A rough week by Clemson that featured the team’s first back-to-back losses of the season — and its first losing streak — dropped the Tigers several spots in the new USA TODAY Sports baseball coaches poll, released Monday, April 15.
Clemson (29-6 overall) tumbled four spots to No. 6 in the coaches poll, compiled by 31 head coaches at Division I schools. The Tigers went just 1-3 last week after a midweek loss to USC Upstate and dropping two of three in a series against NC State at home.
Coach Erik Bakich’s club also fell to No. 6 in D1Baseball’s new Top 25 rankings and to No. 4 in the new Baseball America Top 25.
Texas A&M (32-4) climbed two spots to No. 1 after a 4-0 week that included a series sweep of No. 12 Vanderbilt. The Commodores had been ranked No. 6 in last week’s coaches poll.
Arkansas (30-5) fell to No. 2 after suffering its first series loss of the season. The Razorbacks, who had been No. 1 for five straight weeks, fell Saturday and Sunday to No. 14 Alabama, which rose three spots in Monday’s poll.
Oregon State (29-5) moved up one spot in to No. 4. Kentucky (30-5) rounded out the top five after its three-game sweep of Auburn over the weekend.
Right behind Clemson in the new poll are four ACC schools. Florida State (30-5) rose to No. 7, with Virginia (28-8) checking in at No. 8 and Duke (26-10) at No. 9. North Carolina (29-7) moved up one spot to No. 11. East Carolina (27-8) rounded out the Top 10.
Two other ACC schools — No. 13 Wake Forest and No. 22 Virginia Tech — placed in Monday’s Top 25 to give the conference seven teams ranked in the new poll.
The SEC had the most schools ranked per conference with eight.
Clemson returns to the diamond Tuesday when the Tigers host Charlotte in non-conference play. First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m. EDT at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. The game will be streamed on ACC Network Extra (ACCNX).