Fans and analysts alike point to the RPI rankings as a true indicator of a team's strength. The formula behind the numbers take into account much more than win-loss record, which is why they're a big part of NCAA Tournament seeding. Take one look at the latest rankings, and you'll clearly see why the Southeastern conference is the toughest conference in baseball this year.

The most important thing you'll see is that all 14 of the conference's member institutions rank inside the top 78. With more than 300 teams in Division 1 baseball, that's an incredible statistic. Missouri moved up from 114 to 78 after winning three of four games last week, which means they rank last in the conference but still better than 220+ teams.

Alabama, which sits atop the conference standings with a 10-5 record, ranks 23rd in the nation, good for 8th among SEC teams. On the flip side, Ole Miss, which was swept by Alabama to end the month of March, sits at 5th in the rankings.

Let's take a full look at how the SEC standings compare to the RPI rankings (listed in parenthesis):

1. Alabama (23)

T-2. Florida (1)

T-2. Ole Miss (5)

4. LSU (21)

5. South Carolina (2)

6. Georgia (41)

T-7. Vanderbilt (14)

T-7. Kentucky (15)

T-7. Arkansas (71)

T-7. Mississippi St (42)

T-7. Texas A&M (52)

T-12. Tennessee (18)

T-12. Missouri (78)

T-12. Auburn (47)

As we sit at the midway point for the conference schedule, two things are clear: the league couldn't be any more competitive from top to bottom and we'll see plenty more shake up before the regular season comes to an end on May 17.

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