We have officially surpassed the halfway point of the 2022 college baseball season, and all of the power-five conferences (save for the SEC East) are still very much up for grabs. A few preseason favorites like Tennessee and Arkansas have remained dominant, but we have also seen a number of unexpected underdogs surpass expectations and climb experts’ rankings. There’s still much baseball to be played, but before the second half of conference play begins, let’s take a look at where my NCAA power rankings stand.

1) Tennessee Volunteers (34-3)

The obvious choice for the number one spot is Tennessee. Having won the SEC East a year ago, expectations were high for Tony Vitello’s squad, but thus far they have exceeded them in every way possible. Their 88 home runs and .317 team-wide batting average are good for best and eighth-best in Division-I baseball respectively. When you consider that they have to face some of the nation’s best pitchers in the SEC each weekend, the accomplishments made by Trey Lipscomb, Jordan Beck, and the rest of the Vols lineup are made even more impressive. Meanwhile, their pitching staff has posted the best ERA and the lowest WHIP in college baseball, making them equally as lethal on both on the mound and at the plate. Given that they opened conference play by sweeping four consecutive series (two of which were against highly-regarded Vanderbilt and Mississippi), the Vols should be able to take care of their remaining SEC opponents with ease.

2) Arkansas Razorbacks (30-7)

The top seed in the SEC-West, Arkansas has been almost as dominant as Tennessee through the first half of conference play. They have already taken series against Kentucky, Missouri, Mississippi State, and LSU, showing little vulnerability except for two losses against previously-ranked Florida. Unlike the Volunteers, however, the Razorbacks do not boast a dominant offense, and have instead heavily relied on their pitching staff to win them games. Fortunately, Conner Noland, Hagen Smith, and Jaxon Wiggins have been up to the task, each holding opponents to a sub-.230 batting average and striking out more than twice as many batters as they have walked. Still, the bats will need to find more consistency if the Razorbacks are going to compete for the college world series title

3) Oregon State Beavers (28-8)

Oregon State, the alma mater of top Orioles prospect Adley Rutschman, has led the way in a talented PAC-12 this season. The Beavers have won four of their first five conference series, outsourcing their opponents 117-65 in the process. Their lineup, consisting of six regular starters batting above .330, boasts the 15th best batting average in Division-I, while aces Cooper Hjerpe and Jacob Kmatz have combined for a 14-0 record on the mound. Perhaps more impressive has been the Beavers’ ability to limit mistakes as they have allowed the second fewest walks and currently have the best fielding percentage in the country. With games against Arizona, UCLA, and Oregon still on the horizon, the Beavers will need to remain at peak form if they are going to hold on to the top spot in the PAC-12. 

4) Miami Hurricanes (29-8)

The ACC was hotly contested to start the 2022 season, but in recent weeks, Miami has revealed itself as the lone team capable of pulling away. Sweeps of UNC, Duke, and UVA have helped the Hurricanes to a 14-4 conference record and a four game lead over Virginia Tech in the coastal division. The numbers for the Hurricanes are nothing spectacular: they are 41st in team ERA, 59th in team batting average, and 62nd in home runs, having hit just 44 in their 37 games. However, their ability to find a way to win close games has helped them exceed expectations and become the first team to appear on my list having not even been included in my pre-conference play top 20 rankings. Whether their methods are sustainable has yet to be seen, but for now, the Hurricanes have earned a spot in the top five.

5) Oklahoma State Cowboys (26-11)

Oklahoma State is one of the few teams in college baseball to have yet to lose a conference series. Similar to Arkansas, however, those wins have come mostly on the back of their pitching rotation. Led by sophomore ace Justin Campbell, who was recently named to USA Baseball’s Golden Spikes Midseason Watch List, the Cowboys staff is averaging the fifth-most strikeouts per nine innings and is in the top 20 in WHIP. Meanwhile, the lineup is batting a meager .272 with 41 long balls, good for 160th and 73rd ranked respectively. Three of their next four series are against strong TCU, Texas Tech, and Texas teams, so how their record looks coming out of that stretch will give us a better idea as to how good of a shot the Cowboys have of making it to Omaha.

6) Stanford Cardinal (21-11)

I may get some flack for putting a team ranked 4th in their own conference this high, but Stanford is still one of the most dangerous teams in college baseball. First baseman Graham Carter and second baseman Brett Barera have emerged as superstars, with each batting above .360 after having gotten very little playing time a year ago. On the mound, Junior LHP Quinn Matthews has rebounded nicely after a disappointing 2021 campaign and has led the Stanford pitching staff to a top 20 ERA in the nation. The lone problem for the Cardinal has been an inability to win close games, as they are just 7-7 in contests decided by three runs or fewer. If they can find a way to close out these types of games, Stanford still has a great shot to enter the PAC-12 tournament atop the standings, especially given that their final four conference series are against teams in the bottom half of the league.

