SEC Baseball Rankings: Week 12

Secpinwheel
This week's SEC rankings were voted upon by five members of the College and Magnolia baseball staff. Team listings include overall and SEC records, voting point totals and first-place votes. Commentary by Dusty Miller and Chris Fuhrmeister.

1. South Carolina, 36-12/16-8, 59 (4) -- We were thinking the Gamecocks might never lose again, but they did drop one game to Arkansas. Still, Carolina won the series and has won 15 of its last 18 SEC games. This team looks like a national title contender once again.

2. LSU, 38-11/16-8, 53 (1) -- The Bayou Bengals picked up a big road series win over their hated rival, Ole Miss. LSU is now tied with South Carolina atop the league standings and also has the look of a team that could be Omaha-bound.

3. Kentucky, 37-11/15-9, 50 -- After playing incredible baseball for most of the season, Kentucky has now dropped two straight series to Vanderbilt and Florida. The Commodores are playing their best ball of the year, and the Gators are no pushovers, so Wildcat fans don't have much of a reason to panic.

4. Florida, 36-13/14-10, 47 -- Florida rebounded from the series loss to Arkansas by taking two of three from UK. The Gators aren't dead yet in the race for the regular-season SEC title.

5. Arkansas, 34-15/12-12, 41 -- Arkansas lost a tough series to South Carolina, but there's certainly no shame in that. The Razorbacks have proven this year that they have the talent to compete with anyone.

6. Mississippi State, 30-18/12-12, 32 -- The Cowbells started slowly in SEC play, but they're quietly climbing the conference ladder. State has now won three straight conference series and is at .500 in SEC play for the first time this season.

7. Ole Miss, 31-18/11-13, 29 -- The Rebels are trending in the opposite direction. Ole Miss has now lost four of its last five SEC series and is 6-9 in conference games over that stretch. A team that once looked destined to host an NCAA regional now is simply jockeying for position in Hoover.

8. Georgia, 28-20/12-12, 28 -- The Dawgs came away with a home sweep over Auburn, but we're not really sure how impressive that is. This team is good, but it's very inconsistent. Georgia will make the postseason, and it wouldn't surprise us if it made an early exit or put together a run to Omaha. The Bulldogs are that unpredictable.

9. Vanderbilt, 24-24/11-13, 20 -- As Vanderbilt struggled through much of the season, we couldn't understand how a team so talented could play so poorly. Well, the 'Dores have righted the ship. Vandy has won three of four conference series and should be a lock to make the SEC tournament. It was hard to see that being possible a month ago.

10. Auburn, 26-22/10-14, 16 -- Auburn promptly took all of its momentum from the sweep of Tennessee and threw it out the window by losing three in a row at Georgia. Barring a total disaster, the Tigers should hold on to the No. 10 and final SEC tournament slot. Then again, Auburn faces Arkansas and Florida to close out the regular season, so a total disaster is very possible.

11. Tennessee, 23-24/8-16, 10 -- Tennessee is 3-12 in its last 15 SEC games, but if the Vols can steal one of their final two series, they might be able to sneak into Hoover. If Auburn falls apart against the Hogs and Gators, Tennessee could make up the two-game difference in the standings.

12. Alabama, 18-30/7-17,5 -- 'Bama has shown a couple signs of life this season, but this team is just plain bad. Senior Taylor Dugas, who hit a walk-off home run against Auburn, has been the one bright spot in Tuscaloosa this spring.

Link sAUsage -- April 25, 2012

Gus Malzahn has taken the Tiger Prowl recruiting tool to Arkansas State and renamed it the A-State Ambush. The secondary NCAA violations can't be too far away.

Auburn basketball hosted two recruits over the A-Day weekend, but it appears that both have signed with other schools. Back to the drawing board for Tony Barbee.

Offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler tried to explain his philosophy and shed some light on what Auburn's 2012 offense might look like in a recent Q and A.

In case you missed it, the Auburn Villager reports that residents of the Loveliest Village enjoy higher satisfaction than the national average. No surprise there.

In a ranking of the SEC's offensive guards, Auburn's John Sullen checks in at No. 11. 

SEC Baseball Rankings: Week 10

Secpinwheel
This week's SEC rankings were voted upon by five members of the College and Magnolia baseball staff. Team listings include overall and SEC records, voting point totals and first-place votes. Commentary by Dusty Miller and Chris Fuhrmeister.

1. Kentucky, 35-6/13-5, 59 (4) -- Took another impressive series win, this time over LSU. The 'Cats have pretty much solidified themselves as the SEC's best team.

2. LSU, 32-9/12-6, 54 -- No shame in losing the series to Kentucky. LSU still looks like a major contender for the SEC championship in Hoover. 

3. Florida, 31-9/11-7, 51 (1) -- The Gators bounced back with a nice series win over a good Georgia team. A tough test against Arkansas this week will give Florida another chance to impress.

