What a start to conference play! The SEC got off to a fast and hot start, with Arkansas taking its home series against Mississippi State in Fayetteville and Texas finally losing its first game of the season. And things continued to get worse for LSU as the Tigers dropped two games on the road to Vanderbilt.
In the ACC, Clemson lost its home series to Georgia Tech, and Wake Forest had a tough week overall, losing all four of its games — one to Coastal Carolina and three to Florida State. The series sweep for FSU helped the Seminoles jump nine spots in this week’s rankings.
Elsewhere in the top 25, UCLA is holding steady at No. 1, and the week’s biggest riser is crosstown rival USC, who rose up 12 spots. Virginia’s rise continues, too, with the Cavaliers finally breaking into the top 10.
This week’s newcomers to the rankings include West Virginia coming back in at No. 20, Oregon at No. 21 and Louisiana at No. 25 with TCU, UTSA and LSU — yep, the Tigers are officially unranked — dropping out.
Here are the entire top 25 rankings as of March 16, plus our favorite moments and what we’re watching in the week to come.
Top moments
Can we put in a late nomination for The Oscars? Because this ending to Georgia-Tennessee had everything you could want to see. A dramatic bat flip after what looked like a go-ahead home run for the Vols! But then enter Cole Johnson! And Johnson clearly wasn’t going to let this ball fly past him.
MY GOD A FRESHMAN!!!!!!!!!#GoDawgs | @williamColejoh2 pic.twitter.com/rovl3YjMuB
— Georgia Baseball (@BaseballUGA) March 15, 2026
And a closer look at that premature celebration is kind of necessary.
PURE CINEMA https://t.co/KQZIxxqB4x pic.twitter.com/q2nzVtu9Bm
— 11Point7 College Baseball (@11point7) March 15, 2026
Roch Cholowsky and the Bruins have looked this season, and Cholowsky got home run No. 10 this weekend.
That’s No. 10 for No. 1 🚀
📺B1G+#GoBruins pic.twitter.com/UeEfQieWWc
— UCLA Baseball (@UCLABaseball) March 15, 2026
Player to watch
Quinton Coats, 1B, Cincinnati
While Cincinnati has been pretty middle of the pack this season — the Bearcats are 15-6 and lost their first conference series to BYU — Coats has been dominant. The sophomore has hit 14 home runs and has a batting average of .418 to go along with 35 RBIs. With the way he has been hitting, the Big 12 will certainly be on watch.
CRUSHED‼️@qsc_25 with his 13th of the season!#Bearcats | #TenGames pic.twitter.com/bOFTB36P2F
— Cincinnati Baseball (@GoBearcatsBASE) March 13, 2026
Series to watch
No. 10 NC State at No. 11 Florida State
Game 1: 6 p.m. on Friday (ACC Network Extra)
Game 2: 2 p.m. on Saturday (ACC Network Extra)
Game 3: 1 p.m. on Sunday (ACC Network Extra)
There are plenty of top-ranked SEC matchups this weekend, like Texas at Auburn, but we’re narrowing in on the ACC with NC State traveling to Tallahassee to face Florida State. NC State had a little bit of a rocky 2-2 week, dropping games to Elon and Boston College, but it did bounce back to eventually take the series against BC. Florida State meanwhile swept then-ranked No. 12 Wake Forest, though it did drop a game to Florida earlier in the week. Can the Wolfpack bounce back on the road? Or have the Seminoles found their groove?
Updated top 25
Here are D1baseball.com’s latest rankings, plus information on each team’s next game.
All times Eastern.
