LSU was second with 1,984. Alabama received 246 first-place votes in the West, while LSU collected 76. Ole Miss was third with 1,479 points and five votes to capture the division title.Five times sin

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Tampa Bay Rays have won four straight games, and the only thing stopping them from their longest winning streak of the season Friday is the best team in the American League, the Texas Rangers.The Rays (50-69) enter the series with serious momentum -- they scored a franchise-record 35 runs in a three-game span before a 2-0 win Wednesday against the San Diego Padres to finish a three-game sweep. Unfortunately, the Rangers (72-50) are coming off their own three-game sweep of the Oakland Athletics and have won nine of 12 entering the series.Texas continues to show its resilience -- nearly half its wins (38) have been comeback wins, like an extra-winning win that saw the Rangers score three runs in the bottom of the 10th on Tuesday. Manager Jeff Banister continues to encounter situations where his team could pack it in, and they refuse to do so.You would think these guys at some point would, Banister said of their comeback nature. They havent. I dont think they will. I dont think its in their DNA. I dont think its in their culture, their chemistry. Theyre going to continue to grind.Texas opens the series with Cole Hamels (12-4, 2.88 ERA), who knows a thing or two about big wins against the Rays. With the Philadelphia Phillies in 2008, he was on the mound for two World Series win, including the Game 5 clincher, holding the Rays to two earned runs in both starts.Hamels hasnt faced the Rays since 2012, when he threw seven scoreless innings in a 3-2 Rays win, and hes coming off a rough start in which he gave up 14 hits -- amazingly yielding only two runs -- in a loss to the Tigers.The Rays answer with Matt Andriese (6-4, 3.36 ERA), who has seen Tampa Bay lose in each of his three starts since joining the rotation after a trade-deadline deal sent Matt Moore to the San Francisco Giants. He has a 6.59 ERA in those three starts and hasnt lasted longer than five innings in any, stretching himself out to 76 pitches after a move from the bullpen, but not yet showing he can pitch efficiently to last longer in games.A big part of the Rays win streak has been Brad Miller, who has three home runs in his last seven at-bats. Miller has 19 home runs since June 17, matching the most in baseball in that span, and has been especially productive at Tropicana Field, where 19 of his 25 home runs have been hit. He has already set a major-league record for most home runs by a left-handed batter playing primarily at shortstop.I think Im picking the right pitch to swing at, Miller said of his hot bat. When you do that, you cant miss them, because you might only get one per at-bat. Thats all Im trying to do is hit the one pitch I get per at-bat. 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During the athletes parade, the 23-strong Ukrainian team was represented by a lone flagbearer in an apparent protest at the presence of Russian troops in Ukraines Crimean peninsula. The 2016 edition of SEC Football Media Days concluded with media in attendance predicting Alabama to win the 2016 SEC Championship.Tennessee was selected to win the SEC Eastern Division with 2,167 points, including 225 first-place votes. Florida was second with 1,891 points and 57 votes to win the division, while Georgia was third with 1,860 total points and 45 votes to win the division. Points were awarded on a 7-6-5-4-3-2-1 scale.Alabama was picked to win the SEC Western Division with 2,220 total points, while LSU was second with 1,984. Alabama received 246 first-place votes in the West, while LSU collected 76. Ole Miss was third with 1,479 points and five votes to capture the division title.Five times since 1992 - three times in the last 20 - the SEC Media Days predicted champpion has proceeded to win the SEC Championship.dddddddddddd.An all-time high 331 media members in attendance participated in this years vote.The preseason All-SEC Team will be announced on Friday. Eastern Division (1st Place votes in parenthesis)SchoolPointsTennessee (225)2167Florida (57)1891Georgia (45)1860Kentucky933Vanderbilt (2)810Missouri807South Carolina (2)800 Western Division (1st Place votes in parenthesis)SchoolPointsAlabama (246)2220LSU (76)1984Ole Miss (5)1479Texas A&M (3)1130Arkansas (1)1047Auburn890Mississippi State518 SEC ChampionSchoolPointsAlabama223LSU59Tennessee29Georgia7Florida5Ole Miss4Texas A&M1South Carolina1Vanderbilt1Arkansas1 ' ' '