Editor’s note: The following article was published first on d1baseball.com. Right now, you can get 25% off any subscription at D1 with code: PREVIEW25.
D1Baseball.com previewed the 2025 SEC baseball season, breaking down all things in the 16-team conference that just got deeper with the additions of Texas and Oklahoma from the Big 12. They project the SEC’s final standings, regional teams, Player of the Year, Pitcher of the Year, Freshman of the Year and more.
Projected order of finish/Projected Regional Teams
*Teams are listed in order of projected finish. Bold indicates projected 2025 regional teams.
| Team | 2024 Conference | 2024 Overall |
|---|---|---|
| Texas A&M | 19-11 | 53-15 |
| LSU | 13-17 | 43-23 |
| Tennessee | 22-8 | 60-13 |
| Arkansas | 20-10 | 44-16 |
| Georgia | 17-13 | 43-17 |
| Florida | 13-17 | 36-30 |
| Vanderbilt | 13-17 | 38-23 |
| Mississippi State | 17-13 | 40-23 |
| Texas | 20-10 (B12) | 36-24 |
| Auburn | 8-22 | 27-26 |
| Alabama | 13-17 | 33-24 |
| Oklahoma | 23-7 (B12) | 40-21 |
| Kentucky | 22-8 | 46-16 |
| Ole Miss | 11-19 | 27-29 |
| South Carolina | 13-17 | 37-25 |
| Missouri | 9-21 | 23-32 |
Preseason Awards
Player of the Year: Jace LaViolette, OF, Texas A&M
The Aggies have a team loaded with superstars from an offensive standpoint and even on the mound, and LaViolette is one of the names at the top of this list. He’s already one of the top prospects for the 2025 draft.
LaViolette had a strong sophomore campaign last season, hitting .305 with 29 homers and 78 RBIs, and he came back from an injury at the end of fall workouts. There, coach Michael Earley said his eye for the zone continues to improve. He’s going to have a massive season.
Pitcher of the Year: Ryan Prager, LHP, Texas A&M
The Aggies thought they were losing lefthanded pitcher Ryan Prager to the MLB draft after the Angels took him in a high round.
Instead, the opposite occurred.
Prager spurned $1.3 million from the Angels to return for College Station for another season, and is coming off a season where he tallied a 2.95 ERA in 97.2 innings of work, along with 124 strikeouts and 20 walks. He will be one of the premier arms in college baseball this spring and undoubtedly be at the front end of Texas A&M’s weekend rotation.
Freshman of the Year: Derek Curiel, UTL, LSU
The Tigers have a treasure trove of athletes out there, this team is deep. However, one of the freshmen that’s expected to make an immediate impact is Curiel. He’s just a fantastic all-around player and will be a key piece to LSU’s outfield.
According to LSU’s website, he was ranked the No. 10 overall high school player in the country and the second-best high school player in California by Perfect Game.