4. South Carolina, 30-11/11-7, 45 -- Carolina went to the Plains and swept Auburn with relative ease. All of a sudden, this team is looking like a championship contender.

5. Arkansas, 28-12/9-9, 38 -- The Hogs are talented, but they're struggling a bit having dropped three of four series. Things don't get any easier with upcoming matchups against Florida, Missouri (out of conference) and South Carolina.

6. Ole Miss, 27-13/9-9, 36 -- Have been playing pretty well lately and won two of three against Arkansas. Don't sleep on this team.

7. Georgia, 24-17/8-10, 28 -- If not for a bizarre 16-inning loss to Florida on Friday night, the Dawgs could have taken the series from the Gators. Georgia has proven itself to be one of the SEC's better teams, but it's also one of the most inconsistent.

8. Mississippi State, 24-16/8-10, 26 -- The Cowbells inserted themselves back into SEC tourney discussion with a sweep of Tennessee. State hosts Ole Miss in a huge series this weekend.

9. Tennessee, 22-18/7-11, 21 -- Getting swept by State really put the Vols in a bind. Tennessee travels to Auburn this weekend, and it's unlikely the loser of that series will make it to Hoover.

10. Alabama, 16-25/6-12, 14 -- In the SEC's pillow fight of the week, the Tide took two of three from Vandy and nearly came away with the sweep. 'Bama should come back to Earth this week with a trip to South Carolina.

11. Vanderbilt, 18-22/7-11, 12 -- The Commodores proved the series win over Auburn was a fluke, which makes it hurt even more. Vandy hosts Kentucky this weekend, so don't expect the 'Dores to vault up the standings anytime soon. 

12. Auburn, 21-19/7-11, 6 -- It's been a fast and hard fall for the Tigers, who have now lost eight of nine SEC games. Tennessee comes to town this weekend for the definition of a must-win series. With 'Bama and Vandy playing two of the SEC's best teams, a good showing against the Vols could give Auburn some breathing room in the race for the conference tournament.

Auburn Women Claim SEC Golf Title

Auburn shot a final-round 313, which tied for the low round of the day, and held off Arkansas to win its second straight SEC women's golf championship and third in four years. The Tigers shot 916 for the three-day event, besting the Razorbacks by a single stroke. Alabama placed third, six shots back from the Tigers. Auburn made its big move in Round 2 on Saturday, shooting 297 to take the lead in Fayetteville, Ark. The win clinches an automatic berth for the NCAA Championships for the fifth-ranked Tigers.

Senior Patricia Sanz became the sixth Auburn golfer and first since 2006 to win the individual SEC women's title. Sanz shot a three-over 219 for the tournament and carded a five-over 77 in the final round to edge Vanderbilt's Mariana Alex by one stroke. Auburn's Victoria Trapani also earned a top ten finish, shooting 229 to tie for eighth with Alabama's Jennifer Kirby, Georgia's Rocio Sanchez Lobato and Vanderbilt's Lauren Stratton.

The No. 3 Auburn men's team shot 834 over three rounds to place second at the SEC Tournament in St. Simons Island, Ga., six strokes behind champion Alabama. The Tigers' final-round 277 was the low score of the day on Sunday. Blayne Barber led the Tigers, tying for third place with Florida's Tyler McCumber and TJ Vogel in the individual competition. Barber was three shots behind Alabama's Justin Thomas, who won the individual title. Auburn will wait on the NCAA selection committee to determine its postseason fate, but it will be a surprise if the Tigers don't land in the postseason field.

Women's Team Results

1. Auburn -- 916

2. Arkansas -- 917

3. Alabama -- 922

4. Florida -- 925

5. Georgia -- 933

6. South Carolina -- 936

7. LSU -- 937

8. Vanderbilt -- 940

9. Kentucky -- 946

10. Ole Miss -- 950

11. Tennessee -- 951

12. Mississippi State -- 974

Men's Team Results

1. Alabama -- 828

2. Auburn -- 834

3. Florida -- 841

4. Georgia -- 850

5. Arkansas -- 855

6. Ole Miss -- 857

7. Kentucky -- 866

8. Tennessee -- 868

9. Vanderbilt -- 869

10. South Carolina -- 871

11. LSU -- 877

12. Mississippi State -- 879

Link sAUsage -- April 18, 2012

Dee Liner, the top prospect in Auburn's 2013 recruiting class and best-named defensive lineman ever -- recently took a visit to Tuscaloosa. Fear not, Liner assures Auburn fans that he is still firmly committed to the Tigers.

After taking a look at a projected football depth chart, we can't help but feel pretty good about most areas going into the fall. The one exception: linebacker. Auburn desperately needs someone to have a breakout year at that position.

What can we take away from Auburn's spring practice? If you ask Gene Chizik, nothing. You shouldn't pay attention to A-Day's stats, reps or anything else. But if you must deduce something from the last two weeks, know that Auburn's practices felt more like NFL practices and no one's job is safe.

No matter what you take away from spring practice, lingering questions certainly remain.

