SEC Power Rankings: Oklahoma baseball host hopes slipping

With just three weekends left in the regular season, SoonerScoop.com’s Eddie Radosevich takes a closer look at the Southeastern Conference and Oklahoma baseball. The depth of the conference is starting to show itself with seven teams currently ranked in the top of college baseball’s RPI.

SEC Power Rankings (through April 29)

1. Texas 37-5, 19-2 (@ Arkansas, vs. Florida, @ Oklahoma) 

That sure had to be sweet for Longhorns first-year head coach Jim Schlossnagle. After defecting from College Station, Schlossnagle’s new club added an exclamation point over the weekend sweeping his former school Texas A&M for the first time in 15 years. They’ve now opened a five-game lead on LSU and Arkansas atop the conference standings, and are chasing 2013 Vanderbilt’s SEC regular season record mark of 27-3. The Horns would need to go 8-1 over its final nine games and while unlikely, it’s not out of the question with the way Texas is playing right now. Texas is 21-4 against Quad 1/Quad 2 opponents with a 9-1 road record. A national seed is obviously in play, but the top overall national seed is what they’re now chasing along with the regular season title. 

2. LSU 36-9, 14-7 (@ Texas A&M, vs. Arkansas, @ South Carolina) 

The Tigers took two of three from Tennessee last weekend at The Box, setting attendance records in the process. Infielder Derek Curiel earned SEC Freshman of the Week honors for his efforts against the Vols, hitting .417 over the three-game series, with two doubles, one home run, three runs and six RBIs. Jay Johnson’s club enters the final three weekends of the regular season in a tie with Arkansas for second place in the SEC, and a matchup with the Hogs looms following this weekend’s trip to College Station.

3.  Arkansas 37-9, 14-7 (vs. Texas, @ LSU, vs. Tennessee) 

Much like Tennessee, the Hogs have hit a rough patch in the SEC schedule, losing its third consecutive conference weekend for the first time since 2016. While there’s rightfully concern in Fayetteville, it’s easy to take a step back and remember Dave Van Horn’s club is still squarely in a conference title race despite entering the weekend five games off the pace set by Texas. There’s good news and bad news that comes with the final three weekends of the season.  Arkansas can get right quickly, hosting the first-place Horns this weekend at Baum Stadium before closing out the regular season with a trip to Baton Rouge and a home series with Tennessee. The bad? Oh, about that. You just read it. They close the season with RPI No. 1 Texas, No. 9 LSU and No. 10 Tennessee. 

4. Tennessee 35-9, 13-8 (vs. Auburn, vs. Vanderbilt, @ Arkansas)

Tony Vitello’s squad has lost three series in the month of April for the first time since his first season in Knoxville (2018), after dropping its series in Baton Rouge last weekend. The Vols led the opener 3-0 in the ninth before the Bayou Bengals scored six unearned runs. It’s been that kind of month for the Vols who return home to kick off a two-week homestand at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. There’s nobody counting out the defending national champions, but a good few weeks at home would go a long way before postseason play.

5.  Georgia 35-11, 12-9 (@ Missouri, @ Alabama, vs. Texas A&M)

The Bulldogs snapped a season-high five game losing streak with a pair of wins over Oklahoma last weekend in Athens. Wes Johnson’s starting nine is one of the best lineups in the country, hitting four home runs in the series finale, including a Brennan Hudson go-ahead three-run bomb in the sixth of Saturday’s rubber game. Georgia is now 26-3 at Foley Field and rank No. 2 in the RPI, while leading the nation with 112 home runs this season. With a strong close to the regular season, Georgia should solidify itself as a national seed. 

6.  Ole Miss 31-13, 12-9 (@ Oklahoma, @ Mississippi State, vs. Auburn)

The Rebs bounced back from a series loss to South Carolina with a trio of wins last week, using a ninth inning rally to beat Mississippi State in the midweek and taking two of three from Vanderbilt. Mike Bianco’s club has won four SEC series for the first time since 2022. The 1-2 punch of Hunter Elliott and Riley Maddox on the mound, matched with an Ole Miss offense that ranks No. 7 nationally (No. 4 in SEC) in home runs (85) makes for a tough team that is currently projected to host a regional in Oxford. Sooners fans will get an up close and personal look at the Rebs when they arrive in Norman this weekend, a rematch of the 2022 College World Series National Championship Series. Hashtag Spike was safe. 

