It's true that the Road to Omaha was cut a few months short this year, but the staff at College Baseball Nation has put together our Omaha Eight anyway. Earlier this week we released our hypothetical field of 64, and now we've chosen our Regional and Super Regional winners. Up first, John's (@johnny_omaha) picks. John envisions four SEC teams advancing to Omaha: Ole Miss (1), Florida (2), Vanderbilt (6), and 2-seed from the Tallahassee Regional, Tennessee. This would mark the eighth Omaha trip in the last 11 years for the Gators. Joining the SEC squads are two ACC teams (the overall four and seven seeds, Louisville and Duke, respectively) and one team each from the Pac-12 (UCLA, fifth overall seed) and Big 12 (Texas Tech, third overall seed). Duke has not made the College World Series since 1961 but has been a program on the rise under Head Coach Chris Pollard. The Blue Devils have appeared in back-to-back Super Regionals. John's Omaha Eight would see three returners from the 2019 College World Series, Vanderbilt, Louisville, and Texas Tech. Vanderbilt went on to win the 2019 College World Series. Kyle's (@kylemckelv) Omaha Eight also includes four SEC teams, but not the same contingency. Kyle predicts top seeds Ole Miss and Florida to advance, along with the tenth overall seed, Georgia, and two-seed from the Miami Regional, Texas A&M. The Aggies are led by likely top five overall draft pick, Asa Lacy. Along with the SEC crew, Kyle predicts two Big 12 teams to advance to Omaha, Texas Tech, and Nashville two seed, Oklahoma State. These two teams would meet in their first game in Omaha. Likewise, Kyle pairs up two Pac-12 teams in their Omaha opener: UCLA and Arizona State (13). This would mark the Sun Devils 23rd appearance in Omaha but first since 2010. Have your own thoughts on who would win each Regional? Respond with your picks on Twitter or Instagram and we will retweet and share on our story Thanks for stopping by! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content! If you like what you are seeing from us and want to support us, consider becoming a Patreon supporter. We depend upon the support of our amazing fans! #collegebaseball

College Baseball Nation welcomes guest writer Larry Horn for his thoughts on how COVID-19 is affecting college baseball. It’s hard to believe that it is mid-May with no conference championships in sight. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic sweeping across the world, there are many changes in college baseball--and that’s especially true for the MLB Draft. Only five rounds in the MLB draft One of the biggest changes directly affecting college baseball is a five-round draft process happening in 2020, down from the typical 40 rounds. Not only will fewer players be given the opportunity to join professional baseball, but there will also be a significant financial impact for hundreds of players. In the 2019 MLB Draft, 400 players drafted in the sixth round or later received six-figure signing bonuses which will obviously not happen this year. Any player that does not get drafted in the 2020 MLB Draft will be offered a maximum of $20,000 to sign. This may turn players away from pursuing a career in baseball or at the very least force players to return for another season of college baseball. However, returning for another season of college baseball is not a perfect solution for undrafted players. The 2021 MLB Draft will pull from a larger draft class that will contain even more talent. The MLB also has the right to shrink the 2021 Draft which may make next year’s draft even more competitive. As for college baseball, with the return of so many players for an additional year and the addition of the freshman class, 2021 college baseball teams may be the most talented ever. The on-the-field product should be exceptional. COVID-19 & Financial Uncertainty COVID-19 is wreaking even more havoc in the college baseball world. Several schools are in danger of losing their baseball program due to decreased revenue caused by the pandemic. Bowling Green State University and Furman University were the first two schools to announce the discontinuation of their baseball programs, and Chicago State plans to vote on the issue next month. Many conferences and teams may opt for shorter seasons with little or no interleague play to reduce travel costs. For example, the Colonial Athletic Association, Big East Conference and Atlantic 10 Conference are in talks for a regional scheduling agreement to help reduce travel costs. Everyone is thinking about ways to alleviate financial pressures. Additionally, there are some questions about fall baseball and what impact that may have on the 2021 season. Would the season need to be pushed back if some schools are not able to play fall ball? Each week there is more uncertainty about what will happen next year. It is difficult to say what the 2021 college baseball season will look like, but it is clear that the COVID-19 pandemic has changed our sport in so many ways. My name is Larry Horn. I have been a writer for Overtime Heroics for almost a year. I have a love for all sports. I meanly do football articles but I noticed there isn't much written about college baseball so that's where I want to see fans coming to read. For more sports news especially baseball come see @larryhorn120174 and others at overtimeheroics.com. Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content! If you like what you are seeing from us and want to support us, consider becoming a Patreon supporter. We depend upon the support of our amazing fans! #collegebaseball

It's time for a good ol' fashioned Twitter feud. We have gone from 64 stadiums down to the final two. Who else but rivals, Ole Miss and Mississippi State, for a finals matchup for the ages? Swayze has knocked off several impressive stadiums en route to its Finals appearance, including Baum-Walker in the Final Four. Dudy Noble took down upstart Miller Park and Clark-LeClair on its journey to the Final. So far over 60,000 fans have voted in the Finals which end Friday afternoon. Vote on our Twitter page! Thanks for reading! Message us on Twitter (@CollegeBallNat) or email us at collegeballnat@gmail.com. Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content! If you like what you are seeing from us and want to support us, consider becoming a Patron. We depend upon the support of our amazing fans!

