SEC Power Rankings: Week 14

The regular season is over, and all eyes are now on Lexington, Kentucky, as teams try to solidify NCAA Tournament seeding, make a bid to host a Regional, and try to get to .500 to even make the Field of 64. There’s plenty at stake in an event ripe with opportunity.

Before we get to the final power rankings, let’s do one final awards check-in before the winners drop this week. I’m including three categories—“Will Be,” which is my official prediction; “Could Be,” which is someone else who could win,” and “Should Be Considered,” which is a player that should be more in the mix than they are, whether it be because of team performance or lack of a narrative.

SEC Player of the Year

As we’ve discussed, who gets nominated from Oklahoma dictates a lot here. Kendall Wells and Gabbie Garcia both have an argument, and I still think it’s possible that Wells gets nominated solo here so that the door can open up for Kai Minor to win Freshman of the Year, but it feels like some momentum has grown behind Katie Stewart from Texas. If the Sooners did nominate multiple people, I think I’m on the right track here. One thing is for sure—I genuinely have no idea how the voting will break. This is by far the most interesting awards race in a long time.

Will Be: Katie Stewart, Texas (.408, 24 RBI, 9 HR, .538 OBP)

Could Be: Kendall Wells, Oklahoma (.356, 33 RBI, 14 HR, .484 OBP)

Should Be Considered: Kylee Edwards, LSU (.408, 23 RBI, 8 HR, .500 OBP)

SEC Pitcher of the Year

This one feels clear. Jocelyn Briski became the frontrunner around the mid-point of SEC play alongside Florida’s Keagan Rothrock, and the Alabama ace only got stronger as the season continued. Briski is top two in the SEC in WHIP, K/BB Ratio, strikeouts, wins, and innings pitched, plus she’s third in ERA. Nobody else has the same combination of stats. The only challenger might be Tennessee’s Sage Mardjetko because of a magnificent 1.07 ERA, but the wins and IP aren’t even in the same ballpark.

Will Be: Jocelyn Briski, Alabama (1.69 ERA, 13-2, 3 saves, 95.0 IP, 104 K/15 BB)

Could Be: Sage Mardjetko, Tennessee (1.07 ERA, 6-1, 59.0 IP, 64 K/20 BB)

Should Be Considered: Jori Heard, South Carolina (1.97 ERA, 5-9, 88.2 IP, 75 K/26 BB)

SEC Freshman of the Year

While it feels insane for Kai Minor to win nothing this season, I feel like if the coaches don’t go with Wells for Player of the Year, then she’s a lock here. The Oklahoma power hitter has had a historic season, and it would be strange if she didn’t claim this prize. Also, a little love to Townsen Thomas at Florida, who has been a total difference-maker this season.

Will Be: Kendall Wells, Oklahoma (.356, 33 RBI, 14 HR, .484 OBP)

Could Be: Kai Minor, Oklahoma (.412, 19 RBI, 4 HR, .453 OBP)

Should Be Considered: Townsen Thomas, Florida (.372, 15 RBI, 3 HR, 424 OBP)

SEC Newcomer of the Year

I have no clue. Since this is only the third edition of this award, it’s hard to track trends. Do the coaches care about pitching records in this case? If not, then Alyssa Faircloth has a shot. Dakota Kennedy’s return helped resolve some of the AB issues, but unfortunately, her batting average dipped against Texas. Did the big swing from Texas A&M’s Micaela Wark in Game One against Oklahoma secure things? Is it Brooke Wells from Alabama, who is probably the most statistically consistent of all the nominees? Your guess is as good as mine. This feels like it’ll be close, but I’ll go with the player who ranks in the top 10 in the most offensive categories.

Will Be: Brooke Wells, Alabama (.319, 22 RBI, 7 HR, .456 OBP)

Could Be: Micaela Wark, Texas A&M (.308, 28 RBI, 8 HR, .440 OBP)

Should Be Considered: Alyssa Faircloth, Mississippi State (3.12 ERA, 4-5, 76.1 IP, 105 K/32 BB)

A reminder: these are power rankings, not 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

The Sooners needed to sweep a doubleheader against Texas A&M to win the SEC regular season title outright, and that’s exactly what happened. Kai Minor came up with the big go-ahead RPI triple in the first game on Saturday, proving yet again that she’s one of the most versatile players in America. Another major storyline—Sydney Berzon was outstanding in the final game of the series. If Oklahoma gets that Berzon in the circle with Lowry and what Guachino is capable of doing, this team somehow becomes even more dangerous.

2. Arkansas

Dakota Kennedy came back, and that’s huge for the long-term prospects of the Razorbacks. Short-term, though, the story is the pitching staff. The trio of Herron, Burnham, and Timmerman pretty much shut down a high-powered Texas offense all weekend, and the offense took advantage of the few openings that came against Longhorn pitching. It was a weekend of grittiness from Arkansas.

3. Tennessee

There was going to be an argument for the Lady Vols to be in the top spot, but a loss in the regular-season finale knocks them down to the third. Similar to Arkansas, this weekend was all about grit, as all three games were tightly decided by two runs or less. Karlyn Pickens stole the show the first two days, although some errors and a few clutch Missouri hits hurt the cause in Game Three. Still, it was another winning week for the Lady Vols heading into the postseason. 

