Ole Miss baseball climbs to No. 4 in latest top 25 poll

Following a weekend series win over 2017 College World Series finalist LSU this weekend, and following a few timely series losses by NC State and Texas Tech, Ole Miss baseball finds itself sitting happily among the top five in three major college baseball polls this week. D1Baseball and Perfect Game both rank the Rebs at No. 4, while Baseball America ranks them at No. 3. Not bad at all.

Going with D1Baseball here, Ole Miss jumped up two spots from last week’s ranking, carrying Arkansas along behind them at No. 5. Now, while a top five ranking this far along into the season may incite optimism among the Ole Miss faithful, there remains some reason for trepidation. As Chase Parham points out, the Diamond Rebs have very little margin for error from here to selection day, what with the No. 7 RPI in the country, a rather weak out-of-conference schedule, and the weakest overall strength of schedule among probable tournament teams in the SEC.

Arkansas technically ranks ahead of Ole Miss in the SEC West, but the Rebs hold a head-to-head series win advantage over the Razor Pigs.

There remain just three weeks left on Ole Miss’ regular season schedule, and Auburn and South Carolina loom in the immediate future. The Rebs are fresh off a series win over LSU, and the offense has maintained steady production to date, buoyed handsomely by Thomas Dillard’s 10 dingers and resplendent mustache.

It’s crunch time in the college baseball world, and it’s here that the Rebs can clinch a top-eight national seed or not come Selection Monday. All 16 top seeds will be ranked for the first time in college baseball history this year — previously only the eight national seeds were owed that privilege — so there’s hope yet if the Rebs don’t get finish in the top eight.

Just win, baby.