Oklahoma baseball smack dab in a loaded SEC race

Getting deeper and deeper into the SEC baseball season, and Oklahoma continues to be right there with the pack.

It’s a loaded pack, for sure. Every week is the definition of a grind for Skip Johnson and company. SoonerScoop’s Eddie Radosevich takes his first crack at examining the Power Rankings for a conference where It Just Means More.

SEC Power Rankings (through April 21) 

1. Texas 33-15, 16-2 (vs. Texas A&M, @ Arkansas, vs. Florida, @ Oklahoma) 

The No. 1 team in the country swept its way through Auburn and now holds a three-game lead over Arkansas in the conference standings. This weekend’s series was already highly anticipated following Jim Schlossnagle’s address change, but now it appears the Aggies have woken from a slumber that plagued them to begin the year. Series of the weekend. End of story.

2. Arkansas 34-7, 13-5 (@ Florida, vs. Texas, @ LSU, vs. Tennessee) 

I’d have to check-in with our friends in Fayetteville but does it even matter what Dave Van Horn’s team does in the regular season? The Hogs have been dominant throughout, positioning themselves for another run to Omaha. But can they get over the hump? The hump isn’t so making it to Omaha, rather can Arkansas win a national championship? Big series on deck next weekend with the Horns. 

3. LSU 34-7, 12-7 (vs. Tennessee, @ Texas A&M, vs. Arkansas, @ South Carolina) 

The Bayou Bengals took two of three from Alabama over the weekend at The Box, putting in the rearview mirror a bad weekend at Auburn in which they were swept. Series left against Tennessee, A&M and Arkansas will set the tone for Jay Johnson’s club heading into the SEC Tournament. The Tigers are top three in the conference in both hitting (No. 2) and pitching (No. 3). 

4. Tennessee 23-5, 12-6 (@ LSU, vs. Auburn, vs. Vanderbilt, @ Arkansas)

Even after losing a pair of series over the last three weekends, it’s hard to drop the Vols too far. In a weird way it almost makes me feel better the series losses to A&M and Kentucky came in Knoxville. We expect the Vols to bounce back over the long term but there’s obviously some things to clean up on the field when they head to Baton Rouge this weekend. 

5.  Georgia 33-9, 10-8 (vs. Oklahoma, @ Missouri, @ Alabama, vs. Texas A&M)

The Bulldogs had a rough weekend in Nashville, getting swept by Vanderbilt. This week’s schedule doesn’t get any easier for the Bulldogs who go to Clemson on Tuesday in the midweek before returning home playing host to Oklahoma for a pivotal series – for both clubs– this weekend. The ‘Dogs are 24-2 this season at Foley Field. 

6. Texas A&M 23-16, 8-10 (@ Texas, vs. LSU, vs. Missouri, @ Georgia) 

Hello there. It would appear the Aggies have awoken from its slumber. Winners in seven of their last nine, A&M took two of three in Fayetteville over the weekend, splitting a doubleheader on Friday. They undoubtedly should be lower in this power ranking based on their schedule to date, but this team is starting to turn the corner and look closer to what was expected of the nation’s preseason No. 1. Gargantuan weekend ahead in Austin. 

7.  Auburn 27-13, 9-9 (vs. Mississippi State, @ Tennessee, vs. South Carolina, @ Ole Miss) 

Perhaps no better representation of the Southeastern Conference than the Auburn Tigers, who swept LSU two weeks ago but found themselves on the wrong end of a sweep this past weekend in Austin. The Tigers still hold a top-4 RPI with series wins over Alabama and LSU this month. 

8. Oklahoma 29-10, 10-8 (@ Georgia, vs. Ole Miss, @Kentucky, vs. Texas)

If the Sooners want to make a leap into the upper tier of the SEC, it’s all out there for Skip Johnson’s club. They’ve won five of their last six games by run rule, scoring 82 runs over those six games, including a torrid stretch offensively last week where OU won all four games by run rule with a midweek Bedlam win and a sweep of hapless Missouri by a combined score of 46-12. 

9. Vanderbilt 30-10, 11-7 ( @Ole Miss, vs. Alabama, @ Tennessee, vs. Kentucky) 

The difference a week can make. After crawling out of Norman, the Commodores made one of the strongest statements of the weekend in a three-game sweep of Georgia. Friday night starter JD Thompson was spectacular in the series opener, allowing one run over eight innings and striking out 14. 

10. Ole Miss 28-12, 10-8 (vs. Vanderbilt, @ Oklahoma, @ Mississippi State, vs. Auburn)

The Rebels lost three of four last week. And while the series loss to South Carolina was stunning, the big shock came in a 7-3 midweek loss to Arkansas-Little Rock. The lone bright spot of the weekend came on Saturday when Ole Miss catcher Austin Fawley launched a grand slam that was caught by his own mother, who was standing beyond the wall in left field. 

11. Alabama 31-10, 9-9 (vs. Missouri, @ Vanderbilt, vs. Georgia, @ Florida) 

The Tide salvaged its weekend with a win on getaway day in Baton Rouge, but they’ve now lost six of their last nine to SEC teams, posting losing weekends to Auburn, Mississippi State and LSU.  It should be a get-right weekend when winless Missouri arrives to Tuscaloosa this weekend.

12. Kentucky 22-15, 8-10 (vs. South Carolina, @ Mississippi State, vs. Oklahoma, @ Vanderbilt)

Nick Mingione’s club served up the surprise of the weekend by taking two of three from Tennessee. Its first series win in Knoxville since 2016. Nic McCay earned SEC Pitcher of the Week honors for his efforts in a series-clinching 4-1 win Saturday, holding the Vols to its fewest runs in a game this season (1), striking out a season-high 12.  

13. Florida 21-7, 6-12 (vs. Arkansas, @ South Carolina, @ Texas, vs. Alabama)

It’s been an odd year for Kevin O’Sullivan’s program. The Gators 16-year NCAA Tournament streak could be in jeopardy if they can’t close the regular season. That’s the second longest active streak in the country. The good news is Florida’s RPI remains strong, checking in at No. 23, having won series in back-to-back weekends. 

14. Mississippi State 24-16, 6-12 (@ Auburn, vs. Kentucky, vs. Ole Miss, @ Missouri)

The Bulldogs up and down year continued after taking a series from Alabama, coughing up leads on Friday and Sunday en route to a losing weekend at home to Florida. Offense hasn’t been a problem for the Bulldogs, currently No. 2 in conference games offensively. It’s on the back end of games where they’ve had trouble putting teams away. 

15. South Carolina 23-18, 4-14 (@ Kentucky, vs. Florida, @ Auburn, vs. LSU) 

The Gamecocks won their first conference series of the year taking the series vs. Ole Miss. A win in the second game of the series didn’t just clinch Paul Mainieri’s team a series win, but also marked a three-game win streak for the first time in over a month. 

16. Missouri 13-26, 0-18 (@ Alabama, vs. Georgia, @ Texas A&M, vs. Mississippi State) 

Hard to believe this is a Division I baseball team. May God have mercy on their souls the final four weekends of the year. The quest for 0-30 in conference play is a serious possibility.