2021 College Top 25

Overall: 46-10, 22-8 in SEC (20-4 vs. Top 25)
Weekend record: 14-0
Results:
SEC Tournament (Hoover, Ala.)
May 26: Georgia: W 11-2
May 27: (2) Vanderbilt: W 6-4
May 29: (11) Mississippi: W 3-2
May 30: (5) Tennessee: W 7-2

Arkansas is a machine. After proving itself as the most dominant force in college baseball this season, the Razorbacks went into the SEC Tournament with nothing to play for and swept their way through it, beating Tennessee in the final for their first SEC Tournament title in program history. Lefthander Lael Lockhart set the tone for the week in the opener against Georgia, throwing seven innings and giving up just two runs, effectively saving the pitching staff for better opponents later in the week. The highly-anticipated showdown with Vanderbilt was disappointing in that neither Kumar Rocker nor Patrick Wicklander were at their best, but the Razorbacks toughed out a win in the end, helped by three scoreless innings from Kevin Kopps. After winning a bullpen-dominated game against Mississippi that featured three strong relief innings from Connor Noland, Arkansas finished off a perfect week by piling on runs late after Tennessee took a 1-0 lead into the fifth inning. Shortstop Jalen Battles went 3-for-4 with a home run and first baseman Cullen Smith added a homer of his own.

Overall: 40-15, 19-10 in SEC (11-10 vs. Top 25)
Weekend record: 11-3
Results:
SEC Tournament (Hoover, Ala.)
May 26: (11) Mississippi: W 5-4
May 27: (1) Arkansas: L 6-4
May 28: (11) Mississippi: L 4-1

Vanderbilt made a relatively quick exit in the SEC Tournament. After winning a close game against Mississippi, it took a loss to Arkansas in the marquee game of the event in its second game and then bowed out with a loss to a resurgent Ole Miss team. In the two losses, neither Kumar Rocker nor Jack Leiter were at their best, but the bigger issue in the final loss was a lack of offense against the Rebels’ Tyler Myers, who allowed five hits and one run. Fortunately for the Commodores, their place as a top-eight seed was locked up going into Hoover, but they will need to play better in a regional than they did last week.

Overall: 45-16, 20-10 in SEC (8-7 vs. Top 25)
Weekend record: 11-2-1
Results:
SEC Tournament (Hoover, Ala.)
May 26: Alabama: L 3-2 (11)
May 27: (6) Mississippi State: W 12-2 (8)
May 28: Alabama: W 11-0 (7)
May 29: (12) Florida: W 4-0
May 30: (1) Arkansas: L 7-2

Tennessee bounced back from an extra-innings loss to Alabama at the start of the SEC Tournament to win three straight games and advance to the final. It was pitching that really led the way for the Vols to get to the final. Against Mississippi State, righthander Chad Dallas gave up six hits and one run in 6.1 innings. In the seven-inning win against Alabama, righthander Blade Tidwell threw six scoreless frames. And against Florida, righthander Camden Sewell stepped up and threw six scoreless innings as the UT pitching staff held the Gators scoreless on four hits. Tennessee couldn’t finish the week by lifting the trophy, but there is clearly no shame in dropping that game to Arkansas, which has been largely untouchable in big games this season. Tennessee will go into the postseason among the elite in college baseball with a return to Omaha for the first time since 2005 on its mind.

Overall: 30-11, 25-10 in ACC (9-5 vs. Top 25)
Weekend record: 10-1-1
Results:
ACC Tournament (Charlotte)
May 26: Virginia Tech: W 8-0
May 28: Virginia: L 14-1

Notre Dame split its two games at the ACC Tournament in Charlotte. The Irish pitched well in its win over Virginia Tech, with Will Mercer (5 IP, 3 H), Alex Rao (3 IP, 0 H) and Liam Simon (1 IP, 1 H) shutting out the Hokies on four hits. One thing to watch moving forward is the performance of righthander John Michael Bertrand. He’s been consistent all season, but he gave up five runs in one inning against Virginia. Like Vanderbilt, Notre Dame didn’t have to do anything last week to secure its spot as a top-eight seed, so it did well to win a game and get out without taxing its pitching any more than it needed to.

Overall: 42-15, 17-7 in Big 12 (4-5 vs. Top 25)
Weekend record: 11-2
Results:
Big 12 Tournament (Oklahoma City)
May 26: West Virginia: L 5-1
May 27: Oklahoma: W 4-1
May 28: West Virginia: W 3-2
May 29: Oklahoma State: L 5-4

Texas went 2-2 in the Big 12 Tournament last week, getting pushed by Oklahoma and West Virginia and eventually eliminated by Oklahoma State in a one-run game. Texas pitched well enough to win games all week, with Ty Madden (6.2 IP, 3 R), Tristan Stevens (7 IP, 1 R) and Pete Hansen (6.2 IP, 2 R) turning in good starts in the first three games. And although Kolby Kubichek gave up four runs in four innings against the Cowboys, the Texas bullpen stepped up and held OSU scoreless until it collected the go-ahead run in the ninth. Offense was more of the issue, as the Longhorns scored no more than four runs in any game, and Zach Zubia was the only hitter to have two or more hits in a game, and he did it twice with three hits against Oklahoma and two hits against Oklahoma State. Texas is set up as a top-eight seed in the tournament next week, so ultimately, there was no harm done in going 2-2.

Overall: 40-15, 21-9 in Pac-12 (6-5 vs. Top 25)
Weekend record: 11-2-2
Results:
May 27-29: Dixie State: W 4-2, L 11-9, W 5-4

The series meant absolutely nothing, and that’s important context to consider, but it’s still surprising that Arizona had to work as hard as it did to secure a series win at home over Dixie State. Sandwiched around a slugfest loss, the Wildcats won two close games. In the opener, righthander Chandler Murphy gave up two unearned runs in five innings and the bullpen duo of Randy Abshier and Gil Luna combined to hold DSU scoreless over the final four. In the third game, Arizona at one point trailed 4-1, but it chipped away to tie it, and in the bottom of the ninth, walked off with a win on a Jacob Berry RBI double.

Overall: 32-14, 17-10 in Pac-12 (4-2 vs. Top 25)
Weekend record: 12-1
Results:
May 27-29: Oregon State: W 1-0, W 5-0, L 9-1

Stanford made one last impressive statement this season, a series win against Oregon State that included back-to-back shutouts in the first two games. In the first of the two, Brendan Beck threw all nine, giving up three hits and one walk with 10 strikeouts. That was enough to outduel OSU righthander Kevin Abel, who gave up one run in eight innings. The only run of the game came on a Brock Jones homer in the sixth inning. In the second shutout, it was a team effort with Zach Grech (4 IP, 2 H), Tommy O’Rourke (1 IP, 0 H), Jacob Palisch (3 IP, 2 H) and Joey Dixon (1 IP, 0 H) combining to hold the Beavers scoreless on four hits. Jones and Kody Huff both had three-hit days in support of the pitching staff. What a turnaround season for Stanford—from 5-11 at the time the season ended in 2020 to a team that is going to host a regional this year.

Overall: 40-15, 20-10 in SEC (7-10 vs. Top 25)
Weekend record: 11-3
Results:
SEC Tournament (Hoover, Ala.)
May 26: (12) Florida: L 13-1 (7)
May 27: (5) Tennessee: L 12-2 (8)

Mississippi State had a really bad week in Hoover, getting run-ruled in each of its two games. Going into the week, it felt fairly safe as a top-eight seed, but going 0-2 in Hoover and losing both games in that fashion casts doubt on that a bit. It’s still safe as a host, but another team may be able to pop up and catch the Bulldogs as a top eight.

Overall: 36-15, 14-10 in Big 12 (6-7 vs. Top 25)
Weekend record: 10-3
Results:
Big 12 Tournament (Oklahoma City)
May 26: Baylor: W 11-4
May 28: (21) Texas Christian: L 7-2
May 28: Kansas State: L 7-2

After taking down Baylor to begin its time at the Big 12 Tournament, Texas Tech was outscored 14-4 in back-to-back losses to TCU and Kansas State. In both losses, the Red Raiders’ lineup was stifled, and it didn’t help that they didn’t get great starts in either contest, with lefthander Patrick Monteverde allowing four runs (although just two were earned) in six innings against the Horned Frogs and righthander Micah Dallas giving up six runs to the Wildcats in 3.2 innings. Texas Tech will be playing at home for regionals, but its chances to be a top-eight seed took a hit with a relatively quick exit in Oklahoma City.

Overall: 41-19, 18-12 in SEC (10-8 vs. Top 25)
Weekend record: 8-6
Results:
SEC Tournament (Hoover, Ala.)
May 25: Auburn: W 7-4
May 26: (2) Vanderbilt: L 5-4
May 27: Georgia: W 4-0
May 28: (2) Vanderbilt: W 4-1
May 29: (1) Arkansas L 3-2

All in all, it was a good week for Mississippi, as it backed up its strong finish to the regular season with a 3-2 week in Hoover. Righthander Drew McDaniel was excellent in the win against Georgia, throwing 6.2 shutout innings, giving up four hits and two walks with 11 strikeouts. As good as he was, righthander Tyler Myers might have been better the next day against Vanderbilt if you adjust for the opponent and his inexperience as a starter. He threw seven innings, allowing five hits and one run, which outpaced Jack Leiter’s performance on the night. The most notable offensive performance of the week was probably the one Tim Elko put together in the loss to Vanderbilt. The DH in that game, Elko had three hits, including two homers, proving that he can still do heavy lifting in the lineup, even on a torn ACL. The week in Hoover should serve as good momentum for the Rebels going into a home regional.

Overall: 36-16, 17-7 in Big 12 (7-6 vs. Top 25)
Weekend record: 8-6
Results
Big 12 Tournament (Oklahoma City)
May 26: Kansas State: W 7-6
May 28: (7) Texas Tech: W 7-2
May 29: Kansas State: L 5-2
May 29: Kansas State: W 17-7 (8)
May 30: Oklahoma State: 10-7

After a challenging month that had seen it lose three straight series, TCU got back on track in a big way in Oklahoma City, ending its run with the Big 12 Tournament championship. The Horned Frogs started the week well, winning consecutive games against Kansas State and Texas Tech—two teams they lost series to this year—before losing Saturday to the Wildcats, forcing a second semifinal game. From there, the TCU offense went to work. The Horned Frogs run-ruled the Wildcats to advance to the championship game, where they rolled to a win against Oklahoma State. After some dicey moments this month, TCU will go into the NCAA Tournament feeling good about its chances.

Overall: 38-20, 17-13 in SEC (7-13 vs. Top 25)
Weekend record: 10-3
Results:
SEC Tournament (Hoover, Ala.)
May 25: Kentucky: W 4-1
May 26: (6) Mississippi State: W 13-1 (7)
May 27: Alabama: W 7-2
May 29: (5) Tennessee: L 4-0

Florida pitched well during its stay in Hoover, even if that stay ended short of the final with a loss to Tennessee in the semifinal round. Righthander Tommy Mace gave up seven hits and one run in five innings against Kentucky. Lefthander Hunter Barco allowed four hits and one run in seven innings against Mississippi State. Against Alabama, righthander Franco Aleman threw seven shutout innings. Jacob Young swung the bat well throughout the week, going 8-for-17 with two home runs in the four games. With a successful week, the Gators solidified their hosting resume.

Overall: 37-14, 20-10 in Pac-12 (11-5 vs. Top 25)
Weekend record: 10-3-1
Results:
May 27-29: @ California: W 11-5, L 10-3, W 6-5

Oregon had to work hard for it, but it secured a series win at California to secure a second-place finish in the Pac-12, just one game behind Arizona. Offense led the way in a game 1 win, with left fielder Tanner Smith and shortstop Josh Kasevich both enjoying three-hit games, with Gabe Matthews, Anthony Hall and Jack Scanlon adding home runs. After a game 2 loss, the Ducks bounced back to win a hard-fought finale. The teams traded blows in the final game of the series, with Oregon runs in the seventh on a Kenyon Yovan RBI double, in the eighth on a Scanlon homer and in the ninth on a Yovan RBI single helping keep Cal at an arm’s length. Oregon will hope to keep its momentum as it heads into a home regional this weekend.

Overall: 42-14, 22-10 in Conference USA (4-0 vs. Top 25)
Weekend record: 11-2-1
Results:
C-USA Tournament (Ruston, La.)
May 26: Florida Atlantic: W 11-2
May 27: Middle Tennessee State: W 10-6
May 29: Florida Atlantic: W 13-5
May 30: (22) Louisiana Tech: W 7-5 (10)

Old Dominion capped off an outstanding season with a 4-0 showing in the Conference USA Tournament, defeating host Louisiana Tech in 10 innings in the final. Tied 5-5 in extra innings, the Monarchs took the lead with a two-run homer off the bat of Kyle Battle in the top of the 10th, his league-leading 18th home run of the season. It was a team effort on the mound, as it so often is in tournament finals, as nine different pitchers made an appearance, but they got the job done. With 101 home runs on the season, no matter who else is in its regional, Old Dominion is not going to be a fun matchup for opposing pitching staffs.

Overall: 39-16, 31-8 in Big West (3-3 vs. Top 25)
Weekend record: 9-4-1
Results:
May 28-30: Cal State Fullerton: W 10-4, W 7-0, W 9-5, W 4-2

UC Irvine finished off its season in style with a sweep of Cal State Fullerton at home. It was another week of good starting pitching for the Anteaters, as Nick Pinto (7.1 IP, 8 H, 0 R), Trenton Denholm (7 IP, 6 H, 2 R) and Peter Van Loon (8 IP, 7 H, 0 R) all enjoyed quality outings. Right fielder Nathan Church had a big weekend, going 10-for-19 in the four games. UC Irvine indisputably has a team capable of winning a regional. Its rotation goes four pitchers deep, something not all Big West champs can say in a given year, and against the stereotype of West Coast teams, it can also win games by scoring runs in bunches with a .295 team average.

Overall: 30-17, 19-14 in ACC (13-11 vs. Top 25)
Weekend record: 7-5
Results:
ACC Tournament (Charlotte, N.C.)
May 27: Pittsburgh: W 3-2
May 28: North Carolina: L 9-6
May 29: Georgia Tech: W 8-1
May 30: Duke: L 1-0

North Carolina State took advantage of being a high seed in the ACC Tournament, which allowed it to advance to the semifinal round despite going just 1-1 in pool play. Once there, it played well. First, it took down Georgia Tech in routine fashion. Righthander Sam Highfill threw the ball well against a good Yellow Jackets offense, giving up one run on four hits in 6.1 innings, with lefthander Evan Justice coming on in relief and throwing 2.2 scoreless frames. A three-run double for J.T. Jarrett got the scoring started in the second and the team never looked back. The Wolfpack came up just short in a well-played final against rival Duke. The duo of Matt Willadsen and Chris Villaman held the Blue Devils to one run on four hits, but it wasn’t enough on a day when the offense was slowed by Duke pitching. NC State will roll into the postseason as a dangerous team, just like its counterpart in the ACC Tournament final.

Overall: 41-15, 20-8 in AAC (2-1 vs. Top 25)
Weekend record: 9-0-4
Results:
AAC Tournament (Clearwater, Fla.)
May 25: Memphis: L 11-1 (7)
May 26: Cincinnati: W 13-9
May 28: Memphis: W 12-0 (7)
May 29: Central Florida: W 5-2
May 29: Central Florida: L 2-1

East Carolina’s stay in Clearwater got off to a rough start, with a run-rule loss to last-place Memphis, but it rallied from there to have a fairly successful week before bowing out to UCF a game shy of the final. Second baseman Connor Norby remains a hitting machine. In the three wins for the Pirates, he had a combined six hits, including a pair of homers in the win over Cincinnati. Righthander Gavin Williams, who has been so good for ECU this season, lived up to that standard again. In the 12-0 win against Memphis, he threw a complete game, giving up two hits and two walks and striking out 10. ECU will be at home for a regional and that will make it extremely tough to beat.

Overall: 30-21, 20-16 in ACC (16-10 vs. Top 25)
Weekend record: 10-4
Results:
ACC Tournament (Charlotte)
May 26: Duke: L 12-1
May 28: Miami: W 6-3

Florida State split its games at the ACC Tournament last week. First, it fell victim to resurgent Duke in a blowout loss, but it ended its stay in Charlotte on a high note, as it beat rival Miami, 6-3. Lefthander Parker Messick threw the ball pretty well, giving up two runs in five innings with seven strikeouts and center fielder Logan Lacey homered. With its pitching, FSU is going to make for a tough No. 2 seed, no matter where it’s sent.

Overall: 31-12, 31-12 in Big Ten (0-0 vs. Top 25)
Weekend record: 10-1-1
Results:
May 28-29: Michigan: W 1-0, L 2-0, W 5-3

Nebraska put an exclamation point on its Big Ten title-winning season with a series win against Michigan. Lefthander Cade Povich tossed a gem in game 1, throwing seven shutout innings with nine strikeouts. Now that it has reached the end of the full Big Ten slate, it’s important to appreciate the totality of what Nebraska accomplished. Its only series loss was the sweep against Rutgers, it won series against Maryland and Michigan, won three of its five games against Iowa and three of its four with Indiana. Against the best teams in their conference, the Cornhuskers left no doubt.

Overall: 40-18, 21-8 in Conference USA (4-7 vs. Top 25)
Weekend record: 8-2-4
Results:
Conference USA Tournament (Ruston, La.)
May 26: Texas-San Antonio: W 7-6 (12)
May 27: (23) Southern Mississippi: L 4-1
May 28: Western Kentucky: W 14-4 (8)
May 29: (23) Southern Mississippi: W 11-10 (11)
May 29: (23) Southern Mississippi: W 6-5
May 30: (18) Old Dominion: L 7-5 (10)

Louisiana Tech had a long but successful week at home in the CUSA Tournament. After dropping its first game of the week to Southern Mississippi, it won a pair of dramatic games against the Golden Eagles to advance to the tournament final. In the first of the two, La Tech went down 8-0 after four innings, but clawed its way back into the game, eventually going into extra innings tied 10-10. In the 10th, it walked off with the win on a Steele Netterville RBI double. In the second game, the Bulldogs saw a 2-1 lead turn into a 5-2 deficit when USM scored four runs in the ninth. Undeterred, they answered back with four of their own in the bottom of the ninth, with the tying and winning runs coming home on a Philip Matulia two-RBI single.

Overall: 35-18, 18-12 in Pac-12 (3-3 vs. Top 25)
Weekend record: 9-6
Results:
May 27-29: @ Arizona State: W 21-9, W 8-5, W 3-0

UCLA jumps back into the Top 25 for the first time in several weeks after sweeping Arizona State on the road, winning games both by exploding on offense and getting outstanding pitching. The 21-run outburst Thursday was led by a 3-for-5 day from first baseman J.T. Schwarz and home runs by Kyle Cuellar and Mikey Perez. In game 2, a five-run eighth inning for the Bruins, highlighted by a three-run homer for Perez, made the difference. In the finale, righthander Jesse Bergin turned in what is probably his best outing of the season, throwing seven scoreless innings. The Bruins still have their flaws and have had to work hard to get back into this position, but they deserve a ton of credit for battling all year and ending the regular season on the upswing.

Overall: 35-17-1, 12-12 in Big 12 (4-10 vs. Top 25)
Weekend record: 9-5
Results
Big 12 Tournament (Oklahoma City.)
May 26: Oklahoma: W 9-5
May 28: West Virginia: W 12-2 (7)
May 29: (4) Texas: W 5-4
May 30: (21) Texas Christian: L 10-7

Oklahoma State made a deep Big 12 Tournament run in the comfortable confines of Oklahoma City’s Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. The Cowboys fell just shy of the title, however, falling in the championship game to TCU. The Cowboys have built some strong momentum going into regionals, as they went 11-4 in May.

Overall: 37-19, 20-7 in Conference USA (4-5 vs. Top 25)
Weekend record: 10-1-1
Results:
Conference USA Tournament (Ruston, La.)
May 26: Western Kentucky: W 11-1 (8)
May 27: (22) Louisiana Tech: W 4-1
May 29: (22) Louisiana Tech: L 11-10 (11)
May 29: (22) Louisiana Tech: L 6-5

Southern Miss was flying high through most of three games in the CUSA Tournament. It first collected wins against Western Kentucky and Louisiana Tech to advance to the semifinal round. Then, in the first semifinal game against La Tech, it jumped out to an 8-0 lead and was seemingly cruising to the tournament final. From there, though, the Bulldogs clawed back in it and ended up winning it with a walk-off run in the bottom of the 10th. In the replay, USM scored four runs in the top of the ninth to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 5-2 lead, only to have La Tech score four of its own to walk off with another win. What looked like a USM team ready to earn a host spot ended the week getting walked off twice and likely facing the reality of hitting the road for regionals.

Overall: 32-20, 16-17 in ACC (8-14 vs. Top 25)
Weekend record: 5-7
Results:
ACC Tournament (Charlotte)
May 26: (17) Florida State: W 12-1
May 27: (24) Miami: W 3-2
May 29: Virginia: W 4-2
May 30: (15) North Carolina State: W 1-0

With a sluggish start to the season, Duke this season quickly fell out of the Top 25, and after a regular season mostly spent in the wilderness, few teams have been hotter than the Blue Devils over the last month. Sweeps over Virginia Tech and Clemson put Duke back in position to earn a postseason bid, and then an undefeated ACC Tournament championship last week in Charlotte guaranteed it and vaults the team back into the rankings. Conference tournaments are often marked by finals where both teams are completely out of pitching, which is why a 1-0 win over NC State to win the title is so impressive. Righthander Cooper Stinson started and threw six shutout innings, striking out six. Jimmy Loper and Marcus Johnson followed and threw the final three innings to close out the win. The lone run of the game came home on a Peter Matt sac fly in the fourth inning. With the way it has been playing, Duke is not a No. 2 seed a regional host will want to see pop up.

Overall: 39-19, 22-9 in Conference USA (4-4 vs. Top 25)
Weekend record: 10-3-1
Results:
Conference USA Tournament (Ruston, La.)
May 26: Middle Tennessee State: L 7-2
May 27: Florida Atlantic: L 9-8

Charlotte didn’t do anything to help make its case as a potential host with an 0-2 showing in the Conference USA Tournament. After a tough, relatively uncompetitive loss to MTSU to begin the week, the 49ers lost a heartbreaker to FAU in the second game. The Owls jumped out to a quick lead and even held a 9-3 advantage going to the ninth. Charlotte scored five runs in the bottom of the ninth to make it a one-run game, but the comeback fell one run short.