Final 2025 USA TODAY Sports baseball coaches poll unveiled: Was Alabama ranked?
The LSU Tigers defeated Coastal Carolina, 5-3, in the CWS Finals at Charles Schwab Field to win their second national championship in three years under coach Jay Johnson, and their eighth overall title in school history.
LSU finished the year 53-15 overall and were the unanimous No. 1 in the final USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, released Monday.
Alabama had a lot to be proud of in 2025. With a talented roster led by shortstop Justin Lebron, coach Rob Vaughn guided the Crimson Tide to their first 40-win regular season since 2002.
But it was an all-too-familiar ending for Alabama in the NCAA Tournament. The Crimson Tide dropped both games in the Hattiesburg Regional -- to the Miami Hurricanes and host Southern Miss -- as the program's College World Series drought reached 26 years.
Alabama, which climbed to as high as No. 8 in the Coaches Poll during the regular season on March 31 after taking two of three from Oklahoma in a top 10 series, entered the tournament ranked No. 20. The Crimson Tide were unranked in the final Coaches Poll Monday. They received the second most votes for top 25 consideration with 73, behind Florida with 85 votes.
Alabama also finished unranked in the final coaches poll in 2024. In 2023, the Crimson Tide were ranked No. 17 in the final coaches poll after reaching the Winston-Salem Super Regional against Wake Forest. Alabama was unranked in the preseason poll this year, released back on Feb. 3.
Eight SEC teams placed in the final top 25, led by LSU. The Tigers won an elimination game over Little Rock in the Baton Regional Regional, then breezed through the rest of the tournament. They swept West Virginia in a Super Regional and went 5-0 in Omaha, rallying for a 6-5 come-from-behind victory over rival Arkansas to clinch a berth in the CWS Finals.
The eight SEC teams ranked in the final top 25 were the most by any conference. Here's a look at the full top 25 Coaches Poll rankings.
Full USA TODAY Sports Baseball Coaches Poll 2025 final rankings
Schools Dropped Out
No. 18 Florida; No. 20 Alabama; No. 21 Northeastern; No. 22 Dallas Baptist; No. 23 Kansas; No. 25 TCU
Others Receiving Votes
Florida 85; Alabama 73; Northeastern 55; Dallas Baptist 53; Oklahoma 28; Wake Forest 24; TCU 22; Kansas 18; Virginia 14; North Carolina State 14; East Carolina 14; Western Kentucky 12; Oklahoma State 12; Mississippi State 11; Creighton 11; USC 9; Austin Peay 4; Arizona State 4; East Tennessee State 3; Troy 2; Cincinnati 2; Little Rock 1
Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama Crimson Tide news, notes and opinions.
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