And then there were four. The Vanderbilt Commodores, Tennessee Volunteers, South Carolina Gamecocks, and LSU Tigers will compete on Saturday to determine theโฆ
SEC Baseball Tournament 2024: Friday Scores, Updated Bracket and Schedule
May 24, 2024
HOOVER, AL - MAY 22: Kentucky Wildcats pitcher Travis Smith (33)during the 2024 SEC Baseball Tournament game between the Kentucky Wildcats and the LSU Tigers on May 22, 2024 at the Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama. (Photo by Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The 2024 SEC tournament field whittled down a bit further on Friday, as action continued with a pair of elimination games.
At Hoover Metropolitan Stadium, Kentucky and South Carolina battled for a spot in the semifinals. After the clash between the Wildcats and Gamecocks, top-seeded Tennessee faced off against Mississippi State in the second matchup of the day.
Here's a closer look at the results from each game.
May 24 SEC Tournament Schedule
No. 10 South Carolina 6, No. 3 Kentucky 5
No. 1 Tennessee 6, No. 5 Mississippi State 5
No. 10 South Carolina 6, No. 3 Kentucky 5
The Gamecocks bounced back after a heartbreaking loss to LSU on Thursday night, defeating Kentucky and advancing to the semifinals. Their win over the Wildcats was far from easy, as Friday's game contained several lead changes.
Kentucky jumped out to an early 2-0 advantage in the second inning after a ground ball from Nolan McCarthy bounced over the head of Gamecocks infielder Ethan Petry to score two runs.
— Gamecock Baseball (@GamecockBasebll) May 24, 2024
Kentucky re-took the lead at the top of the fourth inning thanks to a fielding error as well as a bases-loaded walk. However, Wildcats right-handed pitcher Mason Moore wasn't able to keep South Carolina from scoring again.
The Gamecocks started off the bottom of the fifth inning with a game-tying solo shot by infielder Will Tippett before Moore struggled once the bases were loaded. He hit junior Kennedy Jones to bring in a run before walking catcher Dalton Reeves to give South Carolina a 6-4 lead.
The Wildcats put a run on the board in the eighth inning to cut the deficit to one, although South Carolina reliever Matthew Becker secured a victory by pitching a scoreless ninth.
The Gamecocks are now set to face off against LSU once again in the semifinals on Saturday as they look for revenge from their previous clash.
No. 1 Tennessee 6, No. 5 Mississippi State 5
After a hard-fought game, the Volunteers emerged with a narrow victory. First baseman Blake Burke was the hero of the day, going 3-3 with a massive RBI while scoring two of the team's six runs.
Tennessee jumped out to an
early 3-0 lead, although Mississippi State responded with a high-scoring fifth
inning. The Bulldogs put up five runs after a bases-loaded walk as well as RBI singles
from senior Connor Hujsak and sophomore outfielder Dakota Jordan.
— Mississippi State Baseball (@HailStateBB) May 25, 2024
Chaos ensued in the seventh
inning, as the Volunteers tied the game at 5-5 due to a wild sequence of
events. With the bases loaded and one out, catcher Cannon Peebles hit a ground
ball that was scooped up by Mississippi State.
After the first out was made
at second, an errant throw to first base ended the possibility of a double play
and allowed two runs to score.
The Volunteers struck once
again at the top of the eighth inning, when Burke recorded the most pivotal hit
of the night by launching a go-ahead home run.
Tennessee was able to hold
onto the one-run lead and clinch a spot in the semifinals.
ACC Baseball Tournament 2024: Friday Scores, Updated Bracket and Schedule
May 24, 2024
WINSTON SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA - APRIL 19: Max Williams #18 of the Florida State Seminoles makes a swing against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at David F. Couch Ballpark on April 19, 2024 in Winston Salem, North Carolina. (Photo by Isaiah Vazquez/Getty Images)
Pool play is officially over in the ACC Tournament, and four teams are set to advance to the semifinal round.
None of the top four seeds remain in contention, and some represented in the final field of four will be playing to survive and reach the NCAA Tournament.
Here's a look at the day's action.
