Big 12 Baseball Week Review -Week Ending March 26th

by Jon Johnston on Mar 26, 2007 9:57 PM CDT in Baseball Comment 3 comments

Big 12 Baseball Week Review (Week ending Monday, March 26th)

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

Big 12 Rankings this Week
USA Today/ ESPN Coaches' Poll: Texas, 7th; Texas A&M, 14th; Oklahoma, 21st
Baseball America Top 25: Texas, 9th; Oklahoma State, 14th; Oklahoma 17th, Texas A&M, 18th
Collegiate Baseball Top 25: Texas, 9th; Texas A&M, 14th; Oklahoma, 21st; Oklahoma State 22nd

Big 12 Weekly Awards
Beamer Weems - Baylor, Sophomore Shortstop - Player of the Week
Tony Watson - Nebraska - Pitcher of the Week

Baylor

3-1

Tue., Mar. 20 Baylor 22, Texas Southern 1
Fri., Mar. 23 Baylor 5, Texas Tech 1
Sat., Mar. 24 Texas Tech 8, Baylor 7
Sun., Mar. 25 Baylor 14, Texas Tech 4

Baylor picks up a nice series win over Texas Tech after getting swept last week by Texas. Friday's win snapped a six-game Big 12 losing streak dating back to last season. The Saturday game featured a pitcher's nightmare as Baylor's closer was called for a balk in the 10th inning with the bases loaded. Sunday's game was the result of the Bears scoring 12 runs in the fourth inning

Next up for Baylor - a mid-week home game against U-Texas Arlington and then next weekend at Oklahoma State.

Kansas

2-3

Wed., Mar. 21 Kansas 5, Northern Colorado 4
Wed., Mar. 21 Northern Colorado 4, Kansas 2
Fri., Mar. 23 Oklahoma State 14, Kansas 4
Sat., Mar. 24 Kansas 6, Oklahoma State 3
Sun., Mar. 25 Oklahoma State 7, Kansas 3

Kansas splits a mid-week double-header with Northern Colorado. They then lose a series to Oklahoma State. Not a good week for Jayhawk fans, whether in baseball or basketball. At least their losses in baseball are coming against ranked teams.

Kansas goes on the road mid-week to Missouri State and then plays at Mizzou in conference play next weekend.

Kansas State

1-2

Fri., Mar. 23 Texas 10, Kansas State 3
Sat., Mar. 24 Texas 14, Kansas State 3
Sun., Mar. 25 Kansas State 11, Texas 9

Kansas State goes into Austin, losing a series against the Longhorns. Recaps on Friday's and Saturday's games. The good news for the Wildcats was that it wasn't a clean sweep as they took Sunday's game, breaking the Longhorns streak at ten games.

Wichita State comes to Manhattan mid-week, and then the Wildcats get Texas Tech at home. The Saturday game will be televised on FSN Midwest.

Missouri

2-1

Fri., Mar. 23 Missouri 5, Nebraska 1
Sat., Mar. 24 Missouri 4, Nebraska 3
Sun., Mar. 25 Nebraska 16, Missouri 1

Mizzou won the Friday game in extra innings, ending a seven game losing streak against Nebraska. Nebraska plays poorly on Saturday, allowing Missouri to win by one after pitcher Rick Zagone recorded a complete game. The Huskers bounced back on Sunday, pounding the Tigers with 12 runs in the sixth inning, ending Mizzou's winning streak at 14. Missouri has to be the surprise team in the Big 12 right now. They now have 20 wins on the season, something they didn't do last year until the end of April.

Mizzou plays at Creighton mid-week, then heads home for a series against Kansas over the weekend.

Nebraska

3-2

Tue., Mar. 20 Nebraska 3, Western Illinois 2
Wed., Mar. 21 Nebraska 8, Western Illinois 0
Fri., Mar. 23 Missouri 5, Nebraska 1
Sat., Mar. 24 Missouri 4, Nebraska 3
Sun., Mar. 25 Nebraska 16, Missouri 1

Tony Watson picked up Big 12 pitcher of the week honors in a losing effort against the Tigers on Friday night. The game went extra innings. Saturday's game featured the Huskers putting the tying run in scoring position four times over the last six innings, but unable to capitalize. The Husker salvage a game on Sunday, pounding the Tigers for 12 runs in the sixth inning in a seven-inning game.

I know that Mike Anderson is getting savaged by some Husker fans. I have to hope that this Husker team will come around and start playing some good baseball. Keep in mind that what we need to do is to keep winning games when we can, and be playing well come tourney time.

Nebraska gets Northern Colorado at home for a two-game series, and then plays at ranked Texas A&M for a conference series next weekend. It'd be great if we could take that series on the road against our former pitching coach Childress.

Oklahoma

3-1

Tue., Mar. 20 Oklahoma 9, Dallas Baptist 7
Fri., Mar. 23 Texas A&M 7, Oklahoma 3
Sat., Mar. 24 Oklahoma 9, Texas A&M 3
Sun., Mar. 25 Oklahoma 8, Texas A&M 7

Ranked Oklahoma takes a series at home against ranked Texas A&M, losing Friday's game, then bouncing back to take the next two. Sunday's game featured 11 innings, with Oklahoma coming back from a four run deficit to win the series.

