Latest College Baseball National Rankings: Southern Miss Rises in Top 10

Another week, another statement made by the 14-2 Golden Eagles.

Southern Miss senior outfielder Ben Higdon hit his second home run of the season in a 9-2 win over North Alabama on Sunday. / @SouthernMissBSB

HATTIESBURG, Miss – If there were any lingering questions about Southern Miss' place among college baseball's elite, the Golden Eagles spent the past week answering them.

Southern Miss went 4-1 last week, highlighted by a thrilling win over No. 4 Mississippi State at Pete Taylor Park on Tuesday. The only blemish was a 3-2 loss to Nicholls on Wednesday, which was the Golden Eagles' fifth game in six nights. They responded how an elite ballclub should, by sweeping their weekend series against North Alabama in convincing fashion.

Golden Eagles Continue to Rise in National Rankings

Southern Miss sophomore LHP Grayden Harris had a career-best 13 strikeouts on Saturday in a win against North Alabama. / @SouthernMissBSB

The Golden Eagles' impressive week, paired with a handful of Top-10 upsets, resulted in Southern Miss rising from No. 10 to No. 7 in D1Baseball's latest Top 25 national rankings. It's the second-highest ranking in program history, behind only the 2022 team, which rose to No. 4 in the nation in April of that year. This is a good spot for the Golden Eagles to be in, as it rewards them for the week they had while also leaving them room to grow by eventually making it into the Top 5.

The Florida Gators, who were ranked No. 9 last week, lost a buy series to unranked High Point. The North Carolina Tar Heels, who were ranked No. 8 last week, lost their series against unranked Virginia. The LSU Tigers, who started last week as the No. 2-ranked team in the nation, lost a home series to unranked Sacramento State.

Of the Top 10 teams going into last week, Southern Miss, Auburn, Mississippi State, Texas and UCLA were the only teams to sweep their weekend series. Perfect Game had the Golden Eagles at No. 6 in this week's polls.

Another Week, Another Opportunity for a Statement

Senior outfielder Joey Urban was locked in while on base during Sunday's win over North Alabama. / @SouthernMissBSB

The Golden Eagles will get things rolling again on Tuesday night as they take on in-state rival Ole Miss (15-2) at The Pete. This marks the third straight Tuesday that Southern Miss has played an SEC foe. The Golden Eagles are currently 2-0 against SEC opponents, with a run-rule win over Alabama and a one-run win over Mississippi State.

Southern Miss will then begin Sun Belt play with a series against a tough Arkansas State ballclub in Jonesboro, Ark., on Friday. The Red Wolves have started the year 12-5, including a midweek blowout win over Arkansas, so the Golden Eagles will have to be on their game to avoid any slippage. Stay tuned to Southern Miss Golden Eagles On SI for more baseball coverage throughout the week.