2024 ACC Tournament Pools
Pool A: No. 1 North Carolina, No. 8 Wake Forest, No. 12 Pitt
Virginia took the first lead of the game in the bottom of the third but Florida State put up two runs in the fourth and fifth innings to take a 4-1 lead. A Griff O'Ferrall home run would make it 4-2 in the sixth, but the Seminoles put up seven in the top of the seventh to hold an 11-2 lead.
Virginia would get five back in the bottom of the inning, but an additional Seminole run in the eighth would give the game it's final score.
James Tibbs had two hits, including a home run, and five overall RBIs to lead Florida State. Alex Lodise and Drew Faurot each contributed three hits and an RBI as well.
Clemson 8, Louisville 7
The second game of the day had little implications on the tournament, but that doesn't mean it wasn't a classic.
Miami had already defeated both Clemson and Louisville and had claimed Pool B, so the final matchup was simply for positioning within the College World Series landscape. A win for Louisville would help the team's chances of qualifying, while a win for Clemson could solidify the team's status as a top seed in the tournament.
— Clemson Baseball (@ClemsonBaseball) May 24, 2024
Louisville could not have gotten off to a better start. The Cardinals scored six runs across the first four innings to take a 6-0 lead. That's where the Tigers began to Chip away, eventually cutting the deficit to 6-4.
Louisville would add a run in the top of the seventh, but Clemson delivered a dagger when Jimmy Obertop smashed a three-run home run to tie the game at seven.
TIE BALLGAME!!!!!!!@jobertop_4 belts a three-run homer to even it up!
— Clemson Baseball (@ClemsonBaseball) May 24, 2024
Louisville would not muster a run in the top of the ninth, and Clemson eventually walked off via a bases-loaded walk to Overtop in the bottom of the inning.
Wake Forest 9, North Carolina 8 (12)
Nine innings wasn't going to be enough to determine the winner between Wake Forest and North Carolina.
The Demon Deacons advanced after a four-run explosion in the top of the 12th, pulling the upset over the top-seeded Tar Heels and earning a spot in the semifinals.
— Wake Forest Baseball (@WakeBaseball) May 25, 2024
The Demon Deacons went up 4-0 and were riding high off of a stellar performance from ace pitcher Chase Burns. The ACC Pitcher of the Year went six innings, scattering six hits with zero runs and striking out 15 Tar Heels.
When he exited before the seventh inning, it felt like the Tar Heels had an opening. North Carolina scored three in the bottom of the seventh and two in the eighth to take a 5-4 lead and were just three outs away from a win.
With a runner on first, two outs and a 3-2 count in the bottom of the ninth, Wake Forest's Nick Kurtz wasn't ready to go home.
— Wake Forest Baseball (@WakeBaseball) May 25, 2024
Neither team would score in the first two extra innings before the four-run onslaught in the 12th from Wake Forest.
SEC Baseball Tournament 2024: Friday Schedule and Bracket Predictions
May 24, 2024
LEXINGTON, KY - APRIL 20: Tennessee outfielder Dylan Dreiling (8) connects for a home run in a game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Kentucky Wildcats on April 20, 2024, at Kentucky Proud Park in Lexington, KY. (Photo by Jeff Moreland/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The SEC baseball tournament field will be trimmed from six teams to four on Friday.
Only two elimination games will take place inside Hoover Metropolitan Stadium to set up Saturday's semifinals.
The Kentucky Wildcats and South Carolina Gamecocks face off in Friday's opening game. A rematch for either team against the LSU Tigers awaits the winner of that contest.
The top-seeded Tennessee Volunteers square off with the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the second contest. The victor of that contest gets another shot at the Vanderbilt Commodores.
Friday SEC Tournament Schedule
No. 10 South Carolina vs. No. 3 Kentucky (4 p.m. ET, SEC Network)
No. 5 Mississippi State vs. No. 1 Tennessee (7:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network)
Preview
Kentucky and Tennessee come into Friday with distinct advantages in the pitching matchups.
The pair of top-four seeds have only played two games in Hoover and they have more available arms to choose from.
South Carolina and Mississippi State are each on their fourth game in four days. They both might use patchwork pitching plans to get through Friday.
South Carolina used five pitchers in its 11-10 loss to LSU on Thursday night and it faces a quicker turnaround to 4 p.m. ET for its matchup with Kentucky.
