College Top 25

Arkansas' Isaiah Campbell (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images)

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UCLA remains atop the Baseball America Top 25 after a 3-1 week and a series win against California. The Bruins have been No. 1 the last six weeks.

UCLA had its winning streak snapped at eight games on Friday, but bounced back to win the series against Cal. The Bruins have posted a winning weekend all 10 weeks of the season.

Stanford remains at No. 2, with Georgia, Oregon State and Vanderbilt all rising one spot to round out the top five. Arkansas climbs to No. 6, its highest ranking of the season, after sweeping Mississippi State to move into first place in the SEC West Division.

Three new teams join the Top 25 this week, as Tennessee, Oklahoma State and Indiana join the rankings. Tennessee and Oklahoma State, which lead the newcomers at Nos. 21 and 22, are rejoining the rankings for the second time this season. Indiana is ranked for the first time this year and enters at No. 25.

Clemson, Texas and Texas Christian all fall out of the Top 25 after losing their weekend series.

The SEC leads all conferences with nine teams in the Top 25. The ACC, Big 12 and Pac-12 all have four representatives apiece.

The staff of Baseball America determines the Top 25. Records indicated are through April 21.

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Updated on: 4/22/2019

1 –
Last: 1
UCLA
Pac-12
Notes:
Last week: 3-1
Overall: 30-7, 11-4 in Pac-12 (8-3 vs. Top 25)
Weekend Series: 9-0

Results:
Apr. 15: Pepperdine: W 3-2
Apr. 18-20: California: W 8-7, L 4-1, W 6-1
Upcoming
Apr. 23: @ Cal State Fullerton
Apr. 26-28: Utah

Cal has been pesky this season in Pac-12 play. Just ask Oregon State, which narrowly won a series against the Bears early in conference play. UCLA also got a scare from Cal, but ultimately came away with a hard-fought series win. Righthander Zach Pettway had a tough go of it Thursday, allowing seven earned runs in 4.1 innings, but the bullpen picked him up, as righthanders Jack Filby, Nate Hadley, Kyle Mora and Holden Powell combined to throw the final 4.2 innings with one hit and no runs allowed as the offense worked its way back from a 7-5 deficit in the last three innings. In the finale, righthander Jack Ralston threw 6.1 innings, giving up six hits and one run with two walks and six strikeouts, and catcher Noah Cardenas went 3-for-3 out of the nine hole.
2 –
Last: 2
Stanford
Pac-12
Notes:
Last week: 3-1
Overall: 27-6, 13-2 in Pac-12 (4-3 vs. Top 25)
Weekend Series: 8-0

Results:
Apr. 16: UC Davis: L 8-6
Apr. 18-20: @ Oregon: W 5-4, W 20-5, W 10-0
Upcoming
Apr. 22: Gonzaga
Apr. 23: San Jose State
Apr. 26-28: Arizona

The Stanford offense hasn’t always produced to its potential this season, but it certainly did that and more in an emphatic sweep at Oregon. After a tight opener, the Cardinal outscored the Ducks 30-5 in the final two games. Outfielder Brandon Wulff had a massive series, going 7-for-10 with two doubles, four home runs and eight RBI and is now hitting .294/.431/.679 with 12 home runs this season. It’s easy to overlook in a 10-0 blowout, but lefthander Erik Miller was outstanding Saturday. He threw six scoreless innings, giving up four hits and two walks with 11 strikeouts.
3
Last: 4
Georgia
SEC
Notes:
Last week: 4-0
Overall: 33-8, 13-5 in SEC (10-2 vs. Top 25)
Weekend series: 9-1

Results:
Apr. 16: (23) Clemson: W 3-2 (20)
Apr. 18-20: Missouri: W 3-0, W 5-2, W 4-2
Upcoming
Apr. 23: vs. (12) Georgia Tech (Suntrust Park)
Apr. 26-28: @ (9) Mississippi State

When you saw Missouri and Georgia facing off this weekend, you anticipated a well-pitched series. That’s exactly what transpired, and the Bulldogs simply pitched better. Righthander Emerson Hancock turned in his latest gem Thursday, throwing eight scoreless innings, giving up just three hits and striking out 11. On the season, he’s 7-2, 1.04 with 77 strikeouts in 69 innings. Friday, hard-throwing freshman righthander Cole Wilcox was the star in relief. He threw four scoreless innings, allowing just two hits. Saturday, righthander Tony Locey allowed two runs on just one hit in six innings to help Georgia clinch the sweep.
4
Last: 5
Oregon State
Pac-12
Notes:
Last week: 3-0
Overall: 28-8-1, 14-4 in Pac-12 (4-3-1 vs. Top 25)
Weekend series: 7-1

