HAVE YOUR SAY: Ask questions about the power rankings
It’s early in the college baseball season, which means even some of the nation’s elite players are prone to getting off to slow starts.
Few players exited this week’s PG Power Rankings, but there certainly was some movement at some positions.
In the head coach category, South Carolina’s Ray Tanner continues to lead the way, while he’s followed by Florida’s Kevin O’Sullivan and Stanford’s Mark Marquess. Marquess climbed from No. 4 to No. 3 after a huge weekend against Vanderbilt.
At the catcher position, Florida veteran Mike Zunino holds strong at the top with a .474 batting average, while Miami’s Peter O’Brien is one to watch as he’s off to an incredible .574 start at the plate. Meanwhile, Baylor’s Josh Ludy entered the rankings by starting the year with a .500 average, while East Carolina’s Zach Wright dropped out of the rankings for the time being.
At first base, South Carolina’s Christian Walker is still the headliner, while Stanford’s Brian Ragira moved from No. 6 to No. 2 following an incredible start. Meanwhile, Southern Illinois first baseman Chris Serritella made a solid return from an injury that sidelined him last season. He moved from No. 9 to No. 8 this week.
In the middle infield, Arizona State’s Deven Marrero is still the headliner, while California veteran Tony Renda vaulted from No. 5 to No. 2 following an outstanding opening week. Also keep an eye on Ole Miss second baseman Alex Yarbrough, who’s hitting .357 with two RBIs after a week and a half of action.
Over at third base, Stanford’s Stephen Piscotty has been on a tear with already three home runs, while Arkansas’ Matt Reynolds continues to climb after starting the season with an amazing .625 batting average. Also keep an eye on San Diego’s Kris Bryant, who’s living up to his preseason hype with a .556 average.
In the outfield, Georgia Southern’s Victor Roache already has a pair of home runs, while Texas A&M’s Tyler Naquin is living up to his preseason hype with a fabulous .553 batting average. Meanwhile, Florida State’s James Ramsey is on an early tear, while Texas’ Mark Payton is off to a surprising start with a .538 average.
On the mound, Stanford’s Mark Appel, South Carolina’s Michael Roth and Texas A&M’s Michael Wacha lead the starting pitchers, while in the bullpen, Texas’ Corey Knebel ascended to the top spot following a great week. Also keep an eye on Florida two-way star Austin Maddox, who has allowed just three base runners in six innings of work.
The PG Power Rankings are released each week throughout the regular season, with a final release coming after the College World Series.
COLLEGE BASEBALL POWER RANKINGS (FEB 23)
Head coach | Catcher | First base | Middle infield | Third base | Outfield | Starting pitcher | Relief pitcher
Kendall Rogers is the college baseball managing editor for Perfect Game and can be reached at kendall@perfectgame.org