2021 College Top 25

Last week: 4-1
Overall: 26-5, 9-3 in SEC (10-2 vs. Top 25)
Weekend record: 8-0
Results
April 6-7: Arkansas-Little Rock: W 7-2, W 10-3
April 10-11: @ (3) Mississippi: W 7-3, L 13-6, W 18-14
Upcoming
April 13-14: Arkansas-Pine Bluff
April 16-18: Texas A&M

It sure wasn’t easy, which is typical of trying to win a road series in Oxford, but Arkansas won a series against Ole Miss, giving it eight consecutive series wins to open the year. Things got off to an auspicious start with a 7-3 win in the opener, led by terrific bullpen work. The trio of Zebulon Vermillion, Ryan Costeiu and Kevin Kopps threw five scoreless innings down the stretch, including three from Kopps. The Razorbacks trailed 3-0 going to the sixth, but then scored all seven of their runs in the sixth, seventh and eighth to take the lead and run away with things. After Ole Miss came back to win game 2, Arkansas clinched the series with a wild win in the finale. At first, it looked like it would be a routine victory, as the Razorbacks jumped out to an 11-0 lead after the top of the third, but the struggle to string outs together on the mound extended to both teams, and before you knew it, it was 14-14 after seven innings. Arkansas was able to get the last punch, however, by scoring four more runs, including two on a Brady Slavens RBI double, to pull away. Tough SEC series often come down to who can tough out wins in ugly series finales, and this weekend, that team was the Razorbacks.

Last week: 2-2
Overall: 20-10, 12-5 in ACC (7-4 vs. Top 25)
Weekend record: 6-1-1
Results
April 6: Kentucky: L 11-7
April 9-11: (18) Florida State: W 4-3 (10), L 8-5, W 11-4
Upcoming
April 16-18: @ Virginia

In a series that was close all weekend long, Louisville took two out of three against Florida State. Friday, with the teams trading three-run innings in the bottom of the sixth and top of the seventh, they went to extra innings tied 3-3. In the 10th, after Louisville lefthander Adam Elliott stranded two FSU runners in scoring position, the Cardinals walked off with a win on a Levi Usher RBI single. Elliott was excellent in totality, throwing three scoreless innings. After Florida State scored a come-from-behind win in game 2, Louisville did the same Sunday. Trailing 4-2 after the top of the sixth, UL took a 5-4 lead with three runs in the bottom half of the frame on a Trey Leonard RBI single, a Dalton Rushing RBI double and a run-scoring balk. Then, the offense exploded for six more runs in the seventh to open up an insurmountable lead. Leonard was 3-for-5 with a home run and three other batters had two hits. In a season when Louisville has had its issues with getting outs from the bullpen, it was a good development that the trio of lefthander Tate Kuehner, lefthander Evan Webster and righthander Alex Galvan threw a combined 3.2 scoreless innings in the series clincher.

Last week: 4-0
Overall: 24-7, 8-4 in SEC (2-4 vs. Top 25)
Weekend record: 7-1
Results
April 6: Southern: W 15-1
April 9-11: @ Auburn: W 6-5, W 7-2, W 19-10
Upcoming
April 13: Arkansas State
April 16-18: (9) Mississippi

Mississippi State hit the road to Auburn last weekend and came away with a sweep. The Tigers really made the Bulldogs work for it Friday, as the teams traded blows all game long until Mississippi State took the lead for good in the top of the eighth on a wild pitch. Lefthander Christian MacLeod was solid, giving up five hits and two runs in six innings and the top three hitters in the order—Rowdey Jordan, Tanner Allen and Kamren James—led the way with two hits each. In game 2, righthander Will Bednar was excellent, throwing seven innings, giving up four hits and one run with no walks and seven strikeouts, while the offense wasted no time in jumping out to a quick 6-1 lead in the fourth inning. Allen and James both had home runs and drove in three runs. Sunday’s game was over quickly, as Mississippi State scored 10 runs in the first inning on the way to a 19-10 win. Catcher Logan Tanner homered and drove in five runs and four different Bulldogs had three hits.