Results:
Apr. 18-20: Arizona: W 8-4, W 15-3, W 9-3
Upcoming
Apr. 22-23: @ Nevada
Apr. 26-28: Washington State

Down 4-2 to Arizona heading to the bottom of the seventh of its series opener, Oregon State hustled back for two in the seventh and four more in the eighth for an 8-4 victory. First baseman Ryan Ober went 3-for-5 with four RBI, and his three-run homer in the eighth provided some distance for the Beavers. Things weren’t so close in the Saturday doubleheader, as Oregon State outscored Arizona 24-6 to clinch the sweep. Righthander Bryce Fehmel was great, throwing seven innings, giving up three hits and one run with two walks and seven strikeouts. In the nightcap, center fielder Preston Jones went 2-for-3 with a home run from the leadoff spot. Closer Jake Mulholland was his typical self in the finale, throwing three scoreless innings. For the season, his ERA is down to 0.96 in 28 innings of work.
5
Last: 6
Vanderbilt
SEC
Notes:
Last week: 4-0
Overall: 31-9, 12-6 in SEC (6-3 vs. Top 25)
Weekend Series: 7-2

Results:
Apr. 16: Indiana State: W 7-1
Apr. 19-21: @ Alabama: W 7-4, W 13-5, W 2-0
Upcoming
Apr. 25-27: (20) Auburn

Vanderbilt outfielder JJ Bleday this weekend continued his assault on opposing pitchers at Alabama. In the first two games of the series, he went 4-for-10 with three homers. His 3-for-6 day with two homers Saturday was in support of righthander Kumar Rocker, who threw five innings, giving up one hit and two runs. Center fielder Pat DeMarco, DH Ty Duvall, and first baseman Julian Infante joined Bleday in hitting homers in the second game, giving the Commodores five as a team. Third baseman Austin Martin didn’t have any round-trippers, but he went 3-for-6 with a double. The best pitching performance of the weekend came in the finale, when righthander Patrick Raby threw six scoreless innings, giving up two hits and four walks with eight strikeouts.
6
Last: 10
Arkansas
SEC
Notes:
Last week: 4-0
Overall: 30-10, 12-6 in SEC (8-6 vs. Top 25)
Weekend series: 8-2

Results:
Apr. 16: Arkansas-Pine Bluff: W 16-4
Apr. 18-20: (3) Mississippi State: W 5-3, W 12-5, W 10-2
Upcoming
Apr. 23-24: Northwestern State
Apr. 26-28: (21) Tennessee

Things couldn’t have gone much better for the Razorbacks in their series against Mississippi State. Thursday, they waited out lefthander Ethan Small and got to work with three runs off of him in the sixth, and then a Dominic Fletcher two-run homer in the eighth created the winning margin. In the final two games, big innings helped make the difference. A five-run seventh Friday turned a relatively tight game into a blowout, and Saturday, an eight-run sixth did the same. Shortstop Casey Martin was hot in games 2 and 3, going a combined 4-for-8 with a double, a homer, and four RBI. Another big positive for the Hogs was the effort on Saturday of freshman righthander Connor Noland. He threw 7.2 shutout innings, giving up four hits and no walks with five strikeouts. As Arkansas continues to try to find consistency around ace Isaiah Campbell in the rotation, that was a huge development.
7 –
Last: 7
Louisville
ACC
Notes:
Last week: 3-1
Overall 31-9, 15-6 in ACC (9-2 vs. Top 25)
Weekend series: 7-3

Results:
Apr. 16: @ Kentucky: W 18-6
Apr. 18-20: Miami: W 7-5, L 16-11, W 9-6
Upcoming
Apr. 23: @ Cincinnati
Apr. 26-28: Alabama A&M

Louisville had to fight both the weather and a talented Miami team to come away with a series win. After a 7-5 win Thursday, Game 2 was suspended with the Cardinals trailing 10-3 in the sixth inning. UL still came up short in that one, but it fought hard in the resumption on Saturday. Then, the Cardinals had to immediately turn around and play game 3, in which they found themselves down 6-0 after a half-inning. But they battled back and chipped away, eventually taking the lead with two runs in the sixth, and extending it with single tallies in the seventh and eighth. The relief duo of righthander Michael McAvene and lefthander Michael Kirian held the Miami offense at bay during the comeback, as they threw 4.1 scoreless innings to finish the game.
8 –
Last: 8
UC Santa Barbara
Big West
Notes:
Last week: 3-0
Overall: 30-5, 8-1 in Big West (3-0 vs. Top 25)
Weekend series: 9-0-1

Results
Apr. 18-20: UC Davis: W 9-8, W 7-0, W 4-3
Upcoming
Apr. 22: Cal State Bakersfield
Apr. 26-28: @ UC Riverside

It wasn’t always pretty for the Gauchos, as they were pushed at different times by UC Davis over the weekend, but ultimately, they kept things rolling in the Big West with a sweep. Thursday’s win required a comeback from a 4-0 first-inning deficit, with the eventual winning run coming home on a sac fly off the bat of catcher Eric Yang in the eighth inning. Lefthander Jack Dashwood did not allow for any such drama Friday by throwing a three-hit shutout. Freshman lefthander Rodney Boone was very good Saturday, throwing 7.2 innings with three hits and two runs, both of which came in the eighth inning. The Aggies scored another in the ninth off of righty Chris Lincoln to make it a white-knuckle finish, but the UCSB closer was able to polish things off. The Gauchos are in a part of their schedule where they cannot afford many losses if they want to host due to the RPIs of the opposition. So far, so good.
9
Last: 3
Mississippi State
SEC
Notes:
Last week: 1-3
Overall: 32-9, 10-8 in SEC (9-5 vs. Top 25)
Weekend series: 7-2

Results:
Apr. 16: Texas Southern: W 5-1
Apr. 18-20: @ (10) Arkansas: L 5-3, L 12-5, L 10-2
Upcoming
Apr. 23: vs. (23) Mississippi (Pearl, Miss.)
Apr. 26-28: (3) Georgia

It was a tough weekend for Mississippi State in Fayetteville. After a close loss in the series opener, the the Razorbacks ran away and hid from the Bulldogs in the final two games. Lefthander Ethan Small wasn’t perfect Thursday, but he pitched well enough to win, with six hits and three runs allowed, to go along with nine strikeouts, in six innings of work. A late rally by Arkansas in the eighth spoiled the party, however. Small’s co-ace counterpart for much of the season, righthander J.T. Ginn, took another step forward in the series finale, throwing five innings, giving up five hits and three runs, two of which were earned. It’s a bad time for Mississippi State to suffer a setback like this, as it will spend this weekend taking on a Georgia team that is flying high.
10
Last: 11
Texas A&M
SEC
Notes:
Last week: 2-2
Overall: 29-12-1, 11-6-1 in SEC (8-4 vs. Top 25)
Weekend series: 7-1-1

Results
Apr. 16: @ Houston: L 4-1
Apr. 18-20: @ South Carolina: W 8-2, L 3-2 (7), W 6-3 (7)
Upcoming
Apr. 23: Texas-Arlington
Apr. 25-27: @ (23) Mississippi

Doubleheaders made up of seven-inning games can be dicey for a favored team, but Texas A&M was able to split such a double-dip at South Carolina to grab a road series win. Thursday, lefthander John Doxakis was solid, allowing four hits and two runs in 6.1 innings, but it was the offense that did the heavy lifting late. Trailing 2-1, the Aggies exploded for a seven-run seventh inning, which was capped off by a grand slam off the bat of right fielder Logan Foster. In the finale, A&M got great production out of the top two spots in the lineup. Second baseman Bryce Blaum went 2-for-4 with a home run out of the leadoff spot, and center fielder Zach DeLoach chipped in with a 2-for-4 day of his own.
11
Last: 12
East Carolina
AAC
Notes:
Last week: 4-0
Overall: 29-10, 11-1 in AAC (1-5 vs. Top 25)
Weekend series: 8-1

Results:
Apr. 16: @ Elon: W 9-4
Apr. 18-20: Connecticut: W 5-1, W 5-2 (7), W 9-7
Upcoming
Apr. 23: UNC Wilmington
Apr. 24: @ Old Dominion
Apr. 26-28: Tulane

