Why Stanford Baseball Needs to be Ranked

Lucca Mazzie | Feb 23, 2025

Jun 19, 2023; Omaha, NE, USA; Stanford Cardinal head coach David Esquer (8) walks in front of the dugout after the loss against the Tennessee Volunteers at Charles Schwab Field Omaha. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images / Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images

Stanford baseball just picked up another win over Washington, improving their record to 7-0 in the early going of the 2025 season.

The Cardinal have been rolling to start the year, as they were able to win all four on the road against Cal State Fullerton last weekend, then all three to date against Washington at the Sunken Diamond.

The fact that Stanford was able to go on the road and take down a four-time National Champion, and then take the first three against a Power 5 opponent just enhances how good the start has truly been.

Last season, the Cardinal were 2-5 up to this point, losing to CSU Fullerton and Penn State twice, as well as UNLV, all at home. The start was less than ideal, and the Cardinal were not able to pick much up from there, as they finished 22-33 on the year, missing the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2016.

feed

In 2021, 2022, and 2023, Stanford not only made the tournament, but appeared in the College World Series in Omaha. In those three seasons, they went 6-1 twice, and 5-2 once. Even compared to those teams, 7-0 is new territory.

Currently, the Cardinal are ranked No. 23 in the country according to Perfect Game, and receive votes from National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, or NCBWA. Despite this, Baseball America, College Baseball Foundation, D1Baseball.com, and USA Today all haven’t recognized Stanford as a Top 25 team.

This is disappointing for a few reasons: Stanford is a great program that has had consistent success for years. They have proven that they can be a great program year after year, thus deserving of a high ranking. One season does not define a program, and should not plummet a team to the point that they are being left out of rankings after a 7-0 start.

Throughout the week, many teams ranked consistently throughout the top 25 among various sites struggled, and many are not deserving of a ranking anymore. Schools such as NC State, Duke, Nebraska, Cincinnati, and Oklahoma State all picked up tough losses, opening up a spot for the Cardinal into the rankings.

The new rankings typically come out on Monday around noon, before the final game of the Stanford-Washington series. Regardless, the Cardinal should be going into the game ranked, as a 7-0 team with an incredible start.

Next. Stanford's Ayomanor Could See Draft Stock Rise This Week. Stanford's Ayomanor Could See Draft Stock Rise This Week. dark