SEC Baseball Power Poll: Week Eight Results

For a while, South Carolina has dominated the first place voting in the poll, but after the fourth week of SEC play, cracks started to appear in the Gamecocks' base at the top. At the bottom of the poll, Georgia and Missouri have really seemed to settle into the final positions in the conference.

The rest of the poll saw a bit of a shake up as well as we head into the fifth week of SEC Play.

1. South Carolina (Average: 1.78) (Six First Place Votes)

Previous: 1

Overall Record: 27-5, 7-5

Last Week: 1-0 vs. Appalachian State, 1-2 at Arkansas

Thoughts on the Gamecocks:

- Seems to be leading the East because of statistical error, rather than actual result.

- Monsters at home, tamed on the road.

- Just as soon as you think you have this team figured out as the clear favorites to win this league, they lose a series to Arkansas.

T-2. Vanderbilt (Average: 3.89)

Previous: 2

Overall Record: 26-8, 6-6

Last Week: 1-0 vs UT-Martin, 1-2 at Tennessee

Thoughts on the Commodores:

- Just awesome defensively. At the plate…

- I fear that bullpen may have been an early season illusion.

- Early on this team looked like it would not skip a beat after losing key players from last year's talented team, but lately that does not seem to be true.

T-2. Kentucky (Average: 3.89) (One first place vote)

Previous: 6

Overall Record: 22-11, 6-6

Last Week: 1-0 vs. Louisville, 2-1 vs. Florida

Thoughts on the Wildcats:

- When the league is so jumbled that even Mizzou is only 3 games out of first, it’s hard to argue for or against anyone. Gimmie the Bat Cats.

- Series wins over Florida and USC and losses to Bama and Vandy. That’s a brutal schedule so far.

- This team is the envy of the league, partly because they're hot right now and partly because they average about 1,000 runs per game. Seriously, there may not be a more dangerous offensive team than Kentucky right now.

4. Alabama (Average: 4.22) (Two first place votes)

Previous: 5

Overall Record: 22-10, 8-4

Last Week: 1-0 vs. UL-Monroe, 2-1 at Texas A&M

Thoughts on the Crimson Tide:

- I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop with Bama. It keeps not happening.

- Only team in the SEC with both a winning game record (8-4) and series record (3-1). That should probably count for something.

- Hitting is coming around, pitching remains solid, defense is very good, despite a hiccup Satruday in game 1. Thomas Burrows is the truth out of the bull pen. Austen Smith and Wade Wass are providing power, Mikey White and Kyle Overstreet may be best DP combo in the country. Turnbull, Keller and Kamplain a top tier rotation.

- One of only two teams In the SEC one result removed from 500, and also only one of two teams to have won three series. I don’t get it either.

5. Florida (Average: 4.44)

Previous: 4

Overall Record: 20-12, 7-5

Last Week: 0-1 vs. Florida Atlantic, 1-2 at Kentucky

Thoughts on the Gators:

- Needs better pitching if they want to go any distance in the post season

- Bottom half in both batting average and ERA… yet tied for the East lead. Go figure.

- This team is like so many others in the SEC this year: Up one week, down the other. Lost a close series to Kentucky on the road, but they could very well bounce back and start another long winning streak this week.

6. LSU (Average: 4.78)

Previous: 7

Overall Record: 25-8-1, 6-5-1

Last Week: 1-0 vs. McNeese State, 3-0 vs. Mississippi State

Thoughts on the Tigers:

- If the bats really are back, this team just got dangerous

- A huge rebound series sweep against pure evil.

- Give LSU credit: They know how to capitalize when opportunity comes calling. They did so Saturday to win the series against MSU, and then Sunday.... woof. Yeah let's not talk about that. Still not convinced this team is completely back hitting wise more than I am MSU just gonna MSU against them.