The Gamecocks won the regular-season series with the Wildcats, but that was in a normally structured weekend.
Kentucky has had one reliever throw three or more innings in a single appearance in Hoover. That should help set up its pitching structure for the elimination game battle with South Carolina.
Although Kentucky lost the season series to South Carolina, it put up 15 runs in the game that it won on April 27. A similar performance at the plate is possible if the Gamecocks trot out some tired arms.
South Carolina scored 10 runs in two of its three SEC tournament games, so the opener in Hoover might be set for a ton of offensive fireworks.
The same can't be said about the second game since Mississippi State has been involved in three games with eight runs or fewer in Hoover.
The Bulldogs will likely go with an all-hands-on-deck pitching approach after they got at least five innings out of their three starters in the first three games.
Playing four games in four days is never an ideal situation, but Mississippi State is at least in a better spot than South Carolina to mix and match its arms because of how well the starters pitched.
The Bulldogs are going to need some standout performances on the mound to slow down Tennessee's offense.
The Volunteers scored 11 runs across two games in Hoover and they scored at least seven runs in four of their last six contests.
Tennessee's talent at the plate could shine through and take advantage of a Mississippi State team without its top starting arms available.
Friday's two winners move on to the semifinal round, where the tournament reverts back to single elimination. The two semifinal victors meet in Sunday's championship game.
Predictions
Kentucky over South Carolina
Tennessee over Mississippi State
SEC Baseball Tournament 2024: Thursday Scores, Updated Bracket and Schedule
May 23, 2024
LEXINGTON, KY - APRIL 20: Tennessee pitcher Drew Beam (32) in a game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Kentucky Wildcats on April 20, 2024, at Kentucky Proud Park in Lexington, KY. (Photo by Jeff Moreland/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The 2024 SEC tournament continued Thursday, as teams looked to keep their hopes of a conference title and tournament berth alive.
Tennessee, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt and Mississippi State were all playing for spots in the semifinals, while Kentucky, Arkansas, South Carolina and LSU were hoping to keep their dreams alive.
Here is a look at how each of the four games played out.
May 23 SEC Tournament Schedule
No. 3 Kentucky 9, No. 5 Arkansas 6
No. 1 Tennessee 7, No. 4 Texas A&M 4
No. 11 LSU 11, No. 10 South Carolina 10
No. 8 Vanderbilt 4, No. 4 Mississippi State 3
No. 8 Vanderbilt 4, No. 4 Mississippi State 3
It apparently doesn't matter what Vanderbilt does in the regular season because all the team does is win in the SEC tournament.
The Commodores are now 3-0 in this year's tournament after holding on for a 4-3 victory against Mississippi State.
Vandy jumped out to a 3-0 lead after five innings thanks to Davis Diaz's two-run single in the third and JD Rogers' run on a wild pitch in the fifth.
Calvin Hewett extended the lead to 4-1 with an RBI single in the top of the seventh. JD Thompson was fantastic on the mound, allowing one run with eight strikeouts in six innings for Vanderbilt.
The Bulldogs made things interesting with two runs off Ryan Ginther in the bottom of the ninth. He was able to escape the jam by getting Logan Kohler to groundout to second.
Ryan Waldschmidt hit two home runs and drove in three runs to lead Kentucky to a 9-6 victory over Arkansas.
The Wildcats came into Thursday with a 22-inning scoreless drought in the SEC Tournament and wasted no time breaking that streak, scoring two runs in the first inning off Arkansas ace Hagen Smith.
The Razorbacks pulled Smith after just two innings in favor of Gage Wood, and he did not fare any better. Wood gave up homers to Ryan Nicholson in the fourth and to Waldschmidt in the fifth as part of a three-run inning.
Kentucky starter Trey Pooser went five scoreless innings, allowing three hits and striking out three. Arkansas attempted to respond with a four-run sixth inning after Pooser was pulled, but it was to no avail.
Kentucky extended its lead one more time with a three-run seventh, as Waldschmidt hit a two-run homer and Mitchell Daly knocked in a sacrifice fly.
Texas A&M got on the board first and last, but it was not enough.
Kavares Tears drove in four runs and Christian Moore had three hits, pushing Tennessee to a 7-4 win over Texas A&M.