East Carolina might just be poised to run away with the American Athletic Conference, with the most recent piece of evidence being a sweep of a quality Connecticut team. Lefthander Jake Agnos was dominant Thursday, throwing 8.2 innings, giving up five hits and one run with one walk and a career-high 14 strikeouts. The shortened second game was marked by a staff effort on the mound, with lefthander Jake Kuchmaner and righthanders Trey Benton, Sam Lanier and Evan Voliva combining to hold the Huskies to two unearned runs. First baseman Spencer Brickhouse paced the offense in Game 3, going 3-for-4 with two home runs and five RBI. The Pirates will get a visit from second-place Tulane this weekend.
12
Last: 13
Georgia Tech
ACC
Notes:
Previous week: 3-1
Overall: 27-13, 13-8 in ACC (8-5 vs. Top 25)
Weekend series 7-2

Results
Apr. 16: (24) Auburn: W 11-6
Apr. 18-20: @ Virginia Tech: L 3-2, W 7-5, W 4-3
Upcoming
Apr. 23: vs. (3) Georgia (Suntrust Park)
Apr. 26-28: Clemson

The Yellow Jackets continue to move ever closer to securing a host spot in the postseason with a 3-1 week that included a marquee midweek win against Auburn, and a series win at Virginia Tech. Lefthander Connor Thomas gave a gutsy performance in Game 2, getting through eight innings despite allowing ten hits and five runs, four of which were earned. In Game 3, Georgia Tech needed someone to step up in the bullpen after lefthander Brant Hurter lasted just 2.2 innings, and righthander Jonathan Hughes was that guy. He threw five innings of relief, giving up just two hits and one run. Right fielder Baron Radcliff, who has come on at the plate of late, had a big day in the finale, going 3-for-4 with a double.
13
Last: 14
Arizona State
Pac-12
Notes:
Last week: 3-1
Overall: 30-8, 12-6 in Pac-12 (1-2 vs. Top 25)
Weekend Series: 8-2

Results:
Apr. 16: Seattle: W 12-5
Apr. 18-20: @ Utah: W 11-6 (12), W 8-5, L 6-3
Upcoming
Apr. 23: Nevada-Las Vegas
Apr. 26-28: @ Washington

The Sun Devils stopped the bleeding after back-to-back conference series losses with a series win at Utah. The final score might not make it seem like it, but Game 1 required extra innings. Going into the 12th tied 4-4, ASU exploded for seven runs, with the final blow of the inning coming on a two-run homer by first baseman Spencer Torkelson. In Game 2, righthander Boyd Vander Kooi had his struggles, as he allowed ten hits and five runs, four of which were earned, but he battled his way to a complete-game on 114 pitches. Offensively, the eight and nine hitters led the way in Game 2, with third baseman Gage Workman going 3-for-4 with a double and second baseman Drew Swift chipping in with a 2-for-4 performance with two RBI.
14
Last: 15
Louisiana State
SEC
Notes:
Last week: 2-2
Overall: 26-15, 11-7 in SEC (5-7 vs. Top 25)
Weekend Series: 7-3

Results:
Apr. 16: vs. Louisiana-Lafayette (Metairie, La.): L 6-5
Apr. 18-20: Florida: L 16-9, W 13-1, W 11-2
Upcoming
Apr. 23: Lamar
Apr. 26-28: @ Alabama

It was a series of blowouts when Louisiana State hosted Florida. After a Thursday loss that wasn’t as close as the final score would suggest, the Tigers bounced back to blitz Gators’ pitching in the final two games. They pounded out 16 hits to score 13 runs Friday, led by a 3-for-5 day with a home run from first baseman Cade Beloso and a 2-for-5 day with a homer and four RBI from left fielder Daniel Cabrera. The Tigers scored 11 runs on 11 hits Saturday, highlighted by a huge day from shortstop Josh Smith out of the leadoff spot. Smith went 3-for-4 with two doubles, a home run, and four runs scored. The best pitching performance of the weekend came from freshman righthander Cole Henry, who threw 5.1 innings Saturday, allowing four hits and one run with no walks and 12 strikeouts.
15
Last: 16
Texas Tech
Big 12
Notes:
Last week: 2-2
Overall: 25-13, 8-7 in Big 12 (6-3 vs. Top 25)
Weekend Series: 7-2

