There is no denying that the best conference in college baseball is the SEC. As a result, the grind of playing 30 conference games over the course of the season takes its toll on even the best of the best.
For now, though, teams are still navigating early season non-conference play and preparing for the gauntlet that awaits them starting on March 13. How some teams are handling these matchups have been better than others, however.
Some teams have made lightwork of the early part of their schedules, taking care of business without breaking a sweat or blinking. The same can not be said for everyone. Others have struggled and as a result continue to see themselves drop down D1Baseball's top 25 rankings.
It was no different this week, with some schools in early season tournaments while others faced bitter rivals in a weekend series. As the campaign continues to evolve, let's take a look at who flourished this week and who find themselves stumbling along.
No. 3 Texas Longhorns
This may feel like a biased pick, however it is hard to discount what the Longhorns did over the weekend. Following a 14-0 run-rule win over the UTRGV Vaqueros in the midweek, they then headed to Houston for the Bruce Bolt College Classic and steamrolled through the competition.
First, they blew out the No. 16 Coastal Carolina Chanticleers 8-1, then they handled the Baylor Bears 5-2 and Ohio State Buckeyes 10-3, taking home the tournament crown. In what was their first true test of the season, the Longhorns passed with flying colors and continued to show they boast one of the nation's best pitching staffs.
No. 4 Mississippi State Bulldogs
Mississippi State flexed its muscles in a 16-3 win over the Austin Peay Governors before making its way to the Amegy Bank College Baseball Series. One of three SEC schools participating, the Bulldogs showed why they've been considered one of the best teams in the country.
They went 2-1 at Globe Life Field, picking up an 8-4 win over the Arizona State Sun Devils and 15-4 rout of the Virginia Tech Hokies. That one loss was to the No. 1 UCLA Bruins, and they pushed them to the brink in what was a thrilling extra innings affair, losing 8-7 in 10 innings. Although they're no longer undefeated, this team is poised to make some serious noise come conference play.
No. 22 Texas A&M Aggies
Like the Bulldogs, the Aggies also started their week with a massive run-rule win before heading to Globe Life Field. Theirs was an even bigger triumph, however, as they blasted the Lamar Cardinals in a 25-5 route to assuage any fears that their offense was a bit lackluster.
Carrying that momentum with them to Arlington, they kicked off the weekend with a 10-0 run-rule win over the Virginia Tech Hokies. And while the Bruins then run-ruled them with an 11-1 defeat, they bounced back on Sunday to beat Arizona State 9-3. The flashes of an elite team are there and once the offense really gets going, look out for the Aggies as a dark horse SEC contender.
Vanderbilt Commodores
The week didn't start out bad for the Commodores. Quite the opposite actually, as they cruised to an easy 15-3 run-rule victory in seven innings in their midweek game against the Evansville Purple Aces on Tuesday. However, that is where the good times would come to an end for them.
Following that midweek, they headed out west to the Las Vegas College Classic. Unlucky in Vegas, however, Vanderbilt started its weekend in the desert with a loss to the UC Irvine Anteaters. It didn't get better from there, as two more losses to the Arizona Wildcats and Oregon ducks to cap off an 0-3 weekend.
While they started the season ranked, the Commodores fell out of the top 25 last week and are certainly no closer to rejoining. Fortunately for them, the season is still young and they have time to right the ship before it's too late.
South Carolina Gamecocks
Unlike Vanderbilt, the Gamecocks did not start their week off on a strong note. Looking to gain momentum heading into their weekend series with the Clemson Tigers, South Carolina would instead suffer yet another upset loss. This one came in a midweek clash with the Queens College of Charlotte Royals.
They were able to take the series opener from the Tigers on Friday, but that would be their only win on the week. Clemson took the final two games over the weekend against its rivals with ease, winning the series and pushing South Carolina to an uninspiring 7-5 record so far.
Ole Miss Rebels
Ole Miss started its week undefeated and still in the D1Baseball top 25, coming in at the No. 25 overall slot. Four games later, however, and that momentum has shifted in the opposite direction for the Rebels. They may have started with a 13-3 run-rule win over the Southeast Missouri State Redhawks but that positivity would not last.
Also participating in the Bruce Bolt College Classic, the Rebels did not have as good of a time as the Longhorns did. Their first game was an extra innings loss to Baylor and was followed by a shellacking of Ohio State. However, they would turn around and get thumped by the No. 16 Chanticleers 9-2 to go 2-2 on the week and drop out of the rankings.
Aiden Robbins' 466-foot home run
Again, this one may feel like a bit of a homer pick but it would be hard to pick anything else. Getting the party started for the Longhorns in their 8-1 win over Coastal Carolina, center fielder Aiden Robbins blasted a mammoth 466-foot, two-run home run that smashed the train in Daikin Park.
sorry for denting the train, @astros 🚂#HookEm | @AidenRobbins43 pic.twitter.com/kpDJeJHuzB
Brendan Lawson – Florida Gators
We'll shy away from picking another Longhorn here in Temo Becerra, who Lawson split the award with this week. One look at his numbers from the week and it is evident that he was an easy choice to take home this honor.
He powered the Gators past the FIU Panthers and rival Miami Hurricanes, leading to a bump up in the rankings to No. 9 overall. On the week he slashed an absurd 571/.667/1.071. Oh, and he also went deep twice, racked up 12 RBI and a total 15 bases. Not a bad week, folks.
The Law is the PoTW 🏆
🔗 | https://t.co/odb5YTgUHQ pic.twitter.com/6lJNLXwhBg
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Connor Zimmerlee covers Texas Baseball for Texas Longhorns On SI. Zimmerlee received his Bachelor’s of Journalism from the University of Texas at Austin and graduated from Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism with a Master’s of Science in Journalism with a Specialization in Sports Media.
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