Chris Stamos, AJ Causey and Kirby Connell combined to give up nine hits over their nine innings of work. Causey struck out seven batters over 4.1 innings of work but was responsible for two of the four runs.
Gavin Grahovac went yard twice for Texas A&M in the losing effort. Ryan Prager and Brock Peery gave up a combined two runs over 3.2 innings of work, but the floodgates opened Tanner Jones and Josh Stewart entered the game.
The Texas A&M defense also did not help matters, committing three errors.
There was no shortage of offense as LSU topped South Carolina.
The Gamecocks took a comfortable 5-1 lead after a five-run third inning, but the Tigers quickly responded with a four-run inning in the fourth to even things up. South Carolina used another big offensive inning in the sixth to go up 10-7, leaving LSU with plenty of work to do in the late stages of the game.
The Tigers cut into the deficit in the eighth before taking the lead in the top of the ninth thanks to a sac fly from Alex Milazzo followed by an RBI single from Michael Braswell.
After LSU took the lead, it held strong on defense to keep South Carolina from answering.
The Gamecocks will now face Kentucky on Friday while the Tigers will await the winner of that matchup on Saturday.
ACC Baseball Tournament 2024: Thursday Scores, Updated Bracket and Schedule
May 23, 2024
CORAL GABLES, FL - MAY 04: Miami left-handed pitcher Myles Caba (40) pitches in relief in the eighth inning as the Miami Hurricanes faced the BYU Cougars on May 4, 2024, at Mark Light Field at Alex Rodriguez Park in Coral Gables, Florida. (Photo by Samuel Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The 2024 ACC Tournament continued on Thursday with a trio of pivotal games, as spots in the semifinals were on the line in two of the matchups at Truist Field in Charlotte.
Let's take a look at how things played out.
2024 ACC Tournament Pools
Pool A: No. 1 North Carolina, No. 8 Wake Forest, No. 12 Pitt
2024 ACC Tournament Results - Thursday, May 23 (Pool Play)
No. 11 Miami def. No. 2 Clemson, 8-7
No. 1 North Carolina def. No. 12 Pitt, 12-2
No. 6 Duke def. No. 3 NC State, 8-1
Friday, May 24 (Pool Play)
No. 4 Virginia vs. No. 5 Florida State (11 a.m. ET)
No. 2 Clemson vs. No. 7 Louisville (3 p.m. ET)
No. 1 North Carolina vs. No. 8 Wake Forest (7 p.m. ET)
Saturday, May 25 (Semifinals)
Pool A winner vs. Pool D winner (1 p.m. ET)
No. 11 Miami vs. No. 6 Duke (5 p.m. ET)
Sunday, May 26 (Championship)
Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner (12 p.m. ET)
Miami 8, Clemson 7
The day started in dramatic fashion, as Miami held on to earn a one-run win over reigning tournament champion Clemson and advance to the semifinals for the second straight year. At No. 11, Miami is the lowest seed ever to knock off the defending tournament champion.
The Hurricanes built a big lead with a five-run second inning, but the No. 3 nationally-ranked Tigers wouldn't go down so easily. Clemson cut the lead to one in the eighth inning, but Miami freshman outfielder Jake Kulikowski hit a pinch-hit home run in the bottom half of the frame to give the team a two-run lead heading into the ninth.
— Miami Hurricanes Baseball (@CanesBaseball) May 23, 2024
After Clemson left fielder Tristan Bissetta hit a solo home run in the ninth to cut the lead to one, Miami left fielder Edgardo Villegas stopped the rally by making a leaping catch at the wall to preserve the victory.
Miami got a quality start out of Gage Ziehl, who pitched six innings and allowed six hits, three runs (2 ER) and three walks with four strikeouts. Myles Caba recorded the final six outs to secure the win.
The Hurricanes will meet the winner of No. 3 NC State vs. No. 6 Duke in the semifinals on Saturday.
North Carolina 12, Pitt 2
The top-seeded Tar Heels showed why they're the favorites to win an ACC championship by opening their tournament with an incredible power display to defeat No. 12 Pitt. North Carolina will look to punch its ticket to the semifinals on Friday against No. 8 Wake Forest, which defeated Pitt 8-1 on Wednesday.
