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.