2026 SEC Tournament Preview, No. 5-8: Florida’s Aidan King Is SEC Pitcher of the Year; Mississippi State Starts a New Era

HOOVER, Ala. — On Monday afternoon, Florida sophomore right-hander Aidan King was named the 2026 SEC Pitcher of the Year. The award completed a season that has had national-pitcher-of-the-month honors (April), the conference’s best WHIP (0.93), and a 5-0 stretch in his last eight SEC starts that included wins over Ole Miss, Georgia, Auburn, Texas A&M, and LSU. King is the only individual SEC postseason award not awarded to a top-four seed. His Gators are seeded No. 5.

The bracket’s middle four seeds also include Auburn (No. 6, ranked No. 5 in D1Baseball’s Top 25 — the highest of the entire tier), Arkansas (No. 7, four top-150 draft prospects), and Mississippi State (No. 8, in Brian O’Connor’s first season after he arrived from Virginia, where he won the 2015 national championship).

This is the second of four World Baseball Network previews of the 2026 SEC Baseball Tournament. The tournament runs May 19-24 at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium, single-elimination format, with first-round play opening Tuesday on the SEC Network and the championship game scheduled for Sunday, May 24 at 2 p.m. EDT on ABC. This piece covers the No. 5 through No. 8 seeds.

The middle four:

5. Florida (37-18, 18-12 SEC) — Kevin O’Sullivan, 19th season
6. Auburn (36-18, 17-13 SEC) — Butch Thompson, 11th season
7. Arkansas (36-19, 17-13 SEC) — Dave Van Horn, 24th season
8. Mississippi State (39-16, 16-14 SEC) — Brian O’Connor, 1st season

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No. 5 Florida Gators (37-18, 18-12 SEC)

Head coach: Kevin O’Sullivan, 19th season

Aidan King is the 2026 SEC Pitcher of the Year. Monday’s award was the conference’s official recognition of a season that already had the country watching. King, a sophomore right-hander, is 8-2 with a 2.50 ERA and 84 strikeouts in 79.1 innings. His 0.93 WHIP is the best in the SEC. He went 5-0 in his last eight conference starts with wins over Ole Miss, Georgia, Auburn, Texas A&M, and LSU. National Pitcher of the Month for April (4-0, 1.57 ERA).

Kevin O’Sullivan is in his 19th season at Florida, and the program’s resume includes a 2017 national championship and three CWS Finals appearances since 2005. The 2026 group ranks No. 19 in D1Baseball’s Top 25.

Players to watch:

• RHP Aidan King — 2026 SEC Pitcher of the Year · 1st-Team All-SEC (SP) · 8-2, 2.50 ERA, 84 K in 79.1 IP, 0.933 WHIP
• INF Ethan Surowiec — 53 G, .318 AVG, 10 HR, 57 RBI, 34 BB, .936 OPS
• OF Kyle Jones — 51 G, .318 AVG, 5 HR, 36 RBI, 16 SB, .898 OPS (Top 150: No. 123)
• OF/INF Blake Cyr — 49 G, .314 AVG, 11 HR, 48 RBI, .960 OPS
• INF Brendan Lawson — 49 G, .291 AVG, 14 HR, 40 RBI, 13 SB, 49 BB, 1.139 OPS
• INF Cade Kurland — 42 G, .270 AVG, 5 HR, 21 RBI, .786 OPS
• RHP Liam Peterson — 2-5, 4.00 ERA, 1 CG, 99 K in 74.1 IP (Top 150: No. 14)
• RHP Russell Sandefer — 3-2, 4.47 ERA, 54 K in 50.1 IP
• TWP Caden McDonald — 5-1, 3.63 ERA, 1 SV, 40 K in 39.2 IP / 34 G, .339 AVG, 5 HR, 18 RBI, 1.092 OPS
• RHP Luke McNeillie — 3-0, 3.48 ERA, 1 SV, 42 K in 31.0 IP

Program resume:

College World Series Champions: 2017
College World Series Runner-Up: 2005, 2011, 2023
College World Series Appearances: 14 times
NCAA Regional Champions: 14 times
NCAA Tournament Appearances: 39 times
Conference Tournament Champions: 1981, 1982, 1984, 1988, 1991, 2011, 2015
Conference Regular Season Champions: 16 times

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No. 6 Auburn Tigers (36-18, 17-13 SEC)

Head coach: Butch Thompson, 11th season

Auburn is the highest-ranked program in the middle-four tier — No. 5 in D1Baseball’s Top 25 — and Butch Thompson’s 11th-season team wins with contact and batting average. Three regulars hit .333 or better: Brandon McCraine (.352), Chase Fralick (.320, 13 HR), and Ethin Bingaman (.333, 10 HR — and a 2nd-Team All-SEC selection at 1B plus a Freshman All-SEC selection). Chris Rembert is 1st-Team All-SEC at 2B and MLB Pipeline’s No. 27 draft prospect.