With the spread of COVID-19 it is looking like this may be College Baseball Nation's last top 25 of the season. Congratulations to Ole Miss for finishing on top! Thanks for checking out our College Baseball Rankings! We appreciate you stopping by. Want to chat college baseball and our College Baseball Top 25? Head over to our forum. Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content! If you like what you are seeing from us and want to support us, consider becoming a Patreon supporter. We depend upon the support of our amazing fans! #rankings #collegebaseball #top25

We are a month into the season and are starting to get a better picture of who is surging and who is slumping. Check out College Baseball Nation's winners and losers of the 2020 season so far. Winners #1 Florida (16-0) After narrowly sneaking into the NCAA Tournament and quickly being eliminated a year ago, Florida entered 2020 with higher expectations. The young arms were supposed to have developed and the Gators were expected to compete near the top of the SEC East (behind Vanderbilt and Georgia, of course). Allowing just 2.8 runs per game (good for 11th in the country), Florida's arms are clearly improved in 2020. A 16-0 start, which includes a sweep at rival, Miami, exceeds any fan's highest hopes, and the Gators look destined for Omaha. #3 Ole Miss (14-1) There was a lot to like about the 2020 Ole Miss Rebels team coming into the season, including the fact that the Rebels had a strong rotation led by Doug Nikhazy and Gunnar Hoglund and that the Rebels were bringing in the second best recruiting class in the country. The rotation has performed as expected with Nikhazy sporting a 2.35 ERA, Hoglund, a 1.16 ERA, and freshman and Sunday starter, Derek Diamond, holding an impressive 3.48 ERA. Beyond that, the Ole Miss offense has greatly exceeded expectations, leading the country in home runs (31, which is more than 2 HR per game). The Rebels lost Opening Day to Louisville and have not lost since. #7 Duke (12-3) Entering the season, Duke Head Coach Chris Pollard said of P Bryce Jarvis: “[He] looks like a bona fide Friday night stud. Candidly, he looks like a first rounder.” After pitching a perfect game and maintaining a tiny 0.48 WHIP, Jarvis has played the part. Opening up ACC play with a series win against Florida State has helped established Duke as one of the early frontrunners in the ACC race. #8 UCF (15-2) After just missing a Regional a year ago, UCF looked like a team that could be improved heading into 2020. However, no one thought the Knights would be 15-2 with a series sweep at Auburn. In the next two weeks, UCF plays Miami, Florida State (twice), and ECU to start off American Conference play. All of the games are at home and could give UCF the opportunity to make a huge early-season statement. #12 Oklahoma (13-4) It was hard to pick who would challenge Texas Tech in the Big 12 heading into the season, but the Sooners have emerged as the top contender. While the offense has impressed (6.5 runs per game), the Sooners' team ERA of 3.02 highlights the strength of the team. Oklahoma has already notched a series win at #25 Virginia and won two out of three at the Shriners College Classic. The Sooners are looking like a potential Regional host team, if not better. The Big West The Big West was consistently a multi-bid league until the past two seasons when it sent just a single team to a Regional. The conference is back on track this season with two teams ranked in the top 25, #16 UCSB and #18 LBSU. Add to that strong starts by Cal State Northridge and Hawaii, and the conference RPI is in a position to boost at least a second team into a Regional. Two of these teams are led by first-year head coaches, Eric Valenzuela at LBSU and Dave Serrano at CSUN. Losers #9 Vanderbilt It is hard to call Vanderbilt a "loser," but when the expectations are to compete for a National Championship, the season has been a little disappointing so far. Two 1-2 tournaments (MLB4 and Southern California College Baseball Classic) have called into question whether the Commodores can compete with elite teams. Pitchers Mason Hickman and Kumar Rocker have both missed starts due to injury and Vanderbilt's offense is scoring only 5.5 runs per games (140th in the country). Some improved health from starters might be all the Commodores need to return to National Championship contender status. North Carolina (10-7) With a home series loss to Dallas Baptist and a home sweep at the hands of Notre Dame, the Tar Heels are putting themselves in jeopardy of missing a Regional. In between those series was a losing weekend at the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, and suddenly, the Tar Heels are heading into week five with only one winning weekend all year (an Opening Weekend series win versus