Alabama Baseball's Post-Georgia RPI: Just a Minute

The Alabama baseball team's RPI is no longer just outside the nation's top 10. After defeating the top RPI team, Georgia, in a three-game set this past weekend, the Crimson Tide ascended to No. 8. Alabama won the last two games of the home series on Sunday.

With a 15-12 SEC record and No. 18 national ranking according to D1Baseball, the Crimson Tide remains one of the teams in the hunt for a national seed in the NCAA Tournament. Had Alabama lost the series against Georgia, those hopes would have practically faded out.

One conference series remains in the SEC regular season. The Crimson Tide takes on No. 23 Florida (No. 13 in RPI) in a road series from Thursday to Saturday. A series win against one of the current best-playing clubs in the country would, in all likelihood, assure Alabama of a chance to host.

There's still the SEC Tournament in Hoover, which starts next Tuesday morning. The Crimson Tide only has to win one game against the Gators to earn a league record above .500. A run at the Hoover Met would enhance Alabama's prospects in any case but help more if it loses the Florida series.

The fact that the Bulldogs are still tops in RPI after dropping a series to a conference foe shows that the general toughness of an SEC schedule is reflected in the sport's metrics. RPI is an important criterion in host selection, along with strength of schedule and ranking.

The latest RPI top 16 is below. 16 teams annually are given the privilege of hosting NCAA regionals at their respective home ballparks. Alabama was the No. 16 national seed in 2023.

1. Georgia
2. Auburn
3. Vanderbilt
4. Texas
5. Arkansas
6. Oregon State
7. LSU
8. Alabama
9. Florida State
10. UCLA
11. North Carolina
12. Coastal Carolina
13. Florida
14. Clemson
15. Tennessee
16. TCU

Watch the above video as BamaCentral lead baseball writer Will Miller provides a brief update on Alabama's RPI after its weather-affected series win against Georgia, as well as assesses where that places the Crimson Tide's hosting chances ahead of the regular season's final stretch.