Cam Newton has made it all the way to the final of the Madden Cover Bracket. Cam now faces Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson, and the winner earns a spot on the Madden 13 cover.

We've seen SEC teams ranked based on traditions, uniforms, stadiums, etc. It only makes sense to rank them based on their fan bases' sanity levels. Comparing Auburn to Pete Campbell makes plenty of sense. We're successful, but we want so much more, and that tends to drive us over the edge.

Despite a dismal weekend in Nashville, Auburn baseball didn't suffer too much in the stats department. The wins-and-losses department? That's another story.

For the third time this year, men's track and field standout Harry Adams has been named SEC runner of the week. 

LSU has released artist renderings of its proposed stadium expansion, which would increase capacity to more than 100,000. The thought of 100,000 fans in Tiger Stadium is absolutely terrifying. 

SEC Baseball Rankings: Week 9

Secpinwheel
This week's SEC rankings were voted upon by four members of the College and Magnolia baseball staff. Team listings include overall and SEC records, voting point totals and first-place votes. Commentary by Brett Mixon and Chris Fuhrmeister.

1. Kentucky, 32-5/11-4, 47 (3) -- The 'Cats keep proving people wrong. They went to Fayetteville last weekend and swept a Saturday doubleheader to take the series from Arkansas.

2. LSU, 30-7/11-4, 44 (1) -- When you're good, you're supposed to handle teams that are bad. That's what LSU did in a home sweep against 'Bama.

3. Florida, 28-8/9-6, 40 -- The Gators bounced back from a tough series against LSU and took two of three from Tennessee.

4. Arkansas, 25-10/8-7, 33 -- Winning the opener against Kentucky was impressive, but you have to think the Hogs feel they should have won that series at home.

5. South Carolina, 27-10/8-7, 31 -- Gamecocks picked up a nice sweep over Mississippi State. Don't look now, but this team is beginning to look like a real contender again. 

6. Ole Miss, 24-12/7-8, 29 -- Like the rest of the middle of the SEC pack, the Rebs have talent, but they've been too inconsistent.

7. Georgia, 23-14/7-8, 28 -- It's tough to get a read on the Dawgs. They picked up a solid home series win over Ole Miss and have looked dangerous when playing their best.

8. Auburn, 19-16/7-8, 20 -- The Tigers are reeling after a hot start in SEC play. Auburn has lost five of six to the two worst teams in the conference and is ranked this high based solely upon its early-SEC resume.

t-9. Mississippi State, 21-15/5-10, 15 -- The Cowbells have talent, but it has let them down this year. MSU has won just one SEC series this season.

t-9. Tennessee, 21-15/7-8, 15 -- The Vols stole one at home against Florida and could be the surprise team to make it to Hoover.

11. Vanderbilt, 16-20/6-9, 8 -- The 'Dores were struggling, but a visit from Auburn seemed to cure what ailed them.

12. Alabama, 13-23/4-11, 4 -- After sweeping Auburn, the Tide got blown out in a midweek game against UAB and was steamrolled in Baton Rouge. Seriously, how did Auburn get swept by these guys?

Link sAUsage -- April 17, 2012

Former quarterback Barrett Trotter was interviewed by The Sporting News about his time at Auburn and his reasons for leaving. Trotter comes across as pretty bitter over his benching last season.

Even though there isn't a running back on Auburn's current roster nearly as talented as Mike Dyer, the Tigers are much better off without him.

Spring practice is over on the Plains, which means the Tigers are getting ready for summer workouts. Auburn fans should get ready for zero significant football news until fall camp begins in August.

It's not often one gets to see color photos from the 1959 season, but these shots from the '59 Tennessee game show what old-school Auburn football really looked like.

Marcus Lattimore, who missed six South Carolina games last season with a blown-out knee, has learned how to condition better and stay healthier. We're glad Auburn has seen the last of Lattimore -- at least in the regular season.

Missouri might not be the only SEC team sporting new uniform elements in the fall. These Ole Miss helmets have been making the internet rounds over the last 24 hours, but no one knows if they're legit or not. The grey version is pretty meh, but the powder blue is an absolute beaut.

Link sAUsage -- April 16, 2012

Spring football practice has come and gone, and head coach Gene Chizik offered up some pretty standard coach speak. Chizik said the team is still too inconsistent, but that he's happy with the progress that has been made.

Missouri unveiled its new football unis over the weekend, and despite being uniform traditionalists, we don't think they look too bad.

College and Magnolia contributor Ross Collings provides A-Day observations from across the Atlantic.

It was a bit of a rough weekend for Auburn sports other than football: Women's tennis fell to Alabama, baseball dropped two of three at Vanderbilt, and softball was swept at No. 3 Florida. 

On a more positive note, men's tennis defeated Alabama.

Junior Blayne Barber has been named a semifinalist for the Ben Hogan Award, which is awarded to the top men's collegiate golfer. It's the second straight year Barber has been named a semifinalist for the award.