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Things have well and truly begun to heat up in the world of Atlantic Coast Conference baseball.
Wake Forest stunned Florida State with a pair of weekend run-rule wins where the Demon Deacons outscored the Seminoles 29-2. Both Clemson and Georgia Tech took road trips to California and swept opponents, something that hasn't been easy for East Coast teams on the West Coast.
In the USA Today coaches poll, Clemson emerged as the top-ranked team in the conference, sitting at fifth, while FSU fell to eighth. Wake Forest moved up from No. 23 to No. 20 with the win over the Seminoles. In total, six ACC programs rank in the top 25 of the USA Today Coaches Poll.
With that said, let's dive into the rankings and see how the weekend drama impacted the power structure in the ACC.
Last week: 2
Record: 30-5 (9-3)
Clemson sits atop the power rankings after a cross-country journey to sweep Cal over the weekend. ACC programs had struggled in making the road trip to California, but the Tigers didn't falter, outscoring the Golden Bears 23-10. The Tigers are a serious contender and have been consistent all year, which leads the program to our top spot.
Last week: 1
Record: 25-6 (8-4)
It was a perilous weekend for the Seminoles, who were beaten twice by a combined score of 29-2 by visiting Wake Forest. Bullpen issues have become a concern for the ballclub, and that culminated in a weekend of struggle on the mound and the first ACC series loss.
Last week: 3
Record: 26-6 (11-4)
The Yellow Jackets are legit, and a statement sweep of Stanford over the weekend adds credibility to that argument. Georgia Tech leads the ACC in batting average with a .342, and Kyle Lodise is making a case as one of the top hitters in baseball with a .395 average, 13 home runs and 44 RBI.
Last week: 4
Record: 24-7 (8-4)
Louisville keeps on rolling with another series win, this time over Boston College. It wasn't the most competitive weekend for the Cardinals, outscoring the Eagles 41-14 in a hometown beatdown. The Louisville offense is red-hot, but consistency in the field and on the mound is the missing piece right now, keeping the team from the top three.
Last week: 5
Record: 24-8 (8-7)
The Tar Heels remain consistent, winning two of three against a competitive Duke team over the weekend. North Carolina's pitching and defense are some of the best in the ACC; however, struggles at the plate have resulted in a .267 team batting average, the second-worst in the conference. If, or when the Tar Heels figure out a better approach at the plate, watch out.
Last week: 6
Record: 22-10 (9-6)
Virginia Tech is serious, and despite a Friday slip-up in its weekend series with Notre Dame, the Hookies took care of business against the Fighting Irish. The series win over Wake Forest showcased what the ballclub is capable of, and with a weekend series against FSU, Virginia Tech has a chance to make a statement.
Last week: 7
Record: 23-10 (9-6)
The Demon Deacons made the biggest statement of the weekend. After weeks of inconsistency, Wake Forest pulled off a dominant series win over FSU, winning twice via the run-rule and only losing on Friday on a walk-off hit. When the team is at its best, Wake Forest can challenge anyone, and that was on display in Tallahassee.
Last week: 10
Record: 21-11 (7-5)
The Wolfpack took a series against Virginia over the weekend, with a walk-off on Sunday cementing a solid weekend for the ballclub. NC State continues to be a steady threat to win every series it plays in, but with unpredictability on the mound, games can get away from the Wolfpack.
Last week: 8
Record: 17-13 (7-8)
Virginia had hit a vein of form ahead of its NC State series, and despite the loss, things still look to be going in an upward trajectory for the ballclub. The walk-off loss in the series rubber match will sting, but the young Cavaliers are starting to piece things together, with the biggest remaining concern being the inconsistency on defense.
Last week: 9
Record: 21-12 (8-7)
Losing its weekend series to North Carolina, the Blue Devils remain in the middle of the pack in the ACC. There is a high level of potential for the team, but Duke's struggles to remain consistent are hindering the team from reaching that potential.
Last week: 11
Record: 17-12 (5-10)
Stanford's rollercoaster start to ACC play continues, with the Cardinal still currently on a steep drop after Georgia Tech swept the team. The inability to get consistent reliability on the mound has been the biggest drawback for Stanford this season, with teams shelling the ballclub, piling on to the teams' 6.36 ERA.
Last week: 12
Record: 16-15 (6-9)
Swept at the hands of Clemson, the Golden Bears continue to flirt with .500 baseball. There is very little consistency from the team, and it's led to Cal being ranked in the middle of major statistical categories in the ACC, exemplifying the season's dramatic mood swings.
Last week: 13
Record: 17-16 (4-8)
Miami won its weekend series against Pitt. It's the Hurricanes' first ACC series win, but there is still tons of work to do for the famous club, and a weekend at home against Duke could be the final chance for Miami to have any hope of a conference turnaround.
Last week: 14
Record: 13-17 (5-10)
The Eagles were swept by Lousiville and it seems the well of early season magic that led to a series win over Virgina has run dry. With a thin pitching staff, its hard to see Boston College picking up consistent wins in the ACC.
Last week: 15
Record: 17-14 (4-8)
Not much has changed for Pitt, with a series loss to Miami at home cementing the Panthers' spot at the bottom of the conference.
Last week: 16
Record: 15-14 (3-12)
The Fighting Irihs continue to find ways to win at least a game, stealing one game off Virginia Tech, but there are few signs of positive trends for Notre Dame right now on the diamond.
Liam Rooney covers Florida State athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at [email protected] or on Twitter @__liamrooney
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: ACC baseball rankings shakeup as Clemson takes over the top spot
Continue reading...
Wake Forest stunned Florida State with a pair of weekend run-rule wins where the Demon Deacons outscored the Seminoles 29-2. Both Clemson and Georgia Tech took road trips to California and swept opponents, something that hasn't been easy for East Coast teams on the West Coast.