The Tar Heels were chomping at the bit after having the first two days of the tournament off. The first four hitters in North Carolina's lineup each hit home runs in the first inning to set the tone for the team's big day.
With the early lead, Tar Heels starter Jason DeCaro settled in and pitched a strong game while fireworks continued for North Carolina. DeCaro pitched seven innings and struck out six batters while allowing five hits and two earned runs. Casey Cook added a two-run home run in the sixth and Anthony Donofrio tacked on a three-run blast in the ninth.
North Carolina appears to be in top form, so Wake Forest could be in for a long day when the two teams meet on the diamond on Friday.
Duke 8, NC State 1
The second upset of the day occurred on Thursday night, as the No. 6 seed Blue Devils secured a dominant victory over No. 3 NC State. The result was far from decided at the beginning of the game, as it took over four innings until the first run was scored.
Freshman outfielder Chase Krewson opened up the scoring with a solo home run at the top of the fifth inning before a grand slam from second baseman Zac Morris gave Duke a quick 5-0 lead.
Left-hander Andrew Healy helped keep the Wolfpack off the board, striking out four batters in five innings of work without allowing a run. The Blue Devils were able to build up an impressive 8-0 advantage before NC State scored the team's sole run of the game in the bottom of the ninth inning.
Duke will now face off against Miami in the second semifinal game on Saturday.
SEC Baseball Tournament 2024: Thursday Schedule and Bracket Predictions
May 23, 2024
LEXINGTON, KY - MAY 18: Vanderbilt utility RJ Austin (42) in a game between the Vanderbilt Commodores and the Kentucky Wildcats on May 18, 2024, at Kentucky Proud Park in Lexington, KY. (Photo by Jeff Moreland/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The overall depth of SEC baseball has been on display in Hoover, Alabama.
All of the top four seeds lost in the first day of double-elimination play on Wednesday.
Those results set up what should be a fantastic Thursday of baseball at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium that starts with a matchup between the Kentucky Wildcats and Arkansas Razorbacks.
They were two of the three best teams in the SEC during the regular season, but one of them will not make it past Thursday in the tournament.
The top-seeded Tennessee Volunteers need a win as well to stay alive. They face the fourth-seeded Texas A&M Aggies.
The best team in Hoover so far has been the 11th-seeded LSU Tigers, who have started to get hot just a week before their national title defense begins.
SEC Tournament Thursday Schedule
No. 3 Kentucky vs. No. 2 Arkansas (10:30 a.m. ET)
No. 4 Texas A&M vs. No. 1 Tennessee (2 p.m. ET)
No. 11 LSU vs. No. 10 South Carolina (5:30 p.m. ET)
No. 8 Vanderbilt vs. No. 5 Mississippi State (9 p.m. ET)
Preview
Thursday's first two games could produce some of the best baseball we have seen in the SEC all season.
The top four teams in the conference will square off to stay alive in the competition. The Kentucky-Arkansas and Texas A&M-Tennessee winners face the LSU-South Carolina and Vanderbilt-Mississippi State losers on Friday.
Kentucky had the most concerning performance of the top four seeds on Wednesday, as it lost 11-0 to LSU.
The Wildcats generated little offense and their pitching was exposed by the Tigers' bats.
Arkansas, Tennessee and Texas A&M combined to score 12 runs between them, so they can all at least make a case that some positives occurred on Wednesday.
Kentucky allowed a double-digit run total in each of its last three losses. That is a troubling trend with the postseason on the horizon.
Arkansas has some concerns of its own, as it dropped six of its last nine games, a run that started on May 4 with a loss to Kentucky. The Wildcats won the regular-season series over the Razorbacks.
If Arkansas' bats have a strong day, it should get the team back on track not just in Hoover, but also for regional weekend of the NCAA baseball tournament.
Tennessee and Texas A&M did not meet in the regular season. The Vols are expected to come out of that game after a tough loss in a rivalry game to Vanderbilt.
The Vols have not lost consecutive games since March 16 and 17 against Alabama, while the Aggies have dropped four of their last seven.
LSU should be considered the team to beat in the winners' bracket if it plays the same brand of baseball it did in the first two days in Hoover.