Results:
Apr. 16: @ Duke: L 13-6
Apr. 18-20: (19) Baylor: L 11-10 (11), W 3-2, W 13-3 (7)
Upcoming
Apr. 23-24: New Mexico
Apr. 26-28: (22) Oklahoma State

The first two games of Texas Tech’s series with Baylor were as close as could be, with the Bears taking an 11-10 win in 11 innings to open the series and the Red Raiders following with a 3-2 walk-off win. In the Game 2 win, Tech got great work from freshman righthander Micah Dallas, who threw six innings, giving up five hits and two runs, only one of which was earned, and righthander Taylor Floyd, who tossed three shutout frames. The winning run came home on a Cody Masters RBI single, just one inning after he had been inserted as a pinch hitter. In the finale, the Red Raiders jumped on Baylor pitching for nine runs across the first two innings and never looked back. Center fielder Dylan Neuse went 2-for-4 in game 3 with two home runs and six RBI, and catcher Braxton Fulford went 3-for-3 with a homer. Their series with Oklahoma State this weekend will be a matchup of teams coming off of the biggest series wins of their respective seasons.
16
Last: 9
North Carolina State
ACC
Notes:
Last week: 2-2
Overall 31-10, 13-8 in ACC (3-4 vs. Top 25)
Weekend series: 8-2

Results:
Apr. 16: @ UNC Wilmington: W 14-7
Apr. 18-20: @ Wake Forest: L 7-3, W 4-3, L 9-8
Upcoming
Apr. 23: Tennessee Tech
Apr. 26-28: @ Notre Dame

The slide continues for NC State, as it followed up a sweep by Louisville with a series loss at Wake Forest. In the two losses, slowing down the Demon Deacons’ offense was an issue. In Game 1, none of the four NC State pitchers threw more than 2.2 innings, and each allowed at least one run while in the game. In Game 3, righthander Jason Parker allowed five runs on seven hits in 4.1 innings, which helped the Demon Deacons come back from being down 7-0 after two innings. In the Game 2 win, second baseman J.T. Jarrett had a big game, going 2-for-3 with the first home run of his career and lefty reliever Nick Swiney was nearly perfect in throwing 3.1 shutout innings with only one hit allowed.
17 –
Last: 17
North Carolina
ACC
Notes:
Last week: 3-1
Overall: 30-11, 13-8 in ACC (0-3 vs. Top 25)
Weekend Series: 8-2

Results:
Apr. 16: @ South Carolina: L 5-2
Apr. 19-21: Boston College: W 8-7 (11), W 11-10 (11), W 16-8
Upcoming
Apr. 23: Coastal Carolina
Apr. 26-28: Virginia

Winning one 11-inning game in a series is notable, much less winning two such games in a doubleheader, but that’s precisely what North Carolina did in its sweep of Boston College. The Game 1 win featured quite a bit of late-inning drama. Trailing 7-6 going to the bottom of the ninth, UNC tied things up on a sac fly by pinch hitter Clemente Inclan. And in the 11th, the winning run came home on an RBI single off the bat of first baseman Michael Busch. That was part of a 3-for-5 day that included a home run for Busch. Game 2 went to extras when BC scored two runs in the top of the ninth, but it ended similarly, with a walk-off hit by the UNC first baseman, in this case, a double by Aaron Sabato. The Tar Heels are in a portion of their schedule where they can make some hay in the ACC standings and improve their chances for hosting, with a home series against Virginia due up this weekend.
18
Last: 25
West Virginia
Big 12
Notes:
Last week: 3-1
Overall: 25-13, 9-6 in Big 12 (7-5 vs. Top 25)
Weekend series: 7-2

Results:
Apr. 20-21: Kansas: W 1-0, W 4-3 (11), L 6-5
Upcoming
Apr. 23: Penn State
Apr. 26-28: @ Texas

Stop us if you’ve heard this before, but righthander Alek Manoah was untouchable in his start Saturday. He threw yet another shutout, this one almost identical to the one before. After allowing four hits and no walks with 15 strikeouts last week against Texas Tech, he gave up three hits and no walks with 15 strikeouts against Kansas. Adding to the intrigue of such a well-played game was the ending, which was a walk-off home run from first baseman Marques Inman. Two KU runs in the top of the ninth pushed the nightcap to extra innings, but the Mountaineers walked it off again, this time in the 11th, when center fielder Brandon White scored on a wild pitch. WVU’s case to host a regional just got a little stronger.
19
Last: 21
UC Irvine
Big West
Notes:
Last week: 4-0
Overall: 25-9, 8-4 in Big West (0-3 vs. Top 25)
Weekend series: 9-1