Last week: 5-0
Overall: 25-8, 10-2 in Big 12 (3-3 vs. Top 25)
Weekend record: 7-1
Results
April 6: Texas A&M-Corpus Christi: W 14-4
April 7: Stephen F. Austin: W 9-1
April 9-11: Kansas State: W 13-6, 15-1, W 9-2
Upcoming
April 13-14: Nevada
April 16-18: Abilene Christian

The first two wins of the Texas sweep of Kansas State look like blowouts on paper, but that’s not entirely accurate. The 15-1 win was exactly that, as the Longhorns scored seven runs in the third inning and five more in the fourth to put the game out of reach quickly. Center fielder Mike Antico went 2-for-4 with a home run and DH Ivan Melendez hit a homer and drove in four runs. On the mound in that one, righthander Tristan Stevens was good, scattering eight hits and allowing one run in seven innings of work. The 13-6 win, though, wasn’t quite as easy. In fact, Kansas State actually took a 6-5 lead in the top of the eighth on a two-run double. But Texas answered with eight runs in the bottom half of the frame, punctuated by a three-RBI double from Antico. It wasn’t a career day for either ace, Texas righthander Ty Madden or K-State lefthander Jordan Wicks, but Madden was better, giving up five hits and two runs in six innings. Things were more routine Sunday, with the Longhorns playing add-on at the plate all game long, thanks in part to two more homers from Melendez, and righthander Kolby Kubichek giving up seven hits and one run in seven innings. Texas will jump out of Big 12 play this weekend with a series against Abilene Christian.

Last week: 3-1
Overall: 27-6, 9-3 in SEC (2-1 vs. Top 25)
Weekend record: 7-0-1
Results
April 6: Eastern Kentucky: W 10-1
April 9-11: (10) Florida: W 6-4, W 5-4, L 7-6
Upcoming
April 13: @ Western Carolina
April 16-18: (6) Vanderbilt

Tennessee put together its most impressive weekend of the season in winning a series with Florida. The game 1 win came when the duo of Chad Dallas (7 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 11 K) and Sean Hunley (2 IP, 0 H, 0 R) out-pitched the Florida duo of Tommy Mace and Christian Scott, who both got tagged with runs. Tennessee put four on Mace’s ledger in six innings and then scored a run in each of Scott’s two innings. Left fielder Evan Russell led the way by going 3-for-4 with three RBIs. All of Tennessee’s scoring in the game 2 win came in one big five-run sixth inning, a frame in which Florida used three different pitchers to get out of it. Four different players—Jake Rucker, Jordan Beck, Luc Lipcius and Connor Pavolony—had RBI hits in the inning. After UF scored three runs off of Will Heflin in 3.2 innings, righthander Mark McLaughlin (2.1, 0 H, 0 R) and lefthander Kirby Connell (3 IP, 4 H, 1 R) turned in good work to hold off the Gators.

Last week: 2-2
Overall: 25-5, 9-3 in SEC (4-2 vs. Top 25)
Weekend record: 7-1
Results
April 6: Tennessee-Martin: W 5-4
April 8-10: Georgia: L 14-2, W 5-2, L 9-1
Upcoming
April 13: Eastern Kentucky
April 16-18: @ (5) Tennessee

Vanderbilt suffered its first series loss against Georgia, and in a particularly surprising development, its two losses came in blowout fashion. Georgia got to righthander Kumar Rocker on Thursday, scoring six runs against him in his six innings of work, even as he struck out 12 batters, and the Bulldogs continued to pour it on against the Commodores bullpen. In the game 2 Vanderbilt victory, Georgia was actually in position to win for much of the game and took a 1-0 lead to the bottom of the sixth, but a Vandy run in that inning on a Jack Bulger home run tied it up at 1-1. In the bottom of the eighth, the Commodores opened up their first lead of the game thanks to four runs, one on a C.J. Rodriguez RBI double and three on a three-run homer off the bat of Parker Noland. Momentum from that win didn’t carry over, though, as Georgia clinched the series with a routine win Saturday when it scored runs against four of the five pitchers Vanderbilt used. A series at Tennessee this weekend means things won’t get any easier.

