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SEC baseball standings don't often look the way they do right now, three weeks into the season.
Four teams have just one loss, and another bunch has two. The mushy middle of six teams is within two games of each other, anywhere between 6-3 and 4-5.
Then there's the bottom—the ugly bottom. One team remains winless in league play, and a shocking four others have just one win.
The SEC is a powerful baseball conference, but its power is often not so concentrated. While there is plenty of time—seven weeks—for things to change, little that has happened thus far suggests much will.
Here's how the teams look at almost one-third of the league schedule.
Last week: 16
Once upon a time, the Missouri baseball program was solid. Max Scherzer. Aaron Crow. Kyle Gibson. But the move to the Southeastern Conference has overwhelmed the Tigers who haven't made the NCAA Tournament since joining the league in 2013. They won't this year, either, especially after being swept by Texas over the weekend and carrying a lone SEC win through three weeks.
Last week: 14
Paul Mainieri knew he would have his work cut out for him in trying to rebuild the South Carolina program. The former Notre Dame and LSU coach has made six College World Series and retired after the 2021 season. If anyone can turn things around in Columbia, he can, but like the other team in a town called Columbia, the Gamecocks have just one win after three weeks.
Last week: 15
Texas A&M has missed just one NCAA Tournament since 2007, but it's looking more and more like this season will result in a no-go for the Aggies. A&M salvaged one win against a mid-tier Kentucky team at home over the weekend, their first win of the SEC slate. This team was picked as the preseason No. 1 team in the country by D1Baseball.com. Yikes.
Last week: 13
Few teams have had a tougher first three weeks than Mississippi State, which opened with Texas, Oklahoma and most recently, LSU. The Bulldogs own just win in nine games, but aren't as bad as the record suggests. Only two losses have come by more than two runs.
Last week: 11
No choice but to drop Auburn, the No. 11 team in the country, to 12th in the SEC. Seems silly, doesn't it? That's baseball in this league. The Tigers were swept handily by Georgia, never coming closer than three runs in any loss. They need a bounce-back against rival Alabama next week.
Last week: 12
Kentucky looked the better team against A&M and deserved its series win. The Wildcats are still a game below .500 in SEC play, but three games up on the bottom five teams in the standings and tied with two others. Not glimmering, but they feel like an NCAA Tournament team.
Last week: 9
Is Florida, though, an NCAA Tournament team? The Gators have been almost as disappointing as Texas A&M. They carry the same SEC record, anyway, and were a preseason top-10 squad. The difference is they played the actual No. 1 and actual No. 3 teams in the nation their first two conference weeks. At least they finally put one in the win column in the finale against Ole Miss. The talent is there to turn it around, though, thus the Gators' ranking.
Last week: 10
How can you be swept and move up a spot? Well, the line between the haves and have-nots in the SEC is becoming more clear. Vanderbilt is good. Awfully good. But the Commodores ran into the the buzzsaw that is Arkansas over the weekend and were swept at home by the Razorbacks for the first time since 1994. A big series at Florida awaits next weekend.
Last week: 7
The Soones are above .500 in the SEC after three weeks. Not shabby. Unfortunately, they played their first good team and accordingly dropped their first league series. Things don't get easier next week against LSU, though, at least the set is in Norman.
Last week: 8
Had the Rebels pulled off the sweep of Florida instead of dropping Sunday's finale, they might have jumped Alabama for the sixth spot. But, really, it's splitting hairs in the middle of this league, where the difference between No. 9 and No. 3 is marginal at best.
Last week: 6
Alabama proved its mettle in taking the series at home against Oklahoma. After some lean years in the Brad Bohannon era, the Crimson Tide look to be putting together another Tuscaloosa Regional-esque season under second-year coach Jason Jackson.
Last week: 5
LSU sits a game behind the four teams in front of it in these power rankings, which are the same four teams in the standings. By season's end, expect a squad with an SEC record more similar to the one the Tigers had two years in their national-championship season (19-10) than in last year's Regional faltering (13-17).
Last week: 4
Texas likes the SEC just fine, thank you very much. Through three weekends, the Longhorns have dropped just one game - to aforementioned LSU - and have looked perfectly at home in the best conference in the country. All eyes will be on Austin this weekend, too, as Georgia visits.
Last week: 3
If you want to make an argument that Georgia is the best team in the country, go right ahead. I won't fight you. But with Tennessee and Arkansas both collecting sweeps over the weekend, the same as the Bulldogs, it's hard to move them up. Sweep Texas, though, and maybe it doesn't matter what the Razorbacks and Volunteers do next week.
Last week: 2
Dave Van Horn has had the Razorbacks a top-five regular-season staple for just about every season since COVID. The issue for Arkansas has been the postseason. Hogs fans are hoping that changes this year, but for now, they'll be happy to keep on keeping on.
Last week: 1
Hey, South Carolina put up a fight. But the defending national champions are the defending national champions. Poor Texas A&M will have to face the monster next week. In Knoxville, too.
This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: SEC Baseball Power Rankings after Week 3
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Four teams have just one loss, and another bunch has two. The mushy middle of six teams is within two games of each other, anywhere between 6-3 and 4-5.
Then there's the bottom—the ugly bottom. One team remains winless in league play, and a shocking four others have just one win.
