SEC weekend pitching rotations: Eight teams looking for game three starter

Tyler Ras has led the Crimson Tide to a 6-1 record in SEC openers, tying Vanderbilt for the best mark in SEC openers. Photo courtesy of UA Athletics.

A lot of uncertainties on the mound, as eight teams have yet to name a starting pitcher for the final game of the weekend. Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Georgia, LSU, Ole Miss, Texas A&M and Vanderbilt and undecided about the game three starter. Missouri is doubtful about the starter in both game two and game three at home against Tennessee. Here is a look at this week’s series matchups, along with projected starters.

Auburn at LSU  

Thursday 6:30 p.m. CT (ESPNU); Friday 7 p.m. CT (SECN); Saturday 2 p.m. CT (SECN+)

Auburn Rotation

Game 1: Sr. LHP Jack Owen (1-3, 5.64 ERA)

Game 2: So. RHP Trace Bright (4-4, 7.71 ERA)

Game 3: TBA

LSU Rotation

Game 1: Jr. RHP Landon Marceaux (4-4, 2.15 ERA)

Game 2: Jr. RHP AJ Labas (3-1, 4.22 ERA)

Game 3: TBA

Series Notes: Auburn has the worst SEC home record (1-8) and have lost all three home series to Kentucky (0-3), Miss. State (0-3) and Florida (1-2) … LSU has two series win this season and both came on the road … The Tigers have road series wins at Kentucky and Ole Miss … LSU has won six of the last seven series with Auburn, including three sweeps … Auburn’ last series win over LSU came in 2018 at Plainsman Park.

Florida at Kentucky        

Thursday 7 p.m. ET (SECN); Friday 6:30 p.m. ET (SECN+); Saturday 2 p.m. ET (SECN+)

Florida Rotation

Game 1: So. RHP Franco Aleman (1-2, 5.05 ERA)

Game 2: Jr. RHP Tommy Mace (5-0, 4.35 ERA)

Game 3: Fr. LHP Hunter Barco (7-2, 1.38 ERA) 

Kentucky Rotation

Game 1: So. RHP Cole Stupp (4-4, 4.03 ERA)

Game 2: Sr. RHP Sean Harney (3-0, 3.45 ERA)

Game 3: So. RHP Zack Lee (4-4, 4.47 ERA)

Series Notes: Florida has struggled on the road of late, dropping seven of the last nine SEC road series … The only series wins came at Missouri (2019) and Auburn (2021) in that span … The Gators have lost two of three road series this season … Kentucky has won two of its three home series … The Wildcats have home series wins over Missouri and Alabama … Florida has won three straight series with UK (2017-19) … Prior to that, UK won four straight series from 2013-16 … UF head coach Kevin O’Sullivan is 9-9 against Kentucky in games played in Lexington.

Alabama at Vanderbilt 

Friday 6:30 p.m. CT (SECN+); Saturday 2 p.m. CT (SECN+); Sunday 1 p.m. CT (SECN+)

Alabama Rotation

Game 1: Jr. RHP Tyler Ras (6-1, 4.85 ERA)

Game 2: Jr. RHP Dylan Smith (1-5, 3.20 ERA)

Game 3: TBA

Vanderbilt Rotation

Game 1: So. RHP Kumar Rocker (10-1, 1.70 ERA)

Game 2: So. RHP Jack Leiter (7-2, 2.10 ERA)

Game 3: TBA

Series Notes: The SEC’s two best teams in series openers meet this weekend in Nashville … Alabama and Vanderbilt are both 6-1 in SEC series openers … The Crimson Tide’s lone loss was at home against Ole Miss … UA has won five straight SEC openers … The Commodores lone loss came at home to Georgia … Alabama is 9-3 in last four SEC series and above .500 in league play following week seven of the first time since 2014 … Vanderbilt is 6-6 in its last 12 SEC games, with series losses to Georgia and Florida … Vanderbilt has won four straight series and five of the last six over Alabama … The Crimson Tide has not won a series at Hawkins Field since 2009.

