SEC Power Rankings: Week 13

We’ve made it. The final regular season weekend of the SEC is here, and things have truly taken shape. Oklahoma’s sweep and series losses from Alabama and Texas A&M have solidified a two-game lead for the Sooners in the standings, and a logjam separated by only three games represents two through seven in the lead. There’s PLENTY still at stake this weekend. We’ve also seen some major shifts in the awards race since our last check-in, and we’ll dive into it here. A reminder—only conference play stats are considered for the SEC awards. Instead of just listing the candidates, we’ll do a little mini-power ranking for all the categories.

SEC Softball Awards

SEC Player of the Year

1. Gabbie Garcia, Oklahoma: .429, 26 RBI, 10 HR, .520 OBP

2. Katie Stewart, Texas: .444, 24 RBI, 9 HR, .562 OBP

3. Kendall Wells, Oklahoma: .379, 33 RBI, 14 HR, .474 OBP

4. Taylor Shumaker, Florida: .418, 11 RBI, 3 HR, .512 OBP

5. Mya Perez, Texas A&M: .396, 17 RBI, 5 HR, .633 OBP

6. Kylee Edwards, LSU: .388, 21 RBI, 8 HR, .474 OBP

This feels like the list, unless somebody absolutely pops off next weekend. Patty Gasso’s nomination dilemma has been alleviated a bit with the meteoric rise of Gabbie Garcia over the last two weeks, so it makes sense to me that she’s probably the pick for the nomination here for the Sooners. If Coach Gasso decides to nominate both Garcia and Kendall Wells (who is going to win elsewhere…more below), then Katie Stewart is waiting to snag this award if there’s any kind of vote split. The last three need not only fantastic statistical weekends to swoop in and take things over, but they also probably need to at least win their series.

SEC Pitcher of the Year

1. Jocelyn Briski, Alabama: 1.79 ERA, 12-2, 82.1 IP, 14 BB/90 K

2. Keagan Rothrock, Florida: 2.38 ERA, 12-3, 91.0 IP, 43 BB/68 K

3. Sage Mardjetko, Tennessee: 0.95 ERA, 5-1, 51.1 IP, 14 BB/53 K

4. Jori Heard, South Carolina: 1.66 ERA, 5-7, 80.0 IP, 21 BB/66 K

5. Karlyn Pickens, Tennessee: 1.97 ERA, 6-5, 53.1 IP, 26 BB/70 K

6. Sidne Peters, Texas A&M: 2.93 ERA, 6-2, 55.0 IP, 16 BB/57 K

Despite a Monday night loss in Knoxville, Jocelyn Briski still feels like the frontrunner for this award for a couple reasons—namely a strong ERA in a lot of innings and the most wins in the league, along with Rothrock (12). The strikeout-to-walk ratio still stands out too. Rothrock still has strong numbers, and she’s got the narrative of having to do this without Ava Brown that could give her a bump with the coaches. The question of which Tennessee pitcher Karen Weekly will nominate still lingers. For my money, I’d submit Mardjetko; the ERA is so good that it may help coaches overlook the significantly fewer innings and fewer wins. Nominating both Mardjetko and Pickens would most assuredly mean neither wins the award because of vote-splitting. Jori Heard’s record is still a problem, but the numbers are fantastic and she has a great final impression possibility at Alabama this weekend. Sidne Peters, who would be the likely nomination at this point for Texas A&M, rounds out the list.

SEC Freshman of the Year

1. Kendall Wells, Oklahoma: .379, 33 RBI, 14 HR, .474 OBP

2. Kai Minor, Oklahoma: .412, 14 RBI, 3 HR, .452 OBP

3. Hannah Wells, Texas: .327, 17 RBI, 5 HR, .404 OBP; 4.00 ERA, 2-2, 21.0 IP, 12 BB/11 K

4. Vic Moten, Alabama: 3.56 ERA, 2-3, 41.1 IP, 19 BB/45 K

5. Abby Carr, Missouri: .283, 15 RBI, 6 HR, .358 OBP; 3.87 ERA, 0-2, 25.1 IP, 22 BB/23 K

6. Madi George, Ole Miss: .328, 16 RBI, 7 HR, .435

With all due respect to Hannah Wells, Vic Moten, Abby Carr, and Madi George, this award is locked up and on ice as long as all the paperwork is filed properly. Kendall Wells will be your SEC Freshman of the Year, regardless of whether Patty Gasso decides to also nominate Kai Minor. The record-breaking numbers are just too gaudy to ignore. This award is done and dusted.

