Is there anything better than cold beer and baseball? It’s a combination that is hard to beat during the season. No matter what kind of beer you drink (or how many), let’s take a look at some of the best action on the Big 12 baseball diamond from Friday with a nice six pack.
Best Game
#23 TCU at San Diego
The Horned Frogs kicked their season off with a bang on the west coast Friday night. Heading into the fifth inning, TCU found themselves down 4-0 with no hope in sight. But things started to turn in their favor when first baseman Isaac Cadena smashed a two-run blast in the sixth inning.
In the next inning, Karson Bowen joined the party with his inside the park home run that brought in two runs to tie the game at four.
Going into extra innings, TCU second baseman Cole Kramer had a sac-fly to give the Frogs the lead. Then it was up to Louis Rodriguez to close it out and he did just that. Between some excellent pitching between Rodriguez and Braeden Sloan, TCU gave up just four hits in the final five innings of the game. It was a nice opening day win for TCU as they look to take the series on Saturday night.
Best Win
Cincinnati at #11 Duke
There was only one Big 12 team to beat a ranked team on Friday and that just so happened to be the Cincinnati Bearcats. While they gave up a run in the first inning, some errors made by the Blue Devils helped the Bearcats score a few runs early in the game to give Cincinnati a lead.
Kerrington Cross crushed a solo blast to left center in the fourth inning to give the Bearcats a 5-2 lead.
Even when things got a little tighter in the eighth, outfielder Landyn Vidourek gave his team some insurance when he hit a two-run bomb to make it an 8-3 game.
It was a great win for Cincinnati and a win on Saturday would be huge for their resume later on down the road come selection time. Duke is one of the premier teams in the ACC and I thought the Bearcats handled themselves quite well on the road on Friday.
Worst Loss
Kansas State vs Washington
I probably should have gone with Houston here but going into the Baseball on the Beach tournament in Conway, South Carolina, I thought Kansas State had a great shot at making a statement this weekend. Unfortunately, it was the wrong one on Friday.
Against Washington (who was picked to finish dead last in the Big Ten), Kansas State failed to score a single run in the first eight innings of the game. Huskies starting pitcher Max Banks went six innings and allowed just two hits to start the game.
Meanwhile, Kansas State gave up a few early runs with some errors of their own and then the bottom fell out in the final three innings of the game. I know the Wildcats have another big test coming up on Saturday with Coastal Carolina, but if they don’t get some offense going it could be another long day.
Friday MVP
UCF Second Baseman Braden Calise
Braden had quite the game for the Knights against Siena on Friday. In the sixth inning, he knocked in a pair of runs with a double before knocking in another in the seventh. Then in his final at bat, he grounded out and brought his RBI total to four for the game. He played a crucial role in UCF’s offensive explosion in the sixth and seventh innings where the Knights scored a total of 11 runs.
Pitcher of the Day
Baylor LHP Ethan Calder
What an opening day for Baylor’s Ethan Calder. Against Youngstown State, Ethan pitched five innings and somehow struck out a whopping 13 batters. He gave up just two hits during his time on the mound and was a big reason why the Bears won big.
Best Home Run
TCU Catcher Karson Bowen
I know I already mentioned Karson’s home run earlier but it’s not often we see inside the park home runs especially on opening day. But anytime I see one, I always lose my mind, and his home run played a big part in TCU’s win in San Diego on Friday night.
Full Scoreboard
#15 Clemson: 6, #17 Oklahoma State: 5
Cincinnati: 8, #11 Duke: 3
#6 North Carolina: 5, Texas Tech: 1
#6 North Carolina: 8, Texas Tech: 3
Ole Miss: 2, #21 Arizona: 1
#23 TCU: 5, San Diego: 4
Kansas: 8, Texas A&M CC: 5
West Virginia: 4, Jacksonville: 2
UCF: 13, Siena: 4
Arizona State: 9, Ohio State: 8
Baylor: 10, Youngstown State: 3
Utah: 3, Pepperdine: 1
Fresno State: 7, BYU: 1
Washington: 9, Kansas State: 2
Minnesota: 14, Houston: 3
