College Baseball Rankings: D1Baseball releases updated top 25 with substantial changes

There are now just three weeks remaining in college baseball’s regular season. This past week brought plenty of upsets on the midweek slate and over the weekend, and D1Baseball has again shaken up its top 25 rankings.

Over the weekend, the headline series was undoubtedly No. 6 Tennessee at No. 7 LSU. That was one of six matchups between ranked teams, joining No. 2 Clemson at No. 25 NC State, No. 3 Oregon State at No. 13 Oregon, No. 4 Florida State at No. 19 Louisville, No. 9 Vanderbilt at No. 23 Ole Miss, and No. 10 Georgia at No. 14 Oklahoma.

Among top 25 teams, ten entered their series finale deadlocked 1-1, heading into a rubber game. Four others were already 0-2 with a series loss, while 11 were 2-0 with a series victory already secured. That set up a massive Sunday slate, one that means a lot for this week’s D1Baseball top 25, and for the postseason.

With just three weeks left in the regular season, each weekend has felt more and more important. With limited time to add onto resumes, most teams already feel like they’re playing postseason baseball.

1. Texas

Previous Ranking: No. 1
Weekly Record: 4-0
Overall Record: 37-5 (19-2 in SEC)

Texas’ week started with a 14-11 midweek victory against Texas State, and they then hosted a surging Texas A&M team over the weekend. The Aggies made it a great series, but Texas clinched it with a 2-1 win in Friday’s opener followed by a 3-2 win on Saturday. Aiming to finish the weekend with a sweep on Sunday, the Longhorns did so with a 6-5 win.

2. LSU

Previous Ranking: No. 7 (+5)
Weekly Record: 2-2
Overall Record: 36-9 (14-7 in SEC)

LSU lost on Tuesday in rather stunning fashion, falling 13-3 against Northwestern State in a midweek game. The Tigers then hosted No. 6 Tennessee over the weekend in a SEC series with big implications. LSU won 6-3 on Friday, but fell 9-3 on Saturday to set up an intriguing finale on Sunday with the series on the line. In the rubber game, LSU won 12-2 via the run-rule to win the series.

3. Clemson

Previous Ranking: No. 2 (-1)
Weekly Record: 1-3
Overall Record: 36-10 (13-8 in ACC)

After a 3-0 win against No. 10 Georgia on Tuesday, nobody was expecting Clemson’s weekend to go how it did. On the road against No. 25 NC State, Clemson fell 14-4 on Thursday, 8-3 on Friday and 4-1 on Saturday to get swept. After moving up to No. 2 in D1Baseball’s top 25 last week, Clemson is moving in the wrong direction this week.

4. North Carolina

Previous Ranking: No. 8 (+4)
Weekly Record: 2-1
Overall Record: 33-10 (15-9 in ACC)

North Carolina didn’t play a midweek game due to weather on Tuesday, and started their week on Friday on the road at Pitt. The Tar Heels won 15-5 in Friday’s series opener, before losing 4-2 on Saturday. Aiming for the series win in Sunday’s rubber game, UNC got just that with a 6-0 win.

5. Florida State

Previous Ranking: No. 4 (-1)
Weekly Record: 2-2
Overall Record: 31-9 (12-6 in ACC)

Florida State began its week with an 11-6 victory against Stetson on Tuesday, and then traveled to No. 19 Louisville for a big ACC series starting on Friday. After FSU took Friday’s opener 10-2, Louisville answered with a 9-4 win on Saturday to even the series. In Sunday’s rubber game with the series on the line, the Seminoles lost again, this time in dominating fashion, 14-2. They drop in D1Baseball’s top 25 rankings as a result.

6. Oregon

Previous Ranking: No. 13 (+7)
Weekly Record: 3-1
Overall Record: 30-12 (14-7 in Big Ten)

After a disappointing 10-9 loss against Portland on Tuesday, Oregon battled No. 3 Oregon State over the weekend. The Ducks came out hot, winning 4-2 on Friday and 13-1 on Saturday to secure the series victory. In Sunday’s finale, Oregon wanted to finish off the sweep, and did exactly that with a 3-2 victory.

7. Oregon State

Previous Ranking: No. 3 (-4)
Weekly Record: 2-3
Overall Record: 32-10

Oregon State had a five-game week, starting early with a Monday-Tuesday midweek series with Gonzaga. The Beavers won both games, 4-3 in extras on Monday and then 8-3 on Tuesday. The weekend was a different story. At No. 13 Oregon, Oregon State lost 4-2 on Friday and 13-1 on Saturday to lose the series. Hoping to avoid the sweep on Sunday, the Beavers fell short again, losing 3-2.

8. UC Irvine

Previous Ranking: No. 12 (+4)
Weekly Record: 4-0
Overall Record: 32-9 (19-2 in Big West)

This was a big week for UC Irvine, and they made the most of it. The Anteaters beat No. 15 UCLA 5-3 on Tuesday, and then traveled to Cal Poly for a pivotal Big West series over the weekend. UC Irvine won 6-4 on Friday and 4-0 on Saturday to clinch the series. In Sunday’s finale, the Anteaters came back to win 10-8 to finish the sweep and leap into the top ten in D1Baseball’s top 25.

9. Georgia

Previous Ranking: No. 10 (+1)
Weekly Record: 2-2
Overall Record: 35-11 (12-9 in SEC)

After a 3-0 loss against No. 2 Clemson on Tuesday, Georgia dropped Thursday’s opener against No. 14 Oklahoma 8-6. The Bulldogs didn’t let the 0-2 start to the week stop them, though, and won 10-9 on Friday and 6-3 on Saturday to clinch the series victory and get back on track.

10. Auburn

Previous Ranking: No. 11 (+1)
Weekly Record: 3-1
Overall Record: 30-14 (11-10 in SEC)

One of the best midweek games on the Tuesday slate was Auburn against No. 24 Georgia Tech, and the Tigers came away with a tight 1-0 victory. They then hosted Mississippi State over the weekend, winning Friday’s opener 6-5 before losing 12-7 on Saturday to force a rubber game on Sunday. There, Auburn won 14-8 and clinched the series.

D1Baseball Top 25 Rankings: 11-25

11. Arkansas (-6)
12. Tennessee (-6)
13. NC State (+12)
14. UCLA (+1)
15. Vanderbilt (-6)
16. West Virginia (+1)
17. Louisville (+2)
18. Alabama
19. Coastal Carolina (+2)
20. Troy
21. Oklahoma (-7)
22. Southern Miss
23. Ole Miss
24. Arizona (-8)
25. Kansas (NR)

Kansas is the lone new entrant to this week’s D1Baseball top 25, coming in at No. 25. They replace Georgia Tech, who was No. 24 last week.