Kendall Rogers previews A&M/UF, talks NCAA Tournament scenarios

Key notes from Kendall Rogers interview

• If you are an A&M fan, you hope it's a fun weekend ahead. Florida is a great team and it can easily go the other direction quickly. This year's Florida team has another great pitching staff, but also can get it done an the plate. Depending on the wind this weekend, there's a possibility of some balls leaving the yard. It's good for A&M to get Zach DeLoach and Kaylor Chafin going. Those are two guys who need to be playing great if the Aggies want to make a run. The good news is A&M controls their own destiny right now in regards to hosting.
   
• I think A&M is going to get in the tournament barring an epic collapse. They have a top 20 RPI and an above .500 record in the league at the moment so I think they're good to make it. In regards to hosting, I think it's all about finishing above .500 in conference play. A key thing there is to remember the SEC Tournament games factor into the winning percentage in conference play. I think if they grab a game from Florida and a game from Arkansas, they'll be in a great position going into the final weekend. There are also other schools who are fighting to host, but a 16-14 in conference record gives you a good shot to host.
   
• I kind of compare the Shewmake/Helman duo to the one at Oregon State, another solid pair both in the field and at the plate. Braden Shewmake has surprised me this year in the field. He makes some great plays even though it looks unorthodox sometimes. At the plate, some people think he's having a down year, but that's only becuase he was so great last year. With Helman, I'm still a little bit worried about his fielding, but he's certainly great at the plate.
   
• A team to watch down the stretch in the SEC is definitely LSU. They have a tough schedule to close conference play this year with matchups with Arkansas and Auburn. If they drop a couple series, they could go to Hoover needing to win games to make the NCAA Tournament. South Carolina is another team who is getting better right now. Missouri is a team that looks on track to make the tournament, but you never know in the SEC.
   
• My player of the year is either Bren Spillane at Illinois or Jonathan India at Florida. India may be my leader at this point. Aggie fans get a treat in watching him this weekend. Nationally, I'm watching teams like Virginia and Miami who might not make the tournament. With everything that's happening at Rice, can they even make the conference tournament and then go win that to make the NCAA Tournament?