Left-hander Jake Marciano is the kind of starter who can win a single-elimination tournament game by himself: 4-5, 2.74 ERA, 96 K in 75.2 IP, 0.978 WHIP.

Players to watch:

• INF Brandon McCraine — 53 G, .352 AVG, 28 RBI, 16 SB, .872 OPS
• 2B Chris Rembert — 1st-Team All-SEC (2B) · 48 G, .349 AVG, 4 HR, 42 RBI, 10 SB, .890 OPS (Top 150: No. 27)
• INF/OF Bub Terrell — 52 G, .308 AVG, 15 HR, 41 RBI, .983 OPS
• C/INF Chase Fralick — 53 G, .320 AVG, 13 HR, 42 RBI, 1.025 OPS
• UTL Ethin Bingaman — 2nd-Team All-SEC (1B) · Freshman All-SEC · 51 G, .333 AVG, 10 HR, 41 RBI, .972 OPS
• 3B Eric Guevara — All-SEC Defensive Team (3B)
• LHP Jake Marciano — 4-5, 2.74 ERA, 96 K in 75.2 IP, 0.978 WHIP
• RP Jackson Sanders — 2nd-Team All-SEC (RP)

Program resume:

College World Series Appearances: 1967, 1976, 1994, 1997, 2019, 2022
NCAA Regional Champions: 1976, 1994, 1997, 2019, 2022
NCAA Tournament Appearances: 1967, 1972, 1973, 1976, 1991, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2010, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2025
Conference Tournament Champions: 1978, 1989, 1998
Conference Regular Season Champions: 1965, 1972, 1976, 1989, 1994, 1997, 2003

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No. 7 Arkansas Razorbacks (36-19, 17-13 SEC)

Head coach: Dave Van Horn, 24th season

Arkansas is in Van Horn’s 24th season, ranked No. 12 in D1Baseball’s Top 25, and arrives in Hoover with arguably the deepest collection of MLB Pipeline draft prospects in the conference: catcher Ryder Helfrick (No. 16, All-SEC Defensive Team), left-hander Hunter Dietz (No. 18, 1st-Team All-SEC), right-hander Carson Wiggins (No. 83), and right-hander Gabe Gaeckle (No. 86). Four players across four different positions on the Top 150 list. Reliever Ethan McElvain is 2nd-Team All-SEC.

The Hogs reached the 2025 College World Series — one of only two SEC programs to make Omaha last year, alongside national champion LSU.

Players to watch:

• C Ryder Helfrick — All-SEC Defensive Team (C) · (Top 150: No. 16)
• LHP Hunter Dietz — 1st-Team All-SEC (SP) · (Top 150: No. 18)
• RHP Carson Wiggins — (Top 150: No. 83)
• RHP Gabe Gaeckle — (Top 150: No. 86)
• LHP Ethan McElvain — 2nd-Team All-SEC (RP)

Program resume:

College World Series Runner-Up: 1979, 2018
College World Series Appearances: 1979, 1985, 1987, 1989, 2004, 2009, 2012, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2025
NCAA Regional Champions: 1979, 1985, 1987, 1989, 2004, 2009, 2012, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2025
NCAA Tournament Appearances: 1979, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
Conference Tournament Champions: 1985, 2021
Conference Regular Season Champions: 1979, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1999, 2004, 2021

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No. 8 Mississippi State Bulldogs (39-16, 16-14 SEC)

Head coach: Brian O’Connor, 1st season

The biggest story among the middle-four seeds is in Starkville. Brian O’Connor — the architect of Virginia baseball’s modern era and a 2015 national champion with the Cavaliers — took over at Mississippi State for the 2026 season. His first team responded with a 39-16 record, the No. 13 ranking in D1Baseball’s Top 25, and the No. 8 seed at Hoover. Six players landed on Monday’s All-SEC selections: Ace Reese on the 1st team at 3B; Noah Sullivan on the 1st team at DH/Util; Tomas Valincius on the 1st team as a starter; Bryce Chance on the 2nd team in the outfield; Ben Davis on the 2nd team in the bullpen; Jacob Parker and Jack Bauer on the Freshman All-SEC.

That’s a near-instant turnaround for a program that hadn’t reached the 2024 NCAA Tournament under previous leadership.

