College Baseball: Texas Takes Big Tumble in Top 25

Another big weekend on the diamond gives us three new teams in the Baseball America Top 25.

The top four teams remained the same after winning their weekend series.  Miami, Arizona State, Florida State, and North Carolina all claimed weekend series victories in conference play.

UC-Irvine moved up two spots to No. 5 after taking two on the road from (then No. 20) Long Beach State.  Missouri moved up two spots to the sixth spot after beating (then No. 12) Texas, the Tigers scored 46 runs in the series.

Wichita State also moved up two spots to No. 7 after beating Creighton on the road. Cal dropped three spots to No. 8 after losing their weekend series at USC. Nebraska also dropped three spots after losing their weekend series in Stillwater against Oklahoma State.

Stanford and Rice both remained at No. 10 and 11 respectively.

San Diego completed a perfect week and weekend and moved up one spot after sweeping Portland.

Georgia moved up one spot after sweeping (then No. 17) Kentucky in SEC action. South Carolina also moved up one spot to No. 14 after sweeping SEC foe Auburn.

Cal State Fullerton moved up one spot after beating Cal State Northridge, followed by Ole Miss at No. 16 with their weekend series win over LSU.

Vanderbilt moved up two spots after a perfect week and weekend, including a sweep in Starkville over Mississippi State.  Oklahoma State moved up to No. 18.

Texas A&M made its debut in the Top 25 after sweeping Big 12 rival Oklahoma.

Texas made the biggest drop, eight spots, to No. 20.  Michigan moved up two to 21, followed by Coastal Carolina.

Pepperdine also made its debut in the Top 25 at No. 23, followed by East Carolina, who returned to the Top 25 at No. 24.

Kentucky barely held on after dropping eight spots to No. 25.

Long Beach State (then No. 20), UNC Wilmington (then No. 22) and Florida (then No. 25) all dropped out of this week’s Top 25.

AROUND THE SEC:

Alabama:  The Tide has lost its last two SEC series after winning their previous two. Alabama is 3-1 against teams from the state of Mississippi.  They travel to face Southern Miss on Wednesday, before returning home to host Mississippi State in Tuscaloosa.

Arkansas:  Arkansas picked up their first SEC series win over the weekend against a powerful Florida Gator team.  Arkansas has lost 14 of their last 22 games after starting the season 11-1.  The Hogs host Tennessee this weekend.

Auburn:  The Tigers were swept for the second time this weekend against South Carolina after winning their three previous weekend series. Things will not get easier this weekend when they travel to Nashville to play Vanderbilt.

Florida:  After winning their first three SEC series, the Gators have dropped their last two, including last weekend’s loss to Arkansas.  The Gators also fell to Florida State on Tuesday night, losing game three of the month long series.  Florida travels to Lexington to face Kentucky this weekend.

Georgia:  The Bulldogs are the only team with a perfect 5-0 record in SEC weekend series.  The Bulldogs have recorded sweeps in their last two SEC series against South Carolina and Kentucky.  Georgia has won 18 of their last 23.  The Dogs travel to Baton Rouge this weekend to face LSU.

Kentucky:  The Wildcats are 2-3 in SEC weekend series action after getting swept by Georgia last weekend.  The Wildcats started off 19-0, but have split their last 16 games.  Despite the hot start, Kentucky is in last place of the SEC Eastern Division.  They host Florida this weekend.

LSU:  The Tigers have alternated losses and wins since opening SEC action against Tennessee.  The Tigers dropped last weekend’s series at Ole Miss, salvaging Sunday’s game after starting pitcher Jared Bradford could not make the start due to a blister on his gripping finger. The Tigers returned home Tuesday night to beat Nicholls State.  They travel to New Orleans to face UNO before returning home to host Georgia this weekend.

Mississippi State:  The Bulldogs remain winless in SEC series action after getting swept for the second time last weekend against Vanderbilt.  State is the only SEC team without a SEC series win, and the only SEC team with an overall losing record.  The Dogs did get a little momentum by beating arch-rival Ole Miss on Tuesday.  The win (not recorded as a conference game) gave the Dogs their second straight Governor’s Cup.  They travel to Tuscaloosa to play Alabama this weekend.

Ole Miss:  The Rebels have won their last two weekend series, but LSU ended their nine-game win streak on Sunday.  The Rebels also lost their Tuesday night game against Mississippi State for the Governor’s Cup.  Ole Miss currently has a 3 game lead in the SEC Western Division.  The Rebels travel to Columbia to face the South Carolina Gamecocks this weekend.

South Carolina:  The Gamecocks are coming off their sweep of Auburn, their third SEC series victory of the season.  South Carolina made up one postponed mid-week game on Tuesday night, defeating USC Upstate.  The Gamecocks travel to Clemson on Wednesday and return home to host Ole Miss this weekend.

Tennessee:  The Vols won their second straight SEC series, their third of the season, last weekend against Alabama.  Tennessee has split their last 18 games, including a loss Tuesday night against Middle Tennessee.  The Vols travel to Fayetteville to face the Razorback this weekend.

Vanderbilt:  The Commodores have alternated wins and losses since opening the season with a series win against South Carolina.  Vanderbilt is coming off a sweep of Mississippi State and is currently on a six-game win streak.  The Commodores host Auburn this weekend in Nashville.

SEC Standings:

East:                                                                West:

1. Georgia (12-3)                                            1. Ole Miss (9-6)

T2. Florida (9-6) – 3 GB                                 T2. Alabama (6-9) – 3 GB    

T2. S. Carolina (9-6) – 3 GB                          T2. Auburn (6-9) – 3 GB

T2. Tennessee (9-6) – 3 GB                          T2. LSU (6-9) – 3 GB

5. Vanderbilt (8-6) – 4 GB                             5. Arkansas (5-9) – 4 GB

6. Kentucky (7-8) – 5 GB                               6. Miss. State (3-12) – 6 GB