SEC Baseball Power Rankings Week 5: Longhorns reign as league play opens
By Joe Cox
Published:
The most anticipated time of the sports year is here — well, there is that March Madness business, too.
But SEC baseball has finally arrived.
Here’s a rundown on where the league stands ahead of the first weekend of conference play.
16. Mizzou (15-2)
Missouri did the smart thing and played an incredibly weak pre-conference schedule. The Tigers don’t want to be chasing wins down the stretch of the SEC season. But now it’s time to see how Missouri matches up with an actual power conference foe. The Tigers have shown improvement, particularly on the mound, but hosting Auburn figures to be an awakening to SEC reality.
15. Vanderbilt (11-7)
The Commodores didn’t have an awful week, but they did take a loss to North Dakota State. Seven pre-conference losses are tops in the SEC and that includes losses not only to NDSU but UC-Irvine and Central Arkansas. Vandy’s 3.94 ERA is 14th in the SEC and its pitchers have walked 72 batters (next to most in the conference). The hitting has been a bit better than expected, but hosting LSU will be a major mound test.
14. South Carolina (12-6)
The Gamecocks took a loss to The Citadel, which has highlighted a less than impressive pre-conference run. The Gamecocks are 15th in the league in runs scored and 16th in on-base percentage. The bats will have to pick up in a hurry if the Gamecocks harbor postseason ambitions. Opening at Florida should be a good indicator of USC’s upside.
13. Alabama (15-3)
There’s a significant gap between Alabama and the teams below them. It’s not hard to imagine the Tide having a path to the postseason, and Alabama has 6 straight wins heading into league play. But the Tide need to hone their contact hitting and there are questions about pitching depth. Opening at Kentucky should be an outstanding test for both teams.
12. Tennessee (13-4)
The Vols have been an early disappointment. Their last pre-conference action was a loss to Wright State and a pair of 1-run wins over them. The Tony Vitello bashing era looks to be utterly gone. UT hits conference play 14th in the league in scoring, and Josh Elander’s first task is waking up the bats. UT’s series at Georgia should be a good point to determine how far UT has slipped.
11. Kentucky (15-2)
Kentucky hits conference play with 10 wins in a row. That said, the Wildcats have played a soft pre-conference schedule and there are some legitimate lingering questions. Hosting Alabama gives the Wildcats a good chance to get off to a solid conference start.
10. Florida (15-3)
So let’s forget last week’s elevated rank of the Gators. Florida lost a series to High Point, winning 1 game by a single run after losing the first 2 by scores of 7-2 and 6-2. But the Gators rebounded by beating Florida State on Tuesday, so anything is possible. Florida is 3-0 against ranked teams and has lost twice to High Point and once to UAB. Hosting South Carolina should allow UF to right the ship.
9. Ole Miss (15-3)
The Rebels easily blew past Evansville and took a 2-1 loss at Southern Miss. That means 2 of the Rebels’ 3 losses were to top 10 opponents. Ole Miss is third in the SEC in ERA and second in strikeouts, but that staff should get a big challenge at Texas. A bunch more 2-1 games could be in store for Ole Miss.
8. LSU (13-5)
What a weird pre-conference run for LSU. The Tigers hit league play last in the SEC in ERA (4.29) and have lost 4 of their last 6 games, with those losses coming to Northeastern, UL-Lafayette, and Sacramento State. Opening at Vanderbilt could either get the Tigers right or continue to stumble.
7. Texas A&M (15-1)
A&M has a strong argument to a higher spot, but somebody has to land here. A&M’s only loss was to No. 1 UCLA, while they’ve had six run-rule victories including two last week. The combination of being third in the SEC in batting average and giving up just 23 walks on the mound is an outstanding foundation. A&M’s series at Oklahoma should feature some outstanding pitching.
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6. Oklahoma (15-2)
OU looks to be ready for league play. The pitching is sharp and Oklahoma has 56 stolen bases. But the Sooners have hit only 18 homers. It’s pretty clearly going to be pitching, manufacturing runs, and playing solid defense in league play. Hosting A&M is a pretty even matchup.
5. Arkansas (12-5)
The Razorbacks had an odd week, splitting 4 games with Stetson. The concern here is an offense that scored 111 runs in pre-conference play, last in the SEC. But a superb pitching staff (2.74 ERA is fourth in the league) should help the Hogs bounce back. Hosting Mississippi State should be a good indicator of where both teams stand.
4. Georgia (15-3)
The Bulldogs had another set of easy wins and are rolling strong, albeit with a very light pre-conference slate. The highest scoring team in the league with 61 pre-conference homers, the Bulldogs look to be ready to slug it out with the rest of the league. Hosting Tennessee — the team that rolled with that same game plan — makes a must-see opening weekend series.
3. Auburn (14-2)
An easy week with a couple of run-rule victories has Auburn ready for the SEC. With 19 homers, the Tigers have been a been light on power, but the pitching has been superb, with Auburn just behind Texas in the league’s ERA numbers (2.48). Opening at Mizzou should keep the good vibes going for Auburn.
2. Mississippi State (15-2)
State had a nice week, including a 26-0 win. With losses only to top 10 opponents, there’s no question about quality here. State is hitting .354 and its 183 runs scored are third-best in the SEC. The opening series at Arkansas is probably the weekend’s must-see series.
1. Texas (16-0)
The Horns roll in undefeated with 6 run-rule victories. They lead the SEC in ERA and have held opponents to a .182 batting average and just 5 homers. Offensively, Texas is hitting on all cylinders, batting .340 with 30 homers and 31 stolen bases. There’s no apparent weakness here and hosting Ole Miss could just confirm Texas’s status atop the sport.
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.