1. UCLA Bruins
Previous rank: 1
Record: 17-2
Next game: vs. Pepperdine, 9 p.m. on Tuesday
2. Texas Longhorns
2. Texas LonghornsPrevious rank: 3
Record: 18-1
Next game: at Tarleton State, 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday (SEC Network+)
3. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
3. Georgia Tech Yellow JacketsPrevious rank: 4
Record: 17-3
Next game: at Auburn, 7 p.m. on Tuesday (SEC Network+)
4. Arkansas Razorbacks
4. Arkansas RazorbacksPrevious rank: 5
Record: 14-6
Next game: vs. Northern Colorado, 7 p.m. on Tuesday (SEC Network+)
5. Auburn Tigers
5. Auburn TigersPrevious rank: 6
Record: 17-2
Next game: vs. Georgia Tech, 7 p.m. on Tuesday (SEC Network+)
6. Mississippi State Bulldogs
6. Mississippi State BulldogsPrevious rank: 3
Record: 16-4
Next game: vs. Jackson State, 5 p.m. on Tuesday (SEC Network+)
7. Georgia Bulldogs
7. Georgia BulldogsPrevious rank: 8
Record: 17-4
Next game: vs. the Citadel, 3 p.m. on Tuesday (SEC Network+)
8. Oklahoma Sooners
Previous rank: 9
Record: 17-3
Next game: at Southeastern Louisiana, 7 p.m. on Tuesday (ESPN+)
9. Virginia Cavaliers
Previous rank: 14
Record: 16-4
Next game: vs. Georgetown, 4 p.m. on Tuesday (ESPN+)
10. NC State Wolfpack
10. NC State WolfpackPrevious rank: 10
Record: 16-4
Next game: at UNC Wilmington, 6 p.m. on Tuesday (ACC Network Extra)
11. Florida State Seminoles
11. Florida State SeminolesPrevious rank: 20
Record: 16-3
Next game: vs. Bethune Cookman, 6 p.m. on Tuesday (ACC Network Extra)
12. Southern Miss Golden Eagles
12. Southern Miss Golden EaglesPrevious rank: 7
Record: 16-4
Next game: vs. Nicholls, 7 p.m. on Tuesday (ESPN+)
13. USC Trojans
13. USC TrojansPrevious rank: 25
Record: 19-1
Next game: vs. San Diego State, 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday
14. North Carolina Tar Heels
14. North Carolina Tar HeelsPrevious rank: 15
Record: 16-3-1
Next game: vs. UNC Greensboro 4 p.m. on Tuesday (ACC Network Extra)
15. Kentucky Wildcats
15. Kentucky WildcatsPrevious rank: 21
Record: 18-2
Next game: vs. Marshall, 2 p.m. on Tuesday (SEC Network+)
16. Coastal Carolina Chanticleers
16. Coastal Carolina ChanticleersPrevious rank: 16
Record: 13-6
Next game: at Campbell, 6 p.m. on Wednesday
17. Oregon State Beavers
17. Oregon State BeaversPrevious rank: 18
Record: 14-4
Next game: at Portland, 8:35 p.m. on Tuesday (ESPN+)
18. Florida Gators
18. Florida GatorsPrevious rank: 23
Record: 18-3
Next game: vs. Stetson, 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday (SEC Network+)
19. Clemson Tigers
19. Clemson TigersPrevious rank: 11
Record: 16-4
Next game: at College of Charleston, 6 p.m. on Tuesday
20. West Virginia Mountaineers
20. West Virginia MountaineersPrevious rank: NR
Record: 13-4
Next game: vs. Penn State, 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday (ESPN+)
21. Oregon Ducks
Previous rank: NR
Record: 17-3
Next game: vs. Northwestern, 7:05 p.m. on Friday
22. Tennessee Volunteers
22. Tennessee VolunteersPrevious rank: 19
Record: 14-6
Next game: vs. Eastern Kentucky, 6 p.m. on Tuesday (SEC Network+)
23. Texas A&M Aggies
23. Texas A&M AggiesPrevious rank: 22
Record: 16-3
Next game: vs. Texas State, 7 p.m. on Tuesday (SEC Network+)
24. Wake Forest Demon Deacons
24. Wake Forest Demon DeaconsPrevious rank: 12
Record: 15-5
Next game: vs. Liberty, 6 p.m. on Tuesday (ACC Network Extra)
25. Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns
Previous rank: NR
Record: 15-5
Next game: at Houston, 7 :30 p.m. on Tuesday (ESPN+)
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