Week 11 in SEC baseball brought a new leader in the SEC power rankings for the first time since conference play started as Texas A&M’s surge carried the Aggies to the top spot.
Where the biggest shakeup came was at the bottom. South Carolina won a series against Kentucky, and the Wildcats and LSU are both seemingly in freefall.
Here’s how the league shakes out:
1. Texas A&M
Record: 33-8 (14-6 SEC)
Last week: 2
Up next: Auburn
The hottest team in the SEC, Texas A&M has won five straight series with the league’s best offense in conference play. In SEC games, the Aggies have drawn 25 more walks than any other team despite playing one fewer game.
2. Georgia
Record: 34-11 (15-6)
Last week: 3
Up next: Missouri
Georgia just keeps winning series thanks to a high-flying offense. Daniel Jackson is the focal point of the Bulldogs and is one of the SEC Player of the Year frontrunners − though Gavin Grahovac is giving him a run for his money.
3. Texas
Record: 32-9 (13-7)
Last week: 1
Up next: Mississippi State
Texas is a steady, high-floor team, but a relative lack of depth has made it difficult for the Longhorns to get sweeps, and they’ve subsequently fallen back in the SEC race.
4. Auburn
Record: 30-13 (12-9)
Last week: 4
Up next: at Texas A&M
In SEC play, Auburn’s pitching staff leads the conference in ERA and WHIP and has issued the fewest walks. That’s given the Tigers a high floor, but an average offense could be a problem in the postseason.
5. Mississippi State
Record: 34-10 (13-8)
Last week: 8
Up next: at Texas
Mississippi State got back on track with a sweep of LSU. Tomas Valincius has been the key; he has the lowest ERA of any starting pitcher in conference games.
6. Ole Miss
Record: 31-14 (11-10)
Last week: 6
Up next: at Arkansas
Ole Miss was expected to be an offense-first team but it’s instead been the pitching that has carried the Rebels through the SEC’s most difficult schedule, especially the emergence of Cade Townsend and Walker Hooks.
7. Florida
Record: 29-16 (11-10)
Last week: 7
Up next: at Oklahoma
Florida had previously alternated series wins and losses each week, but the Gators lost two straight for the first time after dropping a home series to Texas A&M.
8. Arkansas
Record: 29-16 (11-10)
Last week: 9
Up next: Ole Miss
Arkansas’ offense has struggled in SEC games and the pitching has been more good than great. The Razorbacks have been the epitome of a mid-tier team.
9. Oklahoma
Record: 29-14 (11-10)
Last week: 10
Up next: Florida
Small ball has worked for Oklahoma, and third baseman Camden Johnson ranks second in RBIs during conference play.
10. Alabama
Record: 29-16 (10-11)
Last week: 5
Up next: Vanderbilt
Alabama ranks 14th out of 16 teams in on-base plus slugging percentage in SEC play and has now lost three straight series.
11. Tennessee
Record: 29-15 (10-11)
Last week: 11
Up next: at Kentucky
Tennessee needed its series win over Alabama this weekend and now is tracking toward making the NCAA tournament, though hosting is very unlikely.
12. Vanderbilt
Record: 26-19 (10-11)
Last week: 12
Up next: at Alabama
Vanderbilt has lost two one-run games, a two-run game and a game that came down to the final pitch in its last three SEC weekends and may well come to rue all of those games getting away.
13. South Carolina
Record: 22-23 (7-14)
Last week: 15
Up next: at LSU
South Carolina is a respectable 7-10 in SEC play since firing Paul Mainieri, and the pitching in particular has given many teams fits.
14. Kentucky
Record: 27-15 (9-12)
Last week: 13
Up next: Tennessee
Kentucky has lost six straight SEC series after sweeping Alabama to open up conference play. That includes dropping series to LSU, South Carolina and Missouri, the only SEC team to lose series to more than one of the three.
15. LSU
Record: 24-21 (6-15)
Last week: 14
Up next: South Carolina
LSU has lost an unfathomable nine straight SEC games after getting swept by Ole Miss, Texas A&M and Mississippi State. The Tigers held leads in all three games against the Bulldogs.
16. Missouri
Record: 21-23 (4-17)
Last week: 16
Up next: at Georgia
Missouri surpassed last season’s SEC win total of three by winning the final game of its series against Arkansas, but the Tigers need two more wins to avoid having the second-worst SEC record ever against a 30-game schedule.
Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. Contact her at agerson@gannett.com or on X @aria_gerson.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Texas A&M leads SEC baseball power rankings, LSU, Kentucky fall