7) Southern Miss Golden Eagles (29-8)

Southern Miss has dominated Conference USA en route to becoming one of the best teams in college baseball this season. Having entered 2022 outside of the top 25, the Golden Eagles got off to a decent start before an eleven game win streak (which is still ongoing) sky-rocketed them up the national rankings. The key to their success has been a phenomenal pitching rotation led by a three-headed monster of Hurston Waldrep, Tanner Hall, and Hunter Riggins. Their staff ranks second in college baseball in ERA and WHIP and sixth in strikeouts per nine innings. The batting lineup isn’t quite as impressive, but sophomores Dustin Dickerson and Slade Wilks have helped the unit do enough to support the phenomenal efforts they are getting on the mound. Oh, and for anyone who thinks their success is only due to their weak competition, Southern Miss is undefeated against the SEC, having already taken down Mississippi State, Alabama, and Ole Miss.

8) Georgia Bulldogs (26-11)

On paper, Georgia does not look like a team that is dominating Division-I baseball. Despite consistently strong plate performances from brothers Connor and Cole Tate, the Bulldog offense ranks outside the top 50 in batting average, while their pitching staff has puttered to a mediocre 5.69 ERA. However, the Bulldogs are a classic case of the stats not telling the whole story. Georgia has been forced to face top competition all season and has still managed a 9-6 conference record, which is good for second in the SEC East and third in the SEC overall. They have also been without their ace, junior RHP Jonathan Cannon, for each of the past two weekends and his return this weekend should see the rotation bounce back from disappointing recent performances. Simply put, Georgia has been the third best team in what is by far the best conference in college baseball, and if they can keep it up, Bulldog fans may have a chance at winning their second national championship this year.

9) TCU Horned Frogs (25-12)

Despite being surrounded by preseason powerhouses like Texas and Oklahoma State, TCU has found a way to emerge as the second seed in the Big-12, trailing the aforementioned Cowboys by just a game and a half. Their offense is a perfect example of how small-ball can still win games. To compensate for the fact that they’ve hit just 28 home runs, the Horned Frogs have stolen 51 bases in 58 attempts, have walked almost six times per game, and have recorded the eighth-most sacrifice flies in the nation. The strength of their team is their bullpen, led by sophomores Luke Savage and River Ridings, and it was on full display last weekend when they held the second-highest scoring team in the country, Texas Tech, to just 10 runs all weekend. If they can display an equally strong performance this weekend against Oklahoma State, TCU should be seen as a serious threat to make it to Omaha this summer.

10) Texas Tech Red Raiders (27-13)

Having been swept by TCU last weekend, Texas Tech faces a number of questions as they enter the second half of the season. However, the Red Raiders are still a scary sight for any opponent to face. As I mentioned earlier, their offense has put up the second-most runs in Division-I, in part due to the fact that they have played three more games than most other highly-ranked teams. But Golden Spikes candidate Jace Jung and co. are still no joke at the plate, as they are top 20 in walks, home runs, and on base percentage. Other than junior RHP Brandon Birdsell, the pitching staff isn’t quite as intimidating as the batting lineup, but it has done enough to keep the Red Raiders in games. With four conference series left to play, the floor for Texas Tech could see them fall out of the top 25 all together, but if they can get hot at the right time, the ceiling is a trip to Omaha and beyond.

Next 10:

11. Texas Longhorns (27-13)

12. Virginia Tech Hokies (25-9)

13. UCLA Bruins (25-11)

14. Virginia Cavaliers (28-10)

15. Auburn Tigers (26-12)

16. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (23-8)

17. Gonzaga Bulldogs (24-10)

18. Rutgers Scarlet Knights (31-7)

19. Louisville Cardinals (25-11)

20. Vanderbilt Commodores (26-10)

Luke Rollfinke
Luke Rollfinke

Luke Rollfinke is a student at Vanderbilt where he is pursuing a career in sports journalism. A recent graduate from the Friends School of Baltimore, Luke has spent his entire childhood in Charm City and is a devoted Orioles fan. In the past, he has written for SB Nation and has worked closely with Ravens columnist John Eisenberg. From nights at Camden Yards to Sunday afternoons watching NFL Redzone, Luke eats, sleeps, and breathes sports. He is excited to bring his perspective to BSL.

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