Last week: 3-1
Overall: 15-6, 14-6 in ACC (8-3 vs. Top 25)
Weekend record: 6-0-1
Results
April 5: @ (17) Pittsburgh: W 11-5
April 9-11: (15) Georgia Tech: W 10-9, W 7-0, L 4-2
Upcoming
April 13: Central Michigan
April 16-18: North Carolina State

Notre Dame faced one of its stiffer tests to this point of the season with a series against Georgia Tech and it passed with a series win. The Irish have pulled out their fair share of dramatic narrow victories this season and the win on Friday was just another example. At one point, they trailed Georgia Tech 7-0, but they started to chip away beginning with two runs in the bottom of the fourth on a Jack Brannigan RBI double and a Zach Prajzner RBI single. Then, they put together four-run frames in the seventh and eighth to take the lead. After starter Will Mercer threw just two innings for Notre Dame, the bullpen deserves a lot of praise for what it accomplished. Seven different relievers pitched, including Jack Sheehan and Joe Sheridan, who threw 2.2 and two scoreless innings, respectively. Things were more routine in the game 2 win, with the pitching combination of Aidan Tyrell (6 IP, 2 H) and Alex Rao (3 IP, 3 H) shutting out the Yellow Jackets on five hits. Rao in particular was dominant, as eight of his nine recorded outs came via strikeout.

Last week: 4-0
Overall: 26-5, 8-0 in AAC (2-1 vs. Top 25)
Weekend record: 7-0-1
Results
April 9-11: Memphis: W 12-2, W 5-3, W 8-7, W 7-1
Upcoming
April 16-18: @ Houston

The Pirates kept rolling in AAC play with a sweep of Memphis. In the opener, righthander Gavin Williams continued his good run of form, giving up four hits and one run with nine strikeouts in five innings, while Connor Norby and Bryson Worrell led the offense with a home run and three RBIs each. In game 2, ECU jumped out to a 4-0 lead after just two innings and the bullpen trio of Matt Bridges (1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R), Cam Colmore (2 IP, 2 H, 0 R) and C.J. Mayhue (1 IP, 0 H, 0 R) made that early lead stand up for a 5-3 win. There were dramatics in the third game, with Memphis scoring two runs in the top of the eighth to tie the game at 7-7. That set up the Pirates to walk off with a win in the bottom of the ninth when a Memphis throwing error on a potential inning-ending double play brought Worrell around from second to score. The Pirates finished off a four-game sweep Sunday behind a solid start from righthander Tyler Smith (5.2 IP, 7 H, 1 R) and great relief work from Cam Colmore (2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R) and Ryder Giles (1 IP, 0 H, 0 R).

Last week: 3-2
Overall: 24-8, 8-4 in SEC (8-4 vs. Top 25)
Weekend record: 5-3
Results
April 5: North Alabama: W 20-6
April 6: Alcorn State: W 8-1
April 10-11: (1) Arkansas: L 7-3, W 13-6, L 18-14
Upcoming
April 13: Austin Peay
April 16-18: @ (3) Mississippi State

Item number one on Mississippi’s recipe for success is getting good starting pitching, which keeps the team on schedule, and last weekend against Arkansas, it just didn’t get it. In game 1, righthander Gunnar Hoglund uncharacteristically walked five batters and gave up three runs in 5.1 innings. In the second game, which Ole Miss ended up winning anyway, lefthander Doug Nikhazy gave up four runs (two earned) in 5.2 innings. And in the finale, righthander Derek Diamond couldn’t escape the second inning. The Rebels’ offense was able to do enough to win in the aforementioned Nikhazy start, as it hung Arkansas starter Peyton Pallette with seven runs on nine hits in four innings and then later scored six more runs against Kole Ramage. A wild game 3 when both teams were low on pitching after the previous day’s doubleheader is a tough loss to take, but there’s something to be said about Ole Miss even getting back into that game after going down 11-0 early. Sunday pitching is enough of a concern that it will be something to watch as the season goes on, but Hoglund and Nikhazy will certainly have much better days and the Rebels’ lineup showed well in its first series without top hitter Tim Elko. It’s a disappointing home series loss, to be sure, but there were some positives to take away.