Middle Tennessee). UNC next travels to Duke and may struggle to win a game. An 0-6 start to ACC play might spell the end of the season for the Tar Heels. The Big Ten At 94-84, the Big Ten currently has the 12th best record as a conference. Particularly concerning is that the three highest regarded teams heading into 2020, Michigan (8-7), Minnesota (6-10), and Ohio State (5-7), are all struggling. It is not uncommon for the Big Ten to start slowly, but the conference will need to win some of its remaining non-conference games to build the conference RPI. It is worth nothing that Iowa (7-5) and Illinois (8-5) each have some nice wins and are building their at-large cases. Stanford/Cal State Fullerton/Rice These three blue bloods of college baseball are a combined 11-36 and 8-33 when you exclude the Stanford vs. Cal State Fullerton series. There is no way around saying that all three of these teams are disappointed. Stanford is replacing most of their offense, while Fullerton and Rice are adjusting to changing coaching staffs. It is unlikely that any of these teams will make a Regional. Thanks for checking out College Baseball Nation! We appreciate you stopping by. Want to chat college baseball and our College Baseball Top 25? Head over to our forum. Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content! If you like what you are seeing from us and want to support us, consider becoming a Patreon supporter. We depend upon the support of our amazing fans! #collegebaseball

For the first time this season, the number one team is the same as it was last week. Florida stays in the top spot after sweeping South Florida. Texas Tech stays at number two after their second straight 5-0 week, while Ole Miss moves up to number three after their own perfect week. Louisville jumps up three spots after a strong series win on the road at Wake Forest, while UCLA slips two spots, losing at UCSB in a midweek game and against TCU at the Southern California College Baseball Classic. Georgia dropped a midweek game at Georgia Southern but recovered to sweep UMass and comes in at number six in College Baseball Nation's Top 25. Continuing their hot start to the season, number seven Duke defeated Campbell in the midweek and took two of three off of Florida State to start ACC play. Number eight UCF remains the American's highest ranked team after a 4-0 week. While their talent suggests a higher ranking, Vanderbilt falls to number nine as the Commodores dropped games at UCLA and USC over the weekend. Finishing off the top ten is Miami who started ACC play with a sweep of Pitt. Ending their five game losing streak, #11 Arkansas recovered to win two straight games and defeat South Alabama in a weekend series. A 4-1 week that included a series win over San Diego State propelled Oklahoma to the #12 spot. Just behind the Sooners, Florida State stayed pat at #13 after winning two out of four games against Mercer and Duke. Mississippi State survived without ace, JT Ginn, who is out for the season and swept Quinnipiac. The Bulldogs check in at #14 in the Top 25. A slow start for Arizona State's offense has been erased by a nice offensive showing in a 5-0 week, and the Sun Devils move up five spots to #15 this week. After the Gauchos went 4-0 against the Pac-12 (including games against UCLA and at Oregon State), UCSB moved up nine spots to #16. NC State drops to #17, losing a series at Virginia. Long Beach State slides down two spots to #18 after a 2-2 week. #19 ECU and #20 Tulane mark back-to-back American teams in the poll. Next at #21 and #22 are two Big 12 teams, TCU and Baylor. TCU defeated UCLA but dropped games to Vanderbilt and USC at the Southern California College Baseball Classic. Baylor was also out west, winning two out of three games at Cal Poly, At #23, Tennessee drops nine spots after losing a home series to Wright State. Pepperdine at #24 and Virginia at #25 are both new to the poll. Pepperdine defeated Michigan in a weekend series, and Virginia took down NC State. Dropping out of the rankings are Michigan (#19) and Dallas Baptist (#24). Thanks for checking out our College Baseball Rankings! We appreciate you stopping by. Want to chat college baseball and our College Baseball Top 25? Head over to our forum. Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content! If you like what you are seeing from us and want to support us, consider becoming a Patreon supporter. We depend upon the support of our amazing fans! #rankings #collegebaseball #top25

Take a look at how the top 25 has fared as of 6 PM ET on Saturday. Head over to our forums to discuss these teams and more! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content! If you like what you are seeing from us and want to support us, consider becoming a Patron. We depend upon the support of our amazing fans!

