Big 12 Baseball Weekly Review - March 16, 2008
This week marked the beginning of Big 12 play, as everyone but Missouri and Oklahoma State played a conference series. In a nutshell:- Baylor won a series over Oklahoma State
- Nebraska swept Kansas State
- Texas won the series against Kansas
- Texas A&M won their series over Texas Tech
- Looking at the Friday's game scores, there were five one or two-run games. 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, March 10, 2008 -Texas, 10th; Baylor 12th; Missouri, 14th; Texas A&M, 23rd; Oklahoma State, 25th
Baseball America Top 25, March 10, 2008 - Missouri,4th; Baylor, 10th; Texas, 19th; Oklahoma State, 23rd
Collegiate Baseball Top 25, March 10, 2008 - Baylor,9th; Texas, 15th,; Missouri, 17th; Texas A&M, 24th; Oklahoma, 25th,Oklahoma State, 28th
If I refer to rankings below, I'll be using Baseball America's ranking.
Baylor | 2-3 | Tue., Mar 11 Oral Roberts 7, Baylor 6 Wed., Mar. 12 Oral Roberts 12, Baylor 2 Fri., Mar. 14 Oklahoma State 6, Baylor 5 Sat., Mar. 15 Baylor 3, Oklahoma State 0 Sun., Mar. 16 Baylor 8, Oklahoma State 5 |
The Bears made up for it by winning their series with Oklahoma State. Friday's game featured Cowboys Matt Hague and Rebel Ridling hitting homers on consecutive pitches with two outs in the top of the ninth. Saturday, Baylor pitcher Shawn Tolleson pitched a complete game, two-hit shutout as three runs were all that were needed - probably good enuogh to get him Big 12 pitcher of the week honors. Dustin Dickerson had a three-run homer in Sunday's game to take the series.
Sam Houston State (RPI: 77) comes to Waco mid-week, then Baylor heads to Missouri for a big early-season Big 12 series.
Kansas | 3-2 | Tue., Mar. 11 Kansas 8, Tabor 1 Wed., Mar. 12 Kansas 11, Missouri State 7 Fri., Mar. 14 Texas 8, Kansas 6 Sat.Mar. 15 Texas 6, Kansas 1 Sun., Mar. 16 Kansas 7,Texas 2 |
Kansas feasted on Tabor and Missouri State (RPI:79) mid-week. Friday marked the Longhorns breaking Kansas eight-game winning streak. Texas pitching shut down the Jayhawks on Saturday, with Texas second baseman Michael Torres driving in three runs. The best news about the Texas series is that they weren't swept, winning Sunday's game with a four-run seventh inning.
Kansas heads to Bradenton, FL, to compete in the Florida Spring Classic Tourney that features Illinois (RPI:186), Dartmouth (RPI:145), Central Connecticut State (RPI:281), and Northwestern (RPI:81). The tourney begins Wednesday, concluding Sunday.
Kansas State | 3-3 | Tue., Mar. 11 Kansas State 9, Washington State 6 Fri., Mar. 14 Nebraska 2, Kansas State 1 Sat., Mar. 15 Nebraska 11, Kansas State 4 Sun., Mar. 16 Nebraska 5, Kansas State 3 (10) |
Nice job of beating the Pac-10 mid-week. Then a great job of being swept by Nebraska. Brad Hutt did a good job of limiting the Husker offense on Friday, but the Wildcats couldn't generate enough of their own, although they had chances, with two men on base in the bottom of the ninth when Tyler Ruch flew out to right for the last out. Saturday Nebraska overwhelmed six Wildcat pitchers with 16 hits.
The Sunday game went 10 innings and ended in dramatic fashin (more under the Nebraska section.)
The Wildcats go to Brigham Young (RPI:184) mid-week, then Binghamton (RPI:204) comes to Manhattan from Binghamton, KY. I have never heard of Binghamton, have you?
Missouri | 4-0 | Fri., Mar. 14 Missouri 6, Toledo 0 Sat., Mar. 15 Missouri 10, Toledo 0 Sun., Mar. 16 Missouri 3, Toledo 1 Sun., Mar. 16 Missouri 11, Toledo 6 |
Missouri sweeps Toledo (RPI:114) in dominating fashion, allowing only seven runs over four games. Friday's game featured Tiger pitcher Aaron Crow throwing a career high 15 K's in his first complete game. If that isn't impressive enough, Saturday Tiger pitcher Ian Berger had a career-high nine K's in eight innings and lowered his ERA to .039. Sunday's finale was Missouri's eighth-straight win.
South Dakota State (RPI:182) comes to Columbia mid-week, and then Baylor comes to next weekend.
