Big 12 Baseball Opening Week Review - February 25, 2008

by Jon Johnston on Feb 25, 2008 12:14 PM CST in Nebraska Husker Baseball

Big 12 Baseball Opening Week Review - February 24, 2008 I'll be doing a Big 12 Week Review for college baseball again this season. I am interested in feedback on the format, particularly whether you find the links to articles useful, or if you'd just like the overall summaries with some links to interesting analysis.
I am considering dropping the USA Today/Coaches poll as I think that it's next to useless. The idea that coaches are going to vote in a poll while at the same time playing a condensed scheduled is ridiculous. Taking it's place will be the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association poll. It may not be as popular as saying "ESPN", but it's probably a more accuration prediction of where things are. Feedback on that welcome.
Last season I typically did these on Sunday nights and I will probably do that again this year. This one is behind because I had a lot going on yesterday. Feedback is welcome and appreciated.

Big 12 Baseball Opening Week Review

Overall Big 12 win-loss records are updated on the right sidebar. Win-loss for the week is included below.

Big 12 Rankings this Week
National Collegiate Baseball Writers - Pre-Season Poll: Texas, 6th; Missouri, 17th; Texas A&M, 20th; Baylor, 26th; Oklahoma State, 27th
Baseball America Top 25 - Updated: Missouri, 5th; Baylor, 13th; Texas, 14th; Oklahoma State, 21st; Texas A&M, dropped out
Collegiate Baseball Top 25 - Updated: Texas, 6th; Missouri, 15th; Baylor, 24th; Texas A&M, 28th

Baylor

3-0

Fri., Feb. 22 Baylor 2, Purdue 1
Sat., Feb. 23 Baylor 11, Purdue 10
Sun., Feb. 24 Baylor 2, Purdue 1

Baylor starts the season 3-0 for the third time in the last four seasons. Saturday's game went to 11 innings and all three games in the series with Purdue were one-run games. Pretty exciting stuff for an opening weekend.

Kansas

2-3

Fri., Feb. 22 Kansas 2, Hawaii-Hilo 1
Sat., Feb. 23 Hawaii-Hilo 4, Kansas 3
Sat., Feb. 23 Hawaii-Hilo 12, Kansas 4
Sun., Feb. 24 Hawaii-Hilo 4, Kansas 3
Sun., Feb. 24 Kansas 16, Hawaii-Hilo 4

I can guarantee you that losing a five-game series to the University of Hawaii-Hilo was not what Kansas had in mind to start the 2008 season. UHH is a perennial bottom dweller in college baseball, finishing 286 out of 293 in last year's RPI. JQ over at Rock Chalk Talk should have something to say about this disaster, but I haven't seen anything posted yet. Maybe he's still in shock.

Kansas State

0-2

Fri., Feb. 22 California Tournament California 5, Kansas State 1
Sat., Feb. 23 California Tournament Santa Clara 9, Kansas State 2

Three Big 12 series were affected by California weather, with KSU's Saturday double header game against Santa Clara and the Sunday game against Cal were both cancelled. Thus, KSU comes away from opening weekend without a win at Cal's tournament.
Things should get better for them this week as they play in the Lamar Classic tournament against Arkansas State, Michigan State and Lamar.

Missouri

3-0

Fri., Feb. 22 Stetson University Tournament, Missouri 7, Connecticut 1
Sat., Feb. 23 Stetson University Tournament, Missouri 14, Michigan State 9
Sun., Feb. 24 Stetson University Tournament, Missouri 9, Stetson 5

Missouri opens at 3-0. Aaron Crow was brilliant against UConn, pitching five innings, giving up six hits and one run. Rick Zagone gave up three runs in four innings before the Tigers went to the bull pen agagainst Michigan State.
Nice offensive output over the weekend, with 30 total runs in three games.

Nebraska

1-2

Fri., Feb. 22 Stanford 17, Nebraska 7
Fri., Feb. 22 Nebraska 9, Stanford 2
Sat., Feb. 23 Stanford 4, Nebraska 2

Nebraska lost the series to Stanford, giving up four runs in the seventh inning of the rubber match that started Saturday and finished late Sunday. Stanford took advantage of Husker errors in the final game.
As expected, Johnny Dorn was dominant in the second game of the double header on Friday. The Huskers played very well, nice offense and great defense. The opening game was nasty, but it was the Huskers' first time at playing outdoors for the season, as I stated earlier, it may be that it took them a while to get going as they played much better in the final innings of the first game and then continued into the second game doing well.
Rain cancelled the fourth game, although that's a little weird since they could have yet played it today or possibly gotten it in yesterday.

Oklahoma

1-1

Sat., Feb. 23 UCLA 7, Oklahoma 5
Sat., Feb. 23 Oklahoma 3, UCLA 2

Oklahoma split a couple games with highly-ranked UCLA, then had two others cancelled due to weather. The second Saturday game went to 12 innings when Oklahoma's Spencer Selby drove in a run with a sacrifice fly. Nice opening against a high quality opponent for the Sooners.

Oklahoma State

4-0

Fri., Feb. 22 Oklahoma State 6, Gonzaga 1
Sat., Feb. 23 Oklahoma State 12, Gonzaga 2
Sun., Feb. 24 Oklahoma State 3, Gonzaga 1
Sun., Feb. 24 Oklahoma State 10, Gonzaga 3

The Cowboys sweep Gonzaga, and as they did most of last season, put up a ton of offense. They held Gonzaga to only seven runs in four games while producing 31 themselves. That's dominance against a decent oponent.

