SEC Baseball Power Rankings: LSU leads, Oklahoma surges

Credit: Brett Rojo-Imagn Images

By Chris Marler

The first weekend of the 2026 college baseball season is over, and while it’s too early to comfortably say who is going to Omaha, it’s not too early to give our initial power rankings on the season. All 16 SEC teams were in action this weekend. Here’s a look at where teams rank after opening weekend.

1. LSU

LSU began their first five innings of the season with some anxiety trailing Milwaukee 5-2 in the sixth. After that inning the bats woke up and they never tired the rest of the weekend. The LSU offense exploded for 41 runs on the weekend. They combined that with 49 strikeouts on the mound which was the most in a series in program history. The lineup is what people should be most impressed, or scared, of. Everyone hits one through nine, and they hit the ball extremely hard.

Here are yesterday’s top exit velocities. The TIGERS start the season 3-0 with a series sweep over Milwaukee. pic.twitter.com/R4u8UWnNI5

— LSU Baseball Data (@LSUBaseballData) February 16, 2026

2. Oklahoma

Yeah, I know. I am fully aware this won’t age well, and I will ultimately regret putting the team that was picked to finish 14th in the SEC in the preseason at the No. 2 spot. Here’s the thing though: the on-field results have to matter. Oklahoma went to Arlinton and won the Shriner’s Children’s College Showdown scoring at least ten runs in every game. On the weekend, they outscored their opponents 32-6. We’ll see if they can keep it up.

3. Texas

Texas had a great opening weekend sweeping UC Davis. They outscored them 27-7. New outfielder Aiden Harris got off to a great start going 5-for-11 (.455 average) with three extra base hits including a home run.

4. Tennessee

If you’re sensing a theme about run differential being a pretty big component of the first power rankings, then you’re right. The Vols were dominant this weekend against Nicholls State outscoring the Colonels 27-3 and hitting an SEC leading 19 extra base hits. They allowed just one extra base hit on the mound all weekend.

HR cellys on Rocky Top > pic.twitter.com/pX4WVsIljy

— Tennessee Baseball (@Vol_Baseball) February 14, 2026

5. Arkansas

Arkansas is the highest ranked team in the first power rankings with a loss. That loss did come to a top ten team in TCU, and it was by just one run. Arkansas didn’t swing it super well in Arlington hitting just .257 over three games, but finishing 2-1 in one of the premiere early season college baseball tournaments in the country was still impressive.

6. Mississippi State

I’m sure I’ll regret this considering Mississippi State swept their opening series. The issue for me is just how unimpressive the wins were against Hofstra. Two of their three wins against Hofstra came by two and one runs respectively. The bigger concern is that the bats were very quiet in Starkville hitting just .236 on the weekend, which was the lowest in the entire conference. Mississippi State still has one of the highest ceilings of any team in the country.

Ace had a weekend 🔥 pic.twitter.com/pO74tbJGyE

— Mississippi State Baseball (@HailStateBB) February 16, 2026

7. Auburn

Auburn is one of the most intriguing teams in the country. Some preseason publications think they can get to Omaha, others barely have them ranked in the top 20-25 in the country. They were great this weekend regardless, especially the pitching. Auburn allowed four runs on the weekend and finished with a 1.38 ERA and held their opponents to a .126 batting average.

8. Kentucky

I don’t know how good Kentucky is yet, but they may very well be the fastest team in the country. They finished the weekend with five triples on the weekend. That was the same as the rest of the conference combined. They also stole a ridiculous 23 bases in their three game series. No one else in the conference had more than six on the weekend.

Run, Cats, Run! 💨

FOUR different Wildcats have stolen three bases in a game on opening weekend (@JayceTharnish, @RyanSchwartz25, @duffey_alex & @EHindle_27).

The Cats are 20-for-20 on SB as a team.

— Kentucky Baseball (@UKBaseball) February 14, 2026

9. Texas A&M

Texas A&M is probably too low here to be honest, but after watching the Aggies begin the preseason ranked at No. 1 in 2025 and completely fall apart, it’s going to take a second to actually believe. The Aggies hit .429 as a team on the weekend. That included six players in the starting lineup finishing the weekend with five hits or more. Caden Sorrell made the most noise going 9-of-15 in the opening series with three home runs and ten RBIs.

Your SEC Player of the Week, Caden Sorrell 👍

🔗 https://t.co/bJSoOHI7by @CadenSorrell | @SECbaseball pic.twitter.com/OFsIf3EmFR

— Texas A&M Baseball (@AggieBaseball) February 16, 2026