SEC Baseball Power Rankings: Vanderbilt climbs, Mississippi State slips

With another week of SEC baseball in the books, On3 has another installment of SEC baseball power rankings, and the Ole Miss Rebels continued to hold down the top spot.

Though the No. 1 spot appears clear as day, the rest of the SEC saw some significant shakeups after Vanderbilt and Florida put together strong weeks, while Mississippi State continued its shocking descent.

Conference play is quickly approaching, and there’s now just two weeks until the nation’s most competitive baseball conference goes head-to-head. Here’s a look at where the 14 teams stand through the first week of March.

SEC Baseball Power Rankings

1. Ole Miss Rebels

Record: 10-1

Previous Ranking: 1

Ole Miss turned in a 4-1 week to hold down its No. 1 spot in On3’s SEC baseball power rankings, and the Rebels looked dominant — despite suffering their first loss of the season. First, the Rebels knocked off ULM on back-to-back midweek showings, winning 10-2 on Tuesday, then run-ruling ULM by an 11-1 final through seven innings on Wednesday. Over the weekend, Ole Miss beat UCF in the first and third game, but a 0-1, 12-inning loss was the first of the Rebels’ young season. Even in that performance, though, there was a bright spot, as Ole Miss’ pitching was fantastic. John Gaddis pitched seven innings, allowing just four hits, no earned runs and eight strikeouts, and the bullpen turned in 4.1 innings, allowing just one hit and one earned run, ultimately losing on a walk-off single. For a team known for its dominant bats, the offense simply couldn’t plate runs in Saturday night’s loss, despite seven hits as a team. Overall, Ole Miss arguably looked more dangerous than ever before in the past week, thanks in large part to the the pitching — specifically, the fantastic bullpen play. A team known for its offense had 10 different bullpen arms combine for 22 innings, allowing a total of 2 earned runs and logging 27 strikeouts.

2. Arkansas Razorbacks

Record: 7-3

Previous Ranking: 3

Arkansas rose from No. 3 to No. 2 this week, despite only winning three of its four games and dropping the first of a three-game series to Southeastern Louisiana. Truth be told, Arkansas needed help from Tennessee falling from the No. 2 spot (we’ll get to that), but the Razorbacks still looked like a much-improved team from the onset of the season. The Hogs’ only loss against Southeastern Louisiana came just days removed from the Lions beating No. 25 Louisiana Tech, showing that they’re far from a bottom-dwelling nonconference opponent. Though Arkansas lost its series-opening game against both Northern Illinois and Southeastern Louisiana, it managed to bounce back and win both series. Two transfers — Michael Turner and Chris Lanzilli — powered the offense with seven hits and five RBIs over the weekend, while one more key transfer broke a slump. Oklahoma transfer Jace Bohrofen entered the series 0-for-16; he added two doubles on Friday, then went 3-for-5 with 5 RBIs in the first leg of Saturday’s doubleheader. Dave Van Horn’s bats seem to finally be living up to their reputation.

3. Vanderbilt Commodores

Record: 10-2

Previous Ranking: 4

Vanderbilt, which entered the season as the No. 3 team in the D1Baseball Top 25, saw its ranking take a dip after a season-opening loss to Oklahoma State, as the Cowboys claimed two of three games in Nashville. The Commodores slowly fought back, but they needed to show two things to ascend back up the rankings: of course, they needed to win (duh), but more importantly, they needed to show that their bats — particularly, those that have been quiet — can drive in runs without getting walked or plunked by rattled pitchers. With a 5-0 week (a 5-2 midweek win over Central Arkansas, then four wins at Hawaii, outscoring the Rainbow Warriors 36-5 over the weekend), Vanderbilt showed just that. Its young pitching staff continued to carry its weight, while Enrique Bradfield Jr. had three multi-hit games to raise his batting average from .217 to .262. Spencer Jones continued his hot streak to the season with a two-run homer, and so too did Javier Vaz, who’s now hitting .400 after a grand slam this weekend. Carter Young, who’d been slumping heading into the weekend, hit .250 with two homers, too, perhaps showing that he’s returned to form ahead fo SEC play

4. Florida Gators

Record: 10-3

Previous Ranking: 7

Hello, Gators, and welcome to the highest ranking in On3’s SEC baseball power rankings this season. In last week’s power rankings, the proposition for Florida was simple: prove it and move up. Florida came in as low as No. 7 after losing two of its first three in a season-opening series to Liberty, and the Gators didn’t move up after sweeping last week against mediocre competition. This week, however, Florida showed everything it needed to vault up in the power rankings, as it stole two of three games on the road (well, not very far on the road) at Miami, which was previously ranked No. 22 in D1Baseball’s Top 25. Florida also beat North Florida and Florida A&M in midweek matchups, but the story of its 4-1 week was, of course, the series win over Miami. After dropping the first game, Florida bounced back in a big way with an 8-1 win and an 11-3 win. Jud Fabian did his thing, going 2-for-5 in the two wins over Miami with three RBIs and five walks, getting on base at an insane rate. And Kendrick Calilao, a first-baseman from Florida, had a home run in each of the last two games, logging four total RBIs across those two victories. Florida has one of the toughest nonconference schedules in the SEC, and the Gators are stepping up to the task.

