What another crazy weekend of college baseball it was. Some of the most anticipated matchups of the week did not disappoint. A couple of top ten teams were swept while others really proved their worth with big series wins. Without further ado, let’s get into this week’s college baseball top 25 rankings.
Be sure to catch up on the previous rankings: Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5
1. Tennessee (27-1, 9-0)
Tennesse is on another planet right now, as they swept Vanderbilt while outscoring the Commodores 16-4 in the series. The Volunteers have won 19 games in a row since losing to Texas in early March for their only loss so far. The pitching was masterful all weekend, with Chase Burns, Chase Dollander, and Drew Beam all pitching gems. Beam finished off with a complete-game shutout on Sunday, in which he only surrendered two hits and walked none. Dollander also pitched into the ninth inning and struck out six.
Previous Ranking: 1
2. Arkansas (21-5, 7-2)
While they couldn’t finish off the sweep, the Razorbacks still took the series over Mississippi State. Jalen Battles smashed two homers on Friday to help the Hogs jump ahead early and never look back. Arkansas then hit four home runs on Saturday, with Chris Lanzilli and Robert Moore going back-to-back in the fourth.
420 to the Hog Pen pic.twitter.com/eUjTIRtpZd
— Arkansas Baseball (@RazorbackBSB) April 1, 2022
Previous Ranking: 2
3. Virginia (25-3, 9-3)
After beating Richmond in their mid-week game, Virginia took the final two games against Georgia Tech to take the series. They smashed the Yellow Jackets 18-9 on Sunday after winning 13-9 on Saturday. A 10-run fourth inning on Sunday was the most runs they scored in an inning all season. They sent 15 batters to the plate, and then in the sixth inning, Jake Gelof mashed his 14th homer of the season.
Previous Ranking: 3
4. Texas Tech (24-6, 4-2)
After their huge series win over Texas last week, the Red Raiders outscored Kansas 36-4 in the first two games of the series before dropping the series finale. In their 28-2 win on Saturday, Texas Tech scored in every inning except the first and seventh. Jace Jung destroyed a baseball to dead center for his eighth homer of the season, and Hudson White went 5-for-6 with five RBI.
Jace Jung is a baaaaad man pic.twitter.com/jISnFEWpDf
— Trevor Cobern (@TCobernRRS) April 2, 2022
Previous Ranking: 4
5. Texas (21-9, 3-3)
It didn’t look too good for the Longhorns through six innings on Sunday. They were down 7-1 after already losing Saturday’s game and their early week game to Texas A&M. But then after only scoring three runs over the previous nine innings, the Texas bats came alive for 11 unanswered runs. Senior slugger Murphy Stehly knotted the game at seven in the seventh after sophomore Dyland Campbell hit a three-run homer of his own earlier in the inning. The floodgates then opened up in the ninth as they scored five unearned runs after the inning started with a dropped fly ball.
Previous Ranking: 5
6. Miami (21-6, 10-2)
If you haven’t believed in Miami yet, the Hurricanes continue to show why you should. They completed another ACC series sweep, this time getting the best of the Duke Blue Devils. They are now 10-2 in the ACC as they have won every conference series. Sophomore shortstop Dominic Pitelli smashed a go-ahead grand slam in the eighth on Friday after Miami had been shut out for the first seven innings. On Saturday, they held onto a tight 4-3 win with closer Andrew Walters recording the final five outs. Pitelli launched another grand slam in the first inning on Sunday, leading the Hurricanes to an 11-3 win.
Previous Ranking: 8
A Dom 💣 so nice had to post it twice! pic.twitter.com/kyaLY8ycQm
— Canes Baseball (@CanesBaseball) April 2, 2022
8. Oklahoma State (20-8, 5-1)
The Cowboys lost to their rival Oklahoma early in the week but then took two out of three from Kansas State. They couldn’t complete the sweep on Sunday, which was their first Big 12 loss. Oklahoma State took advantage of 10 walks and three errors by Kansas State to pull ahead in the middle innings of game one. Junior right-hander Roman Phansalkar then thwarted a comeback attempt by tossing two shutout innings. Marcus Brown went 2-for-3 with a double, triple, and an RBI in the Cowboys’ 8-6 win on Saturday.
Previous Ranking: 9
9. Notre Dame (16-5, 5-4)
After getting swept by Louisville two weeks ago, and getting all but one game washed out last week, Notre Dame really turned things around this week. They swept Florida State to climb over .500 in the ACC, beginning the series with a 12-inning scratch-out win. With the two teams deadlocked through 11 scoreless innings, senior Ryan Cole launched a go-ahead two-run homer and senior righty Alex Rao closed it out in the bottom of the inning. That merits a return to the top ten in the rankings for the Irish.
RYAN COLE NO DOUBTER. NOTRE DAME LEADS 2-0 pic.twitter.com/ShWMH3p3nM
— 11Point7: The College Baseball Podcast 🎙 (@11point7) April 2, 2022
Previous Ranking: 16
10. Ole Miss (19-8, 4-5)
On the road, the Rebels knocked off Kentucky in two of three games to win their second SEC series. Junior right-hander Dylan DeLucia was dominant in his first career start, allowing just three hits and one unearned one over 6 1/3 innings on Friday. With the game tied at one, senior outfielder Hayden Leatherwood came through in the clutch with a two-out RBI single in the ninth. Senior Brandon Johnson struck out five of the six batters he faced to close the game out. The bats then came alive in the rubber match on Sunday, as Ole Miss won 10-1
Previous Ranking: 11
11. Oregon State (20-7, 7-5)
The first two games of the Beavers’ series against Stanford were decided in extras, with the teams splitting the games. Oregon State was unable to win their fourth straight Pac-12 series as they lost 8-5 on Sunday after only scoring four runs through the first two games. Sophomore Justin Boyd walked it off with an RBI single in the 11th of Saturday’s 3-2 win.
