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 Saturday with a nice six pack.
Best Game
Arizona vs #18 Mississippi State
For the second day in a row, the Arizona Wildcats have taken down a ranked opponent. On Friday night, it was #1 Texas A&M and on Saturday it was against a top 20 Mississippi State team.
Mason White got the party started early in this one with his two-run in the first inning.
But the Bulldogs quickly responded with a homer by Ace Reese to make it a one-run game.
A bases loaded wild pitch helped Arizona tie the game and once again Mason White came up big with a key hit to extend their lead.
Reese would homer again for Mississippi State and add another run in the fifth inning, but Arizona’s Tommy Splaine knocked in a run in the sixth.
From there, Arizona’s pitching staff would secure the win.
Best Win
Oklahoma State
For the second night in a row, a Big 12 team takes down number one Texas A&M. On Friday night, Arizona beat the Aggies and on Saturday it was the Cowboys turn. While Friday night’s game was much closer, Oklahoma State dominated from start to finish.
Starting pitcher Harrison Bodendorf pitched lights out against one of the best offenses in college baseball. Meanwhile, Drew Blake and Sean Youngerman shut the door on the Aggies coming out of the bullpen.
The Cowboys were also able to get just enough offense in to back up their outstanding pitching between Garrett Shull’s home run and Jayson Jones’ RBI triple in the fourth inning.
Oklahoma State ended up adding a pair of runs later in the game to seal the deal for the Cowboys. It was a huge win not just for Oklahoma State but also for the conference as well.
Worst Loss
Utah
The Utes are on the west coast this weekend and played a doubleheader on Saturday against two different teams. Their first game was against UC Riverside where they fell 10-5. It was one of those games where the Utes got off to a rough start and couldn’t quite climb back in it. The good news is that they did redeem themselves in the next game against Cal Baptist.
Saturday MVP
UCF SS Antonio Jimenez
The Knights were in desperate need of a bounce back win against USF after their ugly loss on Friday night. Thanks to the help of Antonio Jimenez, UCF was able to tie the series on Saturday. He hit a grand slam in the very first inning before bringing in another run in the sixth to bring his RBI total to five for the day.
Pitcher of the Day
Oklahoma State LHP Harrison Bodendorf
Harrison had quite the evening on Saturday night. He pitched five innings and didn’t allow a single run. In fact, he allowed just one hit during his time on the mound. Not bad considering he faced one of the best offenses in all of college baseball.
Best Home Run
Oklahoma State OF Garrett Shull
Garrett’s solo blast in the first inning really set the tone for Oklahoma State in their big win over #1 Texas A&M on Saturday night. Also, it was pretty cool to see that thing hit the foul pole too because that’s something you don’t see every day.
Full Scoreboard
Oklahoma State: 4, #1 Texas A&M: 0
Arizona: 6, #18 Mississippi State: 5
Kansas State: 14, Sam Houston State: 3
Kansas: 8, Omaha: 0
UCF: 12, USF: 1
West Virginia: 11, Queens: 7
Baylor: 8, Ohio State: 6
Houston: 12, UT Arlington: 6
BYU: 17, Gonzaga: 8
UC San Diego: 8, #23 Cincinnati: 2
#22 Southern Miss: 5, #25 TCU: 3
#15 Texas: 10, Texas Tech: 5
Minnesota: 6, Arizona State: 4
UC Riverside: 10, Utah: 5
Utah: 4, Cal Baptist: 3