5. Tennessee Volunteers

Record: 10-1

Previous ranking: 2

Maybe we jumped the gun on Tennessee, a team that seems impossible to read so early on in the year. The Volunteers are still a great team, one that will be a mainstay in the D1Baseball Top 25 and should easily be hosting postseason action in Knoxville. But after a sweep of Iona — really, a slaughter against Iona, winning 27-1, 29-0 and 12-2 (seven innings) — Tennessee found itself at No. 2. The Volunteers just had to prove that they belonged that high. And they had a solid weekend, beating a decent Baylor team, 10-5, and an OK Oklahoma team, 8-0. The bats, obviously, just didn’t hold up enough to be the No. 2 team in the conference. Losing to No. 1 Texas shouldn’t be the stain on Tennessee’s resume that drops the Volunteers from No. 2 to No. 5, but it doesn’t look like Tennessee was the No. 2 team to begin with. The Volunteers have now scored 10 runs or more in seven games this season and have tallied 133 for the season — come SEC play, if Tennessee can even remotely hold those numbers, they’ll climb back up.

6. Mississippi State Bulldogs

Record: 6-6

Previous Ranking: 5

This wasn’t on anyone’s bingo card. Mississippi State, which is fresh off its first ever national championship, is struggling mightily to start the season. Frankly, the Bulldogs can and should still compete for an SEC title, so ranking a .500 team at No. 6 in the On3 Power Rankings might be a bit predictive. This weekend, we saw a two different Mississippi State teams: one that beat Tulane, 19-2, behind a three-run homer from Hunter Hines, a two-run homer from Kellum Clark, and two RBIs apiece from Brad Cumbest and Logan Tanner. But we also saw the Mississippi State team that lost the next two games to Tulane, one by an 11-10 final in 10 innings and another by a 5-4 final, behind some mediocre pitching. All season long, the pitching hasn’t been great at Mississippi State, which is to be expected when you lose an ace like Will Bednar to the first round of the MLB Draft. Surely, things will get better in Starkville.

7. LSU Tigers

Record: 9-3

Previous Ranking: 6

LSU fell one spot from No. 6 to No. 7 in the On3 SEC baseball power rankings after an 11-3 midweek win over New Orleans, followed by an 11-inning, 5-4 win over Oklahoma, and losses to No. 1 Texas and Baylor. Texas is Texas, and frankly the Tigers shouldn’t be judged based on their performance against the No. 1 team in the country. But allowing nine runs to Baylor after six runs to Texas won’t keep LSU in close ballgames, especially come SEC play, when several offenses in the SEC West are capable of doing what Texas can do at its best. In its last game of the weekend, a loss to Baylor, LSU started true freshman Grant Taylor, who was ranked after two hits and an earned run in two innings; then, right-hander Paul Gervase was yanked after 2.1 innings and three earned runs, and the defense later ceded two more runs with errors. Some consistency on the mound (and, frankly, on the field, as LSU committed five errors in the loss to Baylor) to supplement what appears to be a strong offense is a must for Jay Johnson’s squad moving forward.

8. Georgia Bulldogs

Record: 9-2

Previous Ranking: 8

Georgia had a big opportunity to move up in On3’s SEC baseball power rankings with a three-game series against Georgia Tech, but the Bulldogs squandered the opportunity, losing two of three to its in-state rival, allowing 11 runs and seven runs, respectively, in the first two games (both losses). Friday night starter Jonathan Cannon was dominant his first two starts, but the junior from Alpharetta, Georgia proceeded to give up seven hits and six earned runs in his poor start against Georgia Tech. Again, the starting pitching didn’t give Georgia much of a chance on Saturday, as Liam Sullivan picked up a loss after turning in two earned runs, three walks and three hits, ultimately getting pulled after 2.2 innings. At its best, Georgia can do what it did on Sunday, picking up its only win of the weekend over Georgia Tech with 12 runs — four RBIs off the bat of Parks Harber and three more courtesy of Corey Collins. Frankly, Georgia Tech was the only remaining nonconference challenge on Georgia’s schedule, as the Bulldogs have some light competition ahead of SEC play.

