SEC baseball power rankings: Kentucky surges at season's halfway point
With Week 3 of SEC baseball play done, teams are beginning to hit the halfway point of their seasons. Despite that, the conference standings still feel unsettled.
Defending national champion LSU has lost its first three SEC series. Vanderbilt and Georgia have both swept series − and gotten swept. Road teams have just four series wins, and Kentucky has two of them.
No. 1 Arkansas is clearly the class of the SEC right now. The top and bottom of the league have started to solidify, with each of the top and bottom four teams staying the same from last week's ranking. But there has been plenty of movement in the middle.
Here are our power rankings after Week 7:
All rankings, records and stats are as of April 1
1. Arkansas
Arkansas is one of just three SEC teams to have won each of its first three series. The Hogs are led by a pitching staff that is the nation's best by most metrics, and Hagen Smith gives them a near-automatic win every Friday night.
Record: 23-3 (8-1 SEC)
Last week: 1
MORE ON ARKANSAS The bats are all right: How Arkansas baseball's offense is heating up in the SEC
2. Florida
It feels weird to have Florida this high, considering that the Gators have 11 losses. But Florida is an extremely tough out on the weekends, having won each of its first three series against a tougher slate than many have faced. The Gators had two walk-off wins against Mississippi State this weekend.
Record: 16-11 (6-3)
Last week: 2
3. Texas A&M
Texas A&M just might be the most well-rounded team in the SEC in terms of having both an offense and a pitching staff that rate as above-average. It's hard to find a hole in this squad, which held serve with a home sweep of Auburn.
Record: 25-3 (6-3)
Last week: 3
4. Tennessee
Tennessee has a high-flying offense and enough pitching to be in the conference's upper echelon. It remains to be seen whether the Vols can win on the road, but their two most difficult series away from Lindsey Nelson Stadium are not until May.
Record: 24-5 (5-4)
Last week: 4
MORE ON TENNESSEE How Tennessee baseball bounced back from 'embarrassing' loss to win series vs Georgia
5. Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt's pitching looked dominant in a sweep of Missouri, as the Commodores allowed only two runs all weekend. The offense was not as good, scoring just 10 times. How Vanderbilt performs on the road against LSU this week will tell us a lot.
Record: 23-6 (6-3)
Last week: 7
MORE ON VANDERBILT Vanderbilt baseball sweeps Missouri as pitchers excel, hitters struggle: What we learned
6. Kentucky
Kudos to Kentucky for being the first team in the SEC to win two road series and the only team to sweep a road series, doing so against Ole Miss. The Wildcats' three series wins have come against teams in the SEC's bottom tier, but by taking care of business, Kentucky has put itself in a good spot going forward.
Record: 24-4 (8-1)
Last week: 10
7. Mississippi State
Mississippi State could have had a road sweep of Florida if a handful of pitches had gone differently. Instead, it's a series loss. The Bulldogs have a manageable schedule ahead, beginning with a home series against Georgia.
Record: 19-10 (4-5)
Last week: 5
MORE ON MISSISSIPPI STATE How Mississippi State baseball showed it's missing a closer in series loss vs Florida
8. Alabama
Alabama has some big wins (home series over South Carolina and Tennessee) and a head-scratcher (swept at Georgia). The Crimson Tide travels to Kentucky before hosting Arkansas and Texas A&M back to back, so it'll certainly be tested.
Record: 21-7 (4-5)
Last week: 8
MORE ON ALABAMA Alabama baseball loses to South Carolina on Saturday, but clinches its second SEC series of the season: scores and takeaways
9. South Carolina
South Carolina swept Vanderbilt at home but lost series to Alabama and Ole Miss on the road. The Gamecocks' statistics are better than their record, but at some point South Carolina will have to win more close games, especially with series against Texas A&M, Florida and Arkansas looming.
Record: 21-7 (5-4)
Last week: 6
10. LSU
No matter how talented LSU is, the Tigers are 2-7 and one of three teams yet to win an SEC series. The Tigers host Vanderbilt and travel to Tennessee in the next two weeks, so they will need to get things figured out quickly.
Record: 20-9 (2-7)
Last week: 9
11. Georgia
Georgia could very well have both the best offense and the worst pitching staff in the SEC. Charlie Condon can probably win a few games by himself, but there's just not enough on the mound here to make it through a 30-game conference season unscathed.
Record: 22-6 (4-5)
Last week: 11
12. Ole Miss
Ole Miss has a nice series win over South Carolina, but the Rebels are also the only team to get swept at home this season. Even 1-8 Missouri can't say the same.
Record: 18-11 (3-6)
Last week: 12
MORE ON OLE MISS Ole Miss baseball embarrassed by Kentucky in sweep. Can the Rebels 'figure it out?'
13. Auburn
Auburn has played one of the most difficult schedules to start the season, but things have not gone at all well for the Tigers. It won't get any easier as Auburn hosts Tennessee this weekend.
Record: 16-11 (1-8)
Last week: 13
14. Missouri
After Missouri scored only one run in a sweep by Arkansas on opening weekend, the Tigers scored just two against Vanderbilt. With Missouri's offensive woes, racking up wins in the SEC will be a difficult task.
Record: 10-18 (1-8)
Last week: 14
Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. Contact her at agerson@gannett.com or on Twitter @aria_gerson.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Kentucky rises in SEC baseball power rankings at halfway point