Big 12 baseball power rankings: Challenges await Oklahoma State, TCU, Baylor
College baseball tends to be rife with mismatches early in the season, but the Big 12 schedule offers some must-see games this weekend.
Oklahoma State goes to Globe Life Field in Arlington, where the Cowboys will take on Michigan, No. 4 Arkansas and No. 7 Oregon State. Can't accuse the Cowboys of looking for easy victories. They opened at Sam Houston State, a 39-win NCAA tournament team last year.
No. 5 TCU, meanwhile, hosts No. 24 UCLA in a three-game series starting Friday. It's the first of eight consecutive games for the Horned Frogs against Pac-12 teams. Over the next week, TCU also hosts Washington State and Arizona and, in another multi-team event at Globe Life Field, the Horned Frogs are scheduled twice against Southern California and once against Arizona State.
Baylor has a three-game home set against Indiana, a 43-20 an NCAA tournament team last year.
On to the Big 12 power rankings after the opening weekend. Records and rankings are as of Sunday's games.
1. TCU (3-0)
Last week: 1
What to know: Karson Bowen's homer and five-RBI game helped the Horned Frogs finish off a sweep of Florida Gulf Coast. Zachary Cawyer coming out of the bullpen was winning pitcher in two of the three games.
2. Texas (2-1)
Last week: 2
What to know: San Diego was 24-25-1 last year and led Texas in all three games in Austin. Give the Longhorns a pass since it was the first weekend.
3. Texas Tech (2-1)
Last week: 3
What to know: Texas Tech won its last two games of the weekend against Nebraska and Oregon in the Shriners Children's College Showdown. That was a refreshing change for the Red Raiders, who had lost six of their previous seven February games in Globe Life Field.
Red Raiders top Cornhuskers: Texas Tech baseball breaks its February hex at Globe Life Field
After 20 months away: Jack Washburn's first Texas Tech baseball start was no ordinary debut
4. Oklahoma State (1-2)
Last week: 4
What to know: No shame in dropping a road series against Sam Houston State, a good mid-major program. But offense isn't supposed to be a question in Stillwater, and the Cowboys lost the first two 7-2 and 2-1.
5. Oklahoma (2-1)
Last week: 6
What to know: At the Shriners Children's College Showdown in Arlington, James Hitt struck out 10 in five innings against Nebraska, and Brendan Girton fanned nine in four innings against Tennessee. If it seems odd to see those names associated with the Sooners, remember both are former Texas Tech pitchers who transferred to Oklahoma.
More: OU baseball: Get to know the 2024 Oklahoma Sooners roster, schedule
6. Kansas State (2-1)
Last week: 5
What to know: K-State already has an all-American closer, Tyson Neighbors. Now comes freshman Blake Dean, who saved a 6-4 win over Boston College with six strikeouts in three no-hit innings.
7. West Virginia (1-1)
Last week: 7
What to know: The Mountaineers have some holes to fill in the lineup around NCAA Division I batting champion J.J. Wetherholt. Say hello to UT-Arlington transfer Benjamin Lumsden, who homered twice in his WVU debut, including a late game-winner to beat Stetson.
8. Houston (3-0)
Last week: 9
What to know: New Cougars starting pitchers Jaxon Jelkin from South Mountain (Ariz.) Community College, Antoine Jean from Alabama and Duncan Howard from Presbyterian combined for a 1.38 earned-run average, 17 strikeouts and two walks in a three-game sweep of Binghamton.
9. Kansas (1-2)
Last week: 8
What to know: We think Kansas, having doubled its Big 12 win total from 2022 to 2023 and stocked with returnees, could take another step forward this season. Dropping two of three to Illinois-Chicago is not the way to go about it, Jayhawks.
Jayhawks' outlook: Here are 3 reasons Kansas baseball can enjoy success in year 2 with coach Dan Fitzgerald
10. Central Florida (1-0)
Last week: 10
What to know: New coach Rich Wallace won his debut game on opening night against Bryant. His challenge: To elevate a program that's averaged 34 victories the past five full seasons to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2017.
11. Baylor (0-3)
Last week: 11
What to know: Junior righthander Mason Marriott gave the Bears 5 2/3 innings of one-hit pitching with 10 strikeouts on opening day against Nebraska. Small victories for a team that went 20-35 last year.
12. Brigham Young (1-1)
Last week: 12
What to know: According to his bio, freshman DH Kuhio Aloy can hit a golf ball 400 yards, so invite him to your nearest driving range and find out. There's video proof that he homered in the first two games of his college career, against Southern California and Ohio State.
13. Cincinnati (0-2)
Last week: 13
What to know: Cincinnati shortstop Lauden Brooks started his college career in 2022 at Texas Tech. He transferred to his hometown school before last season, batting .231 with two home runs, 19 runs batted in and a team-high 14 stolen bases.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Big 12 baseball power rankings: OSU, TCU, Baylor being tested early
