The top two seeds in this year’s SEC Tournament seem to be drifting apart.

Unfortunately for Arkansas, it appears to be the one meandering south while overall SEC champion Vanderbilt continues to soar.

No one could argue with any real straight face that any conference in the country is tougher from top to bottom than the SEC.

Any conference can have parity. The SEC, though, is filled with heavyweights capable of a knockout each night out.

It’s the reason why LSU, a typical perennial powerhouse, will miss the SEC Tournament for the first time in over 20 years. Last year’s tourney victor, Kentucky, will also sit this one out.

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It’s why the SEC West Champion Razorbacks have lost six of their last nine SEC games.

Inconsistency at the plate and an uncharacteristically ineffective Nick Schmidt have hurt the Hogs of late.

Get shut out in the opener against Alabama, 10-0, then score 12 runs in the subsequent game, only to score five and lose the rubber game by allowing nine runs are just a sample of Arkansas’ woes.

It doesn’t end there.

First, a heartbreaking, one-run loss at home to Ole Miss in the opener of the final series at Baum Stadium. Then, scoring three of four total runs in the 10 th inning to win 4-3 on a tworun, walk-off double in the single most exciting finish of the season when considering the ghastly start. Lastly, getting blanked in the series finale by a pitcher who had not won an SEC start all season.

These once-high Hogs have produced more valleys than peaks in the last three SEC series. The Hogs are 2-4 in their last six SEC games at home.

Arkansas heads into Wednesday’s SEC Tournament opener at Hoover, Ala. against Alabama — a virtual home game for the Crimson Tide — having been thoroughly shutdown by Ole Miss in its last contest.

The once supremely confident Razorbacks fizzled once again after a scalding start. Now Arkansas must venture to Hoover for what many pundits argue is a virtually meaningless charade.

Many in the press boxes these days have debated the importance of the SEC Tournament when contrasted with the true postseason beginning, the NCAA Regional.

But Arkansas must understand that while the SEC Tournament isn’t the end of the road, it could be the opportunity to alter a disastrous path.

The Hogs are a near cinch to host a regional despite stumbling into an SEC West title and netting the two seed in the league tournament. A 1-2 effort in Hoover isn’t the kind of evidence that will help the Hogs case for a Super Regional. Arkansas needs two victories in the SEC Tourney to deserve a Super Regional.

But convincing the NCAA that the Razorbacks deserve a Super Regional should matters get to that point, may be done with dollars and not performance on the field.

It’s certain the NCAA views Arkansas’ venue as its prime rib cash cow in a sport that typically sets the standard at sirloin.

Arkansas set a national record with an average of 8, 047 tickets sold per home game this season. The Hogs also led the SEC with a school record in actual average attendance.

No one will complain about Arkansas’ sturdy fan support. But I’m guessing the players would rather earn that Super Regional on the field than in the stands.

Heath Allen is a sportswriter for the Northwest Arkansas Times.