The Tigers stormed past Georgia and Kentucky thanks to 20 runs from their offense. A similar fate could await South Carolina on Thursday.
The Gamecocks turned things around in Hoover after a six-game losing streak to end the regular season. They were swept by Georgia and Tennessee and conceded eight or more runs in five of those games. LSU's offense can take advantage of a pitching staff that is now a little worn down after two days of tournament baseball.
Vanderbilt and Mississippi State each reached the winners' bracket by holding two opponents to four runs or fewer.
The nightcap should be another low-scoring affair that could be decided by one or two key hits.
Mississippi State showed a flair for the dramatic in both of its wins, and if the game with Vandy is close late in the game, the Bulldogs could make it three late wins in a row.
Predictions
Arkansas over Kentucky
Tennessee over Texas A&M
LSU over South Carolina
Mississippi State over Vanderbilt
ACC Baseball Tournament 2024: Wednesday Scores, Updated Bracket and Schedule
May 22, 2024
LAWRENCEVILLE, GA - MARCH 03: Georgia Tech infielder Mike Becchetti (0) leads off third base during the men's college baseball game between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on March 03, 2024 at Coolray Field in Lawrenceville, GA. (Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The second day of pool play at the 2024 ACC baseball tournament featured three games, including two of the top four seeds in action.
Tuesday was a high-scoring day in Charlotte, North Carolina. All three games saw a combined 13 runs scored, highlighted by Florida State's 12-9 win over Georgia Tech.
Here are the results from Wednesday's tripleheader, as well as the updated pool standings.
2024 ACC Baseball Tournament Results - Wednesday, May 22
Pool C: No. 6 Duke (1-0), No. 3 North Carolina State (1-0), No. 11 Virginia Tech (0-2)
Pool D: No. 4 Virginia (1-0), No. 5 Florida State (1-0), No. 9 Georgia Tech (0-2)
No. 8 Wake Forest def. No. 12 Pittsburgh, 8-1
Wake Forest used eight hits and seven walks to cruise to a comfortable 8-1 victory over Pittsburgh.
The Demon Deacons scored twice in the first inning and three times in the second to chase Pitt starter Aidan Coleman from the game after recording just four outs.
Jake Reinisch got the scoring started with a two-run homer in the bottom of the first. Marek Houston did his teammate one better by hitting a three-run shot in the second inning.
Cameron Gill also had a solo homer for Wake in the sixth inning. That run support was more than enough for the Demon Deacons' pitching staff. David Falco Jr. struck out five of the 12 batters he faced over two innings to start the game.
— Wake Forest Baseball (@WakeBaseball) May 22, 2024
Six relievers combined to allow one hit over the final seven innings. The seven walks allowed by Pittsburgh's staff led to a lot of traffic on the bases throughout the game. All five pitchers who took the mound allowed at least one free pass.
Pitt will be back in action on Thursday taking on top-seed North Carolina at 3 p.m. ET. Wake Forest is off tomorrow before getting a showdown with the Tar Heels on Friday at 7 p.m. ET.
After a scoreless first innings, Virginia proceeded to score in each of the next five innings en route to an easy 13-0 win over Georgia Tech.
Harrison Didawick got the scoring started in the top of the second with a two-run homer. Griff O'Ferrall and Henry Ford followed with RBI singles in the inning to make it a 4-0 game.
Henry Godbout and Casey Saucke also hit homers for the Cavaliers. Saucke had a four RBI day thanks to his two-run homer and a bases-loaded double in the fifth that drove in two runs.
๐ง๐๐ฅ๐๐-๐ฆ๐ง๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐ง games with a Saucke ๐ฃ
Virginia knocked out 16 hits against six different Georgia Tech pitchers. All nine starters for the Cavaliers had at least one hit. Yellow Jackets starter Aeden Finateri only managed to get four outs before being removed after 1.1 innings.
Evan Blanco tossed six shutout innings in the win. The left-handed sophomore allowed five hits and struck out three. This was his first scoreless start of at least six innings all season.
Virginia is off tomorrow before taking on Florida State in a game that will determine the winner of Pool D. Georgia Tech's tournament has come to an end, but its season will likely continue when the NCAA tournament field is announced.
