SEC Baseball Power Rankings: Florida slides after sweep by Missouri
It was quite the week across the SEC, with the weekend’s college baseball action featuring upsets, walk-offs, and high tensions that led to suspensions and ejections. After it all, we have made some changes to our latest SEC baseball power rankings.
The aforementioned incident took place in Saturday’s game between Mississippi State and Georgia. Mississippi State catcher Johnny Long tagged out Georgia runner Dillon Carter on a play at the plate, and Long had some extra words for Carter after getting the out. The play resulted in 11 ejections, five suspensions, and an unfathomable delay that lasted more than 30 minutes.
Two teams ranked in the top half of our SEC baseball power rankings last week lost their weekend series this past weekend. Three SEC series this past week entered a rubber game to end their weekend.
Eight SEC teams are ranked in this week’s D1Baseball top 25, but our SEC power rankings look a little different. With the postseason picture starting to take shape, the league looks to be in a pretty good spot.
1. Arkansas
Weekly Record: 4-0
Overall Record: 27-3 (11-1 in SEC)
Previous: No. 1
Upcoming Week: vs. San Jose State (TUE, WED), at Alabama (FRI-SUN)
Arkansas just keeps winning, and they have a pretty firm grasp on the top spot in our SEC baseball power rankings. Off to an 11-1 start in the SEC, the Razorbacks are in a great spot at this point in the season. Last week, Arkansas had a 4-0 week that began with a 13-0 midweek victory over Arkansas State. The Razorbacks then swept Ole Miss behind 5-2, 8-3 and 7-3 victories. Arkansas is one of two SEC teams with an 11-1 record in conference play.
2. Texas A&M
Weekly Record: 3-1
Overall Record: 28-4 (8-4 in SEC)
Previous: No. 3 (+1)
Upcoming Week: vs. UTSA (TUE), vs. Vanderbilt (FRI-SUN)
The Aggies are off to a great start, currently sitting tied for third in the SEC with an 8-4 league record. Texas A&M is coming off of a strong 3-1 week that included a 12-2 victory at Texas State and 9-2 and 6-3 wins at South Carolina. The Gamecocks won the series finale 6-5 to prevent an Aggies sweep, but it’s another SEC weekend victory for Texas A&M regardless.
3. Tennessee
Weekly Record: 2-1
Overall Record: 26-6 (7-5 in SEC)
Previous: No. 4 (+1)
Upcoming Week: vs. Alabama A&M (TUE), vs. LSU (FRI-SUN)
Tennessee’s week began in troubling fashion, as they dropped the series opener at Auburn 9-5. While it wasn’t the start to the weekend the Vols wanted, they didn’t let it linger at all. Tennessee responded with back-to-back run-rule victories to clinch the series, winning 12-2 in seven innings and 19-5 in seven innings to wrap up the weekend. The Vols are now 7-5 in the SEC, sitting in fifth place in the league and in third place in this week’s power rankings.
4. Kentucky
Weekly Record: 3-0
Overall Record: 27-4 (11-1 in SEC)
Previous: No. 5 (+1)
Upcoming Week: at Samford (TUE), at Auburn (THU-SAT)
Kentucky started last season red-hot, and they’re doing the same thing this year. The Wildcats currently sit at 11-1 in the SEC, and are in a great position to host a regional barring a pretty serious collapse. Kentucky hosted Alabama this past weekend and took care of business with relative ease, winning 6-2, 7-0 and 10-1 on their way to a series sweep. They keep moving up in our SEC baseball power rankings as a result.
5. Vanderbilt
Weekly Record: 2-1
Overall Record: 25-7 (8-4 in SEC)
Previous: No. 6 (+1)
Upcoming Week: vs. Middle Tennessee (TUE), at Texas A&M (FRI-SUN)
Vanderbilt was in Baton Rouge this past weekend, and started the series off on the wrong foot with a 10-6 loss to LSU. They were able to even the series in the second game, though, behind a 8-6 victory. That set up a rubber game in the finale, which Vanderbilt won 13-3 in eight innings via the run-rule. It was an impressive stamp to end the weekend, improving to 8-4 in the SEC. A serious test awaits this weekend at Texas A&M. But Vanderbilt is back on the rise in this week’s SEC power rankings.
6. Mississippi State
Weekly Record: 2-2
Overall Record: 21-12 (6-6 in SEC)
Previous: No. 9 (+3)
Upcoming Week: vs. UAB (TUE), at Ole Miss (FRI-SUN)
Mississippi State had a pair of losses last week, beginning with a 7-6 midweek defeat against Central Arkansas. They then hosted Georgia over the weekend. Saturday drama aside, this was a pretty great series. Mississippi State won 6-1 in the opener before falling 3-2 on Saturday to even the series. In Sunday’s rubber game, Mississippi State won a tight 9-8 contest to take the series and improve to 6-6 in SEC play.
7. Florida
Weekly Record: 1-3
Overall Record: 17-14 (6-6 in SEC)
Previous: No. 2 (-5)
Upcoming Week: at Florida State (TUE), vs. South Carolina (FRI-SUN)
It wasn’t a typical week for Florida, as they flipped things around and won their midweek game against Florida A&M before struggling over the weekend at Missouri. While the Gators lost the three games by a combined three runs, it was a disappointing result nonetheless. Missouri won 2-1 in 11 innings in the opener, and then 4-2 and 11-10 to finish the series. Florida takes a sizeable fall in our SEC baseball power rankings this week, and are in danger of dropping even further if they don’t get back on track.
SEC Baseball Power Rankings: 8-14
8. South Carolina
9. Alabama (-2)
10. LSU
11. Georgia
12. Missouri (+2)
13. Auburn
14. Ole Miss (-2)
South Carolina benefits from a lackluster week from the bottom half of the SEC, as the Gamecocks remain in place at No. 8 despite a 1-3 week that saw an 8-0 loss to Georgia Southern and a series loss against Texas A&M. Alabama falls below South Carolina in this week’s SEC power rankings after the Tide went 1-3 on the week with a sweep at the hands of Kentucky over the weekend.
LSU and Georgia remain in place at No. 10 and No. 11, respectively. The TIgers won the opener against Vanderbilt but then lost the next two games to drop the series and fall to 3-9 in SEC play. The Bulldogs had a 2-2 week but lost their series at Mississippi State, falling to 5-7 in SEC play.
For the first time this season, a team not named Missouri has taken the bottom spot in our SEC power rankings. Missouri, despite a 15-18 overall record, is now 4-8 in the SEC and moves up two spots after sweeping Florida. Auburn remains in place after a 2-2 week, and they sit at 2-10 in the SEC this season. Ole Miss takes the last place spot in our rankings this week. It was an 0-4 week for the Rebels, losing to Memphis and getting swept by Arkansas. Ole Miss is now on a seven-game losing streak.