College Baseball is coming up on its fourth weekend! Here are the series that you need to keep an eye on. #13 Florida State at #8 Duke ACC play starts with a bang as Florida State travels to Duke. The Seminoles are coming off of a 2-2 weekend where they lost two games to #2 Texas Tech and won two games against FAU. A win in this series would a good start for Florida State in what should be an incredibly competitive ACC Atlantic race. Duke will need to hold down home field if they want to compete with #9 Miami in the Coastal Division. Friday night will feature two stellar arms in CJ Van Eyk for Florida State and Bryce Jarvis (who threw a Perfect Game a couple of weekends ago) for Duke. John's (@johnny_omaha_) Prediction: Duke wins two out of three Kyle’s (@kylemckelv) Prediction: Duke wins two out of three Southern California College Baseball Classic Featuring #3 UCLA, #6 Vanderbilt, #18 TCU, and USC, the Southern California College Baseball Classic promises to offer lots of high quality baseball. Vanderbilt stumbled on their last trip west to a tournament (1-2 in the MLB4 Tournament) but has recovered to win ten of their next eleven games since. UCLA just dominated the competition at the Frisco College Classic, and TCU has quietly mowed down its competition all season. USC, improved from a year ago, is off to a 7-4 start and will not be an easy out for any team. Look for dominant pitching in this tournament which has the talent of an Omaha bracket. John's Prediction: UCLA 2-1, TCU 2-1, Vanderbilt 2-1, USC 0-3 Kyle’s Prediction: UCLA 3-0, Vanderbilt 2-1, TCU 1-2, USC 0-3 South Alabama at #10 Arkansas With ace, Connor Noland, sitting out this weekend and a four-game losing streak hanging over their heads, Arkansas is not in the position they hoped they would be at this point in the season. South Alabama is a talented enough team that they could take advantage of Arkansas's weakness. However, averaging just 4.1 runs per game, South Alabama's offense may still not be able to test the Hog's depleted pitching staff. If the bats show up for Arkansas, they will likely win this series, but if not, South Alabama will challenge the Razorbacks. Even while on their four-game losing streak, Arkansas has averaged 4.8 runs per game which may be enough to take down South Alabama. John's Prediction: Arkansas wins two of three Kyle’s Prediction: Arkansas wins two of three #19 Michigan at Pepperdine Michigan continues its West Coast trip with a visit to Pepperdine, a team just outside of College Baseball Nation's Top 25. Michigan has yet to play a home game but has managed to rack up some impressive wins against Vanderbilt and Arizona State. Pepperdine has a host of respectable wins themselves, including over San Diego and Minnesota. This series is much more important for the Waves as it will be one of their last opportunities to get a substantial RPI boost. John's Prediction: Pepperdine wins two of three Kyle’s Prediction: Pepperdine wins two of three #7 Louisville at Wake Forest Winners of eight straight games, Louisville will travel to Wake Forest to kick off ACC play. The Cardinals have not seriously challenged themselves since losing two out of three games at Ole Miss on Opening Weekend and will get a sharp increase in competition this weekend. Outside of a bad trip to Long Beach State (where they were swept), Wake Forest has played well and looks to have taken a step forward from last year when they just missed a Regional. A series win would be a huge resume builder for Wake Forest. For Louisville, the expectation is to win most (if not all) ACC series. With trips to North Carolina, Miami, and Florida State all looming on the schedule, the Cardinals want to get out of Winston-Salem with a series win. John's Prediction: Louisville wins two of three Kyle’s Prediction: Louisville wins two of three Other Series Predictions #15 NC State at Virginia John's Prediction: NC State wins two of three. NC State just scored 24 runs (in a 7-inning game) in the midweek versus Coastal Carolina, so the bats are coming in hot! Kyle’s Prediction: NC State sweeps San Diego State at #17 Oklahoma