Big 12 Baseball Weekly Review- March 30th, 2008

by corn blight on Mar 30, 2008 6:45 PM CDT in Baseball Comment 1 comment

This is your Big 12 Baseball Weekly Review.

I changed the look this week in order to make things more readable, but it's causing some problems with publishing. Therefore, it's after the full story story link.

The bottom line:

- Nebraska finally lost a Big 12 game
- Nebraska continues to remain on top of the conference
- Everyone else is squishing themselves into a big, sweaty pile

Big 12 Baseball Weekly Review - March 30, 2008

Big 12 National Rankings
National Collegiate Baseball Writers	March 24	Missouri, 8th; Texas, 10th; TexasA&M, 20th; Baylor 23rd; Nebraska, 30th
Baseball America Top 25	March 24	Missouri, 2nd; Texas, 12th; Nebraska, 19th; Baylor, 20th
Collegiate Baseball Top 25	March 24	Missouri, 5th; Texas, 12th; Nebraska, 15th; Baylor, 20th; Texas A&M, 26th
ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll	March 24	Missouri, 6th; Texas, 10th; Nebraska, 17th; Texas A&M, 22nd

	Record Last Week	Results	Upcoming
Baylor	2-3	Tue., Mar. 25 Baylor 12, Houston Baptist 4 Wed., Mar. 26 Baylor 11, Texas A&M Corpus Christi 8 Fri., Mar. 28 Oklahoma 11, Baylor 2 Sat., Mar. 29 Oklahoma 3, Baylor 2 (10) Sun., Mar. 30 Baylor 7, Oklahoma 3	@TCU UT-San Antonio Kansas
With their win on Sunday, Baylor snapped a five game Big 12 losing streak, and a seven game Big 12 road losing streak going back to last season. They did so by hitting three homers in the final five innings of play. Otherwise, Baylor is falling badly since the beginning of the conference season. I don't think there's really much else to say about the Bears other than they're in a slump, and they need to get over this road issue, otherwise, they'll be fighting to get into postseason and that wasn't where they expected to be this year.

Kansas	3-3	Tue., Mar. 25 Kansas 6, Chicago State 4 Wed., Mar. 26 Kansas 12, Chicago State 0 Wed., Mar. 26 Kansas 7, Benedectine 2 Fri., Mar. 28 Texas A&M 13, Kansas 6 Sat., Mar. 29 Texas A&M 9, Kansas 6 (10) Sun., Mar. 30 Texas A&M 10, Kansas 8	Wichita State @Baylor
Kansas didn't expect to be competing for the cellar, but after this weekend, that's where they are. Kansas lead in all three games and lost them late. Things aren't going to be any easier going to Baylor next weekend, and if things don't get turned around, Kansas may not make the Big 12 tourney.

Kansas State	3-1	Wed., Mar. 26 Kansas State 11, Creighton 1 Fri., Mar. 28 Kansas State 4, Oklahoma State 3 Sat., Mar. 29 Oklahoma State 9, Kansas State 4 Sun., Mar. 30 Kansas State 4, Oklahoma State 0	Central Arkansas @Texas A&M
What did I say last week? Hmmm... I said that the Wildcats would lose their series to the Cowboys. Didn't happen. A good week for KSU, blasting Creighton midweek, then shutting down Cowboys' bats to win the conference series. If it weren't for giving up a six-run inning on Saturday, Kansas State would have swept this series. KSU pitcher Lance Hoge tossed a three-hit shutout and complete game on Sunday, probably winning him co-Big12 Pitcher of the week honors with Nebraska's Thad Weber. Maybe this series is proof of just how even the Big 12 is this year.

Missouri	2-3	Tue., Mar. 25 Missouri 17, Minnesota 8 Wed., Mar. 26 Minnesota 12, Missouri 5 Fri., Mar. 28 Missouri 1, Texas Tech 0 Sat., Mar. 29 Texas Tech 3, Missouri 2 Sun., Mar. 30 Texas Tech 15, Missouri 11	Western Illinois Lincoln Oklahoma State
Off to their best start and highest ranking in school history - one of two things happened to the Tigers. Either they're afraid of heights or they thought everyone else would fall down in awe of them. Before this weekend, Mizzou's conference ERA was 0.00, then they lost Saturday and gave up 15 runs on Sunday. So much for that stat. Is this a sign that Missouri has severe issues with closing? Watch that storyline the rest of the season.

Nebraska	4-1	Tue., Mar. 25 Nebraska 10, Northern Colorado 0 Wed., Mar. 26 Nebraska 9, Northern Colorado 4 Fri., Mar. 28 Nebraska 14, Texas 4 Sat., Mar. 29 Nebraska 2, Texas 0 Sun., Mar. 30 Texas 12, Nebraska 3	@Creighton Texas Tech
Despite giving up 12 runs on Sunday, the Huskers remain hot. They beat up on Northern Colorado, then continue their success in Austin taking a series from the Longhorns. It's not that surprising Texas won big on Sunday, they haven't been swept at home since the pre-Augie era, and they weren't going to let it happen this weekend. Saturday, Husker pitcher Thad Weber fired a complete game, giving up zero runs and only two hits. It's a good bet that'll win him Big 12 Pitcher of the Week honors, perhaps sharing with KSU's Lance Hoge.

