Rain Causes Delay, But SEC Baseball Tourney Is Under Way

HOOVER, AL - The Hoover Metropolitan Stadium was wet Tuesday morning as the first pitch of the Southeaster Conference baseball tournament zipped across the plate. The rain got so bad, even, that the first game between Texas A&M and Vanderbilt was suspended in the 2nd inning for almost an hour.

However, the game got under way, and the sun managed to peak out from the clouds for just a moment as fans gathered to watch the beginning of the tournament.

Fans from all 12 of the participating schools flocked to Hoover Tuesday, some tailgating in the parking lot, others sitting in the bleachers to hold their seats for a game later tonight. However all of them game to watch teams from arguably the best conference in college baseball this season.

The talent level at the SEC Tournament this year is so high that the seats behind home plate were filled with professional baseball scouts. Other MLB executives could be seen milling around the stadium as well. In fact, former big league catcher Steve Decker, who now works in baseball operations with the San Francisco Giants, was on hand to personally take a look at 17 different SEC players.

Texas A&M defeated Vanderbilt 3-1 in the opener, making way for a Kentucky vs. Auburn match-up in the afternoon. Mississippi State and LSU will play after that game and the late night game, beginning at 10:10 p.m., will feature Missouri against South Carolina.

The tournament will last until Sunday.

Photos by Michael Seale/Patch