April means the middle of conference play for college baseball, knee deep in tight battles that consistently shake up conference standings.
The second week of this month featured a boatload of great matchups, not just in one conference, but five across the country. Some had multiple noteworthy series, others had one that was too good not to document.
Here is a breakdown of must-know series results from the Power 4 and Conference USA.
SEC: No. 18 Texas A&M stuns No. 2 Texas
"Ball Five" chants, boos and bubbles filled Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park to the brim during No. 18 Texas A&M’s home series. Lively would be an understatement.
And it was for good reason. They welcomed in rival No. 2 Texas, arguably the SEC’s top team, coached by former Aggies skipper Jim Schlossnagle — the biggest reason for the boos.
Between the amplified emotions, unique celebrations and strong showing, the Aggies took the series, 2-0, for a huge statement win midway through the season. Game 3 on Sunday was canceled due to inclement weather.
Friday’s matchup was nothing short of thriller, as both teams tugged for the series lead.
The Longhorns scored first in the third on left fielder Anthony Pack Jr.’s sacrifice fly, while Texas A&M answered with an RBI double by first baseman Gavin Grahovac and an RBI ground out by center fielder Caden Sorrell. The Aggies led 3-2 after four thanks to third baseman Nico Partida’s big fly.
Cue the bubbles.
Look at how many bubbles there are. No ballpark can compete with the traditions of Blue Bell on a big weekend. Its incredible lmao
— 11Point7 College Baseball (@11point7)
Both teams scored four runs between the fifth and sixth innings. Texas did its damage by way of the long ball; the Aggies capitalized with walks and their "Ball Five" tradition, a chant done when an opposing pitcher throws four balls in a row, adding one more to the total in anticipation of the next pitch.
BALL 5 IS LOUD
— 11Point7 College Baseball (@11point7)
Texas A&M added insurance, scoring a run in the seventh and eighth to lead 9-6 entering the ninth. Texas hit back-to-back solo homers, but ran out of power after that.
Texas A&M would go on to take Game 2, 11-4.
Other notable SEC series results:
- Florida takes series over No. 4 Georgia on the road, 2-1
- Tennessee sweeps No. 9 Mississippi State on the road
- Bulldogs have lost six straight SEC home games
- No. 22 Arkansas takes down No. 8 Alabama, 2-1
ACC: No. 3 Georgia Tech impresses in sweep over No. 5 Florida State
Mac Nease Baseball Park at Russ Chandler Stadium was expected to buzz at its highest regular season frequency in years this past weekend with No. 3 Georgia Tech hosting No. 5 Florida State, its first top-5 series hosted since 2009.
A sold out crowd, three wins away from the 30-win mark and vying for the top spot in the conference, the incentives for a strong performance were clear.
It proved to be enough by the weekend’s end, as the Yellow Jackets swept and steamrolled through the Seminoles, outscoring them 29-9 across the three-game series.
The closest battle was the Friday opener, when the Jackets overcame an early 3-0 deficit, winning 4-3 and slamming the door thanks to a thrilling double play and emphatic chest bump between catcher Vahn Lackey and right-hander Mason Patel.
1-3-2 DOUBLE PLAY TO WIN IT!!!!!
— Georgia Tech Baseball (@GTBaseball)
Game 1 felt like a warmup when it came to Georgia Tech’s offense, scoring eight in the second game and 17 in the finale.
Other notable series results:
- No. 6 North Carolina survives Clemson, 2-1
- Won 14-inning showdown in Game 2, 6-4
Big Ten: UCLA reaches 27 straight wins
No. 1 UCLA continued its race for history over the weekend by sweeping Rutgers, upping its win streak to 27 games. They are now seven games away from tying the DI record for most consecutive wins (34) set by Texas in 1977 and Florida Atlantic in 1999.
The Scarlet Knights nearly cut this conversation short in the series opener, duking it out with the Bruins for 14 innings.
It was a battle of the pitching staffs, combining for 45 strikeouts, sucking most of the life out of each lineup until one team let up. Rutgers scored in the first inning on third baseman Charlie Meglio’s RBI single up the middle, and UCLA tied it on right fielder Payton Brennan’s hit by pitch. The two teams were in a stalemate for the next 10 innings.
Bruins catcher Cashel Dugger broke the tie in the 14th, scoring third baseman Roman Martin on a fielder’s choice. Pinch hitter Aidan Espinoza added two insurance runs three batters later with a bases loaded single through the right side.
UCLA held off the Scarlet Knights in the bottom half of the inning to win 4-1 before returning to regularly scheduled programming in the next two games, outtcoring their opponent 16-3.
Bruins starting pitcher Logan Reddemann struck out 18 over eight innings of work, matching the program record.
Other notable series results:
- No. 21 Oregon takes series over No. 19 Nebraska, 2-1
- Cornhuskers have lost three of last four after entering the week of last 10
Big 12: Kansas sweeps No. 12 UCF, takes control of first place
The Jayhawks have become a recognizable face in college baseball headlines recently, quietly piling up wins in a multitude of theatrical ways.
This past weekend was no different — amplifying their spotlight if anything — sweeping No. 12 UCF at home and moving them into first place of conference standings. It caps off a statement week for the program, taking down a red-hot Nebraska team midweek and now the Knights, both ranked opponents.
The fun for Kansas began in Friday’s series opener, winning by walk-off, 4-3, the team’s sixth this season.
UCF knotted it up at 3-3 in the top of the ninth with an RBI single by catcher Zak Skinner, sending the contest into extras.
However, Jayhawks designated hitter Max Soliz Jr. was the game’s hero, hammering a line drive single into left center far over Knights shortstop Jordan Lodise’s head. Hoglund Ballpark exploded, watching their team claim its eighth straight win in a major way.
Walk-offs are becoming a common thing around here 🤷
— Kansas Baseball (@KUBaseball)
Kansas went on to sweep the series in Saturday’s doubleheader.
CUSA: Liberty beats conference’s top team in Jacksonville State
Jacksonville State and Liberty's meeting was a battle between two of CUSA’s hottest teams, excluding Missouri State. The former hadn’t lost a conference game all season and was coming off a win over No. 15 Auburn, while the latter entered on an eight-game win streak.
It set the table for an exciting series — and it didn’t disappoint. The Gamecocks took Game 1, winning 8-4, but the tide shifted into the Flames' favor in Game 2.
The two teams were tied 6-6 in the bottom of the ninth when Liberty left fielder Nick Barone hit a one-out double down the left field line. Jacksonville State intentionally walked second baseman Easton Swofford in hopes of creating a double play, but designated hitter Landon Scilley never gave them the opportunity.
The sophomore singled through the right side after Swofford’s walk, scoring Barone for the 7-6 victory. They went on to win the rubber match, 4-2.
LANDON SCILLEY WALK-OFF‼️‼️‼️
— Liberty Baseball (@LibertyBaseball)
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