College Baseball Rankings: Predicting D1Baseball's top 25 with wholesale changes

Jonathan Wagner

The regular season is winding down in college baseball, with just one weekend left before conference tournaments get underway. The past couple of weekends have had a postseason type of feel to them, and this week was no different. It was a truly chaotic weekend across the country, and we are predicting changes in D1Baseball’s top 25 rankings as a result.

This weekend, we had four series between two top 25 teams. Those were No. 2 Clemson at No. 12 Wake Forest, No. 14 Mississippi State at No. 2 Arkansas, No. 23 NC State at No. 10 Virginia and No. 15 Georgia at No. 13 South Carolina.

Entering Sunday, nine ranked teams were getting ready for a rubber game with the series on the line. Three others were already down 0-2 in their series, with another down 0-1 and a doubleheader ahead. Nine teams were up 2-0 heading into the final day of the weekend, and three had already completed their series.

There are likely to be some wholesale changes to this week’s D1Baseball top 25 rankings. Here is how we expect them to look, with changes essentially everywhere beyond No. 1.

1. Tennessee

Christian Moore rounds the bases early in the Tennessee baseball season. Credit: UT Athletics

Previous: No. 1
Weekly Record: 3-1
Overall Record: 42-10 (19-8 in SEC)

After moving up to the top spot in D1Baseball’s top 25 rankings last week, Tennessee will undoubtedly stay there again. The Vols’ week started with a midweek 6-3 victory against Queens, and they then went to Vanderbilt and enjoyed more success over the weekend. Tennessee took the series with 8-4 and 7-6 victories in the first two games, but fell 3-0 in the finale.

2. Kentucky

Ryan Nicholson rounds bases after home run — Photo by Morgan Simmons (UK Athletics)

Previous: No. 4 (+2)
Weekly Record: 2-1
Overall Record: 37-11 (20-7 in SEC)

Kentucky had a bit of a back-and-forth weekend at Florida. In the opener, it took a comeback and 10 innings to win a 12-11 matchup. Then, Florida controlled the second game from almost start to finish, winning 10-1 to even the series. Kentucky needed a win in the rubber game on Sunday to avoid losing the series, and they did that with a 7-5, 10-inning win in a wild game.

3. Arkansas

Hagen Smith, Arkansas Razorbacks pitcher — (Steven Branscombe | USA TODAY Sports)

Previous: No. 5 (+2)
Weekly Record: 2-1
Overall Record: 42-10 (19-8 in SEC)

Arkansas came into this week looking to avoid a second consecutive SEC weekend series loss, but it wouldn’t be easy against No. 14 Mississippi State. The Razorbacks won the opener 7-5, but fell 8-5 in the second game to even the series and set up a decisive rubber game on Sunday. There, Arkansas came from behind to win 9-6 and earn a massive series victory.

4. Oregon State

Previous: No. 7 (+3)
Weekly Record: 4-0
Overall Record: 39-12 (17-9 in Pac-12)

In a week where many other top ten teams struggled, Oregon State did not. The Beavers started their week on Monday at Gonzaga, winning 20-13. They then hosted UCLA over the weekend and won the series behind 11-0 and 12-11 victories in the opening two games. In Sunday’s finale, Oregon State won 15-1 in dominating fashion to finish the sweep. They will likely find themselves back in the top five in this week’s D1Baseball top 25.

5. Wake Forest

Chase Burns — Credit: Wake Forest Athletics

Previous: No. 12 (+7)
Weekly Record: 4-0
Overall Record: 36-16 (15-12 in ACC)

What a week it was for Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons first won 24-7 over North Carolina A&T in a midweek game, and they then won a series against No. 2 Clemson. Wake Forest won 4-2 in the opener and 8-5 in the second game to take the series. Looking for the sweep on Sunday, Wake Forest got it with another statement win, taking the finale 13-3.

