On Deck for SEC Baseball: May 7

Six baseball games are set to take place on this Tuesday evening. None may be bigger than the one taking place in Jefferson County.

The 2nd-ranked Vanderbilt Commodores are hitting the road to face off with the 5th-ranked Louisville Cardinals. The ‘Dores and Cards will face each other in a one-off game that allows for either to grab a significant win as the season winds down.

The Cardinals are among the best in the ACC. They lead the conference in batting average (.298), hits (500), runs (380), ERA (3.29), runs allowed (180) and BAA (.203). So, basically, they’re the class of the conference. Vandy, meanwhile, is no doubt among the elite in the SEC this season. So this will be a showdown between two powerhouses in two of the best conferences in the nation. Seems like fun, eh? The game will be played at 7 p.m. ET and will air on ESPNU.

That stands as the only ranked-vs.-ranked matchup of the day. But itw on’t be the only matchup featuring a ranked SEC squad. 17th-ranked LSU and 24th-ranked Tennessee are also set to be in action. The Volunteers will host Austin Peay, while the Fighting Tigers welcome Louisiana Tech in Baton Rouge.

Thus far, Austin Peay is 26-19 and ranked 127th in RPI. They are merely 8-11 on the road, so the Volunteers, who are 23-8 in Knoxville this season, should fare pretty well in this matchup if all goes according to plan. LSU will have a bit more of a challenge. The LaTech Bulldogs are 29-19 on the year and ranked 51st in RPI. They are above .500 on the road, sitting at 12-11. LSU is 24-6 in Baton Rouge this season, so they’ll have an advantage. But, LaTech is not to be slept on.

The other matchups on Tuesday see Florida facing South Florida, Auburn playing UAB and Kentucky hosting Indiana. UK will be facing the stiffest test, as IU is 31-16 and 28th in the RPI right now. USF and UAB, meanwhile, sit 113th and 151st, so the Gators and Tigers shouldn’t have too much difficulty putting them away.