Mar. 16, 2026 — Conference play opened with a bang this week, producing upsets and shakeups across the country. The SEC was hot early: Arkansas grabbed a home series from Mississippi State in Fayetteville, Texas suffered its first loss of the season, and LSU dropped two road games at Vanderbilt. In the ACC, Clemson lost a home series to Georgia Tech, and Wake Forest endured a brutal week, going 0-4 (one loss to Coastal Carolina, three to Florida State). Florida State’s sweep of Wake pushed the Seminoles up nine spots in this week’s poll.
UCLA remains the No. 1 team. The biggest climb belongs to crosstown rival USC, which jumped 12 places. Virginia continued its ascent into the top 10. New to the rankings are West Virginia (No. 20), Oregon (No. 21) and Louisiana (No. 25). Falling out: TCU, UTSA and LSU.
Top moments
– Georgia vs. Tennessee finished in cinematic fashion: what looked like a go-ahead homer for Tennessee ended with a dramatic bat flip — only for Georgia freshman Cole Johnson to make a game-saving catch, turning a celebration into heartbreak for the Vols.
– UCLA’s Roch Cholowsky crushed his 10th home run of the season over the weekend, continuing a big year for the Bruins.
Player to watch
Quinton Coats, 1B, Cincinnati
Cincinnati sits around the middle of the field at 15-6 and recently dropped its first conference series to BYU, but sophomore Quinton Coats has been on fire. He’s slugged 14 homers, is hitting .418 and has 35 RBIs. With that level of production, Big 12 opponents should be wary.
Series to follow
No. 10 NC State at No. 11 Florida State
– Game 1: Friday, 6:00 p.m. ET (ACC Network Extra)
– Game 2: Saturday, 2:00 p.m. ET (ACC Network Extra)
– Game 3: Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET (ACC Network Extra)
NC State went 2-2 last week — dropping at Elon and Boston College before winning the BC series — while Florida State swept then-No. 12 Wake Forest and carries momentum despite a midweek loss to Florida. Can NC State regroup on the road, or are the Seminoles hitting their stride?
Updated Top 25 (D1Baseball)
All times Eastern.
1. UCLA Bruins
Previous: 1
Record: 17-2
Next game: vs. Pepperdine, Tuesday, 9:00 p.m.
2. Texas Longhorns
Previous: 3
Record: 18-1
Next game: at Tarleton State, Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. (SEC Network+)
3. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Previous: 4
Record: 17-3
Next game: at Auburn, Tuesday, 7:00 p.m. (SEC Network+)
4. Arkansas Razorbacks
Previous: 5
Record: 14-6
Next game: vs. Northern Colorado, Tuesday, 7:00 p.m. (SEC Network+)
5. Auburn Tigers
Previous: 6
Record: 17-2
Next game: vs. Georgia Tech, Tuesday, 7:00 p.m. (SEC Network+)
6. Mississippi State Bulldogs
Previous: 3
Record: 16-4
Next game: vs. Jackson State, Tuesday, 5:00 p.m. (SEC Network+)
7. Georgia Bulldogs
Previous: 8
Record: 17-4
Next game: vs. The Citadel, Tuesday, 3:00 p.m. (SEC Network+)
8. Oklahoma Sooners
Previous: 9
Record: 17-3
Next game: at Southeastern Louisiana, Tuesday, 7:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
9. Virginia Cavaliers
Previous: 14
Record: 16-4
Next game: vs. Georgetown, Tuesday, 4:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
10. NC State Wolfpack
Previous: 10
Record: 16-4
Next game: at UNC Wilmington, Tuesday, 6:00 p.m. (ACC Network Extra)
11. Florida State Seminoles
Previous: 20
Record: 16-3
Next game: vs. Bethune-Cookman, Tuesday, 6:00 p.m. (ACC Network Extra)
12. Southern Miss Golden Eagles
Previous: 7
Record: 16-4
Next game: vs. Nicholls, Tuesday, 7:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
13. USC Trojans
Previous: 25
Record: 19-1
Next game: vs. San Diego State, Tuesday, 9:30 p.m.
14. North Carolina Tar Heels
Previous: 15
Record: 16-3-1
Next game: vs. UNC Greensboro, Tuesday, 4:00 p.m. (ACC Network Extra)
15. Kentucky Wildcats
Previous: 21
Record: 18-2
Next game: vs. Marshall, Tuesday, 2:00 p.m. (SEC Network+)
16. Coastal Carolina Chanticleers
Previous: 16
Record: 13-6
Next game: at Campbell, Wednesday, 6:00 p.m.
17. Oregon State Beavers
Previous: 18
Record: 14-4
Next game: at Portland, Tuesday, 8:35 p.m. (ESPN+)
18. Florida Gators
Previous: 23
Record: 18-3
Next game: vs. Stetson, Tuesday, 6:30 p.m. (SEC Network+)
19. Clemson Tigers
Previous: 11
Record: 16-4
Next game: at College of Charleston, Tuesday, 6:00 p.m.
20. West Virginia Mountaineers
Previous: NR
Record: 13-4
Next game: vs. Penn State, Tuesday, 6:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
21. Oregon Ducks
Previous: NR
Record: 17-3
Next game: vs. Northwestern, Friday, 7:05 p.m.
22. Tennessee Volunteers
Previous: 19
Record: 14-6
Next game: vs. Eastern Kentucky, Tuesday, 6:00 p.m. (SEC Network+)
23. Texas A&M Aggies
Previous: 22
Record: 16-3
Next game: vs. Texas State, Tuesday, 7:00 p.m. (SEC Network+)
24. Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Previous: 12
Record: 15-5
Next game: vs. Liberty, Tuesday, 6:00 p.m. (ACC Network Extra)
25. Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns
Previous: NR
Record: 15-5
Next game: at Houston, Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
(End of rankings)
