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Texas rises to No. 5, secures SEC quarterfinal bye; UCLA leads.

5/18/2026

48 7 Full Breakdown

Summary

Texas Rises

Texas Longhorns moved up to No. 5 in the D1Baseball poll after a 3-0 sweep of Missouri.
UCLA stayed atop the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll with 28 first-place votes.
Tennessee re-entered the D1Baseball top 25 at No. 24 after beating Oklahoma twice on May 18, 2026.
Texas earned a double-bye to the SEC quarterfinals and will meet the South Carolina/Tennessee/Arkansas winner on Friday at 3 p.m. ET.

Summary

Georgia Clinches

Georgia clinched the SEC title before the final weekend despite a 14-4 loss to Auburn.
West Virginia closed its Big 12 slate with a 6-4 win over TCU, reaching 37-13 and 21-9 in conference.
Texas A&M rebounded from an 18-11 loss to Mississippi State by winning 11-9 and 7-6 to take series.
North Carolina remained No. 2 in D1Baseball after sweeping NC State 9-4 and 17-7, improving to 2-1 in ACC play.

History

Historical Context

Texas Longhorns baseball, a program with six national titles and a record 38 College World Series appearances, won its sixth championship in 2002 under coach Augie Garrido. Decades of dominance have kept the Longhorns among the nation’s elite, so their 2026 sweep of Missouri to reach No. 5 continues a legacy that shapes recruiting and conference realignment.

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Texas Rises

Texas Longhorns moved up to No. 5 in the D1Baseball poll after a 3-0 sweep of Missouri.
UCLA stayed atop the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll with 28 first-place votes.
Tennessee re-entered the D1Baseball top 25 at No. 24 after beating Oklahoma twice on May 18, 2026.
Texas earned a double-bye to the SEC quarterfinals and will meet the South Carolina/Tennessee/Arkansas winner on Friday at 3 p.m. ET.

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