D1Baseball unveils updated top 25 rankings with new top teams, four entries
This week brough upsets and plenty of action across college baseball. Even with just two series between top 25 teams, there were plenty of surprises. This week’s D1Baseball top 25 rankings look a little bit different as a result.
The two top 25 matchups this week were between No. 1 Arkansas and No. 25 Alabama in Tuscaloosa, and No. 3 Texas A&M and No. 6 Vanderbilt in College Station. Those two series surely had a different trajectory.
Entering Sunday, ten teams in D1Baseball’s top 25 were going into a rubber game with their series on the line. Four others had already lost their weekend series with 0-2 starts to their weekend. Sunday’s action had a big impact on how this week’s rankings shake out.
Here’s how D1Baseball’s top 25 rankings look this week. There are multiple new teams with some movement within the top five.
1. Texas A&M
Previous Ranking: No. 3 (+2)
Weekly Record: 4-0
Overall Record: 32-4 (11-4 in SEC)
Texas A&M has now moved into the top two in D1Baseball’s top 25 rankings. The Aggies had a strong week that started with a tight, comeback victory over UTSA before battling No. 6 Vanderbilt over the weekend. The series was won by Texas A&M in pretty convincing fashion, with 15-0 and 9-0 wins on Friday and Saturday. In Sunday’s finale, the Aggies earned another strong victory by winning 12-6 to finish the sweep.
2. Arkansas
Previous Ranking: No. 1 (-1)
Weekly Record: 3-2
Overall Record: 30-5 (12-3 in SEC)
Arkansas began this week with three consecutive victories, with a pair of midweek wins over San Jose State and another at No. 25 Alabama in Friday’s series opener. The Razorbacks fell on Saturday, though, losing 4-3 in 10 innings to even the series. That set up a rubber game on Sunday between the two SEC foes, where Alabama had the last laugh with a 5-0 victory to take the series.
3. Kentucky
Previous Ranking: No. 8 (+5)
Weekly Record: 3-1
Overall Record: 30-5 (14-1 in SEC)
Kentucky fell 9-7 at Samford to begin their week, but the Wildcats certainly got back on track over the weekend. On the road at Auburn, Kentucky picked up another series sweep to improve to 14-1 in league play. The Wildcats earned the sweep behind 6-5, 9-1 and 13-8 victories. In addition to being 14-1 in the SEC, Kentucky is 30-5 overall and looking like one of the country’s best teams.
4. Tennessee
Previous Ranking: No. 4
Weekly Record: 4-0
Overall Record: 30-6 (10-5 in SEC)
Tennessee just keeps racking up wins, and this week was another strong one. The Vols kicked things off with a 20-2 midweek victory over Alabama A&M, and then hosted LSU over the weekend. While LSU has struggled in SEC play, the defending national champions were eager to get back on track. Tennessee didn’t let them. The Vols won 6-3 on Friday and 3-1 on Saturday to clinch the series, and then 8-4 on Sunday to secure the sweep.
5. Oregon State
Previous Ranking: No. 5
Weekly Record: 3-1
Overall Record: 29-5 (10-4 in Pac-12)
Oregon State enjoyed a strong week that has them again in the top five of D1Baseball’s top 25 rankings. The Beavers first defeated Portland 11-8 before taking the series over the weekend against Stanford. Oregon State won the opener 6-0 before winning 3-1 in the second game to secure the weekend victory, but couldn’t finish the sweep after losing 11-10 on Sunday.
6. Clemson
Previous Ranking: No. 2 (-4)
Weekly Record: 1-3
Overall Record: 29-6 (11-4 in ACC)
For pretty much the first time all season, Clemson had a tough week. The Tigers first lost 9-5 to USC Upstate in a midweek matchup, and then hosted NC State over the weekend. There, it was the Wolfpack that jumped out early and took the first two games of the series behind 11-8 and 4-0 victories. Clemson was looking to avoid the sweep on Sunday, and did just that with a 7-0 victory.
7. Duke
Previous Ranking: No. 7
Weekly Record: 2-2
Overall Record: 26-10 (11-7 in ACC)
Duke started the week off in disappointing fashion, losing a midweek game 4-2 against William & Mary. The Blue Devils then hit the road and took on Pitt over the weekend. After a postponement on Friday, Duke got back on track during Saturday’s doubleheader behind 14-4 and 4-3 victories. Going for the sweep on Sunday, Duke fell 11-10 but still picked up another ACC series win.
8. Florida State
Previous Ranking: No. 10 (+2)
Weekly Record: 4-0
Overall Record: 30-5 (10-5 in ACC)
Florida State moved into the top ten in last week’s D1Baseball top 25 rankings, and they further solidified that status this week. The Seminoles dominated in a 19-4 midweek win over No. 4 Florida, and then hosted and swept Miami over the weekend behind 5-4, 11-7 and 6-4 victories. That gives Florida State season sweeps over Florida and Miami, which only adds to an impressive 30-5 overall record.
9. East Carolina
Previous Ranking: No. 9
Weekly Record: 4-1
Overall Record: 27-8 (8-4 in AAC)
ECU’s week began with a pair of midweek victories, 12-0 against Elon and 7-5 against Old Dominion. The Pirates then battled Charlotte over the weekend, winning 11-0 on Friday and 5-1 on Saturday before falling 8-7 on Sunday. The ECU pitching staff was on its game this week, tossing a pair of combined no-hitters, though both were combined efforts in seven-inning run-rule victories.
10. Virginia
Previous Ranking: No. 11 (+1)
Weekly Record: 3-1
Overall Record: 28-8 (11-7 in ACC)
Virginia was just outside of D1Baseball’s top 25 rankings last week, and they move in this week. That’s after a 3-1 week that started with an 8-4 midweek victory over VCU. At Louisville over the weekend, Virginia split the first two games by winning 21-3 on Friday and falling 14-10 on Saturday. In Sunday’s finale, they secured the series win behind a 16-7 win.
D1Baseball Top 25: 11-25
11. North Carolina (+2)
12. Wake Forest (+2)
13. Vanderbilt (-7)
14. Louisiana (+5)
15. Oklahoma State (+6)
16. Oregon (+2)
17. UC Irvine (-5)
18. Alabama (+7)
19. Coastal Carolina (+1)
20. South Carolina (NR)
21. Arizona (NR)
22. West Virginia (NR)
23. Virginia Tech (-7)
24. Georgia (NR)
25. Dallas Baptist (-10)
Four new teams join D1Baseball’s top 25 this week. They are No. 20 South Carolina, No. 21 Arizona, No. 22 West Virginia and No. 24 Georgia. They take the places of UCF (previously No. 17), Mississippi State (previously No. 22), Nebraska (previously No. 23) and Florida (previously No. 24).
Kentucky was the most notable riser in the top ten this week, up five spots to No. 3 after improving to 14-1 in the SEC. Clemson dropped four spots and out of the top five to No. 6. Vanderbilt also dropped seven spots and out of the top ten. Outside of the top ten, UC Irvine (five spots), Virginia Tech (seven spots) and Dallas Baptist (ten spots) were the most notable drops this week. Louisiana (five spots), Oklahoma State (six spots) and Alabama (seven spots) were the biggest jumps.