9. Kentucky Wildcats

Record: 10-2

Previous Ranking: 10

Bold move putting Kentucky ahead of South Carolina in On3’s SEC baseball power rankings, but the Wildcats really deserve it after a strong showing this weekend. Kentucky, which was the No. 11 seed in the SEC Tournament last year and was easily knocked out in the first round, looks much stronger in 2022, and winning two of three against TCU helped make the Wildcats’ case. TCU was an NCAA Tournament team last year, but the Horned Frogs fell 13-11 and 5-1 in the first two games against Kentucky, before taking the third with a 12-8 final. It’s almost hard to believe, but Kentucky’s top hitters have maintained ridiculous numbers through 12 games: Chase Estep is hitting .455 with four homers and 14 RBIs, Daniel Harris is hitting .432 with six RBIs (though he’s only played 10 games) and Jacob Plastiak is hitting .392 with five homers and 16 RBIs. Kentucky has five bats hitting for over .300, including star Ryan Ritter, who’s hitting .314. A projected MLB draftee, Ritter had been known in years past for everything but his hitting — now, however, he seems to be getting the job done behind the plate, which has only helped the Wildcats lineup.

10. South Carolina Gamecocks

Record: 7-4

Previous Ranking: 9

South Carolina coming in at No. 9, as opposed to any lower, is somewhat speculative, given that the Gamecocks still seem like a better team than their record. The offense looked hot in a three-game sweep of George Washington two weeks ago, but last weekend, the Gamecocks were shut down by in-state rivals at Clemson, getting swept in three games and scoring two runs in each loss. The pitching, at least in games one and three, was fine, as South Carolina lost those just 3-2 and 5-2, and Will Sanders was particularly impressive in his start on Friday. Sanders threw seven innings, allowing just six hits and one earned run, while striking out 14 batters. Unfortunately (or fortunately, if South Carolina is able to step up to the challenge), the Gamecocks’ schedule doesn’t get much easier before heading into SEC play, as this coming weekend features a three-game series at home against Texas, the No. 1 team in the country. If South Carolina manages to find a way to take two of those games, the Gamecocks could leap up the rankings.

11. Auburn Tigers

Record: 11-2

Previous Ranking: 11

Auburn had a perfect week, crushing Alabama State and UAB in two midweek wins by a 13-7 and 16-1 final, and the Tigers continued to sweep Rhode Island in a four-game home series this weekend. Not to take anything away from Auburn, but Rhode Island entered the series without a win, and the Rams traveled home from Alabama with an 0-10 record. They’ve now been swept by two teams in the state of Alabama: South Alabama and Auburn. All of this is to say: Auburn’s perfect week really didn’t show enough to move them up in On3’s SEC baseball power rankings.

12. Alabama Crimson Tide

Record: 9-4

Previous Ranking: 14

Alabama moved up a couple spots after putting together a nice week, going 4-1 and sweeping the Murray State Racers in a three-game weekend series. The Crimson Tide rebounded nicely from a winless weekend last week, as Alabama was swept on the road — but it was against the No. 1 Texas Longhorns. Though Alabama was swept by the best team in the country, the Crimson Tide kept that series close, losing the first two games by a 1-0 and 2-0 final. The pitching looked just as fine against Murray State, as Garrett McMillan threw six scoreless innings on Friday, allowing three hits and striking out seven, and Antoine Jean went 4.1 innings, allowing three hits and one earned run on Saturday. The Bullpen, across all three games, was very solid for Alabama. Crimson Tide relievers combined for 12.2 innings, allowing four earned runs, striking out 12 and walking three.

13. Missouri Tigers

Record: 9-1

Previous Ranking: 12

It’s hard to sell yourself on Missouri’s 9-1 record, which features two wins over Nicholls, a win over Southern, two wins over UL Monroe, and, most recently, a three-game sweep of Tarleton State. As for why they moved down a spot despite a three-game sweep — that’s largely because other SEC baseball programs simply showed more against slightly better competition. Missouri’s offense is paced by Torin Montgomery, who’s hitting .429 with 10 RBIs and five doubles in nine starts, and Josh Day, who’s maintained a .395 average with three home runs, nine RBIs and four doubles in 10 starts. However, Mizzou — which was abysmal last season and ultimately missed the cut for the SEC Tournament — has to do a whole lot more to move up. Next up, for the Tigers, is Gonzaga, an opponent that can actually serve as a barometer of the Tigers’ success through 10 games. Should Missouri fall with ease to Gonzaga, it may begin to look something like last year’s team.

14. Texas A&M Aggies

Record: 7-4

Previous Ranking: 13

Texas A&M came in at No. 9 in On3’s SEC baseball opening-week power rankings, and the Aggies have since fallen to No. 13, and now No. 14. After dismissing former head coach Rob Childress following 16 years at the helm, Texas A&M hired in-state, stealing Jim Schlossnagle from TCU, so the Aggies’ early-season high ranking was purely speculative — now, Schlossnagle’s hot start seems to have cooled off, as Texas A&M had another two-loss weekend. Despite a win over Iowa on Saturday, the Aggies lost to Washington State and Wichita State. For reference, Washington State lost two of four to Hawaii, and Wichita State has lost to Texas State, Texas A&M Corpus Christi and Oral Roberts. It’s not like Texas A&M is losing to SEC-level opponents, so the Aggies have plenty left to prove in order to sit in the top 12 and punch a ticket to the SEC Tournament.