In the USA Today coaches poll, Clemson emerged as the top-ranked team in the conference, sitting at fifth, while FSU fell to eighth. Wake Forest moved up from No. 23 to No. 20 with the win over the Seminoles. In total, six ACC programs rank in the top 25 of the USA Today Coaches Poll.
With that said, let's dive into the rankings and see how the weekend drama impacted the power structure in the ACC.
1. Clemson
Last week: 2
Record: 30-5 (9-3)
Clemson sits atop the power rankings after a cross-country journey to sweep Cal over the weekend. ACC programs had struggled in making the road trip to California, but the Tigers didn't falter, outscoring the Golden Bears 23-10. The Tigers are a serious contender and have been consistent all year, which leads the program to our top spot.
2. Florida State
Last week: 1
Record: 25-6 (8-4)
It was a perilous weekend for the Seminoles, who were beaten twice by a combined score of 29-2 by visiting Wake Forest. Bullpen issues have become a concern for the ballclub, and that culminated in a weekend of struggle on the mound and the first ACC series loss.
3. Georgia Tech
Last week: 3
Record: 26-6 (11-4)
The Yellow Jackets are legit, and a statement sweep of Stanford over the weekend adds credibility to that argument. Georgia Tech leads the ACC in batting average with a .342, and Kyle Lodise is making a case as one of the top hitters in baseball with a .395 average, 13 home runs and 44 RBI.
4. Lousiville
Last week: 4
Record: 24-7 (8-4)
Louisville keeps on rolling with another series win, this time over Boston College. It wasn't the most competitive weekend for the Cardinals, outscoring the Eagles 41-14 in a hometown beatdown. The Louisville offense is red-hot, but consistency in the field and on the mound is the missing piece right now, keeping the team from the top three.
5. North Carolina
Last week: 5
Record: 24-8 (8-7)
The Tar Heels remain consistent, winning two of three against a competitive Duke team over the weekend. North Carolina's pitching and defense are some of the best in the ACC; however, struggles at the plate have resulted in a .267 team batting average, the second-worst in the conference. If, or when the Tar Heels figure out a better approach at the plate, watch out.
6. Virginia Tech
Last week: 6
Record: 22-10 (9-6)
Virginia Tech is serious, and despite a Friday slip-up in its weekend series with Notre Dame, the Hookies took care of business against the Fighting Irish. The series win over Wake Forest showcased what the ballclub is capable of, and with a weekend series against FSU, Virginia Tech has a chance to make a statement.
7. Wake Forest
Last week: 7
Record: 23-10 (9-6)
The Demon Deacons made the biggest statement of the weekend. After weeks of inconsistency, Wake Forest pulled off a dominant series win over FSU, winning twice via the run-rule and only losing on Friday on a walk-off hit. When the team is at its best, Wake Forest can challenge anyone, and that was on display in Tallahassee.
8. NC State
Last week: 10
Record: 21-11 (7-5)
HOGUE WENT ROGUE AND CALLED GAMEpic.twitter.com/tO7RQftQYN
— #Pack9️ (@NCStateBaseball) April 6, 2025
The Wolfpack took a series against Virginia over the weekend, with a walk-off on Sunday cementing a solid weekend for the ballclub. NC State continues to be a steady threat to win every series it plays in, but with unpredictability on the mound, games can get away from the Wolfpack.
9. Virginia
Last week: 8
Record: 17-13 (7-8)
Virginia had hit a vein of form ahead of its NC State series, and despite the loss, things still look to be going in an upward trajectory for the ballclub. The walk-off loss in the series rubber match will sting, but the young Cavaliers are starting to piece things together, with the biggest remaining concern being the inconsistency on defense.
10. Duke
Last week: 9
Record: 21-12 (8-7)
Losing its weekend series to North Carolina, the Blue Devils remain in the middle of the pack in the ACC. There is a high level of potential for the team, but Duke's struggles to remain consistent are hindering the team from reaching that potential.
11. Stanford
Last week: 11
Record: 17-12 (5-10)
Stanford's rollercoaster start to ACC play continues, with the Cardinal still currently on a steep drop after Georgia Tech swept the team. The inability to get consistent reliability on the mound has been the biggest drawback for Stanford this season, with teams shelling the ballclub, piling on to the teams' 6.36 ERA.
12. Cal
Last week: 12
Record: 16-15 (6-9)
Swept at the hands of Clemson, the Golden Bears continue to flirt with .500 baseball. There is very little consistency from the team, and it's led to Cal being ranked in the middle of major statistical categories in the ACC, exemplifying the season's dramatic mood swings.
13. Miami
Last week: 13
Record: 17-16 (4-8)
Miami won its weekend series against Pitt. It's the Hurricanes' first ACC series win, but there is still tons of work to do for the famous club, and a weekend at home against Duke could be the final chance for Miami to have any hope of a conference turnaround.
14. Boston College
Last week: 14
Record: 13-17 (5-10)
The Eagles were swept by Lousiville and it seems the well of early season magic that led to a series win over Virgina has run dry. With a thin pitching staff, its hard to see Boston College picking up consistent wins in the ACC.
15. Pitt
Last week: 15
Record: 17-14 (4-8)
Not much has changed for Pitt, with a series loss to Miami at home cementing the Panthers' spot at the bottom of the conference.
16. Notre Dame
Last week: 16
Record: 15-14 (3-12)
The Fighting Irihs continue to find ways to win at least a game, stealing one game off Virginia Tech, but there are few signs of positive trends for Notre Dame right now on the diamond.
Liam Rooney covers Florida State athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at [email protected] or on Twitter @__liamrooney
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: ACC baseball rankings shakeup as Clemson takes over the top spot
Continue reading...