7.  Auburn 30-14, 11-10 (@ Tennessee, vs. South Carolina, @ Ole Miss) 

The Tigers won their fifth conference series of the season, taking two of three from Mississippi State last weekend. It’s Auburn’s seventh winning weekend in its last nine SEC series dating back to the end of last season. Freshman infielder Chris Rembert earned SEC Player of the Week honors, after leading the league with nine hits (16 total bases) in four games against State and a midweek 1-0 win over Georgia Tech. 

8. Oklahoma 30-13, 11-10 (vs. Ole Miss, @Kentucky, vs. Texas)

There’s no shame in losing its weekend series at Georgia, but Skip Johnson’s club returns to L. Dale Mitchell Ballpark thinking they could have walked away from Foley Field with a series win. Kyson Witherspoon and Malachi Witherspoon were excellent on Thursday and Saturday, but the top of the Sooners offense struggled, despite rally attempts in each of the losses in Athens. The Sooners host hopes are starting to slip away, but a strong close over the final three weekends could get them back on the hosting bubble. 

9. Vanderbilt 31-13, 12-9 (vs. Alabama, @ Tennessee, vs. Kentucky)

Vandy salvaged its week behind a dominant Connor Fennell start on Sunday. Fennell earned SEC Pitcher of the Week honors after throwing a complete game shutout, striking out a career-high 12 in a seven-inning run-rule of Ole Miss on Sunday. Vandy hosts Indiana State on Tuesday before a big weekend against the Crimson Tide in Nashville. 

10. Florida 30-16, 8-13 (@ South Carolina, @ Texas, vs. Alabama)

Kevin O’Sullivan’s club is quietly playing itself back into the middle of the pack in the Southeastern Conference, following a pair of come from behind victories last weekend to take a series from Arkansas. The Gators have won 10 of their last 12, including seven of their last nine in conference play. With three consecutive conference series wins (Mississippi State, Missouri Arkansas), Florida now checks in at No. 19 in the RPI with a No. 5 strength of schedule. Not sure if you want to be playing this squad right now. 

11.  Alabama 35-10, 12-9 (@ Vanderbilt, vs. Georgia, @ Florida) 

After allowing five runs in the opening frame of the series, the Crimson Tide outscored Missouri 26-4 the rest of the way, closing the weekend with a 12-1 run rule on Saturday. It was Alabama’s second conference sweep of the year. With a strong close to the regular season, Alabama could play itself into hosting contention, but it will be tough with road trips to Nashville and Gainesville sandwiched around its final home series of the year versus Georgia. 

12. Kentucky 25-16, 10-11 (@ Mississippi State, vs. Oklahoma, @ Vanderbilt)

The Wildcats have put together back-to-back winning conference weekends after taking two of three from South Carolina over the weekend. Winners in six of its last eight games, Nick Mingione’s club was led by a pair of freshmen in the series finale victory over the Gamecocks. Infielder Tyler Bell has now reached safely in 40 of the first 41 games of his career. His 23 extra base hits (17 2B, 6 HR) rank him No. 5 most by a Kentucky freshman.

13.  Texas A&M 24-19, 8-13 (vs. LSU, vs. Missouri, @ Georgia)

We thought A&M was starting to turn a corner, and then they went to Austin. The Horns swept A&M in a trio of one run games, adding insult to injury to a season that just hasn’t come together for first-year head coach Michael Earley. Despite winning 10 of its last 14 games, scoring an average of 9.5 runs per game, A&M still has work to do to its NCAA Tournament resume (No. 41 RPI) if they want to be comfortable come Selection Sunday. Preseason National Player of the Year Jace LaViolette is on a tear of his last 24 games, slashing .356/.517/.770 with six doubles, 10 home runs and 31 RBIs. 

14. Mississippi State 25-19, 7-14 (vs. Kentucky, vs. Ole Miss, @ Missouri)

Want to know how tough the Southeastern Conference is? Want an example of the expectations that come with some of these programs? Look no further than State head coach Chris Lemonis who was relieved of his duties on Monday, just five years removed from bringing a national championship to Starkville. The Bulldogs will likely miss the NCAA Tournament for the third time in four years. 

15. South Carolina 25-20, 5-16 (vs. Florida, @ Auburn, vs. LSU) 

South Carolina avoided a sweep last weekend in Lexington, thanks in part to a Will Tippett eighth inning two-run home run in the series second game. The road has not been kind to Paul Maineri’s team this season where they have posted a 4-11 record. This week the Gamecocks play host to one of the hottest teams in the conference in Florida, while looking to end Mainieri’s first season in Columbia on the right note. 

16. Missouri 13-30, 0-21 (vs. Georgia, @ Texas A&M, vs. Mississippi State) 

The quest to a winless conference season continues for the Tigers. It’s just hard to fathom. It’s so, so, so bad.