D1Baseball.com has the Yellow Jackets as a No. 3 seed in the Knoxville Regional in its most recent projections.
No. 3 North Carolina State def. No. 10 Virginia Tech, 19-9 (8 innings)
Spotting your opponent 10 runs is typically a recipe for defeat, and that formula was unsurprisingly disastrous for Virginia Tech on Wednesday night.
The Hokies trailed 10-0 heading into the bottom of the fourth and that was the same margin by which they lost after eight innings.
The first six batters in North Carolina State's lineup all had at least two RBI. Wolfpack hitters combined to go 13-for-27 with runners on and 11-for-21 with runners in scoring position.
Alex Sosa was one of the standout performers. He hit a three-run home run in the third, recorded an RBI single in the fourth, and brough a run home with a fielder's choice in the sixth.
Alec Makarewicz was also a perfect 4-for-4 with four RBI, and Garrett Pennington accounted for three of NC State's six doubles.
Virginia Tech's Gehrig Ebel had quite the showing in a losing effort. He drove three runs with a pair of doubles and a solo home run in the fourth.
SEC Baseball Tournament 2024: Wednesday Schedule and Bracket Predictions
May 22, 2024
FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS - MARCH 30: Gage Jump #23 of the LSU Tigers throws to first base during the game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Baum-Walker Stadium at George Cole Field on March 30, 2024 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The Razorbacks defeated the Tigers 7-5. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
The double-elimination stage of the 2024 SEC baseball tournament begins on Wednesday.
A pair of double-digit seeds made it into the final eight with wins from Tuesday's single-elimination matchups.
The No. 11 seed LSU Tigers and No. 10 seed South Carolina Gamecocks will try to carry the momentum into the winners' bracket with victories on Wednesday afternoon in Hoover, Alabama.
However, achieving that task will be tough since the Arkansas Razorbacks and Kentucky Wildcats were two of the best teams in the SEC throughout the regular season.
The top-seeded Tennessee Volunteers headline the two-game night session. The Vols' battle with in-state rival and perennial power Vanderbilt Commodores has the potential to bring the biggest crowd to Hoover Metropolitan Stadium.
Wednesday Schedule
No. 11 LSU vs. No. 3 Kentucky (10:30 a.m. ET)
No. 10 South Carolina vs. No. 2 Arkansas (2 p.m. ET)
No. 8 Vanderbilt vs. No. 1 Tennessee (5:30 p.m. ET)
No. 5 Mississippi State vs. No. 4 Texas A&M (9 p.m. ET)
All games televised on the SEC Network and live-streamed on the ESPN app.
Preview
The Tennessee-Vanderbilt battle has two terrific lead-in matchups to it in Hoover on Wednesday.
LSU knocked the Georgia Bulldogs in the first game of the SEC tournament on Tuesday to essentially lock up its spot in the NCAA baseball tournament.
The Tigers entered Tuesday on the right side of the bubble in most bracket projections. A win over Georgia should be more than enough to put them into the field of 64.
LSU faces a 39-12 Kentucky team that has had some tremendous offensive performances in its recent wins.
The Wildcats hit the double-digit run mark in four of their six wins in May. They scored 31 total runs in the final regular-season series against Vandy.
LSU is riding a four-game winning streak in which it held opponents to a total of seven runs, so it does have a recipe to slow down Kentucky's bats.
South Carolina used a 10-run outbreak versus the Alabama Crimson Tide to end a six-game losing streak. The Gamecocks have to try and find a way to keep that offensive momentum up against Arkansas.
The Razorbacks outscored the Gamecocks 17-10 during their three-game set in mid-April. Since then, Arkansas' results have been mixed. It lost series to Kentucky and the Texas A&M Aggies and lost at least one game versus the Florida Gators and Mississippi State Bulldogs.
Those results could be more indicative of the overall quality spread across the SEC and how hard it is to win in the conference more than the Razorbacks' form.
Tennessee was one of the more consistent sides in college baseball all season. The Vols won eight of their last nine games and scored at least six runs in seven of those victories.
The Vols recently took two of three games from Vanderbilt in Nashville. Vandy lost each of its last four regular-season series in SEC play.
