May 26, 2013
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Brandon Barca (Archive) |
So here we are. Once again. The Southeastern Conference tournament championship.
The top two teams in the nation according to the polls, Vanderbilt and LSU, will go head-to-head Sunday afternoon for the right to raise that three-sided prize on the familiar terrain of the Hoover Met.
The matchup won’t dictate who goes to Omaha in the weeks ahead, but as senior outfielder Mike Yastrzemski said, it stands as the biggest and most important game in front of the Commodores, who were officially crowned as regular season champs before their tournament opener.
“This isn’t just a walk-through game. This is the SEC championship,” Yastrzemski told reporters following the Commodores’ 16-8 rout of Mississippi State Saturday. “This is what we play for. We can talk about things down the road, next weekend and all that, but the only thing that really matters is trying to win this game.”
As you get ready for the finals, which will air live on ESPN2 and ESPN3.com at 3:30 p.m. CT, let’s look back at three moments from Vanderbilt’s semifinal victory.
1. V60: The Standard. There’s a reason Vanderbilt is making its seventh appearance in the SEC Tournament title game in the last decade. It’s that championship mentality built under Tim Corbin. It’s the Commodore standard. VIDEO
2. VU Rewind: Seven-Run Inning. It started with a Mississippi State error in the top of the second. Eleven batters, five hits (four singles), three walks (two HBPs), two sacrifice flys and seven runs later that inning, the Commodores were on the way to making it to the final day in Hoover. Take a quick look at every run scored that inning in VU Rewind. VIDEO
3. Kemp’s Key to Winning, Part 2. Look, if you didn’t listen to Tony’s advice the other day, he’s giving you a second chance. Kemp even brought in his cohort, Connor Harrell, to make the message clear this time. Remember, the key to success at the SEC Tournament comes down to one thing, and one thing only. VIDEO
If you missed part 1, click here.