4. Alabama

A sweep is a sweep, although this trio of wins for the Tide follows the same “gritty, not pretty” theme. Jocelyn Briski and Vic Moten were superb in the circle, and the defense in games two and three was really strong (game two may have been the best game by a combined middle infield that I’ve seen this season). The offense found ways to win, although plenty of meat was left on the bone thanks to poor situational hitting. Still, a win is a win, and Alabama grabbed three against a hot South Carolina team.

5. Georgia

For a game and a half this weekend, I was wondering how far the Bulldogs would drop in this list. After a loss in Game One, Game Two looked listless…then, Florida left the door open, and Georgia burst through like the Kool-Aid man, completing an epic comeback and using that to catapult towards a series victory. Gabi Novickas was outstanding in the two wins, capping it all off with a run-rule walk-off grand slam off Keagan Rothrock. Randi Roelling kept up her strong recent form too, claiming both victories in the circle. It’s pretty clear that this team is formidable when they’re truly locked in.

6. LSU

Wow. This whole series was the softball embodiment of the “stop, stop, he’s already dead” meme from The Simpsons. LSU wiped Auburn out all weekend, with the 25-0 Game Two victory (with 24 hits!!!) serving as the coup de grâce. It was a flex of epic proportions, and I loved seeing the whole pitching staff perform well. Honestly, I don’t have many other notes besides a hearty congratulations to Jada Phillips on her first career home run on Saturday!

7. Texas

Where have all the good bats gone? Okay, so that’s an exaggeration—Texas is still super talented—but it was surprising to see the Longhorns really struggle to string hits and baserunners together consistently. A defensive meltdown in Game Two overshadowed pitching that was frankly good enough to take the series. Fun fact: since winning Game One against Alabama, Texas is 7-8. Okay, that may not be that fun for Longhorn fans, but it’s an interesting tidbit that the selection committee could latch on to as a reason to drop this team a seed or two. A couple wins in the SEC Tournament would be helpful.

8. Texas A&M

This past weekend for the Aggies felt simultaneously like a missed opportunity and a bit of a break. I could make the argument that the Aggies are one swing and one catch at the wall away from winning the series against Oklahoma and maybe sweeping. I could also make the argument that if Audrey Lowry wasn’t pulled, the Aggies could’ve been swept. That’s how close the margins were this weekend, but the resounding theme for me was Texas A&M making a push way too late against the Sooners. It just took a little too long to apply offensive pressure to Oklahoma’s arms. On the flip side, Kate Munnerlyn was absolutely sublime in the series, and Coach Ford’s pitching plan was fairly effective. We’ll see if A&M can make some moves in Lexington and solidly the postseason profile.

9. Ole Miss

Oxford was Walk-Off Central this weekend, with Kennedy Bunker and Rachel Connors delivering fatal blows to rival Mississippi State in late innings. The bigger development might be how well the Rebels pitched all weekend. Yes, Mississippi State has struggled on offense, but the execution in the circle was exquisite all weekend from the home team. Last year, Ole Miss went on a run in the SEC Tournament, which led to a riveting spring to OKC. Are we in for a repeat performance this season?

10. Mississippi State

Well, here we are again. After a strong series against LSU, the Bulldogs took a step back against the Rebels, scoring just three runs all weekend. Alyssa Faircloth was outstanding in the circle on the weekend, but the offense just has to provide some relief for her. I still firmly believe that Mississippi State will be a tough out and tough prep in the postseason, but the ceiling is only so high when you can only muster 2.6 runs per game in conference play.

11. Florida

Years ago, when American Idol was near the peak of its powers, Pia Toscano was shockingly sent home in ninth place. Viewers thought that Toscano might win the show, so naturally, the studio was in utter disbelief when her elimination was revealed. Amidst the chaos, host Ryan Seacrest asked judge Jennifer Lopez what she thought happened. With emotion swelling, Lopez looked to the sky and then looked at the stage, saying, “I…I have absolutely no idea.” Well, that’s kind of how I feel about Florida’s performance this past weekend. How did that just happen? I have absolutely no idea. For a game and a half, things were going swimmingly. Then, things fell apart. It’ll be up to the Gators to make sure it’s just a brief blip in the radar. The good news—Ava Brown reappeared in the circle. Although it didn’t go well, having her back as an option could be huge moving forward.

12. Missouri

If you’re only going to win one game in a series, make sure it’s Game Three. The Tigers were very much in every single game against Tennessee, and finding a way to win the finale was obviously big for the NCAA Tournament hopes. Cierra Harrison and Abby Carr threw very well against the Lady Vols, Stefania Abruscato was the most consistent bat across the series. Missouri just needs to beat Auburn on Tuesday, and they’re in the NCAA Tournament.

13. South Carolina

South Carolina pitched well enough to grab a game in Tuscaloosa, but the offense couldn’t hold up their end of the bargain. Jori Heard remains steady as ever, but the emergence of Emma Friedel over the last few weeks makes the Gamecocks a team I wouldn’t want to see in a regional. The key will be production from 5-9 in order, because the top portion will at least reach a couple of times. Somebody just has to drive them in.

14. Auburn

There’s not much to say at this point. With the NCAA Tournament on the line, the Tigers wilted in Baton Rouge as all the issues from SEC play (inconsistent pitching, poor defensive execution, and little offensive juice), came to a head. It’ll take an insane run to make the ground back up and get into the NCAA Tournament field.

15. Kentucky

Barring the Wildcats winning more games than they did the entire SEC conference slate, Kentucky will likely see its season come to an end in Lexington.