Conference tournaments are over, and the field of 64 has been set for college baseball. We have a total of six Big 12 teams in the postseason and two of them will be hosting a regional this upcoming weekend.
Some schools have easier draws than others, and some schools have a tough road ahead of them.
Here are my seven thoughts on the Big 12 postseason schedule and what it means for the teams who still have a path to Omaha.
Â
Oklahoma Got Screwed
While it was great to see the Sooners get one of the coveted hosting bids, I felt like they got the short end of the stick, being stuck with the ninth overall seed. That means that even if they win their regional, they will likely have to be on the road in the supers. Oklahoma did MORE than enough to earn one of the top eight national seeds between winning the regular season title and making it all the way to the finals of the conference tournament. Also, watch out for Duke here to make this regional interesting.
Oklahoma State Finally Gets a Favorable Draw
Over the years, I have noticed that when Oklahoma State hosts a regional, it ends up being one of, if not the toughest, in college baseball. Now, they will go against Niagara in the opening matchup and take on the winner of the Nebraska/Florida game. I know that Florida and Nebraska are feisty, but this feels like a win for the Cowboys, who are red hot right now.
Â
A Texas-Sized Showdown in College Station
I just knew that Texas was going to end up in College Station, and it happened. The Aggies are the number three seed in the tournament and have a legitimate chance to win a national title. Does Texas have enough arms to make it out alive? I guess we will find out. Also, watch out for Louisiana here. The Cajuns are the defending Sun Belt champions and were on a roll to end the year.
The Mountaineers Head West
When I look at this Tucson Regional (Arizona, West Virginia, Dallas Baptist, and Grand Canyon), I don’t see an elite team in the lineup. However, I see four solid teams, and any of them could end up winning this regional. I genuinely believe that this may be the toughest regional in the field of 64.
Â
Kansas State Got In
I am not going to lie; I was EXTREMELY nervous for Kansas State. Their conference record was average, and their RPI was in the mid-40s. I wasn’t sure if they were going to make it. Well, they ended up getting in and are going to have one heck of a time making out of Fayetteville because Arkansas is one of those teams that is nearly unbeatable at home. It’s going to be a rocking crowd at Baum-Walker Stadium, and good luck to the Wildcats winning that regional.
UCF Stays in the Sunshine State
Many folks were wondering if the Knights were going to stay in Florida since Florida State was going to host, and they did. Both Alabama and Florida State are very good teams, and UCF’s opening game against the Crimson Tide is going to be no joke. But I do want to say what a job Rich Wallace did in year one there in Orlando.
TCU Didn’t Make It
In my Big 12 projections, I mentioned that I was a little concerned about TCU. Their conference record wasn’t great, and the RPI was almost 40. While they did manage to win two games in Arlington, I said in my preview that they needed to win two or three to make it in, and I was right. The problem for TCU was that they got off to a horrendous start and had to play catch-up the entire season.
