March 15, 2013

Around the Nation

By Phil Stanton

phil@collegebaseballinsider.com @roadtoomaha

SEC West highlights weekend slate

There will be a huge pair match-ups in the SEC Western Division to highlight this weekend’s college baseball schedule.

Third-ranked LSU visits No. 12 Mississippi State and sixth-ranked Ole Miss travels to No. 15 Arkansas as the SEC begins conference play.

The Tigers are 15-1 and have won 10 straight. LSU has played away from home just once. The Bulldogs are 18-2, all at home. MSU won its first 17 games before dropping two straight to Central Arkansas this past weekend. These are the top two hitting clubs in the league. The Bulldogs are on top at .324, with the Tigers just behind at .321. MSU is second in the SEC in pitching with a 1.84 ERA, while LSU sits in sixth at 2.41.

The Rebels are 18-1, riding an 11-game win streak. Ole Miss is 5-0 on the road, the most away wins in the conference. The Razorbacks are 13-5, including 13-1 at home. Arkansas is the top pitching club at 1.60, while Ole Miss sits fifth at 2.21. The Rebels are third in the SEC in batting at .310, while the Razorbacks are eighth at .297.

Other key series have No. 9 Kentucky at Florida in the SEC, fourth-ranked Oregon State at defending national champion Arizona in the Pac-12, No. 17 Virginia at Clemson in the ACC, FIU at Florida Atlantic in the Sun Belt, New Mexico at UNLV in the Mountain West, UNC Wilmington at James Madison in the CAA, Maine at Stony Brook in America East, Western Carolina at College of Charleston in the Southern Conference, Mercer at Kennesaw State in the Atlantic Sun, Campbell at Gardner-Webb in the Big South and Delaware State at Norfolk State in the MEAC