Players to watch:

• 3B Ace Reese — 1st-Team All-SEC (3B) · 55 G, .332 AVG, 72 H, 21 2B, 20 HR, 67 RBI, .705 SLG, 1.131 OPS (Top 150: No. 28). Leads SEC in doubles. 2025 SEC Newcomer of the Year.
• UTL Noah Sullivan — 1st-Team All-SEC (DH/Util) · 50 G, .347 AVG, 66 H, 11 HR, 43 RBI, .574 SLG, 1.026 OPS
• RHP Tomas Valincius — 1st-Team All-SEC (SP)
• OF Bryce Chance — 2nd-Team All-SEC (OF) · 55 G, .350 AVG, 64 H, 18 2B, 33 RBI, 12 SB, .921 OPS
• RP Ben Davis — 2nd-Team All-SEC (RP)
• INF Jacob Parker — Freshman All-SEC · 46 G, .326 AVG, 13 HR, 50 RBI, .681 SLG, 1.107 OPS
• RHP Jack Bauer — Freshman All-SEC
• 1B Reed Stallman — 50 G, .310 AVG, 12 HR, 46 RBI, .627 SLG, 1.043 OPS
• INF Gehrig Frei — 52 G, .330 AVG, 9 HR, 39 RBI, .934 OPS

Program resume:

College World Series Champions: 2021
College World Series Runner-Up: 2013
College World Series Appearances: 12 times
NCAA Regional Champions: 1979, 1985, 1987, 1990, 2001, 2005, 2012, 2013, 2018, 2019, 2021
NCAA Tournament Appearances: 38 times
Conference Tournament Champions: 1979, 1985, 1987, 1990, 2001, 2005, 2012
Conference Regular Season Champions: 1971, 1979, 1985, 1989, 2013, 2014, 2016

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Bracket entry path — middle four seeds:

• No. 5 Florida → Game 6, 2 p.m. ET Wednesday May 20 on SEC Network, vs. Winner of Game 2 (Vanderbilt vs. Kentucky)
• No. 6 Auburn → Game 8, 9 p.m. ET Wednesday May 20 on SEC Network, vs. Winner of Game 4 (Oklahoma vs. LSU)
• No. 7 Arkansas → Game 7, 5:30 p.m. ET Wednesday May 20 on SEC Network, vs. Winner of Game 3 (Tennessee vs. South Carolina)
• No. 8 Mississippi State → Game 5, 10:30 a.m. ET Wednesday May 20 on SEC Network, vs. Winner of Game 1 (Ole Miss vs. Missouri)

2026 SEC Baseball Tournament Reference

Venue: Hoover Metropolitan Stadium, Hoover, Ala. Capacity 10,800 (expandable to 16,000+ with patio, banquet, and grass seating). 12 suites. The Hoover Met hosted the SEC Tournament in 1990, 1996, and continuously since 1998. The Double-A Birmingham Barons of the Southern League — a Chicago White Sox affiliate — played at the venue from 1988 to 2012.

ABS Challenge System (first-time use): The 2026 SEC Tournament is the first in conference history to use an automated balls-and-strikes challenge system. Each team begins each game with three challenges. Only the batter, pitcher, or catcher can initiate one, by tapping the top of their helmet or cap within roughly two-to-three seconds of the pitch. A successful challenge is retained; a failed challenge is lost. Once a team uses its three failed challenges, no more are available in regulation — but each team gets one additional challenge per extra inning. The system uses Hawk-Eye tracking to generate an individualized strike zone for each hitter (19 inches wide, with vertical boundaries set at 58% and 23% of the player’s measured height). Human umpires still call every pitch in real time; the technology only engages on a challenge. The SEC has prohibited the use of electronic devices or outside information to help determine whether to challenge, and will conduct random spot checks of dugouts. The conference is using the tournament as a trial run before evaluating broader regular-season implementation.

Format: 16-team single-elimination. First round Tuesday, second round Wednesday, quarterfinals Thursday and Friday, semifinals Saturday, championship Sunday.

Tournament Champions and National-Title Pairings: Programs that won the SEC Tournament and the NCAA national championship in the same season — LSU (2009, 2023), South Carolina (2010, 2011), Vanderbilt (2014, 2019), Florida (2017), Tennessee (2024). Vanderbilt won the 2025 tournament 3-2 over Ole Miss in the championship game, head coach Tim Corbin’s fourth SEC Tournament title.

2025 NCAA Champion: LSU. Defeated Coastal Carolina in a three-game sweep at Charles Schwab Field in the College World Series finals — the program’s eighth national championship. LSU and Arkansas were the SEC’s only representatives in the 2025 CWS.

NCAA Tournament Selection Show: Monday, May 25, 12 p.m. EDT on ESPN2. The 64-team bracket, top-16 national seeds, and regional host sites will be revealed.

