Hogs Sweep of Georgia does more Bad than Good for RPI Rankings
By Ryan Wright
Arkansas Razorbacks catcher Jake Wise (19) looks to lead the SEC West second place Hogs over Missouri State and Kentucky this week. Credit: Matt Ryerson-USA TODAY Sports
The Arkansas Razorbacks swept the Georgia Bulldogs 2-0 last weekend and judging by the RPI rankings one would think the Hogs may have been the team that got swept.
The Hogs series was abbreviated to two games due to inclement weather on Sunday, and that may turn out to be a good thing. Two games against the Georgia Bulldogs dropped the Razorbacks from No. 45 in the RPI rankings to No. 60. Who knows what one an additional game would have done to their ranking?
In the weekly college baseball rankings the Hogs maintained their spot at No. 14 in the Baseball America Top 25 Poll, held at No. 16 in Collegiate Baseball, but moved up on spot in the USA Today Coaches Top 25 Poll from No. 15 to No. 14.
The Razorbacks (29-15, 13-7) have picked up two games on the SEC West leading LSU Tigers (39-6, 16-5). The Hogs have won four in a row with LSU losing their last two.
Arkansas will host a hot Missouri State team on Tuesday. The Bears (27-12) are winners of six of their last seven games. Left-handed senior pitcher Randall Fant (3-1, 2.23) is scheduled to start the Hogs last non-conference game of the season at Baum Stadium; first pitch at 6:35 p.m. CST.
After the Hogs play their midweek game against Missouri State they go back on the road to face No. 23 Kentucky in Lexington.
Baseball America Top 25 Poll
Ranking/Team/Record/Previous Ranking
1 North Carolina 41-4 1
2 Vanderbilt 39-6 3
3 LSU 39-6 2
4 Cal State Fullerton 36-7 4
5 North Carolina State 34-11 6
6 Oregon State 34-8 7
7 Virginia 38-8 5
8 Arizona State 28-12 8
9 UCLA 27-13 9
10 Florida State 35-9 10
11 Oregon 33-10 13
12 Oklahoma 33-11 11
13 Louisville 33-10 12
14 Arkansas 29-15 14
15 South Carolina 33-12 15
16 Indiana 34-8 17
17 New Mexico 27-16 24
18 Clemson 30-14 25
19 Rice 28-14 19
20 South Alabama 34-12 NR
21 Florida 25-20 NR
22 Mississippi State 33-13 16
23 Kentucky 26-17 NR
24 Mississippi 31-14 18
25 Virginia Tech 27-18 NR
Collegiate Baseball Top 25 Rankings
Ranking/Team/Record/Previous Ranking
1 Vanderbilt 39-6 497 4
2 North Carolina 41-4 496 1
3 LSU 39-6 494 2
4 Cal State Fullerton 36-7 492 3
5 Oregon State 34-8 489 6
6 Oregon 33-10 488 8
7 NC State 34-11 485 9
8 Virginia 38-8 484 5
9 Florida State 35-9 481 10
10 Oklahoma 33-11 478 11
11 Louisville 33-10 474 12
12 UCLA 27-13 471 7
13 Arizona State 28-12-1 469 26
14 Clemson 30-14 466 13
15 South Carolina 33-12 464 15
16 Arkansas 29-15 462 16
17 Pittsburgh 32-10 459 23
18 New Mexico 27-16 455 28
19 Florida 25-20 451 19
20 South Florida 29-15 448 25
21 Indiana 34-8 445 NR
22 Stanford 23-15 443 14
23 Arizona 28-14 439 24
24 Cal Poly 28-13 438 18
25 South Alabama 34-12 436 NR
26 Ole Miss 31-14 434 20
27 Rice 28-14 429 27
28 Mississippi State 33-13 426 17
29 Campbell 37-8 423 29
30 Central Florida 25-19 419 NR
USA Today Coaches Top 25 Poll
Ranking/Team/Record/Previous Ranking
1 North Carolina (20) 41-4 1
2 Vanderbilt (11) 39-6 4
3 LSU 39-6 2
4 Cal State Fullerton 36-7 3
5 Oregon State 34-8 6
6 Oregon 33-10 7
7 Virginia 38-8 5
8 Florida State 35-9 9
9 South Carolina 33-12 10
10 NC State 34-11 11
11 UCLA 27-13 8
12 Louisville 33-10 13
13 Oklahoma 33-11 14
14 Arkansas 29-15 15
15 Mississippi State 33-13 12
16 Arizona State 28-12-1 17
17 Indiana 34-8 18
18 Ole Miss 31-14 16
19 Oklahoma State 32-11 25
20 UC Irvine 28-12 21
21 Rice 28-14 20
22 Clemson 30-14 NR
23 Kentucky 26-17 24
24 Georgia Tech 28-16 19
25 Stanford 23-15 22