SEC Newcomer of the Year

1. Dakota Kennedy, Arkansas: .396, 18 RBI, 5 HR, 4 2B, .500 OBP*

2. Micaela Wark, Texas A&M: .321, 26 RBI, 8 HR, .452 OBP

3. Brooke Wells, Alabama: .323, 20 RBI, 6 HR, .450 OBP

4. Bailey Lindemuth, Georgia: .361, 12 RBI, 3 HR, .385 OBP

5. Alyssa Faircloth, Mississippi State: 3.56 ERA, 3-4, 63.0 IP, 31 BB/84 K

6. Peja Goold, Mississippi State: 3.80 ERA, 4-9, 62.2 IP, 25 BB/60 K

As clear as FOTY looks, NOTY is just as confusing. Here’s the scenario—Dakota Kennedy would win this going away based solely on the numbers; however, she hasn’t appeared since the injury against Oklahoma. Unless she makes a return this weekend, it’s entirely possible that Kennedy will have missed the final eight games of SEC play. That’s 1/3 of the conference slate. How much does that impact the way the coaches view her stat line? Impossible to know, but I can imagine some coaches will find the AB differential too much to ignore. If it’s not her, then this bad boy becomes wide open, with Texas A&M’s Micaela Wark likely ahead by a nose over Alabama’s Brooke Wells. Wark has a slight stat edge everywhere, and this would be a great place to recognize an Aggie, especially if Alabama scoops up Pitcher of the Year. Bailey Lindemuth from Georgia has put together a great last few weeks to get into the conversation, but the RBI total probably needs to go up a bit to have a shot. Lastly, the two Mississippi State pitchers have faded a bit down the stretch statistically, but they’re not out of it by any means. A strong finish could boost both of them right back up.

SEC Softball Power Rankings

Those are the player award rankings, and a lot can certainly change during this last weekend. It’ll be a fun race to the finish. Now, let’s get to the teams! A reminder—these are power rankings, which is very different from a true ranking. How these teams are slotted is not how I have them in my Top 25 ballot. No, this list is all about how you’re playing right now. It’s a snapshot of the current on-field product at the moment. Now, without further ado, here are the newest SEC Power Rankings:

1. Oklahoma (46-6, 18-3 SEC)

Phew boy, what a weekend in Norman. Records were shattered, complimentary softball was played, and all three facets of the game shined in various moments. The Sooners shined while sweeping Georgia, and Gabbie Garcia came up with the big plays more often than not both at the plate and in the field. As per usual, though, my eyes go to the circle, where Miali Guachino’s performance further solidified her reliability behind Audrey Lowry. Oklahoma’s bounce back from a weird week prior was the perfect statement.

2. Tennessee (40-8, 14-6)

After an ugly Game One of the Alabama series, the Lady Vols had a choice to make—wilt or respond? Tennessee responded and did so emphatically. In their best performances since Clearwater, the Lady Vols took games two and three to win the series behind superb pitching from Sage Mardjetko and Karlyn Pickens, who looked the best she has since the injury against Belmont by far (the changeup was back in a big way on Monday, and that proved to be the difference). The offense was opportunistic in the wins, hitting two mistakes out of the park in Game Two and capitalizing on Alabama’s errors to grab the rubber match. Emma Clarke was particularly impressive to me on Monday night; both of her hits were on good pitches, and she made Karen Weekly’s lineup shift for Game Three pay off in a big way. 

3. Texas (38-8, 15-6)

Texas swept Kentucky, and Katie Stewart did her thing. The grand slam in Game Two was an epic moment, and the rest of the offense kept it rolling in the bookend matchups in Lexington. Honestly, this was just a textbook case of taking care of business for Mike White’s squad. Now, the task is to keep that momentum going at home against Arkansas.

4. Florida (46-7, 16-5)

This is where placement gets a little tricky. After Florida’s loss to Florida State, the Gators responded this week with a win over the Noles, and the two wins against UCF this past weekend, which was the perfect response. Townsen Thomas continues to be a real weapon in the lineup, and Olivia Miller’s complete game shutout was exactly what the Gators needed going into the regular season finale against Georgia. If Miller keeps it up in Athens and proves to be an ultra-reliable number two behind Rothrock, look out.

5. South Carolina (30-22, 7-14)

Let’s talk about Jori Heard for a moment. In the last two series against Missouri and Texas A&M, Heard has an ERA of 1.07 and a 3-0 record. That’s strong stuff from the South Carolina ace, and things have been looking way better since the Gamecocks decided to truly let her cook. In the two wins against Texas A&M, the offense did just enough, and that’s honestly all they need to do when Heard is in shove-it mode. South Carolina is playing their best softball at the perfect time. 

6. Alabama (44-6, 16-5)

A couple of things happened for the first time this year, and very little of it was good for the Crimson Tide. The series in Knoxville was the first time Alabama has been shutout (Game Two), lost a series, and lost Game Three this season. It’s harder to drop the Tide more after such a dominant win in Game One (12-0 in five), where Jocelyn Briski was brilliant and the offense capitalized on a multitude of Tennessee mistakes; still, the situational hitting in the final two matchups was brutal (0-10 with runners-on on Monday stands out), and the defense made some uncharacteristic mistakes in Game Three that allowed Tennessee to get the snowball rolling. The response this weekend against red-hot South Carolina will be fascinating and crucial.