Oklahoma travels to Austin to for another Top 20 matchup next weekend. You'd think that a series like this would be televised, but I don't believe it is. Good luck to Oklahoma as someone needs to take Texas down a notch.

Oklahoma State

2-1

Fri., Mar. 23 Oklahoma State 14, Kansas 4
Sat., Mar. 24 Kansas 6, Oklahoma State 3
Sun., Mar. 25 Oklahoma State 7, Kansas 3

Ranked Oklahoma State took a series from the Jayhawks this past weekend. Friday's game featured the most hits (17) the Cowboys have had in three years. The series win was the seventh straight in the Big 12, going back to last season.

Oklahoma State gets Baylor at home next weekend.

Texas

3-1

Tue., Mar. 20 Texas 5, Texas State 3
Fri., Mar. 23 Texas 10, Kansas State 3
Sat., Mar. 24 Texas 14, Kansas State 3
Sun., Mar. 25 Kansas State 11, Texas 9

Texas is rolling along, winning a series against Kansas State this past weekend. Saturday's win was the Longhorns ninth straight, but their winning streak was to end on Sunday as Kansas State managed to pull one out against the 'Horns.

Top Ten-ranked Rice visits Austin for a mid-week game, then gets ranked Oklahoma at home next weekend. Should be a great series - hoping for a Sooner win to bring Texas within reach of the rest of us.

Texas A&M

2-1

Tue., Mar. 20 Texas A&M 10, Rice 9
Fri., Mar. 23 Texas A&M 7, Oklahoma 3
Sat., Mar. 24 Oklahoma 9, Texas A&M 3
Sun., Mar. 25 Oklahoma 8, Texas A&M 7

The Aggies beat Rice mid-week, not an easy accomplishment, but no doubt some are still mourning the loss by their basketball team (at least still feeling the effects of such mourning, Ha!). They win the Friday game, but then lose the Sunday game in 11 innings and the series to ranked Oklahoma.

They'll get ranked TCU at home mid-week, then get the Huskers at home next weekend. Here's to adding more pain to the Aggies' fans.

Texas Tech

2-1

Fri., Mar. 23 Baylor 5, Texas Tech 1
Sat., Mar. 24 Texas Tech 8, Baylor 7
Sun., Mar. 25 Baylor 14, Texas Tech 4

Baylor took the series against the Red Raiders this past weekend. The Sunday game featured Tech giving up 12 runs in the fourth inning.

Texas Tech gets New Mexico State mid-week, then travels to Manhattan to play the Kansas State Wildcats next weekend in Big 12 conference play.

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RPI rankings - half way mark of the season

As of Wednesday morning, March 28th.

RPI Rank - School (Div-I Wins and Losses and Big-12 record)
3 Texas (23-8, 5-1)
11 Texas A&M (23-5, 3-3)
15 Oklahoma (20-7, 2-1)
32 Missouri (20-7, 2-1)
35 Kansas State (18-7, 1-2)
45 Baylor (16-11, 2-4)
47 Nebraska (14-9, 2-4)
59 Texas Tech (19-10, 3-3)
123 Oklahoma State (19-6, 2-1) ?Why this ranking?
131 Kansas (13-15, 2-4)

We are now at about the half way mark of the season so these rankings are becoming meaningful. For the complete list just visit Boyd's World College Baseball Ratings Page

I posted this ranking update at a few of the other Big-12 blogs along with a link to the weekly rundown on this blog. Thanks for putting these together each week.

To any who might be interested, an interview with former All-American closer Don Czyz of Kansas is posted at Rock Talk Chalk now. Czyz talks about his years in the Big-12 as well as his first year in the minors. When asked about the most difficult batters he faced while in college he included Alex Gordon on a short list. Check out the interview, some pretty good stuff:
http://www.rockchalktalk.com/story/2...

by James Quinn on Mar 28, 2007 4:01 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

if you look at Okie State's schedule

you see:

Western Illinois - 190
Lamar - 146
McNeese State - 229
Illinois-Chicago - unlisted?
Ball State - 100
Hartford - 191
Dallas Baptist - 71
Cal State Northridge - 170

So, that should give you an idea of why they're where they are.

Go Big Red!

by Jon Johnston on Mar 29, 2007 10:51 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Okie State

The Cowboys visited Lawrence last weekend and damn, their line-up is strong. They are going to score a lot of runs vs. Big-12 pitching. Their #3, #4 and #5 batters will all go early in the MLB draft.

Their starting rotation is not too bad, and their bullpen seemed surprisingly deep. The only real weakness I saw on the team was that they have one of the worst infield defenses I've every watched fumble around with a batted ball. Everytime the Jayhawks hit a ground ball, no matter how hard or in what direction, there was about a 50% chance something good was going to happen. The Oklahoma State 1st baseman, Rebel Ridling (spelling?) stood out as particularly unable to field his position.

I expect Oklahoma State will win their share of 9-7 games in the conference. If they finish out of the top six that says more about the depth of the conference than the quality of the Cowboy team.

by James Quinn on Mar 29, 2007 2:19 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs