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College baseball Week 12: Top 25 rankings and what to watch

College Baseball’s Wild Week: Upsets, Rankings, and Must-Watch Games

College Baseball’s Wild Week: Upsets, Rankings, and Must-Watch Games

May 5, 2025, 11:11 AM ET

What a wild week of baseball that just finished. Texas got swept on the road by Arkansas, and you’d think that’d be more than enough to knock the Longhorns down a few pegs, but thanks to a whole lot of other upsets, they remain No. 1 for yet another week. Florida State is at No. 2 after taking two games against Clemson, including a 20-run outing to clinch the series victory, and the Tigers as a result dropped six spots to No. 9.

Let’s dive into the details of this rollercoaster week. The Texas Longhorns, despite their unexpected sweep by Arkansas, managed to hold onto their top spot. It’s a testament to the chaos that unfolded elsewhere in the rankings. Florida State’s impressive performance against Clemson, highlighted by a 20-run game, catapulted them to No. 2. Meanwhile, Clemson’s fall to No. 9 is a stark reminder of how quickly fortunes can change in college baseball.

Tennessee continues its slide down the rankings as it dropped another three spots to No. 15. Vanderbilt had an impressive outing against Alabama, and the Commodores have jumped up four spots to No. 11. Another big riser this week was Coastal Carolina, which jumped up five spots.

The Kansas Jayhawks dropped out of the rankings, making room for the USC Trojans to be ranked for the first time this season. It’s always exciting to see new teams break into the top 25, and USC’s entry adds another layer of intrigue to the season.

Here’s how the top-25 rankings look as of Monday:

  • 1. Texas Longhorns
  • 2. Florida State Seminoles
  • 3. LSU Tigers
  • 4. North Carolina Tar Heels
  • 5. Oregon Ducks
  • 6. Georgia Bulldogs
  • 7. Arkansas Razorbacks
  • 8. Auburn Tigers
  • 9. Clemson Tigers
  • 10. Oregon State Beavers
  • 11. Vanderbilt Commodores
  • 12. West Virginia Mountaineers
  • 13. UC Irvine
  • 14. Coastal Carolina Chanticleers
  • 15. Tennessee Volunteers
  • 16. NC State Wolfpack
  • 17. Oklahoma Sooners
  • 18. UCLA Bruins
  • 19. Troy Trojans
  • 20. Louisville Cardinals
  • 21. Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles
  • 22. Arizona Wildcats
  • 23. Alabama Crimson Tide
  • 24. Ole Miss Rebels
  • 25. USC Trojans

Play of the Week

At this point, plays like this are just run-of-the-mill for Clemson’s Cam Cannarella. He can rob just about anything.

— Clemson Baseball (@ClemsonBaseball) May 3, 2025

Player to Watch

OF Mason Neville, Oregon

Let’s check in on college baseball’s current leading home run hitter. Neville has 23 home runs this season to go along with 50 RBIs. He is one of the biggest reasons the Ducks are ranked in the top five for the first time this season this week, as Oregon is at the top of the Big Ten. The Ducks have a busy week ahead with five games, and we’re certain Neville will continue to add to his tally.

“The nation’s best home run hitter puts another feather in his cap!” 🗣️@OregonBaseball‘s Mason Neville launches his 2️⃣2️⃣nd homer of the season 💣#B1GBaseball on @BigTenPlus 💻 pic.twitter.com/4AFTXQDn7S

— Big Ten Baseball (@B1Gbaseball) May 3, 2025

Series to Watch

No. 11 Vanderbilt at No. 15 Tennessee

  • 5:30 p.m. ET on Friday (SEC Network)
  • 5 p.m. on Saturday (ESPN2)
  • 3 p.m. on Sunday (ESPN2)

We always look forward to watching these two teams square off, especially as we inch closer and closer to the end of the regular season. Tennessee has hit a few bumps in the road the past few weeks. After being the No. 1 team in the country, the Vols started to slide after they lost a series to Texas A&M. Tennessee has since dropped series to Kentucky, LSU, and Auburn, with its only series victory coming against Ole Miss. Vanderbilt, on the other hand, has seemed to right the ship after a few questionable losses — and it just took a series over Alabama this past weekend. With this series being played in Knoxville, the upper hand should seemingly go to Tony Vitello’s squad, but we’ll just have to see how this plays out.

Updated Top 25

Here are D1baseball.com’s latest rankings, plus information on each team’s next game.

All times Eastern.

1. Texas Longhorns

Previous rank: 1
Record: 38-8
Next game: vs. Lamar, 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday (SECN+)

2. Florida State Seminoles

Previous rank: 5
Record: 33-10
Next game: vs. Jacksonville, 6 p.m. on Tuesday (ACCNX)

3. LSU Tigers

Previous rank: 2
Record: 38-11
Next game: vs. Grambling State, 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday (SECN+)

4. North Carolina Tar Heels

Previous rank: 4
Record: 35-10
Next game: vs. Campbell, 6 p.m. on Tuesday (ACCNX)

5. Oregon Ducks

Previous rank: 6
Record: 33-13
Next game: vs. Saint Mary’s, 9:05 p.m. on Tuesday

6. Georgia Bulldogs

Previous rank: 9
Record: 39-11
Next game: at Alabama, 7 p.m. on Friday (SECN+)

7. Arkansas Razorbacks

Previous rank: 11
Record: 40-9
Next game: at LSU, 7:30 p.m. on Friday (SECN+)

8. Auburn Tigers

Previous rank: 10
Record: 33-15
Next game: vs. South Carolina, 8 p.m. on Friday (ESPNU)

9. Clemson Tigers

Previous rank: 3
Record: 37-12
Next game: at Coastal Carolina, 6 p.m. on Tuesday (ESPN+)

10. Oregon State Beavers

Previous rank: 7
Record: 34-12
Next game: vs. Hawai’i, 12:35 a.m. on Tuesday (ESPN+)

11. Vanderbilt Commodores

Previous rank: 15
Record: 34-14
Next game: at Louisville, 7 p.m. on Tuesday (ACC Network)

12. West Virginia Mountaineers

Previous rank: 16
Record: 39-7
Next game: at Pitt, 6 p.m. on Tuesday (ACCNX)

13. UC Irvine

Previous rank: 8
Record: 34-11
Next game: at California Baptist, 9 p.m. on Tuesday (ESPN+)

14. Coastal Carolina Chanticleers

Previous rank: 19
Record: 37-11
Next game: vs. Clemson, 6 p.m. on Tuesday (ESPN+)

15. Tennessee Volunteers

Previous rank: 12
Record: 37-11
Next game: vs. Indiana State, 6 p.m. on Tuesday (SECN+)

16. NC State Wolfpack

Previous rank: 13
Record: 30-15
Next game: vs. UNC Wilmington, 6 p.m. on Tuesday

17. Oklahoma Sooners

Previous rank: 21
Record: 32-14
Next game: at Kentucky, 6:30 p.m. on Friday (SECN+)

18. UCLA Bruins

Previous rank: 14
Record: 34-13
Next game: at Long Beach State, 9 p.m. on Tuesday (ESPN+)

19. Troy Trojans

Previous rank: 20
Record: 34-14
Next game: vs. Alabama, 7 p.m. on Tuesday (ESPN+)

20. Louisville Cardinals

Previous rank: 17
Record: 32-15
Next game: vs. Vanderbilt, 7 p.m. on Tuesday (ACC Network)

21. Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles

Previous rank: 22
Record: 35-13
Next game: vs. Louisiana, 7 p.m. on Friday (ESPN+)

22. Arizona Wildcats

Previous rank: 24
Record: 33-14
Next game: at Grand Canyon, 9 p.m. on Tuesday (ESPN+)

23. Alabama Crimson Tide

Previous rank: 18
Record: 36-12
Next game: at Troy, 7 p.m. on Tuesday (ESPN+)

24. Ole Miss Rebels

Previous rank: 23
Record: 33-15
Next game: at Mississippi State, 8:30 p.m. on Friday (SEC Network)

25. USC Trojans

Previous rank: NR
Record: 32-15
Next game: vs. UC Santa Barbara, 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday (ESPN+)

Original source article rewritten by our AI can be read here.
Originally Written by: ESPN

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