Extra Innings: Top teams stumble and stunning comebacks

College baseball is proving once again why it’s one of the most unpredictable sports. Unlike football and basketball, where powerhouse programs can often dictate the pace of a season, baseball thrives on momentum swings, hot streaks, and unexpected upsets.

From top-ranked teams stumbling early to dramatic comebacks and surprise contenders emerging, this past week showcased just how volatile the college baseball landscape can be.

Here’s a look at some of the biggest storylines shaking up the season so far.

Top 5 Teams struggle 

Baseball is a different game than football and basketball. Bats get cold, pitchers get hot​​—or vice versa. Upsets can happen at any time in college baseball, but that’s the beauty of metal bats and momentum. The first few weeks of the season have been a testament to that unpredictability.

Last week, four teams in the top five all lost games. LSU lost at home to Oklahoma. Texas A&M lost to Cal Poly. The only top-five team to remain unbeaten is in Knoxville. The defending national champion Tennessee Vols have picked up right where they left off to start the season.

Death, taxes, and Ohio State getting beaten by the SEC 

The only thing Ohio State fans have struggled with more than the SEC is not obnoxiously pronouncing the “THE” before saying their schools name. The Buckeyes are 4-12 against the SEC in football since 1990. That struggle extends from the gridiron to the diamond. Sunday afternoon in Jacksonville, Ohio State took a 10-0 lead against Alabama. 

Against all odds, the Tide staged a dramatic comeback, scoring 12 runs—including three in the bottom of the ninth—capped off by Will Hodo’s walk-off home run to clinch the Jax College Baseball Classic.

Sneaky Sooners 

Something is happening in Norman, Oklahoma and no one seems to be talking about it. Oklahoma came into the season unranked and considered to be in the bottom third of the conference in baseball for the 2025 season. The Sooners didn’t hear, see, or believe any of that. 

It’s only been two weeks into the season and it’s way too early to think that the Sooners are destined for Omaha. But, for a team coming into the year with very little hype, they are deserving of at least some as we enter March. The Sooners won the Round Rock Classic this past weekend in Texas going 3-0. That included wins against No. 2 Virginia and perennial power No. 7 Oregon State.

M-I-Z! Z-Oh-No!

What is happening in Columbia, Missouri? Missouri baseball is really bad. Like comically bad. There are 16 teams in the conference and only one team has more than one loss so far—Missouri. The Tigers are 3-4 overall and lost to Alabama State 10-2 on Saturday.