John's Prediction: Oklahoma wins two of three Kyle’s Prediction: Oklahoma sweeps Fresno State at #20 Arizona State John's Prediction: Arizona State sweeps. The bats are heating up in Tempe! Kyle’s Prediction: Arizona State sweeps Memphis at UNCW John's Prediction: UNCW wins two of three. Both of these team may win a game in a Regional, though. Kyle’s Prediction: UNCW wins two of three San Diego at Indiana John's Prediction: Indiana wins two of three Kyle’s Prediction: Indiana wins two of three West Virginia at Mercer John's Prediction: Mercer wins two of three Kyle’s Prediction: Mercer wins two of three #25 UCSB at Oregon State John's Prediction: UCSB wins two of three in an under-the-radar, really good series. Kyle’s Prediction: UCSB wins two of three Head over to our forums to discuss these teams and more! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content! If you like what you are seeing from us and want to support us, consider becoming a Patron. We depend upon the support of our amazing fans!

The 2020 College Baseball season is just a few months away, and we're getting you up to speed on teams from around the country. Check back here as we continue to update the list of team previews! Arkansas: Will the OmaHogs live up to their name and stretch the College World Series appearances to three straight? Find out here. Arizona State: Are the Sun Devils on pace to return to prominence in 2020? Find out here. Auburn: Is another trip to Omaha in store for Auburn? Find out here. Baylor: Can Baylor survive the gauntlet of Big XII play? Find out here. Duke: Is 2020 the year Duke makes the College World Series for the first time since the 1960s? Find out here. Dallas Baptist: Are the Patriots en route to another Regional appearance? Find out here. ECU: Will ECU repeat as American Champs? Find out here. Florida State: What's in store for the Seminoles without Mike Martin? Find out here. Georgia: Can Georgia challenge Vanderbilt in the SEC East? Find out here. Illinois State: Will the Redbirds make it to a Regional in back-to-back years? Find out here. Indiana: Are the Hoosiers in store for a run in the Big Ten? Find out here. Miami: Is 2020 the year the Hurricanes bounce back? Find out here. Michigan: Does Michigan have another deep postseason run coming in 2020? Find out here. Mississippi State: The Bulldogs have made back-to-back College World Series. Can they make a third? Find out here. North Carolina: Does North Carolina have the best slugger in the country? Find out here. Ole Miss: Will the Rebels return to a Super Regional in 2020? Find out here. Oregon State: How will the Beavers handle the loss of phenom, Adley Rutschman? Find out here. Sacramento State: How did Sacramento State win six games in four days to make the NCAA Tournament in 2019, and will they be back in a Regional in 2020? Find out here. TCU: Can the Horned Frogs build on a 2019 run to the Fayetteville Regional Final? Find out here. Texas A&M: Can the Aggies continue their 13 year streak of Regional appearances? Find out here. Texas Tech: Is another Big XII title in the cards for the Red Raiders? Find out here. Tulane: Will the Green Wave be back in a Regional in 2020? Find out here. UCLA: Can the Bruins survive losing 13 picks to the MLB Draft? Find out here. UCSB: Will the Gauchos win the Big West again? Find out here. UNCW: The Seahawks are one of the best mid-major programs in the country. Will their streak of Regional appearance extend to three years in 2020? Find out here. Vanderbilt: Are the Commodores on pace to repeat as National Champs? Find out here. For more College Baseball coverage: Check out the full list of 2020 College Baseball Tournaments Head over to our forums to discuss these teams and more! Thanks for reading! Want to submit a fan perspective for your team? Want us to preview your team? Message us on Twitter (@CollegeBallNat) or email us at collegeballnat@gmail.com. Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content! If you like what you are seeing from us and want to support us, consider becoming a Patreon supporter. We depend upon the support of our amazing fans!

