College Baseball Rankings: Predicting D1Baseball's top 25 after 13 ranked series losses

The regular season continues to wind down for college baseball, with just a few weeks remaining until conference tournaments get underway. This week delivered with plenty of upsets, ejections and excitement, leading to changes in our D1Baseball top 25 predictions.

One of the biggest moments from this weekend actually came through an ejection. Vanderbilt pitcher JD Thompson was ejected after Florida called for a check for a sticky substance, leading to Thompson’s removal. That usually carries a four-game suspension, as well.

Beyond that, it was a pretty great weekend of college baseball. The weekend featured six top 25 matchups, including a top five battle between No. 3 Kentucky and No. 4 Tennessee. Entering Sunday, six ranked teams had already lost their weekend series while four others entered the day in a rubber game with the series on the line.

After all of the action, we expect to see some changes in D1Baseball’s top 25 rankings on Monday morning. Here is how we believe the rankings will look.

1. Texas A&M

Previous Ranking: No. 1
Weekly Record: 3-1
Overall Record: 35-5 (13-5 in SEC)

Texas A&M’s week began with a 15-5 midweek victory over Air Force before a trip to Tuscaloosa over the weekend. No. 18 Alabama was looking to stun the top-ranked team for the second consecutive week, but the Aggies didn’t let that happen. Texas A&M won the series behind 10-5 and 18-9 victories in the first two games before falling 10-9 in the finale.

2. Arkansas

Previous Ranking: No. 2
Weekly Record: 4-1
Overall Record: 34-6 (14-4 in SEC)

Arkansas dropped out of the top spot in last week’s D1Baseball top 25 rankings, but they held firm at No. 2 and will stay there this week as well. The Razorbacks picked up a pair of quality midweek victories over Texas Tech, 9-8 and 5-4. They then went to Columbia to take on No. 20 South Carolina. Arkansas won 2-1 in the opener before falling 6-3 in the second game. In the rubber game, the Razorbacks prevailed with a 9-6 win to secure a good series victory.

3. Tennessee

Previous Ranking: No. 4 (+1)
Weekly Record: 3-1
Overall Record: 33-7 (12-6 in SEC)

Tennessee and No. 3 Kentucky was the most intriguing series of the weekend, featuring two top four teams in Lexington. Tennessee first won a midweek game against Bellarmine, 20-5 to begin the week. They then dropped the series opener to the Wildcats 5-3 before evening the series with a 9-4 win. In the decisive rubber game on Sunday, Tennessee came out on top in a high scoring 13-11 contest.

4. Kentucky

Previous Ranking: No. 3 (-1)
Weekly Record: 2-2
Overall Record: 32-7 (15-3 in SEC)

Kentucky has been on a tremendous run this season. Entering the week 30-5 overall, the Wildcats then won 17-13 in a midweek game at Louisville and won the series opener against No. 4 Tennessee 5-3. The Vols took the second game 9-4 to even the weekend up, setting up a huge rubber game on Sunday. There, Kentucky fell 13-11 in another great game, losing the series. While Kentucky drops in our D1Baseball top 25 predictions, they don’t fall far at all.

5. Clemson

Previous Ranking: No. 6 (+1)
Weekly Record: 3-1
Overall Record: 32-7 (13-5 in ACC)

Clemson’s week started off with an 8-5 midweek victory over Charlotte, and they then hosted Pitt over the weekend. The Tigers won 6-4 in the opener before losing 8-4 in the second game to tie things up. In an important, and rather unexpected rubber game, Clemson prevailed with a 9-2 victory to win the series and avoid a disappointing weekend.

6. Duke

Previous Ranking: No. 7 (+1)
Weekly Record: 3-1
Overall Record: 29-11 (13-8 in ACC)

Duke won a tight midweek game against Gardner-Webb to start the week, prevailing 2-1. They then hit the road to Blacksburg for a series at No. 23 Virginia Tech. It was a very tight series, with the first two games going to extra innings. Duke won the opener 9-8 in 11 innings before Virginia Tech evened the series with a 2-1 win in 11 innings. That set up a rubber game on Sunday, where Duke came back to win 13-10 in a slugfest to take the series.

7. East Carolina

Previous Ranking: No. 9 (+2)
Weekly Record: 4-0
Overall Record: 31-8 (11-4 in AAC)

East Carolina is playing very well right now, and currently sits at 31-8 on the season. The Pirates grinded out a 14-13 midweek victory at William & Mary to begin the week in a game that went 13 innings. They then returned home to host a solid Wichita State team over the weekend and came away with the sweep. ECU won 6-4 in the opener before picking up 11-7 and 11-4, come from behind victories to secure the sweep. The Pirates will likely be on the rise in this week’s D1Baseball top 25 rankings.

8. Wake Forest

Previous Ranking: No. 12 (+4)
Weekly Record: 2-2
Overall Record: 26-13 (11-10 in ACC)

Here comes Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons are on the rise in D1Baseball’s top 25 rankings again, sliding up into the top ten this week. After falling 8-5 against UNC Wilmington in a midweek contest, Wake Forest hosted No. 8 Florida State over the weekend. The Demon Deacons won the opener 5-4 before falling 9-6 in the second game. In the finale, Wake Forest won 10-9 to end the exciting weekend with a series win.

9. Vanderbilt

Previous Ranking: No. 13 (+4)
Weekly Record: 3-1
Overall Record: 29-11 (10-8 in SEC)

Vanderbilt won 15-4 at Lipscomb to begin the week, and then hosted Florida over the weekend. The Commodores were looking to get back on track after falling in last week’s D1Baseball top 25 rankings, and they did just that. Vanderbilt won 10-5 and 5-2 in the first two games of the weekend to take the series. Florida took the finale 6-2 in a game full of controversy, headlined by a JD Thompson ejection. But it was still a strong week for the Commodores.

10. Oregon State

Previous Ranking: No. 5 (-5)
Weekly Record: 1-4
Overall Record: 30-9 (10-7 in Pac-12)

It was a five-game week for Oregon State, and they struggled. The Beavers first had a pair of midweek games against Nevada, winning the first 12-5 and losing the second 11-10. They then hit the road for a trip to Cal over the weekend. There, Oregon State lost the first two games 10-8 and 8-7 to lose the series. The Beavers were unable to avoid the sweep on Sunday, falling 4-3. They are likely to fall in D1Baseball’s top 25 rankings.

D1Baseball Top 25 Predictions: 11-25

11. Florida State (-3)
12. Coastal Carolina (+7)
13. North Carolina (-2)
14. Arizona (+7)
15. Virginia (-5)
16. Louisiana (-2)
17. UC Irvine
18. Oklahoma (NR)
19. Georgia (+5)
20. NC State (NR)
21. Alabama (-3)
22. South Carolina (-2)
23. Oregon (-7)
24. Indiana State (NR)
25. Oklahoma State (-10)

Oklahoma (No. 18), NC State (No. 20) and Indiana State (No. 24) are the three teams we expect to join D1Baseball’s top 25 on Monday morning. They take the places of West Virginia (previously No. 22), Virginia Tech (previously No. 23) and Dallas Baptist (previously No. 25).

Coastal Carolina and Arizona rise the most in this week’s rankings predictions, each up seven spots. Oregon (seven spots) and Oklahoma State (ten spots) were the most notable drops.