No team in college baseball has been more dominant on the young season than Tennessee. The Volunteers have a 20-1 record, lead the nation in ERA and rank third in runs per game. They’ve absolutely steamrolled opponents for a month.

It’s fair to say, though, that Big Orange hasn’t seen anything like what’s coming up this weekend: three games at packed Swayze Field in Oxford against No. 1 Ole Miss. The Rebels, at 15-4 on the season, don’t have quite the gaudy numbers that the Vols do -- a “mere” 9.7 runs per game, to Tennessee’s 11.4 -- but they’ve faced a tougher schedule thus far.

It’s hard to single out anyone on Tennessee’s wrecking-ball offense, but keep an eye on Drew Gilbert, MLB Pipeline’s No. 82 Draft prospect, and his ridiculous .474/593/.789 line. Senior third baseman Trey Lipscomb, meanwhile, has nine homers and 38 RBIs through 21 games.

Perhaps more remarkable than any hitter in Tennessee’s lineup is right-hander Chase Burns, who has done the not quite unthinkable and established himself as a Friday night starter in the SEC as a true freshman. He’ll likely match up with righty Derek Diamond, who is off to a bit of a rough start (5.32 ERA) but entered the season as Pipeline’s No. 86 Draft prospect.

The Rebels have racked up big offensive numbers despite an injury-hampered slow start from star catcher Hayden Dunhurst, the preseason No. 41 Draft prospect. Dunhurst doesn’t just do it at the plate, though. His arm behind the plate is elite.

Need more reasons to watch? How about Tennessee reliever Ben Joyce, he of the 104-mph fastball? Or Ole Miss slugger Tywone Malone, whom you may know better as Ole Miss defensive tackle Tywone Malone? This should be primo entertainment for three days.

Friday’s and Saturday’s games are both sold out, so you can be sure Swayze will be rocking. Games start at 7:30 p.m. ET Friday, 8 p.m. Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday. The first and third games will stream on SEC Network Plus, while you can watch on SEC Network on Saturday.

(Note: all rankings, aside from Leach’s Top 5, come from D1Baseball.com. All stats are accurate as of Wednesday afternoon.)

Lone Star Showdown: The SEC isn’t the only place with a Top-25 matchup. They’ve got one in the Big XII as well, and it’s a rivalry to boot. No. 2 Texas visits No. 16 Texas Tech in a battle of Omaha regulars. Jace Jung, Pipeline’s No. 6 Draft prospect, has lived up to the hype so far for Tech with a .388/.538/.650 line, but he’ll have a stiff test with Texas’ deep pitching staff. Games are at 7:30 p.m. ET Friday, 3 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday, all streaming on ESPN Plus.

Leach’s Top 5
1. Texas. The Horns have dropped out of the top spot in most national polls, but the quality of the their assortment of wins keeps them on top here.

2. Mississippi. The consensus No. 1 is doing it on both sides of the ball, and can cement that standing this weekend.

3. Tennessee. This is higher than most polls, but the Vols’ sheer dominance of their opponents earns them the spot.

4. Oregon State. That strong early showing against Gonzaga looks better every week.

5. Virginia. Much like Tennessee, the competition hasn’t been great so far, but they’ve absolutely throttled the teams they’ve played.

Mid Major Madness: A series win at Arizona and a midweek split with Texas put Texas State on the map. The Bobcats are 18-4 en route to a No. 20 ranking. They’ll put that on the line when they host conference foe Coastal Carolina for games Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The Chanticleers are 12-7-1 with wins already over Clemson and Wake Forest.

Assorted Pings: No. 22 Maryland faces its toughest test so far, with three games at Dallas Baptist. The Patriots are unranked, but No. 1 in the RPI. … Jud Fabian’s gamble seems to be paying off. The Florida outfielder didn’t sign after being drafted in the second round, hoping in part to put up bigger numbers for the Gators in 2022. He’s doing that, with 10 homers and a .320/.480/.800 line going into a big home series against LSU. … Remember Johnathan Thomas? The early-season stolen base machine is still doing it. He racked up four last weekend for Texas Southern against Alcorn State, bringing him up to 26 on the season. The Tigers play Arkansas-Pine Bluff this weekend.