There's a new number one in town. With the college baseball season coming to a close, just two more weeks of regular-season play before the conference tournaments begin, Tennessee has claimed the top spot for the first time this season. The Vols beat Florida twice in Gainesville last weekend, and elsewhere former No. 1 Texas A&M lost a road series to LSU and fell to No. 3 in May's first rankings.
Clemson has moved up to the No. 2 spot and the rest of the top five includes two more SEC schools with Kentucky at No. 4 and Arkansas at No. 5.
With teams making their final push to qualify for the NCAA Division I baseball tournament, these next few weeks are sure to be entertaining from top to bottom.
These are the players we will see in May, in addition to the current top 25.
Players to watch
Blake Wright, INF, Clemson
Wright was dominant in Clemson's series against Georgia Tech, especially in Friday's doubleheader, where he hit a combined three home runs and recorded a career-high seven RBIs in the second game. On the season, he has 65 RBIs and 19 home runs, although he just snapped a 15-game hitting streak after not recording a single hit in the series finale against the Yellow Jackets. Other than that, Wright has been steady for the No. 2 Tigers in ACC play.
🔥 @BlakeWr86324186It's Friday 👀
6 of 9
3 home runs
1 double
1.777 slugging%
10 RBIs
5 races
2 HBP
.727 on-base % pic.twitter.com/j4AEPPdG5D— Clemson Baseball (@ClemsonBaseball) May 4, 2024
Clark Candiotti, RHP, Arizona
With a nickname like “Candi Man,” of course we're going to mark this pitcher as someone we're watching. Candiotti pitched a complete-game shutout over the weekend, and has been a huge part in why Arizona has cracked its way into the top 25. He has a 2.93 ERA along with 77 strikeouts and five wins this season, putting him in the top five in each of those categories in the Pac-12. And the only players with better effectiveness than him? Fellow Wildcats Cameron Walty (2.63 ERA) and Jackson Kent (2.88). The Pac-12 has some solid teams this year and we're excited to see what else Candi Man has up his sleeve.
.@clarkcandiotti I caught them sleeping 😴 pic.twitter.com/dQ8G8IIG0s
– Arizona Baseball (@ArizonaBaseball) May 5, 2024
Top 25 in the current ranking
Here's D1baseball.com's poll from May 6, plus information for each team's upcoming games.
All Eastern Time
1.Tennessee
Record: 39-9
Next two games: against Queens, Tuesday at 6 pm on SEC Network+,
at Vanderbilt, Friday at 7 pm on SEC Network+
2. Clemson
Record: 36-10
Next two games: in Charlotte, Tuesday at 6 pm on ESPN+,
at Wake Forest, Friday at 6 pm on ACCNX
3. Texas A&M
Record: 40-8
Next two games: vs. Rice, Tuesdays at 7 pm on SEC Network+,
at Ole Miss, Friday at 8:30 pm on SEC Network
4.Kentucky
Record: 35-10
Next two games: in Xavier, on Tuesday at 6 p.m.,
in Florida, Friday at 6:30 pm on SEC Network+
5.Arkansas
Record: 40-9
Next two games: vs. Mississippi State, Friday at 7:30 pm on SEC Network+,
vs. Mississippi State, Saturday at 7 pm on SEC Network+
6. East Carolina
Record: 37-9
Next two games: vs. Duke, Tuesday at 6 pm on ESPN+,
at Tulane, Friday at 7:30 pm on ESPN+
7. Oregon State
Record: 35-12
Next two games: at Gonzaga, Monday at 3 pm ET on ESPN+,
vs. UCLA, Friday at 10 p.m. ET
8. Florida State
Record: 35-10
Next two games: vs. Jacksonville, Tuesday at 6 pm on ACCNX,
at Pitt, Friday at 6 pm on ACCNX
9. Duke
Record: 32-14
Next two games: in East Carolina, Tuesday at 6 pm on ESPN+,
at Georgia Tech, Friday at 6 pm on ACCNX
10.Virginia
Record: 35-12
Next two games: vs. Georgia Washington, Wednesday at 1 pm on ACCNX,
vs. NC State, Saturday at 4 pm on ACCNX
11. North Carolina
Record: 35-11
Next two games: against Campbell, Tuesday at 6 pm on ACCNX,
vs. Louisville, Friday at 6 p.m. on ACCNX
12. Wake Forest
Record: 32-16
Next two games: vs. North Carolina A&T, Wednesdays at 6 pm on ACCNX,
vs. Clemson, Friday at 6 pm on ACCNX
13. South Carolina
Record: 35-15
Next two games: in Winthrop, Tuesday at 6 pm on ESPN+,
vs. Georgia, Thursdays at 8 pm on ESPNU
14. Mississippi State
Record: 32-16
Next two games: in Arkansas, Friday at 7:30 pm on SEC Network+,
in Arkansas, Saturday at 7 pm on SEC Network+
15. Georgia
Record: 35-12
The next two games: in South Carolina, Thursday at 8 pm on ESPNU,
in South Carolina, Friday at 5:30 pm on SEC Network
16. University of California, Irvine
Record: 34-10
Next two games: vs. UCLA, Tuesdays at 9 pm on ESPN+,
at Long Beach State, Friday at 9 pm on ESPN+
17. Arizona
Record: 29-17
Next two games: in the state of Arizona, on Tuesday at 9:30 pm,
in Utah, Friday at 1 p.m.
18.Oklahoma
Record: 29-17
Next two games: vs. Baylor, Friday at 7:30 pm on ESPN+ Sooner Vision,
vs. Baylor, Saturday at 5 pm on ESPN+ Sooner Vision
19. Oklahoma State
Record: 32-16
Next two games: against Texas Tech, Friday at 7 pm on Big 12 Now on ESPN+,
vs. Texas Tech, Saturday at 7 p.m. on Big 12 Now on ESPN+
20. Indiana State
Record: 34-10
Next two games: vs. Evansville, Fridays at 4:30 on ESPNU,
vs. Evansville, Saturday at 2 pm on ESPN+
21. Troy
Record: 34-15
Next two games: against Alabama, Tuesday at 7 pm on ESPN+,
at Texas State, Friday at 7 pm on ESPN+
22. Louisiana
Record: 34-15
The next two games: vs. Jackson State, Tuesdays at 7 pm on ESPN+,
at Georgia Southern, Friday at 6:30 pm on ESPN+
23. North Carolina State
Record: 26-18
Next two games: vs. Norfolk State, Tuesday at 6 pm on ACCNX,
in Virginia, Friday at 7 p.m. on ACC Network
24. Oregon
Record: 32-15
Next two games: in Washington, on Friday at 10:05 p.m.,
in Washington, Saturday at 8:05 p.m.
25. University of California, Santa Barbara
Record: 31-12
Next two games: vs. Pepperdine, Tuesday at 7:35 pm,
at Cal State Bakersfield, Friday at 9 pm on ESPN+