Last week: 2-2
Overall: 21-9, 8-4 in SEC (4-5 vs. Top 25)
Weekend record: 6-2
Results
April 6: vs. North Carolina (Charlotte): L 3-2 (10)
April 9-11: Missouri: L 7-2, W 11-1, W 13-4
Upcoming
April 13: Charleston Southern
April 15-17: @ Louisiana State

After taking an upset loss to Missouri to begin the series, the South Carolina bats came alive in a big way to win the final two games and the series. Center fielder Brady Allen went 4-for-6 with three walks, two doubles, two stolen bases and a home run over the final two games. He leads the team with a .320 average and is second on the team in home runs with nine, behind only Wes Clarke’s 15. Right fielder Andrew Eyster and third baseman Brennan Milone had homers in the finale, with Eyster driving in three runs. The Gamecocks also got outstanding pitching in the game 2 win, as righthander Brannon Jordan threw five innings, giving up two hits and one run, with righthander Daniel Lloyd coming on in relief and throwing four scoreless frames.

Last week: 2-1
Overall: 21-7, 5-4 in Big 12 (4-5 vs. Top 25)
Weekend record: 6-2
Results
April 9-11: (14) Texas Christian: L 7-3, W 6-5 (10), W 17-7 (7)
Upcoming
April 13-14: Stephen F. Austin
April 16-18: @ West Virginia

Texas Tech hasn’t lost a series at home since 2018 and that streak continued, albeit in a close shave against Texas Christian. After a game 1 loss when the Red Raiders' hitters were quieted by lefthander Russell Smith, the teams were separated by a razor’s edge Saturday, right down to the fact that they both put together four-run innings in the fourth. Things were tied 5-5 going to extra innings before Texas Tech shortstop Cal Conley connected for a solo homer to end the game and even the series. Righthander Ryan Sublette was key in putting the team in position to walk off with a win by throwing four scoreless innings of relief late in the game. In the finale, the Red Raiders didn’t have any trouble scoring runs off of anyone TCU put on the mound, and a nine-run sixth inning ensured that things ended early in run rule fashion. Second baseman Jace Jung was the star on Sunday, hitting three home runs and driving in five. First baseman Cole Stilwell and DH Cody Masters also added homers. It wasn’t a standout weekend on the mound for Texas Tech, and that’s something to watch moving forward, but the lineup showed that it was more than good enough to overcome a weekend like that, even against a good team like the Horned Frogs.

Last week: 4-0
Overall: 19-9, 14-7 in ACC (7-2 vs. Top 25)
Weekend record: 6-2
Results
April 6: @ East Tennessee State: W 15-5
April 9-11: @ Wake Forest: W 8-4, W 16-4, W 10-9
Upcoming
April 13: @ Liberty
April 16-18: (21) Georgia Tech

In winning the first two games of its series at Wake Forest, the Virginia Tech lineup scored 24 runs. The first eight came in game 1, which was suspended Friday and finished Saturday. Right fielder Gavin Cross went 3-for-5 with a homer and the bullpen duo of Jaison Heard and Shane Connolly combined to throw four scoreless frames to close it out. In game 2, the Hokies smashed six homers, two for Kevin Madden and one each for Cross, Jack Hurley, T.J. Rumfield and Nick Biddison, the last of whom is arguably VT’s best position player and is just now returning from injury. With that type of run-scoring output, Virginia Tech didn’t need a good start, but they got one from Anthony Simonelli, who gave up one hit and two runs in 6.1 innings. The Hokies finished off the sweep on Sunday by hanging on for a 10-9 win. Leading 10-7 going to the bottom of the ninth, the Demon Deacons scored two runs in the ninth on a Brock Wilken two-run homer, but righthander Graham Firoved came on and retired the next three Wake Forest batters in order, including strikeouts of Chris Lanzilli and Shane Muntz, to close out the victory.

Last week: 3-1
Overall: 21-9, 7-5 in Pac-12 (5-3 vs. Top 25)
Weekend record: 5-1-2
Results
April 6: Arizona State: W 14-2
April 9-11: California: W 5-1, W 4-3, L 9-1
Upcoming
April 13: @ Grand Canyon
April 16-18: @ Washington State

California managed to limit the prolific Arizona offense as well as anyone so far this season, but the Wildcats were still able to pull out a series win. Righthander Chase Silseth was outstanding in the opener, throwing 6.2 shutout innings, giving up five hits and one walk with six strikeouts. A four-run fifth inning that featured a two-RBI double for Ryan Holgate, an RBI single for Daniel Susac and a Mac Bingham sac fly was the difference offensively. It was a similar story on Saturday. Lefthander Garrett Irvin was solid in giving up five hits and two runs in six innings, and a big inning, in this case a three-run fourth, was a turning point. In the top of the ninth, Cal got the tying run into scoring position, but lefthander Randy Abshier came on and got the final two outs to secure the win and the series.

Last week: 3-1
Overall: 17-6, 6-3 in Pac-12 (10-3 vs. Top 25)
Weekend record: 5-1-1
Results
April 6: Portland: L 6-4
April 9-11: (21) Oregon State: W 4-1, W 5-1, W 5-4 (11)
Upcoming
April 14: @ Portland
April 16-18: @ Southern California

For the second time this season, Oregon secured a series win against rival Oregon State, and this time, it counted in the Pac-12 standings. Pitching was the name of the game in the Ducks’ wins. In the opener, lefthander Robert Ahlstrom went seven innings, giving up five hits and one run with one walk and nine strikeouts. In the second game, righthander Cullen Kafka gave up four hits and one run in 5.2 innings, with the trio of Nico Tellache, Andrew Mosiello and Kolby Somers combining to give up just one hit in 3.1 scoreless innings in relief, one day after Mosiello and Somers each threw a scoreless frame. The Oregon lineup had 10 hits across the two games, but made them count, with nine runs to show for them. Down 4-1 in the eighth in the finale, Oregon scored three runs to tie the game and eventually send it to extra innings. In the 11th, it walked off with the win and the sweep when an error brought home Tristan Hanoian.

Last week: 2-2
Overall: 22-9, 7-2 in Big 12 (2-4 vs. Top 25)
Weekend record: 5-3
Results
April 6: @ Tarleton State: W 13-9
April 9-11: @ (11) Texas Tech: W 7-3, L 6-5 (10), L 17-7 (7)
Upcoming
April 13: Tarleton State
April 16-18: (20) Oklahoma State

The Horned Frogs got their series at Texas Tech off to a good start Friday with a 7-3 victory. Lefthander Russell Smith threw seven innings, giving up five hits and three runs (two earned) and the lineup scored six runs against righthander Micah Dallas in the first inning, which was more than enough cushion. Things didn’t go as well the next two days. TCU went into extra innings tied 5-5 on Saturday, but a Cal Conley walk-off homer in the 10th gave the Red Raiders a win. Sunday, TCU just couldn’t find anyone to consistently get outs on the way to a run-rule 17-7 loss. There’s little shame in losing a series in Lubbock, especially since they didn’t get swept, but for the Frogs to continue to compete at the top of the Big 12 the rest of the season, it seems important that they find a bit more pitching depth that they feel comfortable with against good teams.