Results
Apr. 16: San Diego State: W 6-5
Apr. 18-20: Cal State Northridge: W 7-1, W 4-3, W 2-0
Upcoming
Apr. 23: @ Southern California
Apr. 26-28: @ Cal State Fullerton

UCI showed no ill effects from its series loss to UC Santa Barbara last week in a series sweep of Cal State Northridge. Specifically, the Anteaters were back to their typical dominance on the mound. In Game 1, righthander Andre Pallante gave up three hits and one run with nine strikeouts in seven innings of work. Righty Tanner Brubaker was solid in Game 2, giving up four hits and three runs in seven innings in what was an eventual walk-off win for the Anteaters thanks to a single off the bat of first baseman Adrian Damla and a subsequent error in right field, which allowed the winning run to score. In Game 3, righthander Trenton Denholm threw 6.2 shutout innings on four hits. Righthander Taylor Rashi deserves kudos for his efforts as well. He came on in relief of Brubaker and threw two scoreless innings to give the UCI offense time to bring home the winning run, and then came back the next game and picked up his ninth save of the season after 2.1 scoreless innings. The numbers are absurd for Rashi, as he’s yet to allow a run in his 21.2 innings of work and boasts a 29-to-2 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
20
Last: 24
Auburn
SEC
Notes:
Last week: 2-2
Overall: 26-14, 10-8 in SEC (8-8 vs. Top 25)
Weekend series: 7-3

Results:
Apr. 16: @ (13) Georgia Tech: L 11-6
Apr. 18-20: (18) Mississippi: W 7-4, L 5-3, W 6-5
Upcoming
Apr. 23: @ Jacksonville State
Apr. 25-27: @ (5) Vanderbilt

Auburn’s series win against Ole Miss was full of comebacks. In Game 1, the Tigers fell behind 4-1 after just two innings, but the offense chipped away at it, scoring two in the third, two in the sixth and one each in the seventh and eighth to come all the way back and then some. Third baseman Edouard Julien went 2-for-4 with a home run and four RBI, and relievers Richard Fitts and Cody Greenhill combined to throw 6.1 scoreless innings. In Game 3, a tie game became a 5-4 Ole Miss lead in the top of the tenth. But in the bottom half, Auburn fought back for one run on an error on first baseman Cole Zabowski and then walked it off thanks to an RBI single off the bat of DH Conor Davis. In another bit of good news for Auburn in this series, lefthander Jack Owen returned to the mound in relief in Game 3 and threw 2.1 scoreless innings. Before going down with injury after a start March 16 against Tennessee, Owen had been one of the most dominant arms in college baseball through the first month.
21
Tennessee
SEC
Notes:
Last week: 4-0
Overall: 30-11, 9-9 in SEC (6-9 vs. Top 25)
Weekend Series: 6-3

Results:
Apr. 16: Morehead State: W 3-1
Apr. 18-20: @ Kentucky: W 4-2, W 16-1, W 8-2
Upcoming
Apr. 23: Gardner-Webb
Apr. 26-28: @ (6) Arkansas

The Volunteers jump into the rankings after an emphatic road sweep of Kentucky. In Game 1, Tennessee came back from a 2-1 deficit with a three-run eighth courtesy of a two-run homer from left fielder Alerick Soularie and a solo shot from pinch hitter Pete Derkay. The Vols needed no such comeback in Game 2, as they collected 13 hits and took advantage of 12 walks to score 16 runs, 12 of them in the last four innings. They didn’t need an outstanding start to win that game, but they got one from righthander Garrett Stallings, who threw seven innings, giving up six hits and one run with no walks and eight strikeouts. Righthander Zach Linginfelter was solid in the finale, throwing six innings, giving up five hits and two runs. After allowing five runs in two innings in his last SEC outing against Georgia, it was a nice bounce back for the junior.
22
Oklahoma State
Big 12
Notes:
Last week: 4-0
Overall: 25-13, 10-5 in Big 12 (6-2 vs. Top 25)
Weekend series: 6-3

Results:
Apr. 16: Dallas Baptist: W 6-3
Apr. 18-20: (20) Texas: W 15-0, W 10-2, W 11-10
Upcoming
Apr. 23: Oral Roberts
Apr. 26-28: @ (15) Texas Tech

