2024 SEC baseball tournament primer: Storylines to follow in Hoover

The 2024 SEC baseball tournament kicks off on Tuesday in Hoover, Alabama. From national championship contenders looking for a piece of hardware to desperate teams looking for a way into the NCAA Tournament, here are the major storylines to follow during what should be a fantastic week of collegiate baseball. 

How far will Tennessee and Arkansas go?

The No. 1 and No. 2 seeds, respectively, Tennessee and Arkansas each locked up their division titles during the final weekend of the regular season, and now search for a conference championship before hosting games in the NCAA Tournament. If the top two seeds can make it to the championship game on Sunday, it would be a rematch of the 2021 title game, in which Arkansas beat the Vols by a score of 7-2. 

Past champions Ole Miss, LSU, Vanderbilt and Florida look to pull an upset

None of the three teams mentioned above are seeded higher than eighth for this year's SEC Tournament, a shocking stat considering all three programs have won a championship since 2017. Ole Miss will likely need to win the SEC tournament all together to get to the big dance, while Florida and Vanderbilt, along with another past champion in LSU, all come into Hoover on the bubble. 

None of the clubs mentioned are favorites to win the conference title, but given their current outlook for the NCAA Tournament, a championship game appearance or win may be their best chance at securing an NCAA Tournament appearance, rather than leaving it up to the committee to decide. 

How motivated is Texas A&M?

Though they won their series against division rival Arkansas, Texas A&M went from a potential top-two seed to the No. 4 seed in Hoover over the course of the final regular season weekend. 

The Aggies have looked like a national championship contender for most of the season, but with the SEC West title stolen from under their nose by Arkansas, an SEC title could soften the blow and give TAMU extra momentum in the NCAA Tournament. A&M is certainly talented enough to make a charge in Hoover, but their mindsets and motivation will play a big role in how far the Aggies go.