Arkansas Rises In Latest Rankings, Other SEC Teams Shuffle

Razorbacks massive weekend reaps rewards in the polls

Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn looks on from the dugout during Saturday's doubleheader sweep against Missouri. The Hogs won all three games in the series and outscored the Tigers 51-9. | Nilsen Roman-Hogs on SI Images

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Move over Tennessee, there is a new No. 1 in town.

The Arkansas Razorbacks dethroned defending national champion Tennessee in both the D1Baseball and Baseball America polls. The Hogs capped off a 4-0 week with a demolition of Missouri, outscoring the Tigers 51-9, the most runs scored in an SEC series in school history during a chilly, rain plagued series at Baum-Walker.

Ryder Helfrick at the plate against the Missouri Tigers. The Razorbacks swept the series. | Nilsen Roman - Hogs on SI Images

It is the second consecutive year that Arkansas has spent the start of April at the top of the mountain in the polls. Arkansas was the consensus No.1 this time last year off the back of ace Hagen Smith's pitching.

The Volunteers' weekend got off to a similar start as ace Liam Doyle and Dylan Loy combined for a seven-inning no-hitter against Texas A&M as Tennessee run-ruled the Aggies 10-0.

Texas A&M turned the tables in a Saturday doubleheader, outscoring Tennessee 26-9 and winning its first SEC series. The pair of losses drop the Volunteers to 28-4 overall, and their 9-3 conference record sends them falling all the way to No. 4 in the SEC behind the Hogs, Texas and LSU.

Both polls deemed Arkansas' overall resume more deserving of the top spot over No. 2 Texas. Both teams are 11-1 in SEC play, the Longhorns sit at 26-4 overall, while Arkansas is 30-3. In its first year in the SEC, Texas swept Georgia at home, which came into the weekend No. 3, capping off the weekend with a 4-3 win in extra innings.

Texas Head Coach Jim Schlossnagle ahead of the Longhorns' game against the UTSA Roadrunners, March 18, 2025 at UFCU Disch-Falk Field in Austin. | Sara Diggins/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The LSU Tigers also jumped multiple spots in both polls to No. 3 following a sweep of fellow Top 10 team Oklahoma. The loss sent the Sooners tumbling in the rankings, plummeting past Auburn, Alabama and Vanderbilt.

Tennessee drops to No. 4 in the Baseball America poll and No. 5 in D1Baseball. The Volunteers don't appears on the Razorbacks' schedule until the two powerhouses meet to close the SEC regular season at Baum-Walker in mid-May.

In total, 10 teams are ranked in the SEC. You can see both polls here (D1Baseball, Baseball America)

D1Baseball SEC Teams:

No. 1 Arkansas
No. 2 Texas
No. 3 LSU
No. 5 Tennessee
No. 6 Ole Miss
No. 7 Georgia
No. 11 Auburn
No. 12 Alabama
No. 17 Vanderbilt
No. 19 Oklahoma

Arkansas will look to maintain its new spot in the polls with four more games this week and extend a school record 11-game SEC winning streak. First is a in-state game against Arkansas State.

First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday and will be broadcast on SEC Network. The Hogs will then hit the road for a Top 10 matchup against Georgia under Wes Johnson.

Johnson was the pitching coach under Dave Van Horn at Arkansas from 2017-18.

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• How Hogs' portal board looks after key targets commit elsewhere

• Quebec power: Davalan powers Hogs to 10th straight SEC win over Mizzou