6. North Carolina

Vance Honeycutt — David Jensen/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Previous: No. 11 (+5)
Weekly Record: 4-0
Overall Record: 39-11 (20-7 in ACC)

North Carolina defeated Campbell 16-10 in an exciting midweek game to start the week, and then enjoyed a successful weekend against Louisville. The Tar Heels won 14-4 in the opener and 6-4 in the second game to clinch the series victory. On Sunday, UNC won 16-7 to end the weekend with another big victory and a sweep. They are likely to move into the top ten in this week’s rankings.

7. Georgia

charlie-condon-homers-in-eighth-straight-game-sets-modern-era-record-with-34th-of-the-season — Kari Hodges / UGA Sports Communications

Previous: No. 15 (+8)
Weekly Record: 3-0
Overall Record: 38-12 (16-11 in SEC)

Georgia is on a serious surge right now, and they are one of the hottest teams in the country. The Bulldogs are now likely going to crack D1Baseball’s top ten in this week’s top 25 rankings. Georgia was at No. 13 South Carolina this weekend in a big series for the hosting picture, and the Bulldogs came away with the sweep behind 14-10, 11-5 and 14-6 victories.

8. Clemson

clemson-baseball-wins-11th-straight-game-after-blake-wright-delivers-game-winning-heroics-vs-unc — (Photo by John Byrum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Previous: No. 2 (-6)
Weekly Record: 1-3
Overall Record: 37-13 (17-10 in ACC)

After winning a high-scoring midweek contest against Charlotte to begin the week, Clemson went to Wake Forest over the weekend for a massive ACC weekend series. Unfortunately for the Tigers, they were unable to win the weekend. Wake Forest jumped out to the series lead with a 4-2 win in the opener, and the Demon Deacons then won 8-5 in the second game to clinch the series. In Sunday’s finale, Clemson lost 13-3 to end the weekend by getting swept.

9. Texas A&M

texas-am-jace-laviolette-ryan-targac-early-home-runs-give-aggies-lead-standford-regional-ncaa-tournament — (Wade/Icon Sportswire)

Previous: No. 3 (-6)
Weekly Record: 2-2
Overall Record: 42-10 (17-10 in SEC)

After losing a series to LSU last weekend, Texas A&M responded with a 16-3 midweek victory over Rice. Unfortunately for the Aggies, their weekend was more of the same as the previous one. At Ole Miss, Texas A&M fell 4-3 in the opener and 10-2 in the second game to stunningly lose a series for the second straight week. On Sunday, Texas A&M salvaged a win for the second straight week to avoid the sweep. The Aggies have looked out of sorts, and they will fall again in this week’s D1Baseball top 25.

10. Florida State

james-tibbs-florida-state — Sophomore James Tibbs has been one of Florida State’s top hitters in 2023. (Gene Williams/Warchant)

Previous: No. 8 (-2)
Weekly Record: 2-2
Overall Record: 37-12 (15-11 in ACC)

Florida State began its week with a 7-6, 11-inning midweek victory against Jacksonville and then hit the road for a trip to Pitt over the weekend. In the opener, it was Pitt that won a 1-0 pitcher’s duel to take the series lead. The weekend finished with a doubleheader on Sunday, where the Seminoles lost the series by losing 9-7 in the front half before winning 15-4 in the finale to avoid the sweep.

Predicting D1Baseball’s top 25 rankings: 11-25

11. Duke (-2)
12. UC Irvine (+4)
13. East Carolina (-7)
14. Oklahoma (+4)
15. Mississippi State (-1)
16. NC State (+7)
17. Virginia (-7)
18. Arizona (-1)
19. Oklahoma State
20. Indiana State
21. Louisiana (+1)
22. UC Santa Barbara (+3)
23. South Carolina (-10)
24. Oregon
25. Dallas Baptist (NR)

The lone new team in our predicted D1Baseball top 25 rankings this week is Dallas Baptist, who re-joins at No. 25. They take the place of Troy (previously No. 21), who drops out after a three-loss week that included a midweek loss against Alabama and dropping two out of three at Texas State.