Oklahoma State couldn’t have looked more impressive in winning the first two games of their series against Texas. Thursday, a comfortable 5-0 lead became a 15-0 blowout when Oklahoma State plated ten runs in the bottom of the eighth, capped by a three-run homer off the bat of center fielder Trevor Boone. That all came in support of righthander Jensen Elliott, who threw a shutout, allowing one hit and two walks with seven strikeouts. Lefthander Parker Scott was nearly as good in Game 2, as he threw seven shutout innings, allowing seven hits and one walk with eight strikeouts, all while the Cowboys’ lineup was able to play add-on all game long. DH Carson McCusker enjoyed a banner day, going 4-for-5 with a double, a home run and six RBI. The finale was a far wilder game, as the teams went back and forth until entering the ninth tied 9-9. Texas scored in the top of the ninth on an Austin Todd sacrifice fly, but Oklahoma State answered back with two runs in the bottom half to walk it off, with the winning run coming home on an RBI single by shortstop Andrew Navigato.
23
Last: 18
Mississippi
SEC
Notes:
Last week: 2-2
Overall: 27-14, 10-8 in SEC (6-6 vs. Top 25)
Weekend series: 6-3-1

Results:
Apr. 16: Memphis: W 5-2
Apr. 18-20: @ (24) Auburn: L 7-4, W 5-3, L 6-5 (10)
Upcoming
Apr. 23: vs. (9) Mississippi State (Pearl, Miss.)
Apr. 25-27: (10) Texas A&M

In a series between two teams occupying a similar place in the SEC pecking order this season, Ole Miss dropped two of three very tense, very tight games at Auburn. A late comeback by Auburn in Game 1 turned what was a 4-1 Ole Miss lead into a loss, and in Game 3, the Rebels took a 5-4 lead in the top of the tenth inning, only to have the Tigers score two in the bottom half to walk off with the series-clinching win. In the Game 2 Ole Miss win, the Rebels got fantastic relief work from righthanders Austin Miller and Parker Caracci. After lefthander Doug Nikhazy gave the team five solid innings, the pair combined to throw four scoreless innings out of the bullpen, allowing just one hit and one walk with six strikeouts.
24
Last: 19
Baylor
Big 12
Notes:
Last week: 2-2
Overall: 26-12, 9-5 in Big 12 (2-3 vs. Top 25)
Weekend series: 6-2-1

Results:
Apr. 16: Sam Houston State: W 9-6
Apr. 18-20: @ (16) Texas Tech: W 11-10, L 3-2, L 13-3 (7)
Upcoming
Apr. 23: Stephen F. Austin
Apr. 26-28: @ Texas Christian

Baylor enjoyed an exciting start to its series at Texas Tech. The Bears led 9-3 after four innings Thursday, only to have the Red Raiders race back and push the game into extra innings, where center fielder Richard Cunningham put his team back on top with an RBI single in the top of the 11th. Righthander Kyle Hill helped make the win a reality by slowing down the Tech offense in his 3.1 scoreless innings with six strikeouts. Baylor just wasn’t able to build on that win. It dropped Game 2 in walk-off fashion on a Cody Masters RBI single, and then was never really in Game 3, as Texas Tech jumped out to a 9-0 lead after two innings and then got a walk-off victory when they reached the ten-run mercy rule threshold in the bottom of the seventh.
25
Indiana
Big Ten
Notes:
Last week: 3-1
Overall: 27-13, 9-3 in Big Ten (0-2 vs. Top 25)
Weekend series:
Results:
April 16: Ball State: W 14-3
April 19-21: @ Michigan State: W 13-4, L 5-3, W 11-2
Upcoming
Apr. 23: vs. Ball State (Indianapolis)
Apr. 26-28: Minnesota

Indiana becomes the third Big Ten team to come into the rankings, joining Michigan and Minnesota, after it won a series at Michigan State. In Game 1, the Hoosiers pounded out 15 hits on the way to scoring 13 runs. Center fielder Matt Gorski went 3-for-4 with two walks and two RBI, and catcher Wyatt Cross added a double and a home run. In the finale, lefthander Andrew Saalfrank pitched a gem, throwing seven innings, giving up two hits and one run with one walk and 11 strikeouts, and Gorski provided a ton of production once again, going 3-for-6 with a home run and four RBI.