SEC baseball power ratings, April 20: Dominant Vols remain on top

Here's how we rank the SEC's 14 teams after this week's Tuesday non-conference games.

Zander Sechrist photo courtesy of Tennessee athletics.

1. Tennessee (34-3, 14-1 SEC): Vols' plus-269 run margin is 113 higher than second-place Arkansas, while its plus-77 league play also tops the second-place Razorbacks by 42. 

2. Arkansas (29-7, 11-4): The Razorbacks' sweep of LSU is one of the league's most impressive series wins this year.

3. Georgia (26-11, 9-6): Bulldogs get this spot by virtue of league record, but UGA's third-worst run margin in league games (minus-27) suggests it won't last.

4. Auburn (25-12, 8-7): The Tigers (minus-15 in SEC games) may also have overachieved, but series wins over Texas A&M, LSU and Alabama are strong.

5. Vanderbilt (26-10, 7-8): Mid-week games matter, too, and the Commodores are unbeaten there.

6. LSU (24-12, 7-8): The Tigers' run margin in SEC games (plus-20) suggests they're a better team than the record shows.

7. Texas A&M (23-13, 8-7): Beware the Aggies, who are plus-28 in SEC games, have won their last two series and just beat the nation's No. 2 RPI team in Dallas Baptist on Tuesday. 

8. Alabama (23-15, 8-7): The Crimson Tide's three-game losing streak may have put them closer to the NCAA tournament bubble for now, and a home series with Georgia this weekend looms large. 

9. Florida (23-13, 6-9): The Gators' remaining schedule (Kentucky, at Mississippi State, at Missouri, South Carolina) gets considerably easier after this weekend's home tilt with the Vols.

10. Ole Miss (21-15, 5-10): It's no consolation for Rebel fans, but Ole Miss's Pythagorean marks of 25-11 and 7-9  suggests it's better than this.

11. Mississippi State (22-16, 6-9): Series win over Auburn kept the Bulldogs' season on life support; now comes a must-win series at Ole Miss.

12. Missouri (22-12, 5-10): Tigers consistently rank well in the predictive computers (BoydsWorld, Nolan ELO, Sonny Moore) and are 28th in the RPI, but they'll need a strong finish to snap that NCAA tournament drought.

13. South Carolina (18-17, 6-9): The Gamecocks' odd season continued with Carolina's third series win over a preseason top-10 team (Ole Miss) last weekend. 

14. Kentucky (21-16, 5-10): The league's worst team has a 70 RPI and series wins over TCU and Georgia, which tells you how tough the league is top to bottom.