FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas fell from the top spot in the USA Today Baseball Coaches Poll on Monday.
The Razorbacks (14-3) fell to No. 2 and were replaced by Vanderbilt (15-3) atop the poll after both teams won two of three games over ranked opponents in their first SEC series of the season.
Vanderbilt received 22 first-place votes and the Razorbacks received six first-place votes in this week's poll. Florida also received two first-place votes this week, and Ole Miss and Texas Tech received one first-place vote apiece.
Arkansas is scheduled to play three games at No. 4 Mississippi State (16-4) beginning Friday. The Bulldogs won two of three games over LSU in their first SEC series over the weekend.
The Razorbacks were voted No. 1 by all six major polls the previous two weeks, and had spent three weeks atop the coaches poll.
Opinions varied following Arkansas' 2-2 week that included home losses of 8-5 to Oklahoma and 16-1 to Alabama. The Razorbacks won the final two games of their series against the Crimson Tide by scores of 9-1 and 3-1.
Baseball America kept Arkansas at No. 1 in its poll, but the Razorbacks dropped to No. 2 in the D1Baseball poll, to No. 3 by Perfect Game and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, and to No. 5 by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper.
The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette recognizes the coaches poll as its poll of record.
Nine SEC teams are ranked in this week's coaches poll, and the league has the top five teams in the poll for the second consecutive week.
In addition to Vanderbilt, Arkansas and Mississippi State, Ole Miss is ranked No. 3 and Florida is No. 5. Other ranked SEC teams include Tennessee (9), LSU (16), South Carolina (23) and Alabama (24).
Other notable poll rankings this week include No. 6 Texas Tech, No. 10 Texas and No. 12 TCU. The Razorbacks defeated all three teams at the College Baseball Showdown to open the season.
Louisiana Tech was just outside this week's rankings and received the most votes for a team not ranked this week. The Bulldogs have won five consecutive games, a streak that began with a 2-0 victory over the Razorbacks in the March 14 series finale between the teams.
According to WarrenNolan.com, Arkansas' strength of schedule is the hardest nationally so far this season. The Razorbacks are scheduled to play two games against Memphis (9-8) before the series at Mississippi State.
USA Today Baseball Coaches Poll, March 22
1 Vanderbilt (15-3)
2 Arkansas (14-3)
3 Ole Miss (16-4)
4 Mississippi State (16-4)
5 Florida (16-5)
6 Texas Tech (16-4)
7 Louisville (14-5)
8 East Carolina (16-3)
9 Tennessee (17-4)
10 Texas (14-6)
11 UCLA (12-6)
12 TCU (13-7)
13 Georgia Tech (11-6)
14 Notre Dame (9-3)
15 Oregon (10-4)
16 LSU (16-5)
17 Oklahoma State (12-5-1)
18 Pittsburgh (11-4)
19 Michigan (9-2)
20 Oregon State (13-4)
21 Florida State (10-6)
22 Miami (9-7)
23 South Carolina (12-6)
24 Alabama (15-5)
25 North Carolina (12-6)