburn), Sam Cozart (Texas), and Taylor Rabe (Ole Miss) are all guys that can start, relieve, and impact games in multiple ways — they also have some of the best stuff so on any given night, these guys can be shut down arms.

For example, after being the Saturday starter all year, this weekend Jackson Sanders came in after Alex Petrovic and recorded a save, firing 4 scoreless innings, punching out eight and only allowing one hit.

Last weekend Dylan Vigue started Saturday, didn’t get out of the first inning, and came back out of the bullpen on Sunday. This weekend he started game two and pitched 5.1 innings.

These are some of the most important arms in the league right now.

Georgia Pitching Model

Speaking of Georgia — Caden Aoki, Justin Byrd, and Matt Scott continue to give the Bulldogs flexibility.

They pitch in multiple roles and give Wes Johnson a ton of options depending on how games unfold.

Upside / Development Arms

Myles Upchurch (Alabama) continues to have massive upside but is still developing consistency.

Bounce-Back Candidates

Colin Fisher (Arkansas) and Nate Taylor (Vanderbilt) have had strong outing and tough outings this year but still have opportunity to contribute to their teams on Sunday’s, imo.

Closing Thoughts

This is where the season really starts to take shape.

Not just who has the best arms—but who knows how to use them.

Different programs are showing different identities:

• Traditional rotations

• Hybrid usage

• Bullpen-heavy strategies

• Matchup-based deployment

And as we move into the middle of SEC play, that’s what’s going to separate teams.

Because in this league, it’s not just about having good pitchers.

It’s about knowing when to use them.