Last week: 4-0
Overall: 25-7, 10-2 in Conference USA (2-3 vs. Top 25)
Weekend record: 6-1-1
Results
April 9-11: @ Rice: W 6-0, W 7-6 (7), W 20-6 (7), W 13-4
Upcoming
April 16-18: Southern Mississippi

With the exception of game 2 of the series, when Louisiana Tech scored five runs over the final two innings, including a go-ahead two-run double by Manny Garcia in the seventh to score a come-from-behind win, the Bulldogs had very little trouble in a four-game road sweep against Rice. Lefthander Jonathan Fincher set the tone Friday by throwing a shutout with four hits and one walk allowed. He’s 6-0 on the season with a 1.35 ERA in 53.1 innings. Over the final two games of the set, La Tech scored a combined 33 runs on 32 hits. Hunter Wells was scalding-hot throughout the entire series, going 11-for-18. Outfielder Cole McConnell added a 4-for-5 day in game 3, with center fielder Parker Bates driving in four runs in the finale. A few weeks after winning a series in Hattiesburg, Southern Mississippi returns the trip to Ruston this weekend.

Last week: 4-1
Overall: 17-10, 12-9 in ACC (9-6 vs. Top 25)
Weekend record: 5-3
Results
April 5: (12) Notre Dame: L 11-5
April 6: West Virginia: W 5-1
April 9-11: (20) Miami: W 12-6, W 6-4, W 12-5
Upcoming
April 13-14: Lipscomb
April 16-18: North Carolina

After back-to-back losing weekends, Pittsburgh got a much-needed series sweep of Miami. The bats came to play in a big way in game 1, scoring 12 runs on 18 hits, led by a 3-for-6 day with a grand slam for third baseman Sky Duff out of the leadoff spot. First baseman Bryce Hulett also went 3-for-4 with three RBIs and catcher Ramon Padilla came off the bench and went 2-for-2 with a home run. In the game 2 win, righthander Matt Gilbertson was solid, giving up six hits and four runs in seven innings, and the offense was able to plate five runs in the first four innings of play to give the Panthers all the scoring they would need. After falling behind 4-0 on Sunday, Pitt battled back and buried Miami with two big innings, a four-run fourth and a seven-run sixth. Right fielder Nico Popa went 4-for-5 with a home run and four RBIs. Given what it has accomplished this season, barring a complete collapse over the second half of the season, Pitt is on track for its first postseason appearance since 1995.

Last week: 1-3
Overall: 16-12, 11-10 in ACC (11-5 vs. Top 25)
Weekend record: 5-3
Results
April 6: Jacksonville: L 8-7
April 9-11: @ (5) Louisville: L 4-3 (10), W 8-5, L 11-4
Upcoming
April 13: @ (19) Florida
April 16-18: Boston College

Florida State took a hard-fought but tough series loss at Louisville. Both losses came after late turns of fortune. Friday’s game went to extra innings tied 3-3, where the Cardinals walked off with a 4-3 win on a Levi Usher RBI single. And in the finale, FSU held a 4-2 lead in the middle of the sixth, but a three-run Louisville sixth and a six-run seventh, which unfolded as a nightmare inning for the Seminoles’ bullpen, made the difference. In the game 2 victory, a five-run FSU eighth inning put it over the top. Third baseman Logan Lacey went 3-for-5, while shortstop Nander De Sedas and catcher Mat Nelson each had home runs. A series against struggling Boston College is a chance for Florida State to get up off the mat.

Last week: 3-2
Overall: 21-11, 6-6 in SEC (4-8 vs. Top 25)
Weekend record: 5-3
Results
April 6: Stetson: W 7-6
April 7: Florida A&M: W 10-0 (7)
April 9-11: @ (7) Tennessee: L 6-4, L 5-4, W 7-6
Upcoming
April 13: (18) Florida State
April 16-18: Missouri

