The Oklahoma baseball team is getting the newbie treatment from the SEC.
The SEC Baseball Preseason Coaches Poll, which is voted on by the 16 coaches in the conference, was announced on Wednesday. And the Sooners weren't even in the top 10.
SEC coaches projected OU to finish 11th in the SEC in its first season in the conference. College World Series runner-up Texas A&M was voted No. 1, while defending national champion Tennessee was second.
Others above OU included Arkansas, LSU, Florida, Georgia, Vanderbilt, Texas, Mississippi State and Kentucky, respectively. Below the Sooners are Auburn, Alabama, South Carolina, Ole Miss and Missouri.
To the Sooners' benefit, they aren't scheduled to play any of the preseason top 3 teams in a series this season.
⚾️ @AggieBaseball named 2025 preseason favorite by @SEC baseball coaches!https://t.co/UB0LUGwmAa | #SECBSB pic.twitter.com/3EAhV8V1Vg
— Southeastern Conference (@SEC) February 5, 2025
The top two were obvious choices, but it is head-scratching that fellow SEC newcomer Texas was picked eighth, three spots ahead of OU. The Sooners won the Big 12 regular-season title last season before losing to Oklahoma State in the Big 12 tournament final.
Like in football, OU and Texas are leaving the Big 12 to compete in the best conference in college baseball. Even if the Sooners really do finish 11th in the SEC, they would still likely make the NCAA Tournament.
The regular season will end with the Red River Rivalry on May 15-17 at L. Dale Mitchell Park.
The Sooners will start their 2025 season with a home series against Lehigh on Feb. 14-16. OU will begin its time in the SEC against South Carolina on March 14.