Texas

3-0

Fri., Feb. 22 Texas 6, VCU 2
Sat., Feb. 23 Texas 17, VCU 4
Sun., Feb. 24 Texas 10, VCU 2

Texas swept Virginia Commonwealth, putting up a fair amount of offense in the process. VCU isn't a bad opponent, and Texas pitching pretty much shut them down for the weekend. BTW, if you're looking for some really decent Texas baseball coverage that's off the beaten path, take a look at Joanna's Longhorn Baseball page. She's obviously into Texas baseball, complete with lots of decent pix.

Texas A&M

2-2

Fri., Feb. 22 Texas A&M 9, Northern Colorado 5
Sat., Feb. 23 Northern Colorado 3, Texas A&M 1
Sat., Feb. 23 Northern Colorado 4, Texas A&M 2
Sun., Feb. 24 Texas A&M 5, Northern Colorado 2

You're at home, you're ranked, and you split a pair of games with Northern Colorado. Not an impressive start to the season for the Aggies. Seventeen runs over four games against an opponent like NC - not impressive either.

Texas Tech

1-2

Sat., Feb. 23 UTSA Classic, San Antonio, Texas UL-Lafayette 4, Texas Tech 0
Sun., Feb. 24 UTSA Classic, San Antonio Texas Tech 16, Army 2
Sun., Feb. 24 UTSA Classic, San Antonio, Texas Oral Roberts 7, Texas Tech 6

Texas Tech was to start the season against Northern Illinois. That series was cancelled due to the recent tragedy at NIU, so the Red Raiders got into the U-Texas-San Antonio Tournament. Giving up four runs against LA-Lafayette isn't a tragedy, especially when you give up two runs in the first two batters, then settle down and hold the Ragin' Cajuns to only four runs after that.
The UTSA tourney continues today with Tech playing UTSA.

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Comments

JQ still in shock

Yeah, that sounds about right. Never saw this disaster coming. I will try to go about autopsying KU's version of Pearl Harbor tomorrow. In the meantime, there has been plenty of good baseball material posted at RCT over the last few months. I just wish I had a few more victories to glorify.

Total attendance for the five games in Hawaii, 279. Which I guess is a blessing in disguise. At least almost no one showed up to see the Jayhawks get smacked around this weekend. Without the internet the school might have been able to cover up the whole mess and pretend it never happened.

Nothing takes the wind out of your sails like kicking the shit kicked out of your team opening week by a school that cannot outdraw a high school volleyball game.

by James Quinn on Feb 25, 2008 9:36 PM CST reply actions

Regarding the format

Cornblight, regarding the format, I love it. No changes I can think of. I know this must take you a bit of time each week putting this together but it is much appreciated.

by James Quinn on Feb 26, 2008 9:43 AM CST up reply actions

Thank you

I'll keep it there. I'll be looking around for other resources as well.

Go Big Red!

by Jon Johnston on Feb 27, 2008 11:25 AM CST up reply actions

JQ still in shock

Actually there were only that many fans cause the game was played in Kona, on the other side of the island as Hilo. The game wasn't even talked about in the Kona paper, most people didn't even know the game was going on, and how would they? Nobody cares about baseball in Kona and the only reason the games were played there is because of sponsors. KU is lucky they aren't 1-4, because they should be, Hilo killed themselves in the first game and Kansas was very lucky to win that one, you shouldn't bash Hilo because what they did in the past, the fact of the matter is they were the better team last weekend and they are going to surprise some people this year

by whatever dude on Feb 26, 2008 8:22 PM CST reply actions

Well, clearly I should not have bashed Hilo

because I look a bit less than brilliant now.

Anyway, Corn Blight, I did finally face up to my duty as a blogger and wrote up an autopsy piece on the Hilo series, as well as a preview for the big KU at Arkansas game this Wednesday. Here is a link of me dealing with the unpleasant chore:

http://www.rockchalktalk.com/story/2008/2/26/215032/405

I guess part of the story from last weekend is that UHH is a better club than they were last year. What was kinda frustrating about the whole thing is that the school did not post a season preview article and so KU fans really had little information to go on while preparing for the series. I just assumed they would be roughly the same team they were last year. In hindsight, not the best choice.

by James Quinn on Feb 26, 2008 9:34 PM CST up reply actions

that's

all dependent as the season wears on. I wouldn't blame yourself for that. UHH still has a lot to prove.

Unfortunately, so does Kansas.

And Nebraska... well... we certainly have our work cut out for us too!

Go Big Red!

by Jon Johnston on Feb 27, 2008 11:26 AM CST up reply actions

KU goes down again today

KU lost at Arkansas today 2-1. Tough loss. Wally Marciel pitched well again, but the Hawks can't seem to wake up their lumber yet. They actually struck out 16 times today!

Things do not get any easier for them this weekend. At Vanderbilt, than vs. Iowa and Xavier in Nashville. It is entirely possible that KU might be 2-7 for their home opener next Wednesday.

I have my fingers crossed that they take two this weekend and come back to Lawrence 4-5. Their opponent that day is LeMoyne, which I know to be a surprisingly good team. They are an orphan program from Syracuse, NY. The MAAC kicked them out after last year even though they won the conference championship three of the last five years. So there is no guarantee that the Hawks will take that game either.

BTW, I linked your rundown at the College Baseball Blog forum, the College Baseball Dugout and at RCT. I hope you don't mind.

by James Quinn on Feb 27, 2008 7:47 PM CST up reply actions