College Baseball Rankings: Predicting D1Baseball Top 25 after massive weekend, start of SEC play

The best part of college baseball season is finally here. Conference play began in the SEC and many other leagues this week. Now, we’re bound to see a pretty big shakeup throughout D1Baseball’s top 25 rankings.

For the most part, the action was as tight as ever. Six ranked teams ended their series on Saturday, but Sunday was a massive day. Eight teams in the top 25 entered Sunday having already clinched their weekend series, while eight more were 1-1 and entering a rubber game and three were 0-2 with a series loss already secured.

We have five great top 25 matchups this weekend. No. 5 Arkansas hosted No. 3 Mississippi State, No. 8 Georgia hosted No. 19 Tennessee, No. 9 Oklahoma hosted No. 22 Texas A&M, No. 11 Clemson hosted No. 4 Georgia Tech and No. 12 Wake Forest hosted No. 20 Florida State.

The results of those series in particular will have serious impacts on how D1Baseball’s top 25 rankings look when they’re released on Monday morning. For now, here’s how we expect the rankings to look.

1. UCLA

Previous Ranking: No. 1
Weekly Record: 4-0 (3-0 in Big Ten)
Overall Record: 17-2 (6-0 in Big Ten)

As other top teams fell in what was close to the first full weekend of conference play, UCLA kept winning. The Bruins defeated UC Irvine 11-1 on Tuesday before hosting Michigan in a Big Ten series over the weekend. There, they won 10-5 on Friday and 2-0 on Saturday to clinch the series. In Sunday’s finale, UCLA won 7-2 to complete the sweep.

2. Texas

Previous Ranking: No. 2
Weekly Record: 3-1 (2-1 in SEC)
Overall Record: 18-1 (2-1 in SEC)

Texas picked up a strong 15-4 win at Texas State on Tuesday, entering SEC play undefeated. The Longhorns hosted Ole Miss over the weekend, falling 9-8 in 11 innings in their conference opener. Texas responded with an 11-2 win on Saturday to force a rubber game on Sunday. There, they won 8-2 to clinch the series.

3. Georgia Tech

Previous Ranking: No. 4 (+1)
Weekly Record: 3-1 (2-1 in ACC)
Overall Record: 17-3 (4-2 in ACC)

Georgia Tech continues to roll. After beating West Georgia 14-0 on Tuesday, the Yellow Jackets entered their second ACC series over the weekend at No. 11 Clemson. It was all Georgia Tech on Thursday and Friday, picking up 10-0 and 9-3 victories to clinch the series. Clemson took Saturday’s finale 13-7, but still an impressive showing for the Yellow Jackets that should move them into the top three in D1Baseball’s top 25 rankings.

4. Arkansas

Previous Ranking: No. 5 (+1)
Weekly Record: 2-2 (2-1 in SEC)
Overall Record: 14-6 (2-1 in SEC)

Arkansas went 2-2 this week, but what they did over the weekend speaks for itself. After a 6-4 loss to Stetson on Monday, the Razorbacks turned their attention to SEC play and hosted No. 3 Mississippi State. After a 5-4 win in Friday’s opener, the series turned to a doubleheader on Saturday. Arkansas split the day, losing 7-2 before winning 7-3 to secure a massive series to kick off SEC play.

5. Mississippi State

Previous Ranking: No. 3 (-2)
Weekly Record: 2-2 (1-2 in SEC)
Overall Record: 16-4 (1-2 in SEC)

After an 11-7 midweek win against Tulane, Mississippi State began its SEC slate on the road at No. 5 Arkansas. The Bulldogs fell 5-4 in Friday’s opener before finishing the weekend in a Saturday doubleheader. There, Mississippi State won the first game 7-2 before losing 7-3 in the rubber game to lose the series. They’ll fall in D1Baseball’s top 25 rankings as a result, though not far.

6. Auburn

Previous Ranking: No. 6
Weekly Record: 4-0 (3-0 in SEC)
Overall Record: 17-2 (3-0 in SEC)

Auburn started the week off with a 17-2 win against UAB, and they then hit the road for a trip to Missouri to begin SEC play. It was a pretty tight series, with the Tigers winning 2-0 on Friday and 4-3 in extras on Saturday. The finale also came on Saturday as part of a doubleheader, and Auburn won it 9-2 to come away with a sweep to open its SEC schedule.

7. Georgia

Previous Ranking: No. 8 (+1)
Weekly Record: 2-1 (2-1 in SEC)
Overall Record: 17-4 (2-1 in SEC)

Georgia did not have a midweek game this week, starting its week on Friday in its SEC-opening series at home against No. 19 Tennessee. The Bulldogs fell 7-4 in the series opener, but knotted things up with a 4-2 win on Saturday. That forced a rubber game on Sunday, where Georgia held on to win 8-7 to take the series.

8. Oklahoma

Previous Ranking: No. 9 (+1)
Weekly Record: 3-1 (2-1 in SEC)
Overall Record: 17-3 (2-1 in SEC)

Oklahoma’s week began with a 6-1 win against UT-Arlington on Wednesday before kicking off SEC play over the weekend against No. 22 Texas A&M. The series was a heated one, especially on Friday. The Sooners won that game 8-7, but fell 9-5 on Saturday to even the series. In Sunday’s rubber game, Oklahoma won another one-run ballgame 12-11 to take the series.

9. Virginia

Previous Ranking: No. 14 (+5)
Weekly Record: 3-1 (2-1 in ACC)
Overall Record: 16-4 (4-2 in ACC)

Virginia made a statement last week with its series win over North Carolina, and they impressed again this time around. After a 9-7 win over William & Mary on Tuesday, they hosted Virginia Tech for another ACC series over the weekend. Virginia won 11-6 on Friday and 10-5 on Saturday to clinch the series, but fell 6-3 in the finale. They’re in position to move into the top ten in D1Baseball’s top 25 rankings.

10. NC State

Previous Ranking: No. 10
Weekly Record: 2-2 (2-1 in ACC)
Overall Record: 16-4 (2-1 in ACC)

This week started off on a low note for NC State, falling to Elon 2-0 on Tuesday. They then hosted Boston College over the weekend to kick off their ACC slate. The Wolfpack won the opener 4-2, but fell 12-5 on Saturday. That set up a series-deciding rubber game on Sunday, where NC State won 5-1.

Predicting D1Baseball Top 25 Rankings: 11-25

11. North Carolina (+4)
12. Florida State (+8)
13. Coastal Carolina (+3)
14. Southern Miss (-7)
15. Kentucky (+6)
16. Florida (+7)
17. Clemson (-6)
18. Oregon State
19. USC (+6)
20. Tennessee (-1)
21. LSU (-8)
22. Texas A&M
23. Wake Forest (-11)
24. West Virginia (NR)
25. Oregon (NR)

Projected to drop out of D1Baseball Top 25: TCU (previously No. 17), UTSA (previously No. 24)