Sunday Recap

With four games on the docket, SEC softball was a bit quiet on Sunday. But the action wound up being pretty darn loud, all things considered.

Tennessee picked up a huge win over top-ranked Florida, and while the Gators’ standing hasn’t changed (they clinched the SEC Championship on Saturday), UT certainly did nothing but help themselves for seeding purposes with the looming SEC Tournament approaching. The win keeps them at fourth in the standings and puts them in a tie in the loss column with Auburn after their win (more on that later) and one game back of Texas A&M with their loss (more on THAT later too). At 42-8, the Vols have proved nothing but successful, and while this win was inconsequential with regards to Florida, it does carry some confidence with them as they face the Aggies this weekend in the final series of the year.

Speaking of which, the Ags took a bit of a hit by dropping their second in a row to Kentucky. The series loss to the Wildcats puts them in a bind as Auburn and Tennessee are now breathing down their necks with one series left to go. Slip-ups this weekend to the Volunteers could send them down a few rungs in the standings, and we may look back at this series if they wind up in unenviable position in the SEC Tournament.

Much like their contemporaries in baseball, Auburn softball celebrated a series win over Mississippi State on Sunday. The Tigers swept the Bulldogs though unlike the baseball team which took two out of three, and now Auburn climbs to within one game of second in the SEC. The coveted No. 2 seed will be fought for by the three teams mentioned, giving a whole lot of significance to this weekend’s action.

Georgia meanwhile did little to help themselves again as they fall to 4-17 in SEC play after their 6-3 loss to South Carolina. The Bulldogs have been nothing if not confusing and will hope to stop the bleeding at some point soon. Otherwise, a strong start to the year may be for naught as they can’t seem to crack the code against their peers from the SEC.

Monday Info

Game: Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Ole Miss Rebels

Time: 7 p.m. ET

TV: SEC Network

Watch Online: WatchESPN

Five games in the loss column separate Alabama and Ole Miss from each other in the SEC standings, but this game could have big implications for the Tide. With a series against Auburn looming this weekend, the two teams are separated by two games right now. So should Alabama win Monday night’s contest against the Rebels, they’ll take that two-game deficit with them in the upcoming three game series and could maneuver themselves up the ladder over their rival.

Ole Miss, on the other hand, can effectively play the role of spoiler and put the Tide in a position where the best possible outcome after this weekend is a tie in the loss column with Auburn (assuming a sweep) and Tennessee as well with the Vols currently carrying six losses with them into a series vs. Texas A&M. This’ll be a fun one, and you can catch it on SEC Network later on Monday night.