Florida had a chance to make a statement with a series win at Tennessee but came up short by losing the first two games of the series. In the Friday loss, the Gators went back to a traditional pitching setup with Tommy Mace beginning the game on the mound, but it didn’t necessarily take, as Mace gave up eight hits and four runs in six innings with righthander Christian Scott giving up two runs in two innings of relief. In the second game, righthander Franco Aleman started and was quite good, giving up just one hit and two runs in five innings, but that run came in the sixth inning, which turned out to be a nightmare frame for UF. After Aleman exited, righthander Jack Leftwich came on and left without retiring a batter and righthander Trey Van Der Weide gave up two more runs, making it a six-run inning. The mantra in the SEC is don’t get swept, and Florida came through in that regard with a hard-fought 7-6 win Sunday thanks in large part to a three-run, pinch-hit home run from Kris Armstrong in the eighth, which turned a 6-4 deficit into a 7-6 lead.

Last week: 3-0
Overall: 22-7-1, 6-3 in Big 12 (2-4 vs. Top 25)
Weekend record: 6-2
Results
April 10-11: UNC Wilmington: W 7-6, W 10-3, W 10-4
Upcoming
April 13: Oral Roberts
April 16-18: @ (15) Texas Christian

In a series put together on the fly when both teams had opponents cancel due to Covid-19 protocols, Oklahoma State swept UNCW. After a rainout, things got going in a doubleheader Saturday, and the Cowboys flew out to a 7-0 lead in game 1 after five innings. By that point, Max Hewitt and Carson McCusker had home runs, lefthander Parker Scott was on his way to tossing seven scoreless innings and things looked in hand. But UNCW fought back against the Oklahoma State bullpen and even got the tying run to third base with one out in the ninth, but righthander Brett Standlee was able to put out the fire just in time. Things were easier from there, as the Oklahoma State offense scored 10 runs in each of the last two games, which helped keep the Seahawks at an arm’s length. McCusker went 3-for-4 with a triple and home run in the game 2 win and Christian Encarnacion-Strand paced the offense on Sunday by going 2-for-4 with a home run and four RBIs. A series at TCU this weekend is huge.

Last week: 1-3
Overall: 15-12, 12-9 in ACC (6-3 vs. Top 25)
Weekend record: 5-3
Results
April 6: South Carolina-Upstate: L 9-3
April 9-11: @ (12) Notre Dame: L 10-9, L 7-0, W 4-2
Upcoming
April 13: Auburn
April 16-18: @ (12) Virginia Tech

Georgia Tech dropped a series at Notre Dame, and in the process, some familiar faults cropped up. In game 1, the offense staked the Yellow Jackets to a 7-0 lead, but the pitching staff couldn’t hold it, and in this case, it hurts more that it was the usually reliable trio of Brant Hurter, Luke Bartnicki and Zach Maxwell that couldn’t shut the door. What was relatively new was the Georgia Tech offense, which is normally prolific, being shut down in game 2 of the series, as it managed just five hits in a 7-0 loss. Avoiding a sweep is huge in conferences like the ACC and Georgia Tech did that by collecting a 4-2 win Sunday. Lefthander Sam Crawford turned in a good start, giving up five hits and two runs in six innings, and the big hit came in the eighth, when Stephen Reid broke a 2-2 tie with a two-run home run. A road series against a hot Virginia Tech team this weekend will be another tough test.

Last week: 3-1
Overall: 19-6, 6-3 in Pac-12 (0-0 vs. Top 25)
Weekend record: 7-0
Results
April 6: California: W 4-3
April 9-11: UCLA: W 6-2, W 11-6, L 6-1
Upcoming
April 14: Pacific
April 16-18: @ Arizona State

The Cardinal break into the rankings for the first time this season after a series win against UCLA, which pushed their conference record to 6-3, good for first in the league standings. They got the series started with a win behind righthander Brendan Beck, who pitched 7.1 innings, giving up six hits and two runs with one walk and 10 strikeouts. The lineup hammered three home runs in support of Beck, one each from third baseman Drew Bowser, shortstop Adam Crampton and catcher Vincent Martinez. The longball served Stanford well again in game 2, with Bowser hitting another and first baseman Nick Brueser hitting two as part of a three-hit, three-RBI game. In that one, the teams traded blows early, but the Stanford bullpen quartet of Joey Dixon, Tommy O’Rourke, Jacob Palisch and Zach Grech settled things down and let the offense continue working with five scoreless innings.

