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About one-third of the way through the college baseball season, the SEC standard is holding up. Out of 25 teams ranked in D1Baseball’s top 25 poll, 10 teams are from the SEC, with five in the Top 7.
This is no surprise, as the SEC has seemingly dominated the sport in recent years. The winner of the past four College World Series has been a SEC team and the conference has had the most participants in each of those years. In the last 20 seasons, nine SEC teams came out as national champions. When you think of college baseball, you should think SEC.
Week 7 @d1baseball Rankings ⚾️#NCAABaseball pic.twitter.com/96aCNoYMMY
β NCAA Baseball (@NCAABaseball) April 1, 2024
2024 Surprises
So far, there have been a few surprises in the rankings and on the field. Baseball is an unpredictable sport, and through about a month and a half of the season, a few teams have surprised.
The Mississippi State Bulldogs were predicted by many to finish at the bottom of the SEC Western Division this year. A year after going 27-26 with a 9-21 conference record, there was low expectations for MSU. The Bulldogs now sit at 19-10 and ranked No. 23 in the recent D1Baseball poll.
Dawgs in the π₯ππ‘πππ‘ππ¦!π #HailStateπΆ pic.twitter.com/vXAFgKTsFB
— Mississippi State Baseball (@HailStateBB) April 1, 2024
Lead by sophomore outfielder Dakota Jordan, who has hit .378 with 14 home runs, the Bulldogs are fourth in the SEC West.
Dakota Jordan punished this ball like itβs done his family wrong
Dawgs up 11-1 in the 6th looking to put away game two against the Gators
— Overdue Sports (@OverdueSports) March 31, 2024
Another team looking to continue a surprising start are the SEC East-leading Kentucky Wildcats. Projected by both FloBaseball and D1Baseball to finish fifth in the East, the Wildcats are 24-4 and ranked No. 17 in the nation. They are a dominant 8-1 to start conference play.
Appreciative but unsatisfied. #Weird #VictoryMustBeEarnedEveryday pic.twitter.com/Wh2zKnZQmM
— Kentucky Baseball (@UKBaseball) April 1, 2024
The Wildcats are hitting .287 on the season, while opponents are hitting a low .208 against them. Kentucky’s pitching staff has rung up 239 batters so far this year.
https://twitter.com/UKBaseball/status/1774522269081149723
Exciting Stats
Georgia sophomore Charlie Condon is garnering a lot of attention this season. Condon leads D1 with 19 home runs and it hitting .482 with 41 RBIs. He has put his name at the top of Major League Baseball scouting boards.
https://twitter.com/prospectdugout/status/1774192911770406955
Another star player having a great start to the season is Florida two-way gem Jac Caglianone, who has shown his power on the year, crushing 14 home runs while hitting .397. But it is his much-improved play on the mound that has opened eyes. In six starts, Caglianone (3-0) has a 2.18 ERA, striking out 44 in 33 innings. His ERA is down 2.26 points from last year.
Jac Caglione going yard for a 491 ft NUKE
This kid can absolutely mash, somebody put him in Coors Field
— Overdue Sports (@OverdueSports) April 3, 2024
Out of the 14 SEC teams, only Missouri (11-18) has a losing record. Though some teams have impressed more than others, it is safe to say Omaha will see a lot of the SEC once again this year as the conference dominance continues.
