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SEC Baseball Tournament 2014: Day Two Schedule and Previews

The journey to the SEC title gets a bit more interesting, as double-elimination play begins and some of the better teams in the conference clash

PodKATT of ATVS

There were a couple of interesting games in Tuesday's first round of the SEC tournament, but there are some very compelling match-ups on the Wednesday slate. Here's a look at what's up:

(6) VANDERBILT COMMODORES (RPI: 6) vs. (3) LSU TIGERS (RPI: 16)
10:30 a.m. ET; SportSouth / ESPN3
Vanderbilt (41-16; .759 OPS; 2.53 ERA)
LSU (40-14; .771 OPS; 2.51 ERA)
If both of these teams play up to their potential -- not necessarily a sure bet in either case -- this could be the best game of the day. Both of the teams need a win to shore up their postseason goals: LSU still has a decent shot at hosting a regional, and Vanderbilt remains in the running for a national seed. Give LSU a slight edge here because of the first-round bye.

(7) ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS (RPI: 41) vs. (2) OLE MISS REBELS (RPI: 13)
30 minutes after Vanderbilt-LSU; SportSouth / ESPN3
Arkansas (36-21; .719 OPS; 2.41 ERA)
Ole Miss (40-16; .790 OPS; 2.73 ERA)
The Hogs continue to play their recent SEC opponents -- this time, it's the Rebels, who took the first two games of a series against the Razorbacks a couple of weeks ago before Arkansas erupted for an 11-1 win in the finale. Arkansas is the kind of team that makes a late run in the SEC tournament and surprises everyone, but it's also the kind of team that loses a series to Auburn. This is the best chance of the tournament so far for a true upset.

(9) KENTUCKY WILDCATS (RPI: 22) vs. (1) FLORIDA GATORS (RPI: 2)
5:30 p.m. ET; CSS / ESPN3
Kentucky (33-22; .859 OPS; 4.04 ERA)
Florida (37-19; .705 OPS; 3.34 ERA)
One of the more intriguing questions in this game, to borrow an old but apt football cliche, is whether Florida shows up to play. The Gators are locked into a national seed and playing in a double-elimination format, which means that Florida has nothing to gain and nothing to lose in this one. If Kentucky can keep the bats going like they did against Alabama, this game could also feature an upset.

(5) MISSISSIPPI ST. BULLDOGS (RPI: 30) vs. (4) SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS (RPI: 8)
30 minutes after Kentucky-Florida; CSS / ESPN3
Mississippi State (36-19; .704 OPS; 2.85 ERA)
South Carolina (42-14; .740 OPS; 2.15 ERA)
Which South Carolina shows up: The one that started the season strong, the one that slumped in the middle of the year or the one that got hot again as the postseason approached? The team that recently back-to-back national championships, or the one that implodes every time it gets to Hoover? The late, 10-inning opener that Mississippi State faced on Tuesday might give the Gamecocks even more of an edge, but don't be surprised if this game is closer than expected.