LEAD STORY
No. 20 Mississippi State will play for its season on Sunday after dropping the middle game of the Norman Super Regional to No. 2 Oklahoma, 7-1, on Saturday afternoon. The Bulldogs, who took the opener of the best-of-three series, now face a decisive Game 3 with a College World Series berth on the line.
Oklahoma's offense did the damage early and often, pushing the Sooners to a six-run margin and quieting a Mississippi State lineup that had carried the Bulldogs through regional play. The lone State run was not enough to keep pace with an Oklahoma attack that has spent the entire postseason at home in Norman.
The winner punches a ticket to the College World Series. Mississippi State will need to flip the script in a hostile environment, while Oklahoma — the No. 2 national seed — looks to close the door and advance to Omaha. First pitch is set for 5:00 p.m. CT.
QUICK HITS
- Georgia survives in the SEC Tournament: The 1-seed Bulldogs erupted in the eighth inning to knock off 5-seed Florida in the semifinals, with Daniel Jackson breaking down the rally on ESPN. Georgia advances to face the Gators again in the championship round per the tournament bracket.
- Arkansas pummels Texas, 8-1: No. 12 Arkansas hammered No. 5 Texas in SEC Tournament play, with Texas head coach Jim Schlossnagle opting to conserve his top arms in the blowout loss, per 247Sports. The Longhorns now turn their full attention to NCAA Regional seeding.
- Florida flattens Alabama, 13-3: The Gators piled on the runs against the Crimson Tide in tournament action, ending Alabama's run in lopsided fashion, according to Roll 'Bama Roll.
- Auburn ousts LSU: Auburn ended LSU's SEC Tournament in the second round, per And The Valley Shook, sending the Tigers home earlier than expected.
- Ole Miss golf in contention: Sweden's Filippa Svarvar sits near the top of the individual leaderboard as No. 20 Ole Miss women's golf wrapped the second round of the NCAA Championship at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California, according to the Ole Miss athletics site.
- Texas golfer Christian Maas a Haskins finalist: The South African junior is one of ten finalists for the Fred Haskins Award, given annually to the nation's top male collegiate golfer.
- D1Baseball Field of 64 update: D1Baseball's May 23 projections feature a new top-eight national seed and a fresh Top 16 host, reshuffling the regional picture with NCAA selections looming.
PORTAL WATCH
No portal moves to report across the SEC over the last 12 hours. With postseason baseball and softball dominating the calendar, attention across the conference has shifted to the diamond. Expect activity to pick back up once the spring championship slate begins to clear.
RECRUITING BUZZ
Kentucky added a key piece to its 2027 class on Saturday, landing a verbal commitment from three-star running back Mason Ball out of Jacksonville, Arkansas. The 5-foot-11, 185-pound back chose the Wildcats over Arkansas, North Carolina, and Vanderbilt.
Ball is ranked No. 737 nationally, the No. 57 running back, and the No. 3 overall prospect in Arkansas by the 247Sports Composite. As a junior, he rushed for 1,401 yards and 27 touchdowns at 7.61 yards per carry, adding 17 receptions for 131 yards. He becomes the third running back pledge in Kentucky's 2027 class, joining Bryian Duncan Jr. and Kelsey Gerald.
"Kentucky is getting a dominant player that loves the game," Ball told A Sea of Blue. He is scheduled to officially visit Lexington on June 5. The commitment pushes Kentucky's class to ninth nationally per 247Sports.
GAMES TO WATCH
- Florida at Georgia (SEC Network): The Bulldogs and Gators run it back in the SEC Tournament championship round after Georgia's eighth-inning escape in the semifinal.
- Arkansas at Auburn (SEC Network): A heavyweight tournament tilt with NCAA seeding implications for both clubs.
- Mississippi State at Oklahoma (5:00 p.m. CT): Winner-take-all Game 3 of the Norman Super Regional. Omaha is on the line.
- Alabama at LSU: The Tide and Tigers tangle with postseason positioning still in play.