Georgia at Arkansas      

Friday 6:30 p.m. CT (SECN+); Saturday 6 p.m. CT (SECN); Sunday 2 p.m. CT (SECN+)

Georgia Rotation

Game 1: Fr. LHP Liam Sullivan (1-0, 4.74 ERA)

Game 2: So. RHP Jonathan Cannon (2-2, 4.19 ERA)

Game 3: Sr. LHP Ryan Webb (3-3, 3.04 ERA)

Arkansas Rotation

Game 1: Jr. LHP Patrick Wicklander (3-1, 1.89 ERA)

Game 2: So. RHP Peyton Pallette (1-2, 4.02 ERA)

Game 3: TBA

Series Notes: Arkansas has won all seven SEC series, the only team in the league without a series loss … The Razorbacks have won 12 of the last 13 series at Baum Stadium … Arkansas won all six series against SEC Western Division teams and closes the year with three straight series against SEC Eastern Division foes … Georgia has two road series wins (Vanderbilt and Missouri) and is 5-2 in the last seven SEC road games … The Bulldogs dropped a home series to Auburn last week … Arkansas has won four of the last five series with Georgia, including three straight in Fayetteville … Georgia has not won at Baum Stadium since posting back-to-back series wins in 2006 and 2008.

Ole Miss at Texas A&M

Friday 6:30 p.m. CT (SECN+); Saturday 11 a.m. CT (ESPNU); Sunday 1 p.m. CT (ESPNU)

Ole Miss Rotation

Game 1: Jr. RHP Gunnar Hoglund (4-2, 2.47 ERA)

Game 2: Jr. LHP Doug Nikhazy (5-2, 2.09 ERA)

Game 3: TBA

Texas A&M Rotation

Game 1: Sr. LHP Dustin Saenz (5-5, 4.04 ERA)

Game 2: Jr. LHP Chris Weber (1-2, 3.92 ERA)

Game 3: TBA

Series Notes: Ole Miss has won four straight SEC games, including a three-game sweep of South Carolina last week in Oxford … The Rebels opened the season with six straight SEC wins … Ole Miss has won three SEC series (Auburn, Alabama and South Carolina) and all three were sweeps … Texas A&M has lost four straight SEC games and the Aggies are 2-12 in their last 14 SEC games … Ole Miss has won the last three series with Texas A&M.

Mississippi State at South Carolina         

Friday 7 p.m. ET (SECN+); Saturday 4 p.m. ET (SECN+); Sunday 2 p.m. ET (SECN)

Mississippi State Rotation

Game 1: Fr. RHP Christian MacLeod (3-3, 3.49 ERA)

Game 2: Fr. RHP Will Bednar (4-1, 3.14 ERA)

Game 3: Fr. RHP Jackson Fristoe (3-3, 4.97 ERA)

South Carolina Rotation

Game 1: Sr. RHP Brannon Jordan (4-3, 3.42 ERA)

Game 2: Fr. RHP Will Sanders (6-2, 3.38 ERA)

Game 3: Jr. RHP Thomas Farr (2-5, 3.67 ERA)

Series Notes: Perhaps the marquee series of the weekend in the SEC … Mississippi State is one of the hottest teams in the league with a 12-3 mark over the last five weeks … South Carolina wraps up a three-week stretch when they have played the Top 3 teams in the SEC Western Division … The Gamecocks have lost two straight series to Arkansas and Ole Miss … MSU has won the last four series with the Gamecocks … South Carolina won eight of nine series with MSU from 2002-12.

Tennessee at Missouri 

Friday 6:30 p.m. CT (SECN+); Saturday 3 p.m. CT (SECN); Sunday 1 p.m. CT (SECN+)

Tennessee Rotation

Game 1: Jr. RHP Chad Dallas (7-1, 3.71 ERA)

Game 2: Sr. LHP Will Heflin (2-2, 3.88 ERA)

Game 3: Fr. RHP Blade Tidwell (5-2, 4.02 ERA)

Missouri Rotation

Game 1: RSo. RHP Seth Halvorsen (4-2, 6.67 ERA)

Game 2: TBA

Game 3: TBA

Series Notes: Tennessee is enjoying its best SEC start (15-6) since the Todd Helton and R.A. Dickey era in 1995 … The Volunteers are seeking their seventh series victory, a feat that has only happened twice (2001 & 2005) since moving to the 30-game conference schedule in 1996 … UT is also chasing their fourth SEC road series victory this season, something only the 1994 and 2001 teams accomplished since 1992 when the league first expanded. In fact, dating back to the last full season in 2019, UT has won five consecutive conference road series … Missouri is 1-10 in its last 11 SEC games … Missouri has won five straight series with Tennessee, including sweeps in 2016 and 2017 … The five series victories are the most Missouri has over any SEC opponent since it joined the SEC in 2013.