There’s a new No. 1 in On3’s SEC power rankings.
Despite dropping out of the top spot in the polls after the series loss to Auburn, LSU remained in the top spot of the league rankings from On3’s Jonathan Wagner. But after dropping another series, this time to Mississippi State, the Tigers are no longer No. 1.
Or No. 2, for that matter. Coach Jay Johnson’s team comes in at No. 3 in the latest rankings from Wagner, sitting behind Arkansas and Florida, which both earned top-10 series wins over the weekend. The Gators reclaimed the lead in the SEC East with a sweep over No. 5 Vanderbilt, while the Razorbacks held on to the top spot in the West by taking two games against No. 6 South Carolina.
Weekly record: 2-2 (1-2)
Overall record: 39-12 (17-9)
Previous ranking: No. 1 (-2)
LSU’s loss at Auburn last weekend was surprising, but this week’s series loss at home against Mississippi State was even more unexpected. The Tigers started the week by beating Northwestern State 14-4 on Tuesday, and then beat Mississippi State 12-1 on Friday. But the Bulldogs then won 9-4 on Saturday and 14-13 in extra innings on Sunday, taking the series and stunning everyone across college baseball.
LSU is no longer the top-ranked team in the country, or even in the SEC. They’ll look to finish on a high note this week, starting at home against McNeese on Tuesday before heading to Athens to take on Georgia starting on Thursday.
Despite beginning the week with a pair of run-rule wins, things quickly turned sour for LSU, which really needs to get a sweep in the final series of the regular season on the road against Georgia.
Division and conference titles are still in the realm of possibility, but the Tigers are fighting an uphill battle as they limp to the finish line.
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