The Commodores have some momentum from their Tuesday win over Florida, but Tennessee has been hard to beat, as it proved two weeks ago in Nashville. The Vols may be too good at their best for Vandy to beat in another rivalry battle.
The nightcap between Mississippi State and Texas A&M is a rematch of a low-scoring series from March in which there were 22 total runs.
Mississippi State needed a late rally just to beat the Ole Miss Rebels and get into the quarterfinals.
A&M's pitching staff held opponents to four runs or fewer in each of its last five wins. The Bulldogs failed to score more than four runs in three of their last four games.
That could lead to the No. 4-versus-No. 5 battle being the lowest-scoring game on Wednesday's slate.
Wednesday's winners move on to the winners' bracket, while the losers face each other in elimination games on Thursday.
Predictions
LSU over Kentucky
Arkansas over South Carolina
Tennessee over Vanderbilt
Texas A&M over Mississippi State
ACC Baseball Tournament 2024: Tuesday Scores, Updated Bracket and Schedule
May 21, 2024
CORAL GABLES, FL - APRIL 21: Miami infielder Daniel Cuvet (14) rounds the bases after hitting a three-run home run in the sixth inning as the Miami Hurricanes faced the Louisville Cardinals on April 21, 2024, at Mark Light Field at Alex Rodriguez Park in Coral Gables, Florida. (Photo by Samuel Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The 2024 ACC baseball tournament officially got underway on Tuesday with a set of three games in Charlotte.
Unlike most NCAA baseball tournaments, the ACC tourney doesn't use a double-elimination format. Instead, the teams are divided into four groups of three for round-robin pool play, with the winners from each pool advancing to the semifinals on Saturday.
Here's a look at how things started in Tuesday's tournament openers and the upcoming schedule.
2024 ACC Tournament Pools
Pool A: No. 1 North Carolina, No. 8 Wake Forest, No. 12 Pitt
All games televised on ACC Network and live-streamed on the ESPN app.
Miami 8, Louisville 5
Miami has to stave off a tough battle from Louisville, but the Hurricanes emerged victorious to start their ACC tournament on a positive note.
Miami third baseman Daniel Cuvet got the team off to a strong start with a three-run blast in the first inning. When Louisville scratched across a couple of runs in the third and fifth innings, right fielder Lucas Costello provided some separation with a solo homer in the sixth.
The Cardinals refused to go down quietly and cut the deficit to 5-3, but Cuvet came up big once again in the seventh inning with another three-run homer, giving him six RBI on the day.
Louisville made Miami sweat a little with two runs in the ninth inning, but Hurricanes reliever Myles Caba managed to close things out.
Miami will get to relax as it awaits its next matchup on Thursday against No. 2 Clemson.
Florida State 12, Georgia Tech 9
Florida State staved off a hard-charging Georgia Tech team to open the tournament with a victory.
The Seminoles relied on the long ball to build an insurmountable lead. Designated hitter Marco Dinges got things started with a two-run home run in the first inning. First baseman Daniel Cantu, second baseman Drew Faurot and left fielder Jaime Ferrer each added two-run blasts of their own to give Florida State an 8-1 lead after the fifth inning.
Georgia Tech used a five-run seventh to get back into the game and create some jitters on the other side of the diamond. However, the Seminoles responded with four runs in the eighth inning to put the game away. The Yellow Jackets plated three in the ninth but couldn't complete the comeback.
It can be expected that Florida State will take advantage of having the next two days off so the players can build their power back up for Friday's matchup against Virginia.
Duke 11, Virginia Tech 8
An early deficit was small potatoes for Duke on Tuesday.
Despite finding themselves in a 5-0 hole after the top of the second inning against Virginia Tech, the Blue Devils roared back, scoring six runs in the bottom of the third alone to win their Pool C opener, 11-8.
Zac Morris blasted two home runs in the victory, notching five RBI in the process, while both Logan Bravo and Chase Krewson added two RBI apiece.
This was a rough day for the pitchersโDuke cycled through six of them, while Virginia Tech blew through seven in the loss. Five of the Hokies' seven pitchers gave up a run.
Duke is now a win away from advancing to the semifinals and will face NC State on Thursday. Virginia Tech cannot advance to the semis regardless of its result against NC State on Wednesday.
