SEC Baseball Tournament 2015: Wednesday Schedule and Bracket Predictions – Bleacher Report

The 2015 SEC baseball tournament is already underway, but the real beginning of the spicy action is on Wednesday, when the top teams in the conference take the field in their postseason openers.

Headlining the slate is the nation’s No. 1 team, the LSU Tigers, who will take on Auburn in the third of four games on the schedule.

Although the other contests may be slightly more competitive, it’s worth tuning in to see what type of form LSU is in. Just because the Tigers are prohibitive favorites doesn’t mean they’ll have a letdown in aiming for their third straight conference tourney title.

Check out Wednesday’s schedule below, along with an updated bracket of the SEC baseball championship event.

*For complete schedule, visit the tournament’s official website.

Updated Bracket

Day one of the 2015 #SECTourney is in the books. Tomorrow’s matchups begin at 9:30 CT.
http://t.co/uPkiFaqi49 pic.twitter.com/sUCQraOUSR

— SEC Sports (@SEC) May 20, 2015

Game to Watch: LSU vs. Auburn

The Advocate‘s Ross Dellenger reports LSU will send Jared Poche to the mound. Poche sports a 7-1 record with a 3.18 ERA and is very much a contact pitcher, with just 53 strikeouts in 87.2 innings, yet he’s extremely effective, evident in his first two stats mentioned.

Auburn doesn’t have a dynamic offense, ranking last in the SEC with just 17 home runs and lacking top-end speed on the basepath. That’s why its 14 hits in Tuesday’s 6-3 victory over Kentucky ought to be a rally point.

Whether it will be enough to generate enough off of Poche is another matter. Then there’s the fact that LSU boasts a ridiculous .322 batting average as a team. The top seed’s lineup will be worth tuning in for in and of itself.

Head coach Sunny Golloway hinted his Auburn side may be outmatched but also intimated his bunch wouldn’t lay down against its heavily favored adversary, per SECSports.com:

We’re going to coach what we have. If you get have guys who can runt and bunt and slide, then we’re just going to run and bunt and slide. I don’t care as long as someone steps on home and puts a run on the board. Every year, if you want to get to Omaha, you have to work with what you’ve got.

LSU led the SEC in the regular season with 104 stolen bases and was only caught stealing 30 times, and it also had 126 doubles to suggest its lineup has more power to drive the ball than may be expected on the surface. That complements a stable of pitchers who posted a collective 2.91 ERA.

Randy Rosetta of NOLA.com highlighted how Auburn’s probable pitcher struggled against the other Tigers his last time facing them:

Auburn will start RHP Rocky McCord (5-4, 3.65 ERA, 79 IP, 62 SO/39 BB, .268 opponent BA) vs. #LSU on Wed. Allowed 6 H, 6 R in 2 IP on 4/12.

— Randy Rosetta (@RandyRosetta) May 20, 2015

There’s a reason LSU is the No. 1 team in the nation. No team is as well rounded or complete, and it should translate to a third straight SEC tournament championship.

But the ultimate goal here is Omaha for this LSU bunch. A huge test will loom against reigning College World Series champion Vanderbilt if the Commodores manage to meet the Tigers in the SEC title game.

What LSU has to be mindful of is looking over Auburn, who has to be bursting with confidence after Tuesday’s result. Baseball is a tough sport to gauge on a daily basis, though LSU’s superior arsenal of talent and Poche’s presence on the hill will take care of business.

Prediction: LSU 6, Auburn 2