With Mizzou baseball’s season officially in the books — for all the wrong reasons — I figured it was the perfect time to look back at the worst conference records in each SEC team’s history. Just a little something to lift everyone’s spirits.
Disclaimer: Due to rule changes over the years and teams shifting conferences, not all have played a full 30-game SEC schedule. These records reflect each team’s worst conference finish in a season with at least 24 games.
LSU: 12-17 (2007)
There’s something to be said about a program when its worst season still includes 10-plus SEC wins and avoids a last-place finish in the West. That said, 2024 marked several historic lows for LSU. It was the first time in school history the Tigers finished outside the top 50 in RPI, ending the year at No. 51. It was also just the fourth time they posted a negative run differential, finishing at -52. Most notably, this season marked the first time LSU failed to qualify for the SEC Tournament. In response, however, the Tigers bounced back impressively—winning their next three games.
Unlike the other teams on this list, LSU’s struggles in 2024 came at the plate. The Tigers posted a team batting average of just .256—well below the standard for an SEC contender. Freshman Blake Dean was the lone bright spot, leading the team with a .316 average and later earning First-Team All-American honors the following season. Outside of Dean, only one other player who appeared in at least 35 games hit above .280. The lineup lacked discipline, recording more than twice as many strikeouts as walks. LSU finished last in the SEC in both hits and doubles, and second to last in home runs. They had only two players hit more than five home runs, with both leading the team with seven. Unsurprisingly, the Tigers averaged fewer than five runs per game on the season.
LSU’s pitching in 2024 was actually respectable, despite the team finishing with the second-highest ERA in the SEC at 5.15. They had three starting pitchers who each logged over 10 starts, all posting ERAs in the mid-to-high 4.00s. Out of the bullpen, their primary trio was solid—each appeared in at least 20 games, and two finished the year with sub-4.00 ERAs. Beyond that core group, the rest of the staff saw mixed results, with most arms recording ERAs in the fours and fives. Given the current state of the SEC, this pitching staff—paired with a more productive offense—had the potential to be a legitimate contender.