After a fun opening weekend, college baseball returns to action this weekend as 14 Big 12 teams are hitting the diamond. There are several big-time matchups ahead, so let’s take a look at the top five storylines heading into the weekend.
Arlington Once Again Headlines the Weekend
The two teams who wear purple in the Big 12 will represent the conference in Arlington for the Amegy Bank College Baseball Series at Globe Life Field. The tournament features a total of four teams with TCU, Kansas State, Arkansas, and Michigan.
Big 12 Baseball Week 2 Preview: 4 Storylines to Watch
After an exciting opening weekend, Big 12 baseball is back in action with all 14 teams hitting the field. With some major matchups on deck, here are four storylines to keep an eye on heading into the weekend.
Arlington Takes Center Stage Again
Once again, Globe Life Field in Arlington is the spotlight for college baseball as the Amegy Bank College Baseball Series gets underway. TCU and Kansas State will represent the Big 12, squaring off against Michigan and Arkansas in a loaded four-team tournament.
Let’s be honest—this weekend is all about the Frogs and the Hogs.
Arkansas is riding high after sweeping Washington State in four straight games. Their pitching rotation is lights out, led by Gabe Gaeckle, Zach Root, and Gage Wood—arguably one of the best staffs not just in the SEC, but in the entire country. The offense still has room to grow, but with arms like that, they don’t need to score a ton to win.
TCU is coming off a sweep too, taking down San Diego on the road. Their pitching was a bit shaky, but their offense was firing on all cylinders. Freshman Noah Franco broke out in a big way, and veterans like Cole Cramer, Isaac Cadena, and Chase Brunson delivered at the plate.
Don’t sleep on Michigan, though. They went 4-0 in Puerto Rico, including a huge opening-day win over a top-five Virginia squad. They’re a dark horse in the Big Ten and a team to watch. As for Kansas State, they’ve got some work to do. They’ve given up 8+ runs in four of their first five games and need to find consistency fast—on both sides of the ball.
A Look at the Tournament Schedule:
Friday, Feb. 21
- #22 TCU vs. Michigan
- Kansas State vs. #5 Arkansas
Saturday, Feb. 22
- Michigan vs. Kansas State
- #5 Arkansas vs. #22 TCU
Sunday, Feb. 23
- Kansas State vs. #22 TCU
Baylor’s Pitching Is Turning Heads
One of the biggest surprises from opening weekend? Baylor’s pitching.
Ethan Calder was flat-out dominant against Youngstown State, striking out 13 in just five innings. Bryson Bales followed up with a solid outing of his own, striking out eight across four innings. And even on Sunday, it was a full team effort on the mound. The Bears even shut out UTSA on Tuesday, 5-0, pushing their record to 4-0.
They’ll face a tougher test this weekend against Gonzaga, but so far, Baylor’s arms are looking sharp.
Is Cincinnati the Real Deal?
The biggest shocker from Week 1 came from Cincinnati, who went on the road and won a series against a top-15 Duke squad. But was it a fluke or are the Bearcats for real?
Kerrington Cross set the tone with two home runs in Durham, and Donovan Ford had a huge series too, with five hits and four RBIs. Plus, their pitching held up well against Duke’s high-powered offense.
They’ve got a four-game set in Vegas against UNLV. While the Rebels aren’t powerhouses, they did beat Indiana twice last week. That said, they also got crushed by Oregon State and Xavier, getting outscored 26–1. This weekend should give us a clearer picture of what Cincinnati’s really made of.
Upset Alert: Who Should Be Nervous?
Bryant at UCF
UCF welcomes Bryant for a three-game series. Bryant only has two games under their belt so far—splitting a series with Davidson—but they’ve got one of the top mid-major offenses out there. Their pitching depth is questionable, though.
UCF’s offense can hang with anyone, but their starters need to keep Bryant’s bats in check. The Knights looked solid against Siena and will look to keep that momentum rolling starting Friday.
Also keep an eye on Arizona, Arizona State, and Texas Tech this weekend. Each of them is facing tough mid-major opponents, and they’re definitely on upset watch.
