2019 SEC baseball season preview: Top teams, players, predictions

Omaha, NE - JUNE 27: A general view of a baseball on the field prior to game two of the College World Series Championship Series between the Oregon State Beavers and the Arkansas Razorbacks on June 27, 2018 at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images) /

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OMAHA, NE – JUNE 28: Head Coach Dave Van Horn of the Arkansas Razorbacks talks with his team prior to the Division I Men’s Baseball Championship held at TD Ameritrade Park on June 28, 2018 in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos via Getty Images) /

The Contenders

After the Vanderbilt Commodores and LSU Tigers, there are a number of SEC baseball teams who will have a chance to challenge the top two. They might not be in the same tier as the favorites, but they will make plenty of noise and could emerge as the SEC Champs if things go just right for them.

In the SEC East, the Florida Gators have been a perennial Top 5 to Top 10 team the last few seasons and won their first national championship in 2017. They spent most of the season as the number one ranked team in the country before the team was eliminated by Arkansas in the CWS Semifinal.

The Georgia Bulldogs have been slowly establishing themselves as a player in the conference, and the team came close to winning the SEC Championship in 2018. The roster is stacked with big, powerful arms and a solid lineup, and the Bulldogs should be right there with the best of the SEC in 2019 as well.

In the SEC West, there are four additional teams who could challenge the LSU Tigers for the SEC West crown and possibly the overall SEC Championship. There are no easy weekends in this division.

The Mississippi State Bulldogs, Ole Miss Rebels, Arkansas Razorbacks, and Auburn Tigers could all have great seasons. Each team brings back significant contributors from their lineups or pitching staffs. Ole Miss and Arkansas will make lots of noise with lineups loaded with power hitters. Mississippi State (more on them in a moment) and Auburn will use a balanced lineup and strong pitching to carry them through the season.