Favorable SEC Tournament bracket could set Tennessee up for deep run

The Josh Elander era got off to a rocky start, but things are starting to click for the Tennessee baseball program. The Vols have won their last two series, including a big one over No. 4-ranked Texas, where they took the first two games and were in position to sweep before starter Landon Mack was scratched late with arm soreness.

Tennessee baseball sets non-conference milestone with win over Belmont

The Tennessee Vols then followed it up with a series win over Oklahoma, a team the Vols were tied with in the SEC standings. Tennessee is 7-2 in its last nine games, with the only two losses coming in bullpen games during the final game of an SEC series they had already clinched.

Given that, the Tennessee Vols head into the SEC Tournament with a favorable draw based on their seed line. While winning the whole thing won’t be easy, this is a chance for Tennessee to build momentum at the right time of year. A strong run here could not only make noise in the SEC but also improve their positioning heading into the NCAA Tournament.

Tennessee has an easy SEC Tournament draw

First off, Tennessee gets the luxury of opening the SEC Tournament against South Carolina, which finished No. 15 in the conference and is currently on a 12-game losing streak. The Gamecocks fired legendary coach Paul Mainieri, who won a national title at LSU but couldn’t right the ship in Columbia. Tennessee should be able to cruise in this matchup, but it’s baseball and anything can happen.

If Tennessee wins, they would move on to face Arkansas, which is no easy matchup. However, that is still a more favorable draw than Auburn, a team Arkansas was tied with in the conference standings. Josh Elander could also make a very strategic move by starting someone different against South Carolina and saving ace Tegan Kuhns for a potential matchup with Arkansas.

The logic mostly makes sense, but you still have to beat the Gamecocks to advance. However, if Tennessee can’t win that game with Blanco or someone else on the mound, then they probably don’t deserve to move on anyway.

If Tennessee can stay undefeated early in the week, they’ll earn another shot at Texas, a team they’ve already beaten. It won’t be as simple this time, though. Tennessee’s pitching staff won’t be as rested, and Texas will likely counter with its ace. Even so, the Vols have already proven they can hang with and beat the Longhorns.

All in all, if Tennessee finishes 2–1 in the SEC Tournament, that’s a successful week. Winning five games in six days is a tough ask, but this team has been playing well enough that anything feels possible. The bullpen needs more consistency, but we’ve definitely seen teams get hot and make unexpected runs before.

Elander and his team have already proven they can prove the doubters wrong, and hopefully, they can show the rest of the SEC they are a legitimate Omaha threat this weekend.

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