Nebraska | 4-0 | Tue., Mar. 11 Nebraska 7, South Dakota St. 3 Fri., Mar. 14 Nebraska 2, Kansas State 1 Sat., Mar. 15 Nebraska 11, Kansas State 4 Sun., Mar. 16 Nebraska 5, Kansas State 3 (10) |
Sunday's game featured the Huskers coming back after being down 3-2 in the ninth inning. DJ Belfonte drove in the tying run when he hit a sacrifice fly against All-American closer Daniel Edwards, then Dan Johnston had a two-run single in the top of the tenth to give the Huskers their 13th straight win.
A big week for Husker fans as former coach Dave Van Horn and his Arkansas Razorbacks (RPI: 47) come to town for a two-game midweek series. Next weekend the Huskers welcome the Oklahoma Sooners to Lincoln.
Oklahoma | 3-3 | Tue., Mar. 11 Oklahoma 3, Dallas Baptist 1 Wed., Mar. 12 Oklahoma 11, Northern Illinois 5 Fri., Mar. 14 Washington State 5, Oklahoma 3 Sat., Mar. 15 Washington State 4, Oklahoma 3 Sat. Mar. 15 Washington State 8, Oklahoma 5 Sun., Mar. 16 Oklahoma 14, Washington 2 |
Oklahoma went 1-3 against the Cougars, saving a sweep picking up the last game of the series. It wasn't so much that Oklahoma played poorly, it's more of a matter that they didn't take advantage of opportunities when they had them. Saturday's double header had the Sooners losing two games four runs total. Sunday they exploded all over the Cougars, as if they've saved the runs from the other games.
Found as is on the OU Sooner Sports web site. No idea if he's throwing with a bloody nose or what.
Oklahoma goes to South Florida (RPI:51) midweek, then comes to Lincoln next weekend for a series with the Cornhuskers.
Oklahoma State | 2-2 | Tue., Mar. 11 Oklahoma State 19, Missouri State 10 Fri., Mar. 14 Oklahoma State 6, Baylor 5 Sat., Mar. 15 Baylor 3, Oklahoma State 0 Sun., Mar. 16 Baylor 8, Oklahoma State 5 |
The Cowboys play a four-game series against Arkansas Pine-Bluff (RPI:292) mid-week, then head to Oklahoma State next weekend.
Texas | 3-1 | Tue., Mar. 11 Texas 9, Rice 1 Fri., Mar. 14 Texas 8, Kansas 6 Sat., Mar. 15 Texas 6, Kansas 1 Sun., Mar. 16 Kansas 7, Texas 2 |
Then Kansas comes to town and Texas wins by being more opportunistic - in Friday's game, each team hit two home runs, but both 'Horns runs were two-run shots. Saturday's game featured Longhorn freshmen Chance Ruffin and Stayton Thomas retiring 14 of the 15 batters they faced, shutting down the KU offense. Last year's power hitter Kyle Russell is hitting only .255, with one home run and seven RBI's. He'll come out of that slump at some point this season. Brandon Belt leads the team with 25 RBI's, while Cameron Rupp is hitting .423 with three home runs and 19 RBI's.
Texas plays UT-San Antonio (RPI:149) and Texas State (RPI: 141) mid-week, then head to Lubbock next weekend to take on the Red Raiders.
Texas A&M | 4-1 | Tue., Mar. 11 Texas A&M 9, Centenary 2 Wed., Mar. 12 Texas A&M 3, Centenary 2 Fri., Mar. 14 Texas A&M 6, Texas Tech 5 (12) Sat., Mar. 15 Texas A&M 12, Texas Tech 1 Sun., Mar. 16 Texas Tech 9, Texas A&M 3 |
The Aggies sweep Centenary (RPI:124) midweek, then take a series from the struggling Red Raiders. Friday's game went to 12 innings, lasting over 4.5 hours, before Aggie Dane Carter hit a two-out homer. Saturday's game featured Texas A&M scoring five runs in the fourth, and six runs in the six, while Tech couldn't take advantage of runners on base.
The Aggies get UT-Arlington mid-week (RPI:175) , and then bring the Oklahoma State Cowboys to College Station next weekend in a critical series.
Texas Tech | 2-2 | Tue., Mar. 11 Texas Tech 8, New Mexico 6 Fri., Mar. 14 Texas A&M 6, Texas Tech 5 Sat., Mar. 15 Texas A&M 12, Texas Tech 1 Sun., Mar. 16 Texas Tech 9, Texas A&M 3 |
Texas Tech gets TAMU-Corpus Christi (RPI:180) mid-week, then the Texas Longhorns visit Lubbock for a series next weekend.