Oklahoma	3-1	Tue., Mar. 25 Oklahoma 6, UT Arlington 5 Fri., Mar. 28 Oklahoma 11, Baylor 2 Sat., Mar. 29 Oklahoma 3, Baylor 2 (10) Sun., Mar. 30 Baylor 7 Oklahoma 3	Dallas Baptist Texas
Last week I said Oklahoma would take the series from Baylor, and hey, I got one right for a change! Oklahoma is a good team, and really saved themselves from being shoved further down the conference ranks after nearly being swept by the Huskers the previous weekend. Instead, they shoved Baylor further into despair.

Oklahoma State	3-2	Tue., Mar. 25 Oklahoma State 10, Arizona 2 Wed., Mar. 26 Oklahoma State 3, Arizona 2 Fri., Mar. 28 Kansas State 4, Oklahoma State 3 Sat., Mar. 29 Oklahoma State 9, Kansas State 4 Sun., Mar. 30 Kansas State 4, Oklahoma State 0	@Missouri
Oklahoma State lost their second conference road series already this season. Odd thing is, it's to KSU, who was winless in Big 12 play previous to this weekend. The Cowboys big bats ran into Lance Hoge Sunday, getting shut out on the road. Guess what happens next weekend!!! They get to travel to Missouri!

Texas	2-2	Mon., Mar. 24 Texas 5, Oral Roberts 4 Fri., Mar. 28 Nebraska 14, Texas 4 Sat., Mar. 29 Nebraska 2, Texas 0 Sun., Mar. 30 Texas 12, Nebraska 3	Rice @Oklahoma
Texas spared themselves a sweep, winning by a big margin Sunday as they roughed up Husker pitcher Aaron Pribanic. We did mention Thad Weber earlier, didn't we? Check this line from Eric Sorenson's Saturday column: "In case you were wondering, Jordan Danks, Brandon Belt, Preston Clark and Kyle Russell went a combined 0-for-12 after going just 2-for-12 in yesterday's loss." Texas still has good athletes, but has yet to find themselves. Things won't get easier when they head to Norman next weekend.

Texas A&M	4-0	Tue., Mar. 25 Texas A&M 5, UT-San Antonio 4 Fri., Mar. 28 Texas A&M 13, Kansas 6 Sat., Mar. 29 Texas A&M 9, Kansas 6 (10) Sun., Mar. 30 Texas A&M 10, Kansas 8	Stephen F. Austin Kansas State
The Aggies sweep Kansas at Lawrence, although it wasn't by a huge margin. It gave them four in a row and their first conference sweep since 2003, though. The bottom line for the Aggies is that they're keeping themselves at the top of the conference. The Aggies are 12-1 all-time in series against Kansas. They should continue to stay on top, as next week they get the the Wildcats at home.

Texas Tech	3-2	Mon., Mar. 24 Texas Tech 5, UC Riverside 4 Tue., Mar. 25 UC Riverside 8, Texas Tech 6 Fri., Mar. 28 Missouri 1, Texas Tech 0 Sat., Mar. 29 Texas Tech 3, Missouri 2 Sun., Mar. 30 Texas Tech 15, Missouri 11	TAMU-Corpus Christi @Nebraska
What the? Apparently Missouri thought all they had to do was be ranked and everyone else would fall down in their presence. Texas Tech hit a walk-off grand slam in the ninth and took the series from Mizzou in dramatic fashion. I had earlier ruled Tech out of the running for anything. Perhaps it's time to re-think that. We'll see how they perform in Lincoln next weekend.

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Big-12 RPI Update

Quite a bit of movement in the Big-12 RPI rankings this week. Nebraska, on the strength of it’s series win in Austin, moves up seven notches to number six. Missouri pays the penalty for its three losses and falls ten spots to #18. Oklahoma State slids a bit, while Texas actually climbs from 35 to 29 despite losing two of three to the visiting Huskers. I guess that is quite the compliment offered to the Nebraskans. Baylor, surprisingly, holds steady while Texas A&M makes a big move. The Aggies climb 24 spots all the way up to #38 after sweeping Kansas in Lawrence. Oklahoma climbs eleven notches and Texas Tech jumps 18. Tech took two of three from Missouri this weekend and split a good home series with UC Riverside. Good week for the Red Raiders. Kansas State rode its series victory over Oklahoma State to an improvement of 18 slots. The only Big-12 school that really suffered this week was the Jayhawks. Kansas saw swept at home by Texas A&M. Even the two Jayhawk wins this week actually hurt their RPI rankings, so low is Chicago State regarded.

RPI ranking	Team	NCAA D-I record	Big-12 record	Last week
6	Nebraksa	20-4-1	7-1-1	13
18	Missouri	20-5	4-2	8
24	OSU	18-8	4-5	18
29	Texas	18-8	5-4	35
34	Baylor	16-9	3-6	32
38	Texas A&M	21-6	6-3	62
45	Oklahoma	20-8-1	2-3-1	56
52	Texas Tech	14-12	4-5	70
75	Kansas State	13-12	2-4	93
150	Kansas	16-12	1-5	121