The Weekend Set: Week 5

Recap

Conference play is finally here, and boy was this a loaded weekend. #1 Tennessee proved even more-so why they are the best team in the country with a clean sweep over #5 Florida at home, which included a come-from-behind win, explosive innings, and lock down bullpen performances. Quite honestly, I was really impressed with Florida this weekend, one bad inning away from a 3-4 run differential on a weekend against the top team in the nation, reflected in our top-25 (below).

We had some questions about Arkansas’ offense facing SEC caliber pitching, and while Zach Root got hit around on Friday, and Hunter Elliott kept the Hogs at bay, they would bounce back in convincing fashion to take the series at Swayze Field against a very solid Ole Miss team.

Alabama went on to sweep Texas A&M in College Station this weekend in what felt like the ‘desperation bowl’ with late game heroics in all three including a 9th inning grand slam from Will Hodo in a 6-2 win on Saturday. The Tide continue to prove they are worthy this year, and I’m extremely curious to see how they fair against the #1 Tennessee Volunteers this weekend.

Hawai’i cracks our top-25 thanks to a series win against (former) #12 UC Santa Barbara, only dropping Friday nights’ game 2-1 against clear first-round draft pick Tyler Bremner. The loss last week at UC Riverside hurts, but the hunt for a Big West Championship is back on!

Arizona continues to prove that the week one doubters were wrong with a sweep over Cincinnati where they would win by double digits in all three bouts. Watch out for the Cats, this team is a runaway train.

Despite some early struggles, UCLA has ripped off five straight wins, and won eight of their last 10 including one against the UC Irvine Anteaters. The more I watch this team, the more I like them, solid starting pitching with a fantastic bullpen, and enough in the lineup to score runs in bunches. They could be a fun wrinkle in the Big 10 this year.

Vanderbilt and Auburn squared off where the Tigers would take two-of-three at home, dropping Vandy out of our rankings. We’ve discussed a few times their offensive struggles will hurt them in SEC play, and it was clear as day this weekend, not even winning Friday night behind ace JD Thompson.

Backside Breakouts

Top-25:

Climbing the Ladder

Tennessee: I’m not sure if it makes sense to put our consensus #1 team in this section, but man, the Vols look like a wagon. Sweeping Florida at home who had just picked up a top-five win on the road at Florida State, the Vols fought tape-to-tape, overcame adversity with Liam Doyle getting outlasted on Friday, and really controlled this series. Dare I say we’re looking at a two-peat? I think so.

Alabama: We talked in last weeks’ preview episode how important of a series this was for both Bama and the Aggies. Well, the Crimson Tide headed into College Station and handled business with a sweep. With a series against the #1 Tennessee Volunteers next weekend, it will be a great test to see where Justin Lebron and the Tide stand against the best of the best.

Hawai’i: Finally cracking our top-25 as I unbiasedly was able to keep them out the first few weeks of the season, but a 2-1 series victory over the former #12 UCSB Gauchos, the Bows are back. The real test is can they continue their trajectory away from the Island, but the hunt for the Big West title and Operation: Honululu Regional is in full swing.

Slump Alert

North Carolina: Another disappointing series for the Tar Heels as they slip further down our top-25 suffering a second ACC series loss at the hands of the red-hot Stanford Cardinal. I’ve been adamant about this club and how I believed the lack of slug wouldn’t impede on their ability to win games. Unfortunately, this crack in the armor might be larger than I expected. With UCONN and Boston College coming up this week, it’s a great opportunity for the Heels to sweep a week and get back on track.

Vanderbilt: This weekend felt like the Commodores ‘show me’ series against Auburn. Missing Ike Irish, you would think they could squeak out a series win with their pitching, but losing on Friday with JD Thompson on the bump, and dropping getaway day, I’m no longer sold on this teams’ ability to consistently compete in the SEC.

TCU: While the pains of missing Ben Abeldt didn’t seem to effect the Horned Frogs early in the year, it appears to finally be catching up with them. A series loss at the hands of a very spotty, but explosive offense in the Arizona State Sun Devils is definitely a blemish on the resume. Dallas Baptist would make for a huge midweek win and step in the right direction, and with Texas Tech on deck, they have a great opportunity to get in the win column.

Merch

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