SEC Friday baseball recap: Cannon dominates MSU, Barco excels again, Auburn evens series with Ole Miss, more

Here's what happened in the first Friday night of conference-only play in the Southeastern Conference.

Jonathan Cannon photo courtesy of the University of Georgia

Cannon blanks Mississippi State

It appears that Georgia pitcher Jonathan Cannon has returned to his best self. Cannon allowed just three hits over eight innings, striking out nine, as Georgia (15-3, 1-0 SEC) walloped Mississippi State, 11-0, on Friday. Cannon now has a 1.83 ERA in a league-leading 34.1 innings. Georgia’s Ben Anderson continued his torrid start with two hits (including a home run) and four RBIs, and Connor Tate also connected for a home run for Georgia (15-3, 1-0).

As for State (11-8 0-1), starter Preston Johnson was fine (six innings, three runs) but the bullpen once again collapsed once his work was done. 

Barco leads Gators to win at Alabama

The early-season Pitcher of the Year leaderboard also has to include Hunter Barco, who threw eight innings and struck out 10 while allowing one run as Florida (14-4, 1-0) won at Tuscaloosa by a 6-4 score. Jud Fabian cranked his seventh home run and catcher BT Riopelle added three hits and a bomb. 

Alabama’s Garrett McMilan (five innings, five runs) had a rough start while Andrew Pinckney added a home run for the Crimson Tide. 

Auburn smashes Ole Miss to even series

Sonny DiChiara smacked his seventh home run and tied Blake Rambusch (four hits) for the team lead with four RBIs, while Kason Howell homered and added three RBIs for Auburn (14-5, 1-1) in a 19-5 victory. Hayden Mullins threw five innings of one-run ball against the powerful Ole Miss lineup. 

Ole Miss’s pitching disappointed, with Derek Diamond (3.1 IP, 5 ER) and Drew McDaniel (2 IP, 6 ER) both having rough nights. Kemp Alderman smacked a solo homer for the Rebels (14-4, 11-1). 

Burns dominates again as Tennessee tops Carolina

Freshman Chase Burns lowered his ERA to 0.68 by firing 6 2/3 innings of one-run, 10-strikeout baseball in an 8-3 win over South Carolina. The Vols (17-1, 1-0), who lead the league with 50 home runs (second-place Florida has 33) got one each from Jorel Ortega, Luc Lipcius, Evan Russell and Cortland Lawson. 

Carolina (10-7, 0-1) got just five hits and starter Noah Hall (5 IP, 4ER, 5 K) wasn’t able to match Burns. 

Noland silences Kentucky’s hot bats

Kentucky (14-5, 0-1) ranks fourth in the league with 166 runs, but Arkansas’s Connor Noland silenced the ‘Cats bats on Friday by throwing 6 1/3 innings of two-run, seven-strikeout baseball in a 6-2 victory for the home team. The Razorbacks (14-3, 1-0) got a homer, three hits and three RBIs from All-American second baseman Robert Moore.

Kentucky starter Cole Stupp (4 IP, 5 R, 1 ER) was un-done by a defense that made three errors. Center fielder John Thrasher led the Wildcats with three hits.

Texas A&M steals a road win at LSU

The Aggies (11-6, 1-0) haven’t hit much, but Dylan Rock and Ryan Targac smacked home runs as Texas A&M won its first road game of the season in a 6-4 win at LSU. 

The Tigers used eight pitchers as starter Ty Floyd went just two innings and allowed one run. Jordan Thompson and Tyler McManus each homered for LSU (14-4, 0-1).

Vandy whacks Missouri, extends winnings streak to 14

Enrique Bradfield hit the first pitch that Missouri starter Spencer Miles threw out of the park as part of a four-hit effort as the Commodores (15-2, 1-0) won their 14th-straight game in a 15-2 rout of Missouri. Starting pitcher Chris McElvain allowed home runs to Luke Mann and Josh Day but otherwise gave up just one other runner (that was a walk) in a six-inning start. 

Miles sat 95-96 in the first inning with his fastball, but the Commodores knocked him around for seven hits and seven runs, all earned.