The SEC is a powerful baseball conference, but its power is often not so concentrated. While there is plenty of time—seven weeks—for things to change, little that has happened thus far suggests much will.
Here's how the teams look at almost one-third of the league schedule.
16. Missouri Tigers
Last week: 16
Once upon a time, the Missouri baseball program was solid. Max Scherzer. Aaron Crow. Kyle Gibson. But the move to the Southeastern Conference has overwhelmed the Tigers who haven't made the NCAA Tournament since joining the league in 2013. They won't this year, either, especially after being swept by Texas over the weekend and carrying a lone SEC win through three weeks.
15. South Carolina Gamecocks
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Last week: 14
Paul Mainieri knew he would have his work cut out for him in trying to rebuild the South Carolina program. The former Notre Dame and LSU coach has made six College World Series and retired after the 2021 season. If anyone can turn things around in Columbia, he can, but like the other team in a town called Columbia, the Gamecocks have just one win after three weeks.
14. Texas A&M Aggies
Last week: 15
Texas A&M has missed just one NCAA Tournament since 2007, but it's looking more and more like this season will result in a no-go for the Aggies. A&M salvaged one win against a mid-tier Kentucky team at home over the weekend, their first win of the SEC slate. This team was picked as the preseason No. 1 team in the country by D1Baseball.com. Yikes.
13. Mississippi State Bulldogs
Last week: 13
Few teams have had a tougher first three weeks than Mississippi State, which opened with Texas, Oklahoma and most recently, LSU. The Bulldogs own just win in nine games, but aren't as bad as the record suggests. Only two losses have come by more than two runs.
12. Auburn Tigers
Last week: 11
No choice but to drop Auburn, the No. 11 team in the country, to 12th in the SEC. Seems silly, doesn't it? That's baseball in this league. The Tigers were swept handily by Georgia, never coming closer than three runs in any loss. They need a bounce-back against rival Alabama next week.
11. Kentucky Wildcats
Last week: 12
Kentucky looked the better team against A&M and deserved its series win. The Wildcats are still a game below .500 in SEC play, but three games up on the bottom five teams in the standings and tied with two others. Not glimmering, but they feel like an NCAA Tournament team.
10. Florida Gators
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Last week: 9
Is Florida, though, an NCAA Tournament team? The Gators have been almost as disappointing as Texas A&M. They carry the same SEC record, anyway, and were a preseason top-10 squad. The difference is they played the actual No. 1 and actual No. 3 teams in the nation their first two conference weeks. At least they finally put one in the win column in the finale against Ole Miss. The talent is there to turn it around, though, thus the Gators' ranking.
9. Vanderbilt Commodores
Last week: 10
How can you be swept and move up a spot? Well, the line between the haves and have-nots in the SEC is becoming more clear. Vanderbilt is good. Awfully good. But the Commodores ran into the the buzzsaw that is Arkansas over the weekend and were swept at home by the Razorbacks for the first time since 1994. A big series at Florida awaits next weekend.
8. Oklahoma Sooners
Last week: 7
The Soones are above .500 in the SEC after three weeks. Not shabby. Unfortunately, they played their first good team and accordingly dropped their first league series. Things don't get easier next week against LSU, though, at least the set is in Norman.
7. Ole Miss Rebels
Last week: 8
Had the Rebels pulled off the sweep of Florida instead of dropping Sunday's finale, they might have jumped Alabama for the sixth spot. But, really, it's splitting hairs in the middle of this league, where the difference between No. 9 and No. 3 is marginal at best.
6. Alabama Crimson Tide
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Last week: 6
Alabama proved its mettle in taking the series at home against Oklahoma. After some lean years in the Brad Bohannon era, the Crimson Tide look to be putting together another Tuscaloosa Regional-esque season under second-year coach Jason Jackson.
5. LSU Tigers
Last week: 5
LSU sits a game behind the four teams in front of it in these power rankings, which are the same four teams in the standings. By season's end, expect a squad with an SEC record more similar to the one the Tigers had two years in their national-championship season (19-10) than in last year's Regional faltering (13-17).
4. Texas Longhorns
Last week: 4
Texas likes the SEC just fine, thank you very much. Through three weekends, the Longhorns have dropped just one game - to aforementioned LSU - and have looked perfectly at home in the best conference in the country. All eyes will be on Austin this weekend, too, as Georgia visits.
3. Georgia Bulldogs
Last week: 3
If you want to make an argument that Georgia is the best team in the country, go right ahead. I won't fight you. But with Tennessee and Arkansas both collecting sweeps over the weekend, the same as the Bulldogs, it's hard to move them up. Sweep Texas, though, and maybe it doesn't matter what the Razorbacks and Volunteers do next week.
2. Arkansas Razorbacks
Last week: 2
Dave Van Horn has had the Razorbacks a top-five regular-season staple for just about every season since COVID. The issue for Arkansas has been the postseason. Hogs fans are hoping that changes this year, but for now, they'll be happy to keep on keeping on.
1. Tennessee Volunteers
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Last week: 1
Hey, South Carolina put up a fight. But the defending national champions are the defending national champions. Poor Texas A&M will have to face the monster next week. In Knoxville, too.
This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: SEC Baseball Power Rankings after Week 3
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