The Auburn Tigers made a powerful statement this past weekend, securing a crucial SEC series win on the road against Mississippi State. By taking two of three games in Starkville, Auburn improved to 16-10 in conference play with just one series left on the regular-season schedule.

Even before the weekend, there was little doubt Auburn would earn a regional host spot in the upcoming NCAA Baseball Tournament. But the Tigers needed a strong performance to boost their chances of becoming a national seed—and to lock down home-field advantage in both the NCAA Regionals and Super Regionals for the second straight season. Did they get the job done? While regional announcements are still two weeks away, the Tigers are in prime position. Auburn now sits at No. 3 in the latest RPI rankings, putting them squarely in the national seed conversation heading into the final week of regular-season play.

Auburn boasts the nation's toughest schedule, with a non-conference strength-of-schedule ranking No. 20, according to D1Baseball's latest RPI breakdown. The Tigers are a perfect 13-0 against Quad 3 and Quad 4 teams, and they've gone 7-3 against Quad 2 opponents. But their most impressive stat? Auburn has racked up 13 wins against Quad 1 teams—the nation's elite. That's more top-tier victories than several other top-10 teams in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll, including UCLA, Georgia, Texas A&M, Oregon State, Kansas, and Coastal Carolina.

The final week of the season gives Auburn four more chances to add another Quad 1 win. It starts Tuesday at Jax State, where the Gamecocks check in at No. 31 in the RPI with 40 wins and an 18-6 mark against nonconference opponents. Then comes the main event: a three-game home series against No. 5 Georgia at Plainsman Park. The Bulldogs clinched the SEC regular-season crown over the weekend, building a 4.5-game lead over Texas and Texas A&M, and they hold a five-game edge over Auburn and Alabama heading into this weekend's showdown on the Plains.