7. Mississippi State (36-15, 8-13)

What a massive weekend for the Bulldogs, who counter-punched very well against LSU. The Tigers scored first in all three games, but it was Mississippi State that kept coming up with the necessary answers to take the series. It was the first time in a while where it truly felt like the Bulldogs were on the same page in all three facets of the game, and it was pretty cool to see Peja Goold grab a Golden Ticket from my podcast co-host Tara Henry too. A fantastic chance in the Egg Bowl of Softball looms this weekend to close the regular season on the right foot.

8. Arkansas (39-9, 13-8)

Every week, there’s a team that I instantly feel is too low after I make up the list. This week, it’s Arkansas. Maybe I’m being too harsh because the ceiling for this team is so high, but it seems like the offense is still trying to find its footing without Dakota Kennedy. The good news is that Kennedy is listed as day-to-day, and the television broadcast this weekend mentioned that the staff is optimistic that she may return at some point. Another positive—Payton Burnham was outstanding in the circle all weekend, and Robyn Herron got better as the game went on in Game Two. I cannot wait to see the Razorbacks face off with Texas this weekend in Austin…grab your popcorn.

9. Texas A&M (35-14, 15-6)

Well, that didn’t last long. After being (rightfully, miss me with your gripes) number one in this list last week, the Aggies faded against South Carolina in Columbia. It was a puzzling weekend for the offense in particular—four runs across three games won’t cut it, and Mya Perez did all the heavy lifting (Perez hit .400 in the series with three RBI, and literally everybody else hit .219 with one RBI). The Sidne/Sidney duo in the circle was pretty good, but they’ll need much more run support this weekend when Oklahoma comes to Davis Diamond.

10. LSU (34-16, 10-11)

Dang it, LSU. Just when things were cooking, too. A road series loss at Mississippi State isn’t horrific by any means, but it was a surprise to see the errors and pitching miscues pile together in the two losses after a few weeks where the Tigers seemed to be playing much closer to the ceiling. Two very good things do stick out—Paytn Monticelli’s rise has been helpful, especially with Jayden Heavener struggling a little more of late, and Kylee Edwards keeps hitting the cover off the ball. It’s entirely possible that this weekend is a blip for the Tigers, but I’d like to see them roar back a little bit this weekend against Auburn.

11. Georgia (34-16, 10-11)

Credit where it’s due—there were some good elements from the Bulldogs in a hostile environment this weekend, even in a sweep loss. Randi Roelling was pretty strong this weekend against Oklahoma, and the offense kept punching back in Game Three. Unfortunately, the bats took way too long to respond to the Sooners. Game Two felt particularly maddening, as the Bulldogs couldn’t decide what to do with Miali Guachino’s changeup. Frankly, it felt like Georgia was a little too careful at the plate to start the series, but the swings got better on Sunday. The Bulldogs have a great chance to respond in a massive home weekend against Florida.

12. Ole Miss (30-22, 4-17)

Ole Miss won the series at Auburn, although Game Three got a little unruly. It was strange to see things unravel like that, but one bad inning doesn’t unravel all the good that came in the first two matchups. Madi George continued her hot streak at the plate, and it was good to see Mackenzie Pickens on base constantly all weekend. It’ll be interesting to see if the Rebels can capitalize on a home rivalry opportunity against Mississippi State this weekend.

13. Missouri (27-26, 8-13)

Let’s start with Game Three, which was awesome. Cierra Harrison and Marissa McCann combined to shut down Arkansas and grab a literal must-win if the Tigers want to make the NCAA Tournament. The offense had a few moments of power, especially Sidney Forrester’s massive home run on Sunday, and the Tigers will need more of that against Tennessee if they want to pick up the necessary results to make postseason beyond the SEC Tournament a reality.

14. Auburn (25-24, 4-17)

The series overall with Ole Miss wasn’t great, but I want to take a moment to highlight Alyssa Hastings, who was probably the most productive hitter in the SEC this weekend. The Lipscomb transfer was 4-10 with 11 RBI, a home run, three doubles, three walks, and three runs scored. Excellent stuff. Unfortunately, the rest of the lineup, pitching, and defense couldn’t keep a similar pace. Auburn needs two wins this weekend at LSU to secure a .500 or better record; the Tigers will need an SEC Tournament run.  

15. Kentucky (26-28, 1-23)

The regular season is over after the Wildcats got swept by Texas, and preparations to host the SEC Tournament are fully underway. Barring a run-in that event, it looks like an injury-riddled, complicated, difficult season will be coming to an end soon.

Series This Week

No. 18 Mississippi State at Ole Miss

Auburn at No. 19 LSU

No. 9 Florida at No. 15 Georgia

No. 11 Tennessee at Missouri

No. 7 Arkansas at No. 6 Texas

No. 1 Oklahoma at No. 14 Texas A&M

No. 21 South Carolina at No. 3 Alabama