Extra Innings: What we learned after opening weekend in the SEC
03/17/2025
(Image courtesy of @lsubaseball on X)
By Chris Marler
Baseball is a game of failure. Several teams around the SEC had to re-learn that 170 year cliche the hard way this weekend.
Here’s what we learned after the first weekend of SEC conference games.
Tennessee is the clear cut No. 1
Going into the weekend, it felt like the lock of the week would have been for Florida to at least take one game from the Vols during their series in Knoxville. The Gators came into that series with a 16-2 record and No. 7 national ranking. They also just knocked off the only other undefeated team in the country in Florida State during their midweek game.
Tennessee not only swept the Gators but they outscored them 22-7 en route to the 3-0 start in SEC play. That included a 10-0 run rule win on Saturday. The Gators never scored more than four runs in any game. And, for a ballpark that is constantly facing scrutiny for being a bandbox, the Gators saw one ball leave the yard off their bats over the weekend.
We’re just getting started. pic.twitter.com/XHcoRnYKf1
— Tennessee Baseball (@Vol_Baseball) March 17, 2025
Derek Curiel Living up to the hype
Derek Curiel came to LSU as one most talked about freshman maybe in program history. Curiel was the No. 10 player in the 2024 class according to Perfect Game. He was also the No 1 ranked player on the Perfect Game Top 75 Freshman for 2025 rankings.
In just one month in Baton Rouge, he’s led the SEC in batting average and become one of the league’s toughest leadoff hitters to get out. Curiel’s .451 average is incredibly impressive. This weekend he kept pace with that going 5-for-11 against Missouri (.455 average). However, what was most impressive was this number – zero.
As in zero strikeouts in three games to start SEC play against SEC pitching. Granted, Missouri doesn’t have anyone on their staff that will blow the doors off SEC hitters, but it’s worth noting that all three starters are lefties. Starting SEC play with three straight lefty-lefty matchups as a true freshman is tough enough, but having the end result be reaching base seven times, scoring four runs, and knocking in four with zero strikeouts is unreal.
BASES CLEARING TRIPLE FOR 6 🔥@DerekCuriel | SECN+ pic.twitter.com/vIZL4nfuEs
— LSU Baseball (@LSUbaseball) March 14, 2025
Still a baseball conference
The latest Baseball America national rankings came out early Monday morning on St. Patrick’s Day. The SEC landed four teams in the top five and eight in the top ten. So, basically as it stands, the tenth best team in the country is arguably just a middle of the pack team in this conference.
🚨 NEW COLLEGE TOP 25 🚨
New week, three new teams join the list.
Here are the best teams in the country following an exciting weekend of conference play: https://t.co/4zBKndZXk2 pic.twitter.com/24syetr71d
— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) March 17, 2025
That’s ridiculous.
The SEC has long been labeled a football conference, not just because of its dominance, but because fans from other conferences tune out college sports after the national championship each January.
Football-only fans from around the country simply don’t realize how dominant this league is in baseball, softball, gymnastics, and now basketball.