Tigers at no. 7!
D1Baseball.com’s latest NCAA Top 25 Power Rankings feature the Clemson Tigers at no. 7!
In last week’s edition, the Tigers were ranked no. 16, but climbed 9 spots into the Top 10. This was the largest jump of any team featured in last week’s Top 25. They are now the highest ranked ACC team other than Wake Forest, which remains seated in the no. 1 spot in the polls.
The Tigers’ big rise was sparked by an impressive 4-0 week, which included a big 13-6 road win over no. 9 Coastal Carolina, as well as a road sweep of Virginia Tech.
After their series win over the Hokies, the Tigers have now earned six consecutive ACC series victories, a streak which dates back to their 2-1 series win over Florida State in early April. Clemson is 15-3 in those matchups, and have outscored opponents 123 run to 78 in those games.
The Tigers also extended their winning streak to 8 games on Sunday. They are 9-1 in their last 10 matchups, and 17-3 in their last 20.
Such success has left the Tigers regarded as the hottest team in the nation, and their surging status is reflected in a consistent rise in the polls.
Important Movement in the Poll
Along with the Tigers’ elevation, there are several other teams shifting around in D1’s Top 25 that are important for Clemson fans to note.
South Carolina Down to 13
South Carolina once neared the top of the polls. Even as recently as last week, the Gamecocks were soundly seated in the Top Ten at no. 6.
However, after a second consecutive week of struggling, South Carolina has fallen down to no. 13.
Despite achieving one of the better records in collegiate baseball at 37-14, the Gamecocks have lost 6 of their last 7 games, and have gone 3-8 in their last 11 matchups.
South Carolina will look to address their shortcomings this weekend, as they welcome an imposing no. 18 Tennessee team (35-17) to Columbia.
2 ACC Teams Fighting for Top Ten
After earning a 3-1 record on the week, many felt no.11 Miami may move up one spot to enter the Top Ten. Instead, they remained in the same spot they did a week prior, just one spot shy of their goal.
Contrarily, Duke suffered a less than ideal week, dropping 1 of 2 against Rider, and losing their weekend series against Georgia Tech en route to a 2-3 week. The results caused the Blue Devils to fall from their no. 10 ranking to 16th.
These two teams will face off this weekend in what will likely be the biggest conference series of the week. The winner will earn some important momentum entering the ACC tournament, and perhaps make that final push needed to enter the top ten.
2 ACC Teams on the Bubble
Despite posting perfect records on the week, Virginia and Boston College both failed to climb any higher in this week’s polls.
Having only played two games during the week, Boston College (32-16) fell two spots from no. 20 to no. 22, endangering their status as a Top 25 team.
On the other hand, Virginia has continued to suffer an incredible array of disrespect from the voters. Despite achieving one of the best records on the year (41-11), and winning 9 of their last 11 games, the Cavaliers remain towards the back end of D1’s rankings.
At this juncture, it seems only impressive wins in the ACC tournament will garner Virginia any of the national respect they deserve.
Looking Ahead
Clemson has just 4 games remaining on their regular season slate. On May 16th, the Tigers will face off in a non-conference matchup against USC Upstate. Clemson lost to the Spartans 6-3 earlier this season, but will have the opportunity to rectify that blemish on Tuesday at home.
On Thursday, the Tigers will begin their final series of the regular season, as they host the North Carolina Tar Heels in a big ACC matchup. The Tar Heels have earned a 33-17 record during the 2023 season, and have looked very impressive as of late, having won 8 of their last 10 games.
However, no team has been hotter than the Tigers. If Clemson can earn a big win in their final series of the season, expect them to carry their momentum through into the ACC tournament.