Other Notable Series Around the Big 12:
UT Arlington at #19 Oklahoma State
Oral Roberts at Arizona State
San Diego at Arizona
UC Irvine at Texas Tech
West Virginia at Lipscomb
Kansas at Tarleton State
Houston at Cal
BYU at Cal State Northridge
Utah vs. San Diego State, Seattle, and UC San Diego (Tony Gwynn Legacy Tournament)
As much as I respect Kansas State and Michigan, this tournament is all about the Hogs and the Frogs. Arkansas is coming off a four-game sweep over Washington State, and their pitching staff is arguably the best not just in the SEC but maybe the entire country with Gabe Gaeckle, Zach Root, and Gage Wood. Offensively, they still have some room for improvement but with that pitching staff of theirs, they may not need a ton of offense.
Meanwhile, TCU is coming off a four-game sweep over San Diego on the road. The pitching was a little shakey, but offensively, this team was ready from the jump. True freshman Noah Franco had a breakout performance, while guys like Cole Cramer, Isaac Cadena, and Chase Brunson racked up the hits.
While the focus may be on TCU and Arkansas, don’t sleep on Michigan. They went 4-0 down in Puerto Rico, including a big win over a top-five Virginia team on opening day. They are a sneaky team to keep an eye on in the Big Ten to make the tournament. And as for Kansas State, they need to find some consistency both on the mound and at the plate. They have given up eight or more runs four times in their first five games.
Tournament Schedule
Friday, February 21
#22 TCU at Michigan
Kansas State at #5 Arkansas
Saturday, February 22
Michigan at Kansas State
#5 Arkansas at #22 TCU
Sunday, February 23
Kansas State at #22 TCU
Baylor’s Pitching Staff
One of the things that caught my attention from opening weekend was Baylor, specifically their starting pitching. Ethan Calder put on an absolute clinic against Youngstown State, striking out 13 batters in just five innings.
In Baylor’s second game, Bryson Bales cruised to an easy win, going four innings and striking out eight. Sunday was a collective effort from the staff, but I was still very impressed with Baylor’s presence on the mound. They even shut out UTSA on Tuesday with a 5-0 win to move to 4-0. Gonzaga should be a much better test for the Bears this weekend.
Is Cincinnati for Real?
Perhaps the biggest story in the Big 12 from opening weekend was Cincinnati. The Bearcats managed to take a series from a top-15 Duke team on the road. Was it a fluke, or are the Bearcats for real?
Kerrington Cross is without question the leader of this team, and he started off hot last weekend, crushing two home runs in Durham. Meanwhile, Donovan Ford had a big series as well, with five hits and four RBIs. Plus, their pitching staff did a fairly decent job against an outstanding Duke offense.
UNLV is by no means a juggernaut, but they did manage to beat Indiana twice last weekend. However, they were absolutely blown out of the water by Oregon State and Xavier as they were outscored 26 to 1. This four-game series in Vegas should give us a better idea of just who this Cincinnati team really is.
Who is on Upset Alert?
Bryant at UCF
The Knights welcome the reigning America East champions to Orlando this weekend when they host Bryant for a three-game series. The Bulldogs have only played two games so far in this early season against Davidson, where they split. Pitching depth is a concern for Bryant, but they do have one of the best offenses among the mid-majors.
For UCF, it will be all about slowing them down at the plate. I know the Knights have the offense to do some damage, but all eyes will be on UCF’s starters this weekend for me. The Knights did a great job against Siena opening weekend, and they look to continue that starting Friday. I would also like to add that Arizona, Arizona State, and Texas Tech have some tough matchups against some mid-major programs and that they, too, should be on upset alert this weekend.
Other Series
UT Arlington at #19 Oklahoma State
ORU at Arizona State
San Diego at Arizona
UC Irvine at Tech
West Virginia at Lipscomb
Kansas at Tarleton State
Houston at Cal
BYU at Cal State Northridge
Utah vs San Diego State, Seattle, and UC San Diego (Tony Gwynn Legacy Tourney)