Last week: 1-4
Overall: 21-10, 7-5 in Pac-12 (0-3 vs. Top 25)
Weekend record: 6-2
Results
April 5-6: Gonzaga: W 11-3, L 5-2
April 9-11: @ (19) Oregon: L 4-1, L 5-1, L 5-4 (11)
Upcoming
April 16-18: California

For the second time this season, Oregon State lost a series against rival Oregon. Over the first two games of the series in Eugene, the Beavers’ offense just didn’t have many answers for Oregon pitching, as it scored just two runs on 10 hits. The upside was that it did get good pitching in spots in those games. In game 1, righthander Kevin Abel gave up two hits and one run in six innings. In the second game, reliever Mitchell Verburg was excellent in relief, throwing 2.1 scoreless innings with five strikeouts. The output was better in game 3, and OSU at one point led 4-1, but Oregon scored three in the eighth to send it to extra innings, where the Ducks walked off with a win in the 11th on an error by Oregon State shortstop Andy Armstrong. The Beavers will look to get headed back in the right direction next weekend with a series against California.

Last week: 2-2
Overall: 15-7, 15-7 in Big Ten (0-0 vs. Top 25)
Weekend record: 4-0-2
Results
April 5: @ Maryland: L 17-7
April 9-11: Ohio State: L 7-4, W 7-0, W 16-7
Upcoming
April 16-18: @ Minnesota

It was a weird week for Michigan. It on Monday finished its previous weekend with a 17-7 loss to Maryland, which gave it a split in four games against the Terrapins and Northwestern. Then on Friday it dropped the series opener against archrival Ohio State. But things flipped decidedly in the Wolverines’ favor from there, as they won the last two games against the Buckeyes by a combined 23-7 score. Righthander Cameron Weston turned in a fantastic start in game 2, throwing 6.2 scoreless innings, giving up five hits and three walks. Second baseman Riley Bertram supported Weston by going 3-for-4 with two doubles and three RBIs. The lineup pounded out 17 hits in Sunday’s game, which included third baseman Christian Molfetta going 3-for-4 with a home run, catcher Griffin Mazur driving in three runs and DH Danny Zimmerman going 2-for-2 with a home run and three RBIs after entering the game late. Michigan has been far from perfect this season, but it still hasn’t had a losing weekend.

Last week: 3-1
Overall: 16-8, 3-1 in MVC (4-3 vs. Top 25)
Weekend record: 5-1-1
Results
April 9-11: @ Illinois State: W 4-2, W 6-1, L 5-0, W 8-7 (10)
Upcoming
April 16-18: Valparaiso

Indiana State was pushed in a big way by Illinois State on the road, but it showed its mettle by securing a series win. In the opener, lefthander Geremy Guerrero continued his outstanding season. He threw 8.1 innings, giving up seven hits and two runs, numbers made even more impressive when you consider that those two runs came in the first inning. The Sycamores made a late push, scoring three in the sixth thanks to some sloppy Redbird defense and an insurance run in the ninth on a Max Wright homer to get the win. Lefthander Tristan Weaver led the team to victory in game 2, giving up five hits and one run in six innings while the offense scored runs in four different frames. After getting shut out in the third game of the series, Indiana State fell behind 6-0 in the series finale before waking up late and scoring one run in the seventh, three runs in the eighth and two runs in the ninth to send the game to extra innings. In the 10th, the lineup scored two more on Aaron Beck and Miguel Rivera RBI singles, which was just enough to withstand one more Illinois State rally in the ninth. In that late-game push for Indiana State, Wright, Brain Fuentes, Rivera and Ellison Hanna II had home runs. After playing its first 24 games on the road, the Sycamores will finally play a home game when Valparaiso comes to town.