7. Ole Miss (Average: 7.56)

Previous: 8

Overall Record: 27-8, 7-5

Last Week: 1-0 vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 3-0 vs. Auburn

Thoughts on the Rebels:

- OK, they are 7-5, but six of those wins are against Auburn and Mizzou.

- Made Auburn look foolish. Not exactly a tough task.

- Ole Miss continues to play very well and win games, but at some point the one run, dramatic victories have to cease, right? You have to figure those games start going against them at some point when they play better teams than Auburn and Missouri. We may (or may not) find out more about them this weekend.

T-8. Tennessee (Average: 8.00)

Previous: 9

Overall Record: 22-9, 5-7

Last Week: 0-1 vs. ETSU, 2-1 vs. Vanderbilt

Thoughts on the Volunteers:

- If you didn’t Tennessee is for real, beating the ‘Dores is a wakeup call

- I honestly have no idea what to think of this team.

- Tennessee is one of about EVERY SEC team sans Georgia and Missouri to look down and then be right back up. Lots of parity in the league this year.

T-8. Mississippi State (Average: 8.00)

Previous: 3

Overall Record: 21-13, 6-6

Last Week: 0-3 at LSU

Thoughts on the Bulldogs:

- Cohen thinks IM A BAD VOTER

- Three series wins, yet sitting at 500. Don’t get swept, kids.

- As an MSU fan, last weekend was expected, but that didn't make it any easier to watch. Whether it's bad voodoo or just bad playing, State lost another series to LSU where they had every chance to be in it. Offense continues to be a gigantic issue. With Ole Miss hitting well this year, the MSU bats best come to swing this weekend.

10. Arkansas (Average: 8.56)

Previous: 11

Overall Record: 21-13, 6-6

Last Week: 1-1 vs. Nebraska, 2-1 vs. South Carolina

Thoughts on the Razorbacks:

- Needed that series win badly, but the real tests are still to come

- Another team with a simply brutal schedule so far.

- Nothing cures the ills of a road series loss than coming back home to beat a top-five team at home. The SEC: Where it's good to be home.

11. Texas A&M (Average: 11.89)

Previous: 12

Overall Record: 20-14, 5-7

Last Week: 0-1 vs. Houston, 1-2 vs. Alabama

Thoughts on the Aggies:

- The only thing keeping them afloat is a series win over Florida

- Trying to win in the SEC without consistent pitching or offense is hard.

- Keep waiting for the Aggies to announce Johnny Manziel as the new baseball coach, because anything short of that makes it hard to get excited about this team this season.

12. Auburn (Average: 12.00)

Previous: 11

Overall Record: 20-14, 5-7

Last Week: 0-1 vs. Samford, 0-3 at Ole Miss

Thoughts on the Tigers:

- Can’t even intentionally walk people right.

- A lowlight that will live in legend forever.

- I blame all of their weekend losses on the fact that Bruce Pearl did not make an appearance. Does he even CARE about Auburn sports?

13. Georgia (Average: 12.11)

Previous: 13

Overall Record: 19-13-1, 5-6-1

Last Week: 2-1 at Missouri

Thoughts on the Bulldogs:

- Beat Mizzou. What do you want, a medal?

- A case for the Dawgs being pretty good: two series wins and the losses were to LSU and State, who should be top division teams. A case against: Georgia.

- Won a series over Missouri, because one of the two worst teams in the SEC had to win, dangit. The more fitting ending to that series would have been each team winning a game and the Sunday game getting rained out.

14. Missouri (Average: 13.89)

Previous: 14

Overall Record: 15-16, 4-8

Last Week: 0-1 vs. Southern Illinois, 1-2 vs. Georgia

Thoughts on the Tigers:

- So, how’s Spring Football going?

- Most of this ballot is razor thin margins, but one thing is certain, Mizzou is in the cellar.

- You and South Carolina are the only constants in this poll so far this year. Thank you for being willing to anchor the cellar, Mizzou.

So there it is. Use the comments to let us know who was spot on, who was a little (..or a lot..) to low.