2026 SEC Final Regular-Season Standings

1. Georgia (23-7, 43-12)
2. Texas (19-10, 40-12)
3. Texas A&M (18-11, 39-13)
4. Alabama (18-12, 37-18)
5. Florida (18-12, 37-18)
6. Auburn (17-13, 36-18)
7. Arkansas (17-13, 36-19)
8. Mississippi State (16-14, 39-16)
9. Ole Miss (15-15, 36-20)
10. Tennessee (15-15, 37-19)
11. Oklahoma (14-16, 32-20)
12. Vanderbilt (14-16, 32-24)
13. Kentucky (13-17, 31-20)
14. LSU (9-21, 29-27)
15. South Carolina (7-23, 22-34)
16. Missouri (6-24, 23-30)

2026 SEC Postseason Awards

• Player of the Year: Daniel Jackson, C, Georgia
• Pitcher of the Year: Aidan King, RHP, Florida
• Freshman of the Year: Anthony Pack Jr., OF, Texas
• Newcomer of the Year: Aiden Robbins, OF, Texas (Seton Hall transfer)
• Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Gavin Grahovac, 1B, Texas A&M
• Coach of the Year: Wes Johnson, Georgia

MLB Pipeline Top 150 — SEC Players

• No. 5 — SS Justin Lebron, Alabama
• No. 12 — 2B Chris Hacopian, Texas A&M
• No. 14 — RHP Liam Peterson, Florida
• No. 15 — OF Derek Curiel, LSU
• No. 16 — C Ryder Helfrick, Arkansas
• No. 18 — LHP Hunter Dietz, Arkansas
• No. 21 — RHP Cade Townsend, Ole Miss
• No. 23 — SS Tyler Bell, Kentucky
• No. 25 — OF Caden Sorrell, Texas A&M
• No. 26 — OF Aiden Robbins, Texas
• No. 27 — 2B Chris Rembert, Auburn
• No. 28 — 3B Ace Reese, Mississippi State
• No. 32 — 1B Gavin Grahovac, Texas A&M
• No. 43 — RHP Tegan Kuhns, Tennessee
• No. 45 — OF Jake Brown, LSU
• No. 55 — C Daniel Jackson, Georgia
• No. 83 — RHP Carson Wiggins, Arkansas
• No. 84 — LHP Shane Sdao, Texas A&M
• No. 85 — RHP Joey Volchko, Georgia
• No. 86 — RHP Gabe Gaeckle, Arkansas
• No. 96 — C/OF Brendan Brock, Oklahoma
• No. 99 — C Carson Tinney, Texas
• No. 119 — RHP Taylor Rabe, Ole Miss
• No. 123 — OF Kyle Jones, Florida
• No. 127 — RHP LJ Mercurius, Oklahoma
• No. 128 — 3B Camden Johnson, Oklahoma
• No. 132 — SS Jaxon Willits, Oklahoma
• No. 137 — 3B Henry Ford, Tennessee
• No. 139 — LHP Jake McCoy, South Carolina

Full Bracket Schedule

All times Eastern. Second game of each session begins approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first.

Tuesday, May 19 — First Round (SEC Network)
Game 1: No. 9 Ole Miss vs. No. 16 Missouri — 10:30 a.m.
Game 2: No. 12 Vanderbilt vs. No. 13 Kentucky — 2 p.m.
Game 3: No. 10 Tennessee vs. No. 15 South Carolina — 5:30 p.m.
Game 4: No. 11 Oklahoma vs. No. 14 LSU — 9 p.m.

Wednesday, May 20 — Second Round (SEC Network)
Game 5: Winner Game 1 vs. No. 8 Mississippi State — 10:30 a.m.
Game 6: Winner Game 2 vs. No. 5 Florida — 2 p.m.
Game 7: Winner Game 3 vs. No. 7 Arkansas — 5:30 p.m.
Game 8: Winner Game 4 vs. No. 6 Auburn — 9 p.m.

Thursday, May 21 — Quarterfinals (SEC Network)
Game 9: Winner Game 5 vs. No. 1 Georgia — 4 p.m.
Game 10: Winner Game 6 vs. No. 4 Alabama — 8 p.m.

Friday, May 22 — Quarterfinals (SEC Network)
Game 11: Winner Game 7 vs. No. 2 Texas — 4 p.m.
Game 12: Winner Game 8 vs. No. 3 Texas A&M — 8 p.m.

Saturday, May 23 — Semifinals (SEC Network)
Game 13: Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 10 — 1 p.m.
Game 14: Winner Game 11 vs. Winner Game 12 — 5 p.m.

Sunday, May 24 — Championship (ABC)
Game 15: Winner Game 13 vs. Winner Game 14 — 2 p.m.

Official Sources

• SEC Sports — Baseball Championship Page
• SEC Sports — Baseball Scores
• SEC Tournament Historical Champions
• SEC Baseball — 2026 Season Stats
• D1Baseball Top 25
• MLB Pipeline — 2026 Draft Prospects