College Baseball is coming up on its third weekend! Here are the series that you need to keep an eye on. Georgia Tech vs #5 Georgia Georgia Tech is coming off a weekend where they outscored Ohio State, 31-5, en route to a sweep of the Buckeyes. At 7-1, Georgia Tech has yet to be strongly tested on the road. Georgia, at 8-1, has similarly only played one game on the road. That will change for both teams as they play a home/neutral-site/away series that promises to be one of the highlights of the weekend. John's (@johnny_omaha_) Prediction: Georgia wins two out of three Kyle’s (@kylemckelv) Prediction: Georgia wins two out of three Cal State Northridge at #14 UCF If you had predicted that this series would be a matchup of teams that are a combined 15-1, not many people would have believed you. Dave Serano, in his first season as head coach of CSUN, has the Matadors at 7-0. After #14 UCF swept Auburn on the road last weekend, the Knights vaulted up the rankings. A win in this series could see CSUN enter the rankings, while UCF is looking to keep their momentum going. John's Prediction: UCF sweeps Kyle’s Prediction: UCF wins two out of three #4 Mississippi State at #23 Long Beach State Mississippi State took care of business at home against Oregon State last weekend, winning two out of three. Long Beach State exceeded all expectation by sweeping Wake Forest at home. Now the two teams are on a crash course this weekend when they face off in Long Beach. The Bulldogs are still without ace JT Ginn and struggled on offense in midweek play (which included a loss to then 0-9 Texas Southern). Long Beach State is allowing just 2.6 runs per game this season and will look to further quiet the Mississippi State bats. A series win for Mississippi State would prove they can win even in challenging circumstances. Long Beach State, under first-year Head Coach Eric Valenzuela, could continue to shock the college baseball world with a series win. John's Prediction: LBSU wins two out of three Kyle’s Prediction: Mississippi State wins two out of three Florida State Tournament #11 Florida State, #3 Texas Tech, and Florida Atlantic all meet in Tallahassee for a mini tournament this weekend. Florida State and Texas Tech squared off in Omaha last year when the Red Raiders got the better of the Seminoles. FAU is off to a 7-0 start but has yet to be tested. This weekend will go a long way in determining whether or not the Owls hot start is legitimate. John's Prediction: FSU goes 2-2, Texas Tech goes 2-1, FAU goes 1-2 Kyle’s Prediction: FSU goes 2-2, Texas Tech goes 2-1, FAU goes 1-2 Other Series Predictions Cal at TCU John's Prediction: TCU sweeps Kyle’s Prediction: TCU sweeps Middle Tennessee at #24 Tulane John's Prediction: Tulane sweeps Kyle’s Prediction: Tulane sweeps Head over to our forums to discuss these teams and more! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content! If you like what you are seeing from us and want to support us, consider becoming a Patron. We depend upon the support of our amazing fans!

Wow. Another incredible weekend is in the books for the Big 12. This weekend wasn’t your average weekend, however. This weekend headed a series of games that would really show how the Big 12 fared among the exclusive of college baseball. Texas, Oklahoma, and Baylor competed in the Shriners College Classic; Oklahoma State in the Frisco College Baseball Classic; Texas Tech in the Florida State Invitational; West Virginia in the Central Virginia Challenge; and Kansas in the First Pitch Invitational. Before we get into things, many people reading this may not know me. My name is Nick Cooper, and I write about all things Big 12 baseball over on my blog big12roundup.wordpress.com and post anything and everything on my Twitter @NickCooperCBSB. Game recaps, frequent updates, stats, standings, and everything in-between. Make sure to follow me to stay informed on everything happening within the Big 12 and on Big 12 Roundup! Here is an overview of how each Big 12 team stood through (seemingly) the biggest weekend of baseball yet this season, ordered by tournament to non-tournament appearances. Shriners College Classic #22 Baylor – (8-3, 3-0 on the weekend) We’ll kick things off with quite possibly the most impressive performance of the weekend. Baylor is a team who carries a lot of talent with them, but have failed to stay up consistently. A series loss against Oral Roberts last weekend really put the Bears in an awkward spot searching for an identity. They took the Shriners by storm, seeping the weekend against 3 teams atop the SEC. 4-2 over Missouri, 6-4 over LSU, and 3-2 over Arkansas really put Baylor on watch all over the country. Nick Loftin, Mack Mueller, and Jared McKenzie racked up solid hits all through the weekend, overpowering the schools who were thought to demolish them. They had a great weekend, and will need to stay up to earn national notoriety. #17 Oklahoma – (9-3, 2-1 on the weekend) Let’s address the elephant in the room. Dane Acker put up one of the best displays on the mound anyone has seen this year. Not only did he shut out LSU, he nearly threw a perfect game. Acker no-hit the 20th ranked LSU Tigers, fanning 11 and gave up one lone walk across a full 9-inning stand. His performance no doubt put the cherry on top of an immaculate weekend in Houston. The Sooners also downed top ranked Arkansas 6-3 behind red-hot Brady Lindsly and a very consistent Tanner Treadaway. They did drop a close game (8-7) to Missouri on Saturday, but overall another stunning weekend for the Sooners, who continue to trend up in the polls. Texas- (10-2, 1-2 on the weekend) Texas had the most underwhelming performance in the Shriners, as they entered 9-0 with high expectations. A back-and-forth battle on Friday against LSU handed the Longhorns their first loss, 4-3. Undaunted they were, as they topped Arkansas 8-7 on Saturday, and eventually dropping the game against Mizzou on Sunday 9-8. Zach Zubia stayed on his roll, RF Austin Todd saw the ball well for the Longhorns. Not a bad weekend for UT, they kept things close and still exited the weekend with a 10-2 overall record. How they respond from this weekend could show how this young team shapes up. Frisco College Classic Oklahoma State – (8-4, 1-2 on the weekend) Oklahoma State has had an interesting start to their year. An opening series loss to Grand Canyon shocked a lot of people who thought this team was among the top in college baseball. They responded well, winning six straight headed into a rugged schedule in Frisco. The Pokes dropped their first two contests against UCLA and Illinois and had in a sense dropped the ball. Two tough opponents I know, but for a team who was expected to finish at the top, it was quite underwhelming. A solid win on Sunday against Texas A&M lightened the mood a little, potentially getting the Cowboys back on track. Some tough series await for Oklahoma State, and I think the talent they played this weekend really prepared them for success down the road. Look for Hueston Morrill, Carson McCusker, and Caeden Trenkle to lead the Pokes onward. Florida State Invitational #2 Texas Tech – (11-1, 3-0 on the weekend) I’m sure I’m not the first to say it; Texas Tech proved they are the beat team in college baseball. Their one game slip against Tennessee and a sweep over Florida Atlantic and Florida State respectively prove this Texas Tech team is a legit contender. I would give names on who to look out for, but everybody on this Tech team seems to show up when the time is right. If they can bring this same energy and power into conference play, watch out folks. Central Virginia Challenge West Virginia – (7-4, 2-1 on the weekend) West Virginia is another team that has stayed relatively consistent. Other than last weekend, the Mountaineers’ pitching staff has really showed out. With wins over William & Mary and Richmond, WVU cements another solid weekend at work. The weekend trio of Jackson Wolf, Ryan Bergert, and Jake Carr have absolutely shut down some pretty decent names around the country. One thing to critique is their inconsistency on offense. Braden Zarbnisky has been fantastic, plating a .468 average as the lead off hitter, but can’t seem to find anyone to knock him around persistently. Overall, WVU could be a sleeper with their pure talent on the mound. If their offense catches fire, watch out . . .. First Pitch Invitational Kansas – (5-6, 1-3 on the weekend) Kansas has continued to struggle week in and week out, really needing a leader. Their pitching staff can’t seem to find a quality start and their offense can’t put anything together at the right time. Ritch Price knew it would be a tough season to contend with the big boys, but they are struggling to pick up wins in an easy part of their schedule. There’s one thing Kansas needs before Big 12 play: someone to make some noise. Someone to fire up the team and give them a competing edge. They’re down but not at all out quite yet. Non-Tournament Teams #18 TCU – (10-1, 3-0 on the weekend) People talk about Texas Tech, but not a lot are taking about TCU. A sweep over Kentucky, two out of three from Minnesota, and now another sweep against California. This team just can’t seem to be beat. 5-4, 3-0, and 6-1 over a gallant Pac-12 opponent in Cal. In my Big 12 Projections I said that it could be a rollercoaster of a season for TCU, and they’re certainly going up. Texas Tech could have some real competition at the top if TCU opposes to back down. Huge Power Five and West Coast games await this prevalent Horned Frogs squad. Kansas State – (6-5, 3-0 on the weekend) Kansas State found some major success, but at the hands of a struggling Fairleigh Dickinson team out of the NEC. Nonetheless, K-State’s weekend trio of Carson Seymour, Connor McCullough, and Jordan Wicks had great outings, as well as their offense producing 8, 12, and 20 runs respectively. Although it might not have been the competition they were looking for, a weekend sweep for a 6-5 Wildcat team goes very far. A lot of confidence and potential moving onward for K-State. Who knows, this could be the turn around they were looking for. An upcoming road trip at Stanford might just be the competitor Pete Hughes’ young fleet is looking for. Make sure to follow me on Twitter @NickCooperCBSB and my blog big12roundup.wordpress.com for everything Big 12 baseball! We appreciate you stopping by. Thanks for reading Nick Cooper's break down of Big 12 Baseball! Want to chat college baseball and our College Baseball Top 25? Head over to our forum. Follow College Baseball Nation on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content! If you like what you are seeing from us and want to support us, consider becoming a Patreon supporter. We depend upon the support of our amazing fans!

For the third straight week, we have a new number one team in the country! Congratulations to Florida who swept Troy in three games to move into the top spot. Texas Tech slides up to the second spot behind a 5-0 week and two road wins over Florida State. #3 UCLA, winners of the Frisco College Classic, moves up four spots and have still yet to give up more than two runs in a game. Fourth-ranked Georgia and fifth-ranked Ole Miss both move up one spot after posting undefeated weeks. Georgia swept rival, Georgia Tech, while Ole Miss swept the Keith LeClair Classic. Vanderbilt checks in at number six. It took a walk-off home run to defeat Hawaii on Sunday and clinch the series, but the Commodores got the job done. Louisville cruised to a 4-0 week and moved up two spots to number seven. Duke move into the top eight with a 3-1 week. At nine, Miami finishes a string of three straight ACC teams. Arkansas drops from the top spot to number ten after an 0-3 weekend at the Shriners College Classic. The eleventh spot is filled by UCF, the top-ranked American team. The Knights backed up their road series sweep of Auburn with a 4-1 week. Mississippi State slips to #12 after a 2-3 week, including a road series loss to Long Beach State. Dropping two spots, Florida State is ranked #13, coming off a 2-2 week. Undefeated and 14th-ranked Tennessee moved to 12-0 after a sweep of George Washington, while NC State (also undefeated) used a 4-0 week to slide up two spots to #15. Long Beach State rose seven spots to #16 behind a series win against Mississippi State. Eight spots higher than a week ago, #17 Oklahoma defeated Arkansas and LSU (whom they no-hit). TCU enters the top 25 at #18 after a Monday win at Minnesota and a home sweep of California. Slipping one spot, Michigan is ranked 19th behind a 2-1 week. Arizona State moves up to #20 after winning two out of three against Nebraska. Importantly for the Sun Devils, the bats began to heat up to the tune of 37 runs score over the weekend. #21 ECU lost two out of three at home, while #22 Baylor impressed by sweeping the Shriners College Classic. The tournament was a much-need bounce back for the Bears who lost a series at home to Oral Roberts the week before. With a weekend that featured a no-hitter, walk-off, and a cycle, Tulane had one of the most memorable performances in the country, albeit against outmatched competition. Dallas Baptist checks in at #24 after a close series with Arkansas State, and the top 25 is completed by UCSB at #25. Dropping out of the rankings are Texas A&M (#13) and LSU (#20). Thanks for checking out our College Baseball Rankings! We appreciate you stopping by. Want to chat college baseball and our College Baseball Top 25? Head over to our forum. Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content! If you like what you are seeing from us and want to support us, consider becoming a Patreon supporter. We depend upon the support of our amazing fans! #rankings #collegebaseball #top25