SEC baseball power rankings: Vols remain on top, Auburn makes a move and Ole Miss tumbles
Chris Lee • 4/25/2022 in Baseball
Here's how we rank the SEC's 14 baseball teams heading into the last four weekends of the regular season as Tennessee has turned the SEC upside down.
(Seth Stephenson photo courtesy of Tennessee athletics.)
1. Tennessee (37-3, 17-1 SEC): The Vols have allowed 0.84 runners per inning in league play, miles ahead of second-place Arkansas (1.33).
2. Arkansas (31-9, 12-6): Razorbacks in unfamiliar territory having lost two of the last three series, but they're still clearly the league's second-best team.
3. Auburn (25-12, 11-7): Series wins over Texas A&M, Vandy and LSU, a 9-6 mark vs. Quad 1 and a 16 RPI have Tigers approaching regional hosting territory.
4. Georgia (28-12, 11-7): Jonathan Cannon's return (five perfect innings on Saturday) was huge for the Bulldogs.
5. LSU (27-12, 10-8): Tigers' 18 RPI, No. 13 strength of schedule also have them in the mix to host, but they'll likely need a big series win or two.
6. Vanderbilt (28-11, 10-8): Chris McElvain and Christian Little combined on the SEC's only no-hitter on Friday vs. Kentucky.
7. Texas A&M (25-14, 10-8): Aggies have gone 2-1 the last three weekends (Kentucky, at Georgia, Arkansas) and head to Vandy next.
8. Alabama (24-17, 9-9): Quintessential bubble team due to 5-11 record vs. Quad 1 and a pair of Quad 4 losses; South Carolina series this weekend looks big with three brutal series (LSU, at Auburn, Arkansas) to close.
9. Mississippi St. (24-17, 8-10): Series win at Ole Miss kept the Bulldogs' faint NCAA tournament hopes alive.
10. Florida (23-17, 6-12): A brutal last five weekends (LSU, Arkansas, Tennessee; at Georgia and Vandy) took a toll, but Gators have a chance to make the NCAAs with the easiest part of the schedule (Kentucky, at MSU, at Missouri, South Carolina) ahead.
11. Ole Miss (22-17, 6-12): The Rebels have dropped four of their past five series after being ranked No. 1.
12. Kentucky (22-18, 6-12): Pitching injuries to Darren Williams and Cole Stupp have decimated the Wildcats, but they allowed just seven runs on Saturday and Sunday to Vanderbilt anyway.
13. Missouri (22-15, 5-13): Shortstop Josh Day is one of the league's most underrated players.
14. South Carolina (19-20, 6-12): The Gamecocks' challenge to get to the SEC tournament got tougher with the loss of Julian Bosnic.