College Baseball Power Rankings: Major overhaul throughout updated top 25

The past couple of weeks have been filled with chaos across college baseball, leading to a major overhaul in our updated national power rankings. After a brief one-week hiatus, we are back with some substantial movement throughout our top 25.

Conference play is underway, and the slate has been a very strong one in the opening weeks. The ACC and SEC have given us a plethora of top 25, and even top 10, matchups. And that likely will continue throughout much of the season.

Last week specifically was littered with ranked matchups. Now, we have a new No. 1 team and just one spot in our college baseball power rankings remains the same as it was two weeks ago in our previous installment.

Four new teams have also joined our updated college baseball power rankings. Here is how our top 25 takes shape as we enter another intriguing weekend.

1. Arkansas

Record: 17-2 (3-0 in SEC)
Previous: No. 3 (+2)
D1Baseball Ranking: No. 1

Arkansas continues to prove that they are capable of out-pitching any other team in college baseball. The weekend rotation of Hagen Smith, Brady Tygart and Mason Molina is an extremely strong one, and they’ve shown that all season. Coming off of a dominant weekend sweep over Missouri, Arkansas is gearing up for a trip to Auburn this weekend.

2. Oregon State

Record: 18-2 (2-1 in Pac-12)
Previous: No. 4 (+2)
D1Baseball Ranking: No. 2

Oregon State has continued to play great baseball this season, largely led by their dominant offense. The Beavers are hitting .333 as a team with 39 home runs, and currently have three players hitting .455 or better. Oregon State just keeps winning, and they move up to No. 2 in our college baseball power rankings as a result. Next up is a home series against Washington.

3. Vanderbilt

Record: 19-3 (3-0 in SEC)
Previous: No. 12 (+9)
D1Baseball Ranking: No. 3

Two weeks ago, Vanderbilt was outside of our top ten. At one point in the season, they were 5-3 and reeling after some early-season struggles. Despite many hitting the panic button on the Commodores, they rebounded. Now winning 14 games in a row to reach 19-3 on the season, Vanderbilt might be the hottest team in college baseball. They hit the road for a trip to South Carolina this weekend.

4. LSU

Record: 18-4 (1-2 in SEC)
Previous: No. 2 (-2)
D1Baseball Ranking: No. 5

LSU was on a roll entering this past weekend, but lost on Friday and Sunday at Mississippi State to drop their first series of SEC play. The Tigers were even run-ruled in Sunday’s rubber match. Even after an off weekend, though, LSU does not fall far. While there might be more questions about this team than last year’s College World Series winning squad, the Tigers are likely to remain as one of the nation’s top teams. They’ll look to show that this weekend at home against Florida.

5. Clemson

Record: 19-2 (2-1 in ACC)
Previous: No. 10 (+5)
D1Baseball Ranking: No. 4

Clemson has already earned series victories over South Carolina and Duke this season. Not many, if any team can match that. Right now, the ACC looks wide open this season. Clemson is a sure bet to be in the mix at the top. The next week will be an important one, though, as Clemson hosts a surging Florida State team over the weekend, and then hosts Coastal Carolina in a midweek battle after that.

6. Florida

Record: 12-8 (2-1 in SEC)
Previous: No. 8 (+2)
D1Baseball Ranking: No. 6

Florida has been the tale of two different teams this season. Four of their eight losses have come during midweek games. Though the Gators have struggled with consistency, they are coming off of an impressive series victory over Texas A&M, where they took two out of three. Florida must find a way to improve on midweeks. That won’t be easy next week in a rematch against Florida State, and this upcoming weekend is a tough one on the road against LSU as well.

7. Texas A&M

Record: 19-2 (1-2 in SEC)
Previous: No. 6 (-1)
D1Baseball Ranking: No. 7

Texas A&M entered SEC play last weekend with an undefeated record. They have played some great baseball to begin the season, but they were unable to come away with the series against Florida. Instead, the Aggies start out conference play 1-2. They will look to get back on track this weekend, though it won’t be easy against a Mississippi State team that is coming off of a series victory over LSU.

8. Alabama

Record: 18-3 (2-1 in SEC)
Previous: No. 13 (+5)
D1Baseball Ranking: No. 11

Alabama has enjoyed a great start to the season, kicking off the Rob Vaughn era in impressive fashion. Their three losses have all come against strong teams, too. Against Tennessee in their SEC-opening series last weekend, Alabama dropped the first game 11-3. They responded to take both Saturday and Sunday, though, coming back to secure the series victory. Alabama will look to continue the strong start in Athens against Georgia this weekend.

9. Tennessee

Record: 19-3 (1-2 in SEC)
Previous: No. 7 (-2)
D1Baseball Ranking: No. 8

Tennessee entered last weekend’s series against Alabama on an impressive 17-game winning streak, and extended it to 18 by taking the opener. While the streak lost there and Tennessee ultimately lost the series, they remain a top ten team in our college baseball power rankings. The Vols will host Ole Miss this weekend, looking to remain perfect at home on the season.

10. Duke

Record: 16-5 (3-3 in ACC)
Previous: No. 9 (-1)
D1Baseball Ranking: No. 9

Duke has gone through a bit of a rollercoaster over the last two weeks. The Blue Devils knocked off then No. 1 Wake Forest in their first ACC series two weekends ago, but then split a two-game midweek series against Rider. Against Clemson last weekend, Duke took the opener but lost the next two, bringing them back to .500 in ACC play. Duke still looks like a great team, but they’ll look to get back on track this weekend in Raleigh against NC State.

College Baseball Power Rankings: 11-25

11. Virginia
12. East Carolina (+3)
13. Florida State (+10)
14. Coastal Carolina (+5)
15. Wake Forest (-14)
16. Dallas Baptist (+5)
17. North Carolina (-1)
18. UC Irvine (+4)
19. Oklahoma (NR)
20. Mississippi State (NR)
21. Campbell (+4)
22. TCU (-17)
23. Ole Miss (NR)
24. UC Santa Barbara (NR)
25. South Carolina (-7)

The four new teams to join our college baseball power rankings are Oklahoma, Mississippi State, Ole Miss and UC Santa Barbara. They join in place of Texas Tech (previously No. 14), NC State (previously No. 17), Auburn (previously No. 20) and Georgia (previously No. 24).

The most notable changes are undoubtedly Vanderbilt, Florida State and Wake Forest. While these rankings reflects the previous two weeks of results, Vanderbilt rose nine spots and Florida State jumped ten. Wake Forest, meanwhile, fell 14 spots after losing their first two series of ACC play.