After a power rankings in which we bemoaned parity in the SEC, it figures that we got plenty of parity in the following week.
Everybody understands that Georgia can hit and Texas can pitch, but who can actually win? Last week’s top 4 all lost their weekend series matchups.
In fact only 1 of the 4 won a conference game. So feel free to assume a shake-up, because we have one in this week’s SEC baseball power rankings.
16. Mizzou (20-17 overall, 3-12 in SEC)
So some things don’t change. A sweep from South Carolina banishes Mizzou back to the deepest parts of the SEC basement.
15. South Carolina (19-19, 5-10)
A sweep of Missouri was impressive… and that marks 4 SEC wins in the past 2 weekends. But until Carolina beats a team with a pulse, here it stays. Beat Mississippi State and the Gamecocks can move up.
14. LSU (23-15, 6-9)
Life was looking a little more solid for the Tigers, but they were swept at Ole Miss, which sends them near the bottom of the conference. The Tigers were outscored 26-12 in that series, which shows that there are systemic problems here across the board.
13. Vanderbilt (22-16, 7-8)
The Commodores still have a fairly horrific NCAA Tournament résumé, so they could have used a win in their series with Oklahoma. Instead, a couple of close losses leave this weekend’s series at Kentucky a near must-win for Vandy.
12. Kentucky (25-10, 7-8)
The Wildcats fell below .500 in league play by losing 2 of 3 at Auburn. A home series with Vandy and a trip to South Carolina give UK a chance to shape up over the next 2 weekends.
11. Oklahoma (28-12, 7-8)
The Sooners won 2 of 3 at Vandy and can now get some breathing room in the league with a series at home against Missouri. A midweek loss to Oklahoma State hurts momentum a bit.
10. Tennessee (25-12, 7-8)
The Vols have been something near a punching bag throughout most of the season, but a funny thing happened on the way to obliteration at Mississippi State. The Vols swept the Bulldogs and held them to a total of 9 runs. Winning by 4 and 5 runs in the last 2 games left Tennessee safe from comeback attacks, and that could be a good sign moving ahead. Cam Appenzeller is making a name for himself on the mound.
9. Alabama (27-11, 8-7)
The Tide had reeled off 8 wins in 9 games in SEC play, but after being swept by Arkansas, have lost 4 of their last 5. They were outscored 25-13 at home by the Hogs, and with Texas next up, could slide even further before the weekend ends.
8. Mississippi State (27-10, 7-8)
That’s 6 league losses in a row for the Bulldogs, who had been red-hot. They’ve only scored 24 runs over those 6 games, but should have a chance to regain their mojo this weekend against South Carolina. Ace Tomas Valincius seems like a fine slump-buster.
7. Ole Miss (27-11, 8-7)
After winning a series at Florida, Ole Miss swept LSU and is proving itself a top-half SEC team. The Rebels came into Thursday third in the SEC in strikeouts in conference play, and that type of pitching makes this weekend’s series in Knoxville very interesting.
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6. Arkansas (26-13, 9-7)
Arkansas had been ice-cold, but has officially awakened. After sweeping Alabama, Arkansas has now scored 44 runs in its last 5 games. The Hogs are tied for fourth in the league in runs scored in conference play and for a team that’s still hitting under .240 in conference, that’s a surprising figure. Keep getting the big hits against Georgia, as the Hogs did in Thursday’s 6-3 win and Arkansas can keep rolling. TJ Pompey being on a roll is certainly helpful.
5. Auburn (25-12, 8-8)
The Tigers won their series at Kentucky, but then dropped their opener with Florida to fall to .500 in league play. It’s a tough schedule the rest of the way for Auburn, and a mark above .500 would probably equate to an NCAA hosting gig.
4. Texas A&M (28-7, 9-5)
The Aggies won 2 against Texas, with weather cancelling the third. They have scored 8 or more runs in each of their last 7 games. A&M’s 6.94 ERA in conference play is the only reason it isn’t ranked even higher.
3. Texas (28-7, 9-5)
Back-to-back losses to A&M in which the Texas pitching staff gave up 20 runs drops the Horns down a bit. The offense is good, but pitching still needs to be the bread and butter of Texas for the Horns to succeed.
2. Florida (28-11, 10-6)
A week ago, I said Florida could jump into the league’s top 5. The Gators won their series at Georgia and then bested Auburn on Thursday, 6-3. Despite hitting .235 in conference play, Florida’s putting together some big hits. But a midweek loss to Bethune-Cookman (with 13 runs allowed) does suggest some pitching depth problems.
1. Georgia (30-9, 11-5)
That’s 3 losses in 4 SEC games after Thursday’s 6-3 loss to Arkansas. An ugly 12-10 win at East Tennessee State fell in the middle and suggests some pitching concerns for the Bulldogs. Arkansas could make the SEC even more interesting than it is with a couple more wins.
Joe Cox is a columnist for Saturday Down South. He has also written or assisted in writing five books, and his most recent, Almost Perfect (a study of baseball pitchers’ near-miss attempts at perfect games), is available on Amazon or at many local bookstores.