Previous Ranking: 6
12. NC State (18-9, 6-5)
Picking up their second straight ACC series win, NC State took down Clemson after getting blown out in game one. Sophomore Noah Soles had a career-high four RBI on Saturday, while Canaan Silver, Baker Nelson, and Chris Villaman combined for six shutout innings and 10 strikeouts in relief. Soles mashed a homer on Sunday, and he went 8-for-11 with seven RBI over the weekend.
Previous Ranking: 20
13. Vanderbilt (20-7, 4-5)
Usually, a team just getting swept would warrant them falling farther than just two spots. But in this case, the Commodores were swept by the number one team who doesn’t look like they will lose ever again. Vanderbilt’s bats were dead the whole weekend, only scoring four runs total and being shut out on Sunday.
Previous Ranking: 10
14. Texas State (23-6, 8-1)
Winning their third straight conference series, Texas State swept Appalachian State. The Bobcats still have just one loss in Sun Belt Conference action. Right-hander Triston Dixon pitched four scoreless innings of relief while striking out six to help complete the sweep. As they continue to move up these rankings, they are by far the highest-rated non-power five team.
Previous Ranking: 18
15. Arizona (21-7, 9-3)
The Wildcats bounced back from their first Pac-12 series loss to UCLA last week by sweeping Washington. Outfielder Tanner O’Tremba delivered the game-winning hit in the 11th inning on Sunday to complete the sweep.
Previous Ranking: 21
16. Georgia (22-6, 6-3)
After losing a series to Kentucky last week, Georgia bounced back with a sweep of previously 12th-ranked Florida. After Jud Fabian gave the Gators the lead in the top of the ninth, Josh McAllister roped a double down the left-field line to score two and walk it off for the Bulldogs on Friday. Georgia made it easier the next two games, winning 6-1 and 14-8 to complete the sweep and join the rankings.
ICYMI: last night Florida and Georgia traded blows in the 9th
Entering the inning tied 4-4, Jud Fabian belted a 2-run blast to give the Gators the lead, but not before UGA countered with a 3-run bottom half capped by Josh McAllister’s walk-off double. Extraordinary game. pic.twitter.com/JXQfxpTNpz
— SEC Baseball (@SECbaseball) April 1, 2022
Previous Ranking: NR
17. Gonzaga (18-7, 7-2)
The Zags won the final two games of their Pepperdine series to take their third straight West Coast Conference series win. Enzo Apodaca was a triple shy of the cycle on Saturday as he went 4-for-5 with three runs and one RBI. Right-hander Owen Wild surrendered two runs on six hits in a career-high seven innings on Sunday.
Previous Ranking: 19
18. Florida State (16-11, 6-6)
Previous Ranking: 7
19. Stanford (14-9, 6-6)
Stanford joins the rankings after winning the series over Oregon State, which started with a 1-0 10 inning win on Friday. Senior Alex Williams went 6 1/3 scoreless innings while leaving six runners on base. Freshman Braden Montgomery broke the scoreless tie in the 10th with an RBI double, then cut down the potential tying run at the plate trying to score on a base hit.
Previous Ranking: NR
20. Auburn (19-9, 5-4)
After stealing a series from LSU, Auburn joins the rankings for the first time. It was their first series win in Baton Rouge since 2011 and their fourth straight road SEC series win. Sonny DiChiara recorded a season-high four hits and mashed his eighth homer of the season on Sunday.
Previous Ranking: NR
21. Louisville (21-7, 7-2)
Losing their first ACC series, the Cardinals were taken down by the Pittsburgh Panthers. The teams split the doubleheader on Saturday before Pitt took the rubber match on Sunday. Louisville faces North Carolina next weekend, as both teams are looking to bounce back in a big way in ACC action.
Previous Ranking: 14
22. North Carolina (20-8, 6-6)
After being swept by Miami last week, North Carolina lost a second straight ACC series to Virginia Tech. They were able to avoid the sweep with a 10-6 win on Sunday, but they lost 12-1 and 7-3 in the first three games. A series against Louisville next weekend is a big one for the Tar Heels as they look to turn things around.
Previous Ranking: 13
23. Florida (18-10, 3-6)
Previous Ranking: 12
24. LSU (19-9, 4-5)
Previous Ranking: 17
25. UCLA (19-8, 6-3)
The Bruins continue to be a weird team to rate, but they now come off another Pac-12 series win as they swept Oregon. UCLA has won five games in a row after winning their series against Arizona last week. Sophomore third baseman Kyle Karros hit a go-ahead homer in the seventh to power UCLA to a sweep-clinching 5-4 win on Sunday. If they continue to win big series, they will stick in the rankings.
Previous Ranking: NR
Falls off rankings: TCU, Liberty, Georgia Tech, UConn, Maryland
Check us out on our socials:
Twitter: @PTSTNews and @TalkPrimeTime
Facebook Page: Prime Time Sports Talk
Join our Facebook Group: Prime Time Sports Talk
Instagram: @primetimesportstalk
Follow Alex Kielar